U.S. sanctioned Gen. Kandiho; what about his boss Gen. Museveni, shown here. Photo: Facebook.
Kakwenza Rukirabashaija
[My Free Thoughts]
Among the entire horde of vicious brutes that have been violating the rights of Ugandans in total disregard of the domestic and international laws, it doesn’t make sense nor is it effective to only sanction Gen. Abel Kandiho, as the U.S. has done.
Without U.S. financing and weapons Gen. Yoweri Museveni dictatorship wouldn’t have survived for 35 years now.
As the regimes crimes—kidnappings, torture, murders of opposition supporters—continues, Museveni’s puppet masters in Washington must sanction the entire military and police leadership in Uganda. Several commanders are carrying out or have carried out the crimes that Gen. Kandiho has: torturing and murdering civilians.
The criminals include Gen. Elly Tumwine, Gen. David Muhoozi, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the son of dictator Gen. Museveni, Gen. Peter Elwelu—the butcher of Kasese—and Uganda’s police chief Martin Okoth Ochola. The commander in chief, who gives orders for all the crimes, Gen. Museveni must also be sanctioned.
If Museveni’s puppet masters in Washington are really concerned about the dire human rights violations in Uganda it should stop spoon-feeding Museveni’s regime with money and his military with weapons. After all the U.S. said the Jan. 14, 2021 presidential election was “neither free, nor fair.” So if the U.S. regards Museveni’s regime as illegitimate why supply it with weapons?
The ongoing crimes of kidnappings, torture and murders continues. The 2016 Kasese massacre of more than 150 people including children and women has never been investigated. Museveni boasted of ordering Gen. Elwelu to carry out the operation and he even promoted the general. Ccontinued military support and aid amounts to aiding and abetting the crimes.
Kandiho was the commander of CMI.
I’m a survivor of torture at the hands of a CMI dungeons. The sanctions against Kandiho are selective and insufficient. Other top commanders must face similar sanctions and since they are engaged in crimes against humanity they must be indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Other major countries, including the U.K. and the EU countries that sustain the illegitimate Museveni regime must also impose sanctions and demand accountability. This is the only way to let the regime know that business as usual is over; otherwise the selective sanctions amount to hypocrisy. Why go to the scene of a major crime and pick up only one perpetrator?
International PEN honoree, writer and torture survivor Rukirabashaija can be reached via [email protected]
@KakwenzaRukira
