[allAfrica.com]  [Africa_2005]


UPDF Indiscipline Costing US Trillions

The Monitor (Kampala)
EDITORIAL
December 21, 2005
Posted to the web December 21, 2005

The International Court of Justice has ruled unanimously that Uganda should pay
reparations to the Democratic Republic of Congo for the plunder of natural
resources and abuse of human rights in that country.
The DRC government says it will demand up to $10 billion from Uganda and the
panel of jurists that ruled in its favour feels the amount is justified.
This is a national tragedy.
Uganda's defence was that our troops were sent to Congo to secure our borders
by dealing with rebels who were operating in the neighbouring country. In any
case, Uganda troops initially went to Congo with the consent of the Kinshasa
government.
The threats against both Uganda's and Rwanda's security from forces operating
inside the DRC were real. Indeed, the 15 judges who weighed the evidence did
not overrule Uganda's right to defend and secure its borders. Their ruling was
over plunder and abuse of human rights. That is what Uganda is being punished
for.
The whole country is being punished for the excesses and crimes of individuals
who were serving their own interests.
It can almost certainly be predicted that those who benefited from the looting
of Congo's resources and their relatives will condemn the ruling in The Hague.
They will harp on Uganda's right to defend itself and avoid discussing the
looting by elements of the army. They will brand contrary views as unpatriotic.
But in the end, Uganda has only two choices. Either discuss diplomatically with
the DRC or refuse to cooperate, which could force the United Nations to issue
sanctions against the country should Congo take the case there.
One lesson to learn from all this is that military adventurism and indiscipline
can be quite costly. Failing to discipline some soldiers for reasons best known
to the commanders is now going to cost the whole country financially and
diplomatically.
Uganda's loss in Congo is double-edged.
First, a lot of Uganda's own money was stolen by commanders in form of salaries
for ghost soldiers. In other cases some soldiers were not paid. One paymaster
simply walked away with a million dollars and his superiors pretended not to
know where he was.
Secondly, the looting of minerals and timber by people who had gone ostensibly
to secure our borders is now attracting a bill that is several times larger
than our annual budget. For how much longer will the whole nation continue
suffering to protect the comfort of a few thieves with military connections?

   

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