AU must take on Somalia as a bloc
Jul 25, 2010
EDITOR—My condolences to the bereaved families following the July 11 terrorist attacks on Uganda. It is painful that Uganda has heavily paid for its Pan-African duty on Somalia. If all African Union countries contributed troops to Somalia, the al-Shabaab would not have attacked all of them.
EDITOR—My condolences to the bereaved families following the July 11 terrorist attacks on Uganda. It is painful that Uganda has heavily paid for its Pan-African duty on Somalia. If all African Union countries contributed troops to Somalia, the al-Shabaab would not have attacked all of them.
Besides, they would have been subdued. The AU should act as a bloc. It does not make sense to leave the task to Uganda and Burundialone. What would the African Union mean?
Fred Rotich
Kakiri
EDITOR—Some Ugandans want the UPDF to stay in Somalia. They quote the assistance of Tanzania to Uganda under the dictatorship of Idi Amin.
Issues must be seen in context. The ‘assistance’ of the Tanzanian army, the TPDF, was not mere goodwill on the part of Tanzania. Uganda had attacked Tanzania and killed civilians and looted property in the Kagera salient.
So, Tanzania had a legitimate and personal reason to take on Idi Amin. That was in 1979. Long before that in 1972, Milton Obote, helped by Julius Nyerere, and many other Ugandan liberation fighters had invaded Uganda through Mutukula. So, Uganda and Tanzania were hostile neighbours.
In principle, in the spirit of Pan-Africanism, Uganda’s presence in Somalia is understandable but Uganda and Burundi should not cry louder that the bereaved.
All the African Union states should rise to the occasion and contribute their soldiers if the al-Shabaab are to be brought to their knees. It is not a war between individual countries but between the al-Shabaab on the one hand and the rest of Africa on the other. Why have more militarily stronger countries than Uganda and Burundi taken a low profile?
It is Uganda wiping her tears in the aftermath of the massacres while the other AU members are merely sending condolence messages!
It is not cowardice but wisdom for Uganda to withdraw from Somalia if the rest of the AU states look the other way. I hope the AU delegates will read this.
Joyce Bonabaana
Fort Portal
Besides, they would have been subdued. The AU should act as a bloc. It does not make sense to leave the task to Uganda and Burundialone. What would the African Union mean?
Fred Rotich
Kakiri
EDITOR—Some Ugandans want the UPDF to stay in Somalia. They quote the assistance of Tanzania to Uganda under the dictatorship of Idi Amin.
Issues must be seen in context. The ‘assistance’ of the Tanzanian army, the TPDF, was not mere goodwill on the part of Tanzania. Uganda had attacked Tanzania and killed civilians and looted property in the Kagera salient.
So, Tanzania had a legitimate and personal reason to take on Idi Amin. That was in 1979. Long before that in 1972, Milton Obote, helped by Julius Nyerere, and many other Ugandan liberation fighters had invaded Uganda through Mutukula. So, Uganda and Tanzania were hostile neighbours.
In principle, in the spirit of Pan-Africanism, Uganda’s presence in Somalia is understandable but Uganda and Burundi should not cry louder that the bereaved.
All the African Union states should rise to the occasion and contribute their soldiers if the al-Shabaab are to be brought to their knees. It is not a war between individual countries but between the al-Shabaab on the one hand and the rest of Africa on the other. Why have more militarily stronger countries than Uganda and Burundi taken a low profile?
It is Uganda wiping her tears in the aftermath of the massacres while the other AU members are merely sending condolence messages!
It is not cowardice but wisdom for Uganda to withdraw from Somalia if the rest of the AU states look the other way. I hope the AU delegates will read this.
Joyce Bonabaana
Fort Portal