SUDAN CRISIS

BASHIR: AFRICAN LEADERS CAUGHT IN ETHICAL DILEMA

By Hon Christopher M.Kibazanga

With the indictment of Omar Hassan Al-Bashir, the President of the Islamic regime in Khartoum-Sudan, African leaders have found themselves in ethical dilemma.

Ethical dilemma refers to the situation where by the alternative available to resolve a conflict, breach an ethical rule.

African leaders led by Tanzanian President and AU Chairman Jakaya Kikwete, want to protect the so-called sovereignty of Sudan and Africa as whole by prevailing over the ICC, to stay the indictment of Bashir.

Tanzania, during the time of the former President Julius Nerere (RIP), had distinguished herself as country that was not going to tolerate dictatorship and impunity on the continent.

This led the country to engage in liberation struggles on the continent. The ethical dilemma here notwithstanding, the contradictions of Tanzania, is love for African sovereignty and accepting impunity to rule the African continent.

It is in the public domain that the struggle against colonialism and imperialism was on the solid premises to ensure freedom and the protection of the fundamental human rights of people on the continent; to ensure justice for the African people; to ensure equitable distribution of natural resources and to ensure security for all.

This was the essence of the struggle for independence. We thought in order to achieve the stated goals, more emphasis was to be put on the struggle against disease, poverty and ignorance for obvious reasons - an informed and health society is an engine for national development and advancement.

The promise that Africa shall rise and shine again has turned out to mean the opposite. Fifty years down the road, the continent is almost in oblivion, almost trapped in the cobweb of failed states. The abuse of fundamental human rights of our people forms part of the definition of our beloved continent.

It s trapped in the fourfold cobweb of poverty, disease and ignorance as result of senseless wars and violence caused by good for nothing idiots posing as leaders and liberators. Why should African leaders pretend? .

Show me a single person who does not know that Bashir exported his war theatres to other parts of the continent? Who does not know that the people of northern Uganda were being raped, killed, and forced into displaced peoples camps with full knowledge of Sudanese government led by Bashir? Who does not know that Bashir held Southern Sudan in a state of war for two decades on the basis that the population was there is Black and are not muslims?

Who does not know that the killing machines captured in western Uganda during the ADF insurgency had the descriptions of Sudanese’s government?.

Today, there is a state of war in the Darfur on based on resource exploitation and distribution. What crime have those women and children committed a part from that they were born in an area rich in natural resources?.

Now that the AU is a paper tiger, how else do we ensure freedom and justice for our people if people like Bashir can be protected in the name of the continent sovereignty?.

Ethically and morally, how do you protect and save a people who export their violence to innocent people of Africa who finding themselves ruled by idiots and dare devils? What is more sinful - indicting a criminal or allowing a criminal continue killing, raping and displacing our people.

It does not matter who comes to your rescue when you’re drowning, African leaders have shown us that it doesn’t make any difference who rules you. Under normal circumstances, one would have expected that the AU would be an alternative to the ICC in the protection of our people on the continent.

But as things stand, the organisation is suffering from sameness - it is an organisation of the same people who have little regard for Africa and its people.

On January 26, 1986 when President Museveni was being sworn in at parliamentary building, he posed a question, “where were they when we were killing each other, where was the Organisation of African Unity, where was the international community and how can the principle of non interference in the internal matters of sovereign state be the basis of the world to looking on when people are killing each other.”

Sirs, the international community is here in Durfar-Sudan, trying to stop the madness of African leaders.

Hon Kibanzanga M Christopher,Member of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda and

Opposition Shadow Minister for Anti-Corruptionand Presidency

NATURAL RESOURCES

WHY NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION IS A CONCERN OF GOVERNMENTS … PART I

By Mugyenyi Cyril

A number of articles on this subject will be published for the benefit of our readers and I wish to begin with Water as a very important environmental resource.

Of the total global water only 2.5% is fresh and only about 0.5% of this may be available for human use, the rest being locked up in the Antarctica ice cap.

Perhaps most importantly, fresh water is a fundamental requirement of all living organisms; plants, animals and humanity included. Life evolved in water and since then all living organisms have continued to depend on it for all life processes.

Biologically speaking all living organisms live in water because all their living cells are surrounded by a film of water. Because of overpopulation, mass consumption, misuse, and water pollution, the availability of drinking water per capita is inadequate and shrinking.

For this reason, water is a strategic resource on the globe and an important element in many political conflicts. Some have predicted that clean water will become the "next oil", making water-rich countries richer. Water available to everyone is predicted to decrease by 30% in the next 15 years (UNESCO World Water Development Report, 2003).

