Uganda should forget her ugly past

Nov 22, 2009

Letter of the day<br><br>Editor—Last week, Europe celebrated the 91st anniversary of the end of the First Word War. At a ceremony in Paris to mark the event, the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel and the French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, stood side by

Letter of the day

Editor—Last week, Europe celebrated the 91st anniversary of the end of the First Word War. At a ceremony in Paris to mark the event, the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel and the French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, stood side by side in Paris on 11 November 11, leaders of two nations which in the war were foes.

In her speech, Merkel acknowledged the pains of the past, but also added that celebrating together now was a sign that out of painful conflicts of the past, partnership and friendship have been born and it was the task of Europe to maintain this solidarity.

Her speech was not mere rhetoric; she was stating what Europe has come to be since after the end of the world wars. Europeans have managed to outgrow the past, by forgetting their past divisions and enmity.

The losers do not cry for lost territories, and the conquerors do not blow their trumpets endlessly. The vanquished and the winners dance together on the same floor of the European Union.

This has helped Europe to prosper and to enjoy peace, because now the Europeans live as one people, and technology, services, goods and ideas flow across the boundaries freely and easily. Christians speak of ‘deliverance’ and ‘inner-healing’.

These are methods of outlook on life, whereby an individual hindered from free growth and liberty by events in past life, sheds off the past and enters a liberated future. This enhances one’s chances of prosperity in life. The European nations have done this and the results are obvious.
I wish that we Ugandans could take this leaf from Europe.

There are signs now that we are sliding back into the past. Some politicians are resurrecting painful memories, many of which the present generation had come to forget. Playing on sentiments of ethnic groups has become the game of some leaders. They may find an advantage in this, yet by so doing, are imprisoning the people in the slavery of the past.

Why should some people crave for lost countries or thrones when the focus should be to build a united republic? Why should some tribes seek glories of the past when the point should be one group to allow itself dissolve into others for a new nation? Why should one tribe seek revenge on another to settle old scores?

This type of atmosphere nurtures nepotism, selfishness, disunity and lack of progress.

Let us accept that the wars and inter-tribal colonialism that Uganda suffered were pangs of birth into a nation.

It is true the pangs are hateful to recall to some tribes.

But should a mother keep her eyes on the pains of labour, she will never love her child. We should let the pangs cease now and let the child, Uganda, grow up into a mature nation.

My hero in Uganda will be that leader who will work for reconciliation, and not for antagonism, between the different ethnic communities of Uganda. He will be that leader who will deliver us from our divisive past.

Vincent Ssempuuma
vinsekts@yahoo.com

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