On Museveni: The Writer Is Wrong

By Milton Allimadi
Black Star News
May 21st, 2009

Allimadi's Note:

Since Black Star News published Ng'arua's article, and my response (see below), many readers from around the world have contacted me to point out that Paul Ng'arua is a Senior Trial Attorney with the Prosecution at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). Now readers can evaluate for themselves the motive behind Ng'arua's critique of my original commentary article, as well as his slant. It turns out he is not just a detached "reader" after all. In fact, it's clear that it was Ng'arua who was not "professional" at all by not disclosing that he had a vested professional –or unprofessional, depending on how one sees it— interest in challenging my commentary.

Milton Allimadi Responds to Paul Ng'arua:

Ng'arua writes very well. Yet, I am not convinced that he believes everything he states in his reaction to my commentary article “Uganda's Genocidal President Eyes Kenya."

I will address the issues he raises. His tone is sober; and so will be the tone of my response.

Yet, he is wrong when he refers to "Allimadi's hatred for Museveni" even though he concludes it's "justifiable." There is no hatred at all: There is determination to expose the deviousness and ruthlessness that has allowed him to extend his reign and engage in so much genocide.

Only an indifferent person would not "bear the scars" of despotism in Uganda, or elsewhere. The problem is too many of us are too indifferent. We use terminology such as "objectivity" and "professionalism" to mask our indifference or apathy.

There is no "trauma" or "deformity" when engaging a genocidal despot. The problem with our media, and in the East African region as well, has been "conformity"; aping the so-called "objectivity" of Western media outlets such as CNN, BBC, The New York Times and Washington Post: The only thing objective about such corporate media outlets is their objective to coddle and maintain their favorite despots, such as Yoweri Museveni or Paul Kagame, while deriding their least favorite one, such as Robert Mugabe.

How is it that the one who has been the primary cause of the deaths of one million Ugandans, one million Rwandese, and seven million Congolese, is celebrated by the Western corporate media? Because we allow them to set the agenda under the false rubric of "objectivity" which has sent countless Africans to their graves.

We must never fall into such a trap: otherwise we may as well abandon journalism to these foreign corporate media houses.

Ng'arua needs to travel to Rwanda and ask people what role Museveni played in the genocide there; travel to the northern part of Uganda and ask the people there what role Museveni has played and is playing in the on-going genocide in the concentration camps; where else in the world can an entire ethnic people be coralled in such camps without as much as a cry from the international community; and then, finally, travel to Eastern Congo and ask them the same question.

Why would the International Criminal Court (ICC) be investigating Uganda's role in the genocide and pillage in Eastern Congo? Why would Museveni ask then Secretary General Kofi Annan to block the investigation? These are not creations of Allimadi's "trauma". They were reported in The Wall Street Journal on June 8, 2006 and Ng'arua can Google the story. I also recommend that Kenyan journalists ask him about this Wall Street Journal article: If it was false or erroneous he would have sued the Journal over such damaging revelation.

Also, is Ng'arua aware that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) found Uganda in 2005 liable for the massacres and the looting and mass rapes in Eastern Congo? I provided links to the report because I anticipated reaction from people like Ng'arua who would question my "professionalism".

Had Ng'arua read The Wall Street Journal article and the link to the ICJ's ruling I doubt he would have written his well-written but not accurate assessment. The question to be addressed is, since the ICJ ruled --liability and assessed Uganda $10 billion compensation for DR Congo-- based on the documentation I provided the link to; how will the ICC return with a different conclusion?

How do I "vilify" Museveni, as Ng'arua asserts, regarding the murders on April 6th 1994 when a New York Times article stated that the missile used to shoot down the plane carrying then Rwanda president Juvenal Habyarimana and Burundi president Cyprian Ntaryamira, was provided by Uganda? Again, Ng'arua can Google this story as well.