About 40% of the world's inhabitants currently have insufficient fresh water for minimal hygiene. Fresh water is now more precious than ever in our history for its extensive use in agriculture, high-tech manufacturing and energy production and is increasingly receiving attention as a resource requiring better management and sustainable use.

Water scarcity is caused by uneven rainfall, runoff due to deforestation, pollution, falling ground water table, global warming and wetland drainage. Water rights and associated issues like global warming and desertification have become issues in international diplomacy, in addition to domestic and regional politics. World Bank Vice President Isamil Serageldin predicted, "Many of the wars of the 20th century were about oil, but wars of the 21st century will be over water".

The control of water resources is considered vital to the survival of an individual, household or a state; has political, security and economic connotations. When important water sources dry for any cause, destructive conflict is the immediate result.

A local animal watering point for instance in a water scarce area is often a source of conflict as owners have to protect it from use by other farmers. Such a single watering point is often a source of disease epidemic out breaks requiring mass vaccinations, control or treatment where government has to spend many millions of shillings to put the epidemic under control.

When important water sources dry, say in a region, human migrations and mass death of animals take place. Death of livestock means loss of livelihood to the people and revenue in taxes to government. Such pastoral communities that loose their livelihood will need government support in form of relief food which is still a cost to government.

Some times government may have to fork more money out of its pockets to construct artificial valley dams at a great financial cost let alone posing other serious problems like serving as breeding grounds for disease vectors such as mosquitoes. Such experiences where government had to spend many billions of shilling to construct valley dams are not alien to Uganda.

Mother nature has endowed us with resources of lasting value like rivers which have enormous potential to generate cheap, affordable hydroelectric power.

For whatever cause when the river dries or reduces in volume, this potential degenerates and capacity to produce cheap and clean power wanes bringing the economy to the brink of collapse. A lot of the hard earned dollar must be used to import petroleum products to sustain growth at a very high economic and environmental cost.

The unit cost of power increases beyond the reach of many people. This is also associated with pollution of the atmosphere by greenhouse and acidic gases.

Internationally, water is a resource of particular importance. For instance Egypt has a natural historical right on the Nile River, and principles of its acquired rights have been a focal point of negotiations with other upstream states.

The fact that this right exists, means that any perceived reduction of the Nile water supply to Egypt is tampering with its national security and thus could trigger potential conflict.

There have been occasions when Egypt has threatened to go to war over Nile water. In a once published interview Dr. Mahmoud Adu Zei, Minister of Water Resources of Egypt said “a drop of water is becoming more precious than a drop of blood” according to Alahram News Paper, 1998.

The little global and thus national water available is constant yet the demand increases every second with every birth of a human being. The need to conserve national water resources in form of lakes, rivers, wetlands and aquifers should be given more attention than ever before.

Mugyenyi Cyril

mbjcyril@yahoo.com

THE KENYA CRISIS

REAL CAUSE OF ATTACKS AND KILLINGS IN KENYA

OPEN LETTER TO THE WAKI COMMISSION IN KENYA

By Isaac Newton Kinity

For two consecutive years before the bloody attacks which started in 1991 in Kenya, former President Moi persistently warned both Kenyans and the entire international community of war and chaos once the multiparty political system was allowed in Kenya.

Moi predicted that the introduction of a multiparty system of governance in Kenya would cause war and chaos. The former president addressed numerous meetings of missions accredited to Kenya, warning them of the dangers of introducing a multiparty system in Kenya.

Mois predictions appeared in both electronic and printing media in Kenya almost every day in 1989 and 1990. He held very many public meetings in different towns in Kenya to deliver his warnings to the Kenyan people.

All Kenyans above 18 years of age in 1988, 1989 and 1990 must have heard the former presidents prophecy. In the first four years of the 13 continuous years of the Kalenjin attacks of other communities in Kenya,[ from 1991 to 1994], the Kenya media referred to the attackers as cattle rustlers.

In the second round of attacks, from 1995 to 1998, the Kenya media referred to the attacks as ethnic cleansing and from 2003 to 2008, the attacks were referred by the Kenya media as Land conflict.

The coincidence that the attacks in 1991 came just at the same time the former President had predicted war and chaos, leaves a lot to be desired. Also the coincidence that in all those 13 years the attackers were the Kalenjins, Mois Tribe, is the other peculiar puzzle.

Having predicted the chaos which coincided with the introduction of the multiparty system in Kenya and his subsequent abrupt silence about his predictions and warnings immediately after the first Kalenjin attacks in 1991, President Moi should explain to Kenyans what he knew about the attacks.

