Swift online protest by Ugandans led to removal of Angela Merkel’s message congratulating military dictator Gen. Museveni. Photo: