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Museveni Raps UN On Somalia

The Monitor (Kampala)
NEWS
16 May 2007
Posted to the web 15 May 2007

By Risdel Kasasira
Kampala
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has said the method used by the UN for peace keeping
mission is old and should be changed.
"UN wants to deploy after everybody has gone to the alter and confessed their
sins. They talk about peace keeping mission. In Somalia there was no peace
keeping but peace making. This is the mistake UN normally makes. You should
create peace in the first place," Museveni said yesterday.
He was together with Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed addressing a press
conference at State House Nakasero. Mr Museveni said the UN wants to deploy in
situations where there is total peace instead of creating it.
"That's why there was some reluctance by other countries to deploy in Somalia,"
he said. He said if Uganda had not deployed, the situation in Somalia would
have been worse.
"If we had waited for the situation to calm down and then go there to protect
peace it would be terrible," he said. The President said the most important
thing is to train Somalis and build their capacity to provide their own
security.
He asked the African Union to help build a strong Somali army, facilitate
reconciliation and pursue peace talks. President Yusuf who is on three-day
visit to Uganda said Somalia needs to immediately train, organise and recruit
its security forces.
"But we need initial support like equipment and humanitarian assistance," he
said.
He said it is the Somali who will build their nation "because it was destroyed
by Somalis themselves," he said.
Mr Yusuf said the UPDF has no enemies in Somalia but he regretted the death of
one soldier who was killed recently after the Islamic Courts Union gunmen fired
a mortar at the Presidential palace in Baidoa.
In a joint Communiqué signed by the two leaders, they appealed to the
International Community to facilitate the UN peace keeping forces with
logistics. Mr Museveni agreed to visit Somalia at a later date.
Meanwhile, a source in State House said the Presidential Advisor on Manifesto
Implementation Ngoma Ngime hadbeen appointed the Ugandan Special envoy to
Mogadishu. Also appointed was Makerere University don Prof. Sam Tulyamuhika as
Ugandan Ambassador to Somalia.
When contacted Mr Ngime confirmed his appointment. It's true but where did you
get this? he asked.
Mr Ngoma Ngime, a former Resident District Commissioner for Mbarara was
appointed to oversee the implementation of the NRM Maniefesto after the 2001
presidential elections. He has unsuccessfully contested for an MP seat in
Mbarara.

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