If the attacks which continued to take the lives of innocent Kenyans for more than 13 years were not related to Mois predictions and prophecy, then when will the chaos related to President Mois prediction begin?

Are Kenyans still waiting for the war and chaos predicted by the former President? These are the questions any sensible Kenyan with a sound mind would ask.

I hate to see all Kenyans and the entire world accept to be fooled into believing that the attacks and killings which continued to take away lives of thousands of innocent Kenyans since 1991, were related to land differences.

It is obvious, the attacks and hence the killings of Kenyans by the Kalenjins were never ever related to any land differences. The attacks were effected to prove a prophecy and a prediction.

The attacks were pre-meditated to disapprove the introduction of the multiparty system of governance in Kenya. They were to prove the previous Moi warnings of war and chaos once the multiparty system was introduced in Kenya.

They were to disapprove the crusaders of change in Kenya. The Waki Commission investigating the post election chaos should consider President Mois predictions and warning of war and chaos he advocated prior to the first attacks in 1991.

The commission should examine the relationship between the attacks and those warnings. The former President who was entrusted with the protection of Kenyans and their properties, should be held accountable for the deaths of all Kenyans who died from the attacks since 1991, because, from his predictions and/or prophecy, he knew of the attacks two years before, and he refused to act to protect the Kenyans.

Just as Moi Predicted killings, war and chaos which came to being, I predict an unstoppable revolution in Kenya, which will come to being, if the past political crimes and atrocities are not properly addressed and solved accordingly.

Isaac Newton Kinity
PO BOX 4365
Hamden CT 06514
USA

Email: ink38@yahoo.com

Copy to:

International Human Rights Organizations
International Media.
The Donor Community.
The Kenya National Commission for Human Rights [Kenya]
The Center for Human Rights and Democracy [Kenya]
The International Criminal Court [Hague]

Health

BAN PUBLIC SMOKING
By Phillip Karugaba

WASHINGTON, DC

A study published online July 31 in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine provides new, strong evidence that laws banning smoking in workplaces and public places have a rapid and significant impact on health.

The study found that after Scotland implemented a comprehensive smoke-free law, there was a decrease of 17 percent in hospital admissions for acute coronary syndrome, and 67 percent of the decrease was among non-smokers. This research adds to a growing body of scientific evidence that shows two things:

1) Secondhand smoke is a proven cause of serious disease and premature death.

2) Smoke-free air laws provide significant and immediate benefits to health. Public health authorities around the world have concluded that secondhand smoke has been proven to cause lung cancer, heart disease, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), low birth weight and serious respiratory conditions.

TEAN calls upon NEMA to take firm action to enforce the ban on smoking in public places and protect the health of the public. As the evidence suggests, a smoking ban can only help protect the health of Ugandan’s and ease the burden on an already stressed healthcare system.

A growing number of countries, regions and cities around the world (Kenya, France , Thailand , and Turkey , Ireland, Norway, United Kingdom and cities including Mexico City and Abuja) are adopting strong smoke-free laws.

Although Uganda passed a law banning smoking in public places in 2004, NEMA has taken little or no action at all to enforce the law and public compliance with in restaurants and office buildings has been largely voluntary.

'Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do.' - Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe


Phillip Karugaba
tean@globalink.org

ENVIRONMENT

ENVIRONMENT GETTING DEGRADED

By Nyeko Martine

I read with concern the article by Mr. Cyril Mugenyi. I don't want to say Mr Cyril is very right or very wrong, rather I would like to be more explicit.

We are all aware that our environment is getting degraded every second of life and we are responsible to this.

The truth is Eucalyptus as pointed out in the article, produces biomass very rapidly and this is associated to water consumption.

Although Eucalyptus is not rated highest as reported by Davidson (1989) in water consumption, because of its huge plantation, the aggregated effect on water resources can be severe.

According to Davidson (1989) most eucalyptus species need on average 785 litres of water/kg of biomass produced as opposed to other crops like cotton/coffee/banana (3200), sunflower(2400), field pea(2000), cow pea(1667) soybean(1430), potato(1000), sorghum(1000) and maize(1000) liters/kg biomass produced.

These other crops are all seasonal, lasting between three to four months but Eucalyptus is perennial and ever green. Secondly, the total biomass produce by this crops is much less compared to Eucalyptus.

If we use simple mathematics, one young eucalyptus tree weighing 50Kg take 50x785 (litre) of water and this is equivalent to many heads of sunflowers.

This does not mean putting a ban on Eucalyptus, but rather watching the potential effect of this trees on our environment. We need to conduct research to find out the best way forward.

