By Scott Morgan
Friday, april 14, 2006
In recent weeks, the Government of Uganda has been involved in some unique diplomacy. Some of these actions have concerned several governments and some feel that the potential backlash could have Uganda resembling Zimbabwe.
Recently there has been a rise in tensions with neighboring Rwanda. This started when a student was arrested for spying on behalf of the country. He escaped custody briefly seeking refuge in the residence of the Danish ambassador to Uganda. He was not home at the time, but his wife was when Ugandan Police entered and forcibly removed the student.
The other incident that has caused tensions to rise is a situation that concerns adultery. The situation occurred when Ugandan Police arrested a Rwandan Diplomat for adultery. The situation was inflamed due to the fact the other person in the act was the wife of a Ugandan businessman.
The fact that these american allies are bickering should be room for concern in Washington. How this part will play out remains to be seen.
another source of tensions is with Canada. For more than three decades. Canada has taken Human Rights seriously in its foreign policy. One area of note has been africa in recent years. So when the Canadian ambassador to the UN announced that it doesn't trust the Kampala Government when it comes to the Human Rights crisis in northern Uganda, most saw it for the latest in a tit-for-tat strategy.
after the recent presidential elections, the Government of Uganda expelled Blake Lambert, a Canadian freelance journalist. Some of his reports have influenced Canadian public opinion against Uganda. That is what the authorities in Kampala believe. The fact remains that the Human Rights situation in the northern part of Uganda, which has suffered at the hands of an brutal insurgency, may be part of a PR Campaign to promote the President of Uganda.
There is a growing campaign in the USa as well to address the terrible plight in northern Uganda. The Congressional Human Rights Caucus held a briefing regarding the situation there a couple of weeks ago. Two years ago the body investigated the situation there and the US Government has added the insurgents to its list of terrorist groups. So what occurs next may be crucial in the stability of East africa. Let us hope that peace prevails.
Scott Morgan writes about US Policy in africa and Human Rights. He can be contacted at scott_morgan_23220@yahoo.com
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