Omusinga calls for peace talks over ethnic violence

By Nzinjah John Baptist
   
The Omusinga of Rwenzururu has invited all ethnic groups in the Kingdom to roundtable talks to amicably resolve the prevailing disagreements among them.

The Rwenzururu King, Charles Wesley Mumbere Iremangoma said: “Some people don’t know that ethnic wars are more dangerous than fighting between states.”

“Ethnic wars can result into genocide like what happened in Rwanda. I am proposing that conflicts and disagreements between the Obusinga administration and ethnic groups should be resolved at roundtable talks”, the Omusinga said.

He was on Thursday officiating at the launch of the ‘Presidential Tree Planting Initiative’ in Kasese district at Hima Town Council administration offices.

The Presidential Tree Planting Initiative aimed at involving all Ugandans to aggressively participate in environmental conservation is part of the celebrations to mark 50 years of Uganda’s Independence.

The Omusinga told a big gathering that all the tribes and minority ethnic groups in the Rwenzori region especially the Bakonzo, Bamba, Basongora and Banyabindi had together waged the Rwenzururu war in 1962 to relieve themselves of oppression.

“The Bakonzo, the Bamba, the Basongora and the Banyabindi all fought together against oppression. I don’t see why we should fight amongst ourselves,” the Omusinga said.

He was referring to the ongoing tension between the Bakonzo and Bamba in Bundibugyo and the move by the Basongora community in Kasese district to install their own king.

Mumbere told the gathering that the prevailing ethnic conflicts in his Kingdom were being fueled by individual politicians who he said were aiming at destabilising the region for selfish interests.

“But I want to assure those negative elements that they will not succeed because the Obusinga bwa Rwenzururu will continue to work together with the Government and President Museveni to ensure that the prevailing peace is not disturbed,” the Omusinga said.

On the Tree Planting Initiative, the Omusinga hailed President Museveni for the calling upon all the people in the Rwenzori region to participate by planting at least 5 trees every rain season beginning with the current one.

In his remarks, the Executive Director of the Uganda National Forestry Authority [UNFA], Michael Mugisha, announced that they had offered 10,000 tree seedlings to Kasese district for planting during the current rain season to implement the Presidential Initiative.

He said UNFA was going to give more seedlings to the Local Government to pass them on to the people in all parts of the district.