Being a complex system, it is not Eucalyptus parse, that is causing water level decline in Western Uganda or Uganda in general, but a combination of factors including Eucalyptus.

Alot of concern have been raised about the potential negative impact of Eucalyptus on water resources, although without scientific backing, intuitively one gets concern if he/she sees a tree surviving very green even under odd condition. Let us define how eucalyptus should be managed, to avoid negligence.

Nyeko Martine
Lecturer Gulu University/PhD student (Italy)

Email:nyekomartine@gmail.com

NATURE

EUCALYPTUS HAS REVOLUTIONALISED OUR LIVES
By Mugyenyi Cyril

Eucalyptus tree, a native of Australia with hundreds of species, was introduced in this country in the last century. It is grown abundantly in Uganda and particularly in western part of the country both on small scale and on commercial plantations.

Debate has been going on about demerits of this lifesaver but I would like to look at its positive attributes that are due to its unique properties.

Eucalyptus a heavy feeder accumulates biomass very fast. Its wood has densely fibres packed which enables it to have multiple uses.

This tree is very easy to propagate out of seeds whose germination percentage is usually good requiring no pre-treatment. Once established, it can coppice many times making it possible for one to have multiple harvests from the same stump and produces straight stems. It is capable of growing in a range of harsh environmental conditions including rocky and thin soils as well as withstanding extreme drought.

It can compete favorably with other trees, the reason why it should not be planted with or near other crops. All these make it a more versatile crop, superior to many others.

At the on set of rains, mature trees produce many flowers, with rich nectories that support the apiary industry because they are a source of honey. They play a big role in supporting apiary in Western Uganda. The honey foraged out of eucalyptus flowers is very sweet, has a good aroma and has medicinal value.

From the richest to the poorest family, this tree produces firewood on a daily basis that helps to bring the food at the table. Have you ever imagined what our lives would look like if this tree was not introduced by our brilliant grandfathers? .

We are able to cook nutritious foods like dry beans, peas and soybeans because of the huge energy stores in the eucalyptus wood, which we burn to convert raw food into a finished food at minimal costs. Look at educational institutions, prisons, the Army all have to burn tons of this tree to keep their bodies energized.

The construction of temporary and semi permanent buildings over decades has relied on this wonder tree for our needs. As timber from natural forests runs out, people have resorted to using timber from this tree.

Depending on the strength required, mature trees are of a hard wood type and are increasingly used in construction of permanent houses and furniture of various shapes. Human population is growing very fast and each child will need furniture to sit on while at school, timber for construction of a house and timber for furniture.

Trees in the natural forest take over 60 years to mature yet Eucalyptus will need a minimum of 15 years. This makes this tree the best alternative in the face of increasing demand. Rural electrification requires huge numbers of poles for electric power transmission and distribution. The only available tree that can produce straight poles for this is Eucalyptus.

Despite the innumerable uses debate has been going on about this tree being responsible for drying of land and wetlands. Allegations are that it absorbs so much water that makes land dry. The truth of this argument has been long contested by people like my self. Large areas of this country receive adequate rain therefore there is enough water for every crop most of the year.

If this tree was so much of a water lover, then it would do well in wetlands. I have observed eucalyptus trees planted in water logged for over 20 years, these remain very stunted if not dry.

Much of the drying of water sources in Western Uganda is either due to draining of wetlands, poor land use practices or the changing global climate towards dry conditions and not Eucalyptus.

I call upon scientists out there with credible, well researched evidence to help me and others of my type to understand how eucalyptus can be responsible for drying of land and water sources.

Mugyenyi Cyril
Member Panel of Experts of Daily Monitor
mbjcyril@yahoo.com

POLITICAL ANALYSIS -BUGANDA

27th July 2008

MENGO LOYALISTS KILLING BUGANDA
Luzindana Adam Buyinza

Since 1962, Buganda has been a key player in the political economy of Uganda and indeed it was a power broker during the post colonial days. Today the mighty and supremacy of Buganda is no more. It has been substituted by mengo establishment subjugated by activists with not only egocentric ends but with a concealed agenda to crumple Buganda as an entity. Infact, there are indicators that mengo has out competed Buganda.

The mengo activists have wished to elevate mengo programs into public policies and programs of Uganda which is completely un acceptable by the people of Uganda.

A section of egoistic Members of parliament masquerading to be loyal to mengo tabled a motion, for parliament to deliberate on the arrest of the mengo officials. This alone tantamounts to contempt of the rule of law in Uganda. How can a national parliament reduce itself to discussing inconsequential issues. This is double standard; I am not yet convinced why no motion was tabled in parliament to debate the arrest of FDC president Col Docotor Kiiza Besigye. Are these Members of parliament really legislators, or opportunists who blindfold the Baganda and the Kabaka to attain short term benefits yet driving the entire buganda into dilemma.

The people of Uganda will blame the NRM regime for keeping conc deaf hear while mengo loyalists are playing pivotal roles to degenerate the country into tyranny, violence, chaos, war, tribal misunderstandings, moral degeneration and lunacy. whilst this guerilla regime has got its own problems, it has got success stories which all of us can testify to. Infact, we the people of Buganda ought to co-exist peacefully with the NRM regime.

With mengo mixing up itself with key opposition political players,I see emergence of warlonds which this regime will not hesitate to act upon as its constitutional obligation. The mengo has upheld tribal secretarianism which is yet to plummet the nation into ethnicity eruptions.

With secretarianism being favored and used as a mobilization strategy, Buganda Nationalism has also been seen dieing out. It should be noted that 80% of the mengo loyalists are political activists whose politics is full of malevolence, sabotage and propaganda only directed at derailing the success of Buganda and Uganda.

These so called loyalists have reached a maximum of agitating for the secession of Buganda from Uganda, yet with no proof that it’s the position of the people living in Buganda. Though Uganda can exist and develop without a smaller Buganda, a small Buganda cannot survive without the bigger Uganda of the East African Community.

Imperative to note is that Buganda cannot develop through prejudiced, fanatical and aggressive neo-traditionalism and separatism which is being engineered by the Byaffe/mengo activists. It should be recalled that in conformity with the politics of divide and rule, the British colonialists treated Uganda communities differently in which Buganda was singled out for favours. Buganda was used to conquer the rest of Uganda.

This is no more. The NRM regime will not favour Buganda or any sub region for political superiority. With globalization taking its effectual course, Buganda is no longer a privileged community, though there is growing mengo loyalists who are acting contrary to the aspirations of the Baganda masses.

The people at Mengo have always wanted to have political power yet they are not answerable to the people of Buganda or Baganda in specific terms. In this era of democracy, political power belongs to those with mandate of the masses, not loyals and royals who lack leadership permits. The point of insinuation that mengo is supreme is totally a day dream. If Mengo is representing the aspirations of the Baganda and the people in Buganda, it would be worthwhile for mengo to form and register Kabaka Yekka Political party and compete favorably with other political parties in Uganda for political power. I really wonder how many people will subscribe to such a political party, and anywhere will there be a reason for people from other region to vote for it into the highest offices in the country?.

It is now clear observed that mengo establishment is more concerned with its affairs than the stability and the future of Uganda and the Buganda. The mengo activists are more interested in distortions and disorder than fairness, democracy, peaceful co-existence, rule of law and constitutionalism. This is a political blander that has bedeviled Buganda’s takeoff.

The people of Uganda will not accept mengo’s quest for power combined with violence, redicule, blackmail, social terrorization and divisionism of the mengo establishment. This NRM regime though with mafias within its structures as it has been alleged by some of its top officials, has been so lenient to the negative play of the mengo establishment.

For Mrs Betty B Nambozze,the DP Spokesperson to redicule and demean the personality of Yoweri Kaguta Museveni,the head of state of the republic of Uganda,in disguise of Buganda and Kabaka operations yet on self-seeking political ends is an act that has disappointed not only the right thinking baganda, but also the people of Uganda, the donor community and other key stakeholders in the governance of Uganda. It is in disregard of the rule of law and constitutional order and indeed it has tainted badly the image of mengo establishment and the Kabaka of Buganda and such statements made by mengo loyalists have culminated into hatred and divisionism in the area. This deserves to be condoned with extreme regard.

The Mengo demands have proved to be aliens to the people of Buganda and Uganda in general. The NRM leadership analytically is not ready to take up the appeasement policy of the British invaders to appease the Kabaka or mengo loyalists since such a policy rendered to the outburst of the 1966 social turmoil in which the Monarchy was shattered hence the end of Buganda superemany, and power brokerage in Uganda.

The mengo loyalists will be anxious to quit Uganda for safe havens in Europe than to sort out the mess they have created, leaving the ordinary Muganda and Ugandan in a dilemma. With ethnicity and mengo tribal secretarianism developing in relation to the modernization and globalization, mengo establishment is bound to collapse, hence a tactical blow to the traditional institution of the Kabaka of Buganda.

Luzindana Adam Buyinza
Team Leader
Public Opinions
Website: www.pubopinions.org