Bishops Attack MPs Over Sudan Refugees

By Alfred WasikeANGRY Sudanese and Ugandan prelates meeting in Uganda to review Presidents Yoweri Museveni and Daniel arap Moi’s recent historic peace initiatives to defuse strife in the war-torn Sudan have attacked Ugandan MPs for insensitivity to the plight of Sudanese refugees in Uganda.In a dramatic shift of mood, the bishops, who had just hailed Museveni and Moi’s peace moves, lashed out at “certain Ugandan MPs for “just engaging in idle talk to get space in newspapers.” Leading the onslaught, Archbishop Livingstone Mpalanyi Nkoyooyo said, “We strongly condemn these MPs who are inflaming sentiments against refugees from Sudan and other countries. “These MPs are talking for the sake of getting space in newspapers. You (the MPs) should remember that Uganda has a history in which many of our people spent many years of their lives as refugees.“We advise them to first digest carefully what they say. As a nation we should be sensitive to our neighbours’ plight.”His grim-faced and grey-haired Sudanese colleagues nodded in approval.“We very heartily thank Presidents Museveni, Moi, Bashir and other players who have paved the way to end suffering in our region. We are very happy for their efforts. We are here to see that their work does not remain on paper. We shall help to implement it,” Nkoyooyo said.First deputy premier and internal affairs minister Eriya Kategaya was yesterday scheduled to address Kampala MPs over the alleged influx of Sudanese refugees into the city. Rubaga South MP Ken Lukyamuzi recently said the unidentified Sudanese have guns and were a national risk. He gave Government a sixty-day ultimatum to address the issue or he would mobilise residents against them.The 35 bishops met at the Entebbe Botanical Beach Hotel from July 29 to August 2.Ends