Perhaps Ng'arua is not aware that the invasion was carried out by soldiers that had been in the Ugandan army and officers of the Uganda army, on October 1, 1990. And, perhaps Ng'arua is uaware that French and Spanish courts have issued warrants of arrest against the officers of Uganda's invading army (which had changed its name to the Rwanda Patriotic Front) for shooting down Habyarimana's plane.

So, regarding Allimadi's "rough" side; it's not easy to discuss mass murder without exposing---well, mass murder. Mass murder is beyond "rough."

Regarding Museveni's attempt to drive a wedge between the Luo and the Kikuyu in Kenya over Migingo Island is there any serious doubt anywhere about this issue?This is not a question we need waste time debating.

Regarding the possible abuse of skulls for political agenda: I am bothered by the fact that Ng'arua is more concerned about whether it's plausible or not that Museveni may transport skulls, and even loan them to allies. I would have hoped that Ng'arua would have been more disturbed by the fact that Museveni has never accounted for the whereabouts of the skulls of the "enemies" he defeated to win power and whether they were not co-mingled with the skulls of the victims of his "enemies."

That was the serious point I raised in my commentary--it remains a serious point and should warrant more attention. When skulls command a premium in the macabre industry created by Museveni, of displaying skulls for political agenda, why should it be implausible to Ng'arua that a market for skulls can exist? And in Rwanda, where Museveni's invaders also destroyed the army and supporters of Habyarimana, where are the skulls of the vanquished?

In terms of "The Hearts of Darkness, How White Writers Created The Racist Image of Africa," and the generous words Ng'arua had for my book: I thank him.

There is no bias or sensation in my commentary article and over the next few months and years, as Kenyan journalists and others train their attention to Museveni's past utterances and excesses, their revelations will affirm my assessment of the Ugandan.

Regarding the Kenya elections, the focus of my commentary was not to evaluate who conducted more rigging or not: I never mention the word "rigging" so let's be honest. It is obvious that rigging occurred on both sides based on preponderence of the reports. In my column, I only mentioned the widely reported conclusion, which was that at the end, Mwai Kibaki stole the election. For Ng'arua to assert then that I have a "bias against Kikuyus" because I mentioned this widely reported assessment of the election is mind-boggling: In any case it is a patently false assertion.

Regarding the warning to Kenyans not to be manipulated by Museveni: A Google search will reveal statements, including videos, by several Kenya officials, and Kenyan newspaper editorials, decrying Museveni for meddling in Kenya's affairs and trying to turn Migingo into a "Luo" issue rather than a Kenyan issue. Surely, Ng'arua is not suggesting that they were all influenced by my article? So who then is guilty of "meddling" as Ng'arua asserts: Allimadi or Museveni?

Ng'arua writes very convincingly. So I'm stunned when he asserts that Museveni was referring to "the persons who were uprooting the Uganda railway" when he referred to "mad Jaluos."

That is the nonsense that Museveni peddled in a press conference after his advisers convinced him that this time he had gone too far. Fortunately, his press conference propaganda is belied by the evidence: his very own words, available in the audio remarks broadcast by the BBC, where he refers to "mad Jaluos" and asserts that Jaluo might never be able to fish around Migingo again, depending on how the matter is resolved.

Ng'arua also claims at the end of his commentary that Allimadi has become "cloned" into the racist European so-called explorers like Samuel Baker and his kin: That was an obvious cheap shot, with some malice, and does not deserve a rejoinder. I will ignore it because while I disagree with much of what Ng'arua wrote, it was based, it is possible, on a misreading of my column; my intention; and inadequate information.

Finally, Ng'arua should never be worried about losing "writers of Allimadi's caliber on to the altar of despots." Rather, he should pray that more of our writers abandon their masks and expose people like Museveni for what they are: mass killers of African peoples.

Please post your comments directly online or submit them for publication to milton@blackstarnews.com

"Speaking Truth To Empower."

Related Materials:
On Museveni, Allimadi's Blinded By Bias

Uganda’s Genocidal President Eyes Kenya