Danes Should Be Objective
Jul 23, 2003
A DANISH TV crew of Magic Hour Films claims that they are about to be deported but the Government is denying it.
A DANISH TV crew of Magic Hour Films claims that they are about to be deported but the Government is denying it.
The army caused the furore when it expelled them from Gulu since they did not have clearance.
There is a complex background to this dispute.
Uganda has been badly burned by China Keitesi, a refugee in Denmark who claims to have been abducted as a kadogo and then kidnapped by Ugandan security officers in South Africa. The truth is that she joined the NRA in late 1985 as a young woman, became the girlfriend of Drago Nyanzi and then deserted. However, her wild and fantastic story badly damaged Uganda’s reputation abroad.
Magic Hour Films are now making a similar film about Stephen Ndugga, an NRA deserter who joined Itongwa’s rebels before fleeing to Denmark. He says that he was a child soldier himself as was his son who he secretly rescued from Congo. Magic Hour Films wants to expose Museveni’s dependence on child soldiers.
The Government learned about the Ndugga film project and invited the Danes to Uganda to see their side of the story. They were therefore surprised when they surfaced in Gulu, far from the scene of Ndugga’s alleged exploits.
The Danes said that they merely wanted to film the relief work being done by Denmark in Gulu. But Government also has a responsibility to prevent Uganda’s reputation from being unfairly tarnished abroad.
The Danes should accept Government’s assurance that it does not intend to deport them but should also respect Government’s concern that their film be a fair and truthful reflection of Uganda’s complex history.
Ends
The army caused the furore when it expelled them from Gulu since they did not have clearance.
There is a complex background to this dispute.
Uganda has been badly burned by China Keitesi, a refugee in Denmark who claims to have been abducted as a kadogo and then kidnapped by Ugandan security officers in South Africa. The truth is that she joined the NRA in late 1985 as a young woman, became the girlfriend of Drago Nyanzi and then deserted. However, her wild and fantastic story badly damaged Uganda’s reputation abroad.
Magic Hour Films are now making a similar film about Stephen Ndugga, an NRA deserter who joined Itongwa’s rebels before fleeing to Denmark. He says that he was a child soldier himself as was his son who he secretly rescued from Congo. Magic Hour Films wants to expose Museveni’s dependence on child soldiers.
The Government learned about the Ndugga film project and invited the Danes to Uganda to see their side of the story. They were therefore surprised when they surfaced in Gulu, far from the scene of Ndugga’s alleged exploits.
The Danes said that they merely wanted to film the relief work being done by Denmark in Gulu. But Government also has a responsibility to prevent Uganda’s reputation from being unfairly tarnished abroad.
The Danes should accept Government’s assurance that it does not intend to deport them but should also respect Government’s concern that their film be a fair and truthful reflection of Uganda’s complex history.
Ends