Re: Could a tribal war errupt? Have Your say!

Current situations in Uganda. BLOODBATH Some of the Banyoro leaders in a press confrence at Kampala Serena Hotel yesterday - Security Chiefs Rush To Bunyoro As Banyoro Plan Tribal War By Giles Muhame and Fred Junior Intelligence reports last night indicated that Bunyoro is on the brink of a bloody tribal war.And security sources have revealed that the deputy External Security Organization (ESO) boss Emmy Alio and his counterpart in ISO Lt. Ronnie Balya have been camped in Bunyoro for most of the past four months after intelligence reports indicated that the Banyoro were secretly planning to pick up machetes and behead the Bakiga en masse. The two high ranking security officials have since been compiling shocking reports for Museveni and it's on those dossiers that security and police have been heavily deployed in the area to avert catastrophe. Lt. Balya who played a pivotal role in wiping out the rebel Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in Rwenzori Mountains is reported to have told the President that unless there is heavy troop deployment in the region, the country may wake up to the horrors of the 1994 Rwanda genocide in which the Hutus slaughtered over a million Tutsis in 100 days. And should this happen, the two intelligence bosses reasoned, that will mark the end of Uganda's hopes of early drilling of oil in the region. "It's a scary situation. We are increasingly getting concerned because the Banyoro are determined to wipe out the Bakiga," said a high ranking security boss last night.Security top dogs now fear the worst. They are worried that heads could roll anytime.  WAR DRUMS We can exclusively reveal that the flames of a possible tribal bloodbath were last night fanned after extremist Banyoro leaders organized a media briefing at Sheraton Hotel and sternly warned that they will not allow the Bakiga to dominate their kingdom's political positions.Led by Hajji Siraji Ndawula, the founder of Kitara Heritage Development Agency (KHEDA), the radical Banyoro leaders furiously charged that being under the leadership of the Bakiga 'reminds them of the darkest days of their history'. "We want to co-exist with the immigrants, however, when they take leadership in Bunyoro it reminds us of our ugly history," roared Siraji.Burning with rage, Siraji said the Bakiga are shamelessly arrogant and are fond of taking Banyoro for granted."If we decide to say no, it will be no! These Bakiga think we are joking but we are very serious on this matter," Siraji fumed.  The tribal wars between the Bakiga and the Banyoro were reignited by Museveni's leaked in his July 15 letter to the minister for the presidency Beatrice Wabudeya in which he advised that all fatty political positions in the kingdom be 'ring-fenced' for the indigenous Banyoro.Museveni wrote: "Having thought about all this (tribal wars) for a long time, I am proposing the following principles to be part of the solutions: Ring-fencing the LC V positions in the whole of Bunyoro region for the indigenous people; and also ring-fencing the sub-county leadership except for the sub-counties around the Kisiita and Luteete areas. Ring-fencing the positions of Members of Parliament in the whole of Bunyoro region for the indigenous people, except for the special constituencies created around Luteete and Kisiita resettlement schemes." BAKIGA FURY The Bakiga reacted angrily, labeling Museveni's advice sectarian.They even went to State House, Entebbe and warned Museveni that his proposal could expose them to tribal violence, sectarianism and marginalization. And indeed,a day after the meeting, suspected hard-line Banyoro arsonists descended on a timber factory belonging to a prominent Mukiga in Kyangwali Sub County on Sunday night and razed it to the ground.   MORE BUNYORO FIRE Meanwhile, flanked by three other high ranking KHEDA officials, Siraji raised eye-brows when he noted that the Bakiga were accommodated when they came to the oil rich kingdom but are now misbehaving."We were very accommodative when these immigrants came to our kingdom. But they should stop somewhere. When you are a visitor, you do not get to the master bedroom. You keep in the sitting room," Siraji emphasized. As if this is not worrying enough, KHEDA officials said they support Museveni's controversial proposals and are determined to do whatever it takes to implement them. Law experts say 'ring-fencing' political positions in favour of the indigenous Banyoro is unconstitutional since the 1995 constitution guarantees Ugandans with rights to live wherever they want in the country, vote and contest for political power. OMUKAMA WANTS BAKIGA EVICTED NOW!! After all, matters were worsened by the Rukurato, the parliament of the Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom which on Wednesday asked government to immediately evict all Bakiga immigrants from forest reserves. In a hair-raising statement released on Wednesday night that was signed by the kingdom Prime Minister Yabezi Kiiza, the Rukurato said it was concerned about the continued migration of Bakiga into the Bunyoro region. It said: "Government should halt fur-ther influx of the Bakiga immigrants into Bunyoro and those settled in forest reserves be immediately evicted and relocated else where in the country." The statement titled, "Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom cabinet position on the negative sentiments pertaining to the Banyoro-Bafuruki issue" comes amid renewed tensions between the Banyoro and Bakiga, particularly in Kibaale district. The statement from the Rukurato contained a reaction to the statement by the Bakiga. It said the ideas and wording of the document were contemptuous, insulting, arrogant and misleading. The latest simmering tensions come just three years after the Omukama of Bunyoro-Kitara, Solomon Gafabusa Iguru pledged to reconcile the Banyoro and Bakiga in his kingdom. In May 2006 the Omukama officially granted Bakiga stay in Bunyoro and awarded them a certificate of recognition. He thanked them for their contribution in developing Bunyoro at all levels and urged them to double their effort since their stay is now officially recognized by the kingdom. Several Bakiga migrated to the Bunyoro region 20 years ago, settling in Kibaale district, under a government programme to decongest their native districts of Kabale, Kanungu and Rukungiri. The relationship between the Banyoro and Bakiga has been quite acrimonious over the past few years, degenerating into full blown ethnic violence on occasion.

Article by Red Pepper http://redpepper.ug/details.php?item=2562&PHPSESSID=fb2dcfa29eb437016f654472b78f15e1