Uganda Peoples Congress
National Secretariat
Plot 8-10 Kampala Road, Uganda House,
P. O. Box 9206, Kampala
phone/Fax:+256-41-236748

NRM GREED FOR RESOURCES IS SUICIDAL

(Embargoed for release at 11.00 am, 15th August, 2007 )

1. The Uganda Peoples Congress in its 4th of June Policy statement to the press unraveled the mystery of the Balaalo.We stated then and now reiterate that, "These wanderers are part of the "Special NRM Politics" who over the last two decades have been organized, armed and facilitated to primitively accumulate cattle and acquire permanent territories nationally as part of NRM grand scheme to perpetuate its strong hold on the political, economic, social and cultural life of Uganda. Their activities are not isolated nor are they accidental or incidental acts of a few misguided individuals".
2. Last week on 8th of August on paragraph seven of our press statement, the UPC warned that "As long as there is no openly debated policies and legislations regarding the prospecting for oil production, marketing of oil and the sharing of oil revenues, there is bound to be economic, social and political conflict resulting from the scramble for oil contracts. These tensions and conflicts will not only engulf Uganda and prospecting companies who have signed oil exploration without a proper legal framework in place but will spill over to countries that neighbor and share the oil belt.
3. The new wave of influx into Lango Sub-region by the Balaalo forcefully for the 5th time particularly targeting the fertile un utilized land of Maruzi Ranch and Atera Ranch is a strategy for the acquisition of more resources. These Balaalo are also strategically settling in the areas of Kwoya and Alobo islands in Alworoceng parish where according to past geological surveys, these areas have huge oil deposits which stretch from Akokoro to Ibuje. Akokoro hill is also said to possess high quality lime for the manufacture of cement. The trend of movement and the pattern of settlements of these Balaalo raises several questions:-
1. How comes that these Balaalo targets only land where there are minerals? They occupied land in Buliisa where reportedly has oil deposits underneath. Previously they moved upto Rhino Basin in Nebbi district which also has oil deposits. Now they are in Akokoro which has all the rich minerals.
2. Why, after causing uproar in Buganda and a heated debate in Parliament, government still allowed them to move to Lango armed, where they were previously repulsed.
3. After being chased from Lango, will they trek back to Teso, Karamoja and West Nile in fulfillment of the NRM government project of creating a cattle corridor stretching from Ankole through Nakasongola to the Northern districts till Karamoja.
4. President Museveni has also occupied land in Baralegi -Otuke County in Lira district in similar circumstances. This land where President Museveni is occupying from the previous geological survey has got huge deposits of valuable minerals ranging from oil to cortan and several others. The Presidency which is supposed to be the fountain of honor has been used to promote a certain class of people in Uganda whose origins are not known to our citizens.
5. This blind acquisition of resources in total disregard of other communities both in Uganda and our neighbors is the underlying reasons why there are serious tensions between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The ruling of the International Court of Justice in December 2005 that found Uganda guilty of plundering Congolese natural resources is still fresh in the mind of leaders of DRC.
6. The oil found in Hoima and Lake Albert can always keep the Congolese suspicious about the NRM government intention and motive of acquiring more resources especially with the undemarcated borders and contested natural resource areas of Rukwanzi Island. This suspicion comes in the wake of the social unrest caused by the Balaalo in their search for acquisition of more land resources yet the government has not demonstrated any capacity to manage and resolve their issues peacefully.
7. The Uganda Peoples Congress calls upon the NRM government to quickly develop a policy on pastoralist and oil before it becomes suicidal. The continued wandering of these Balaalo without any clear cut policy regulating their access to areas whose inhabitants have suffered under this regime is the worst suicide that can be committed by this government. nthe various fields for the type of course conducted and who had first undergone a course in national consciousness and advancement of culture. Lectures and demonstration activities were proposed to be conducted in English and appropriate vernacular and some African languages including Swahili, Luganda and Lingala. The camps would have a women's and men's wings and offer special courses in domestic science and child care. Facilities for workshop would be provided at these facilities.
8. The UPC proposals for national service were broadly accepted by the citizens of Uganda. It was a pro people and people centred proposals. The proposals were reduced into a bill for discussion by parliament in 1970. This is one of the legislative proposals that were wasted away by the rule of the gun after the 1971 military coup.
9. The time is now ripe to open the debate on the issue of national service. UPC presents its earlier proposals and calls upon the people of Uganda to look at and adopt this more worthwhile programme instead of the partisan NRM's Kyankwanzi militarization and indoctrination programmes.

For God and my Country

Mama Miria Kalule Obote

President, Uganda Peoples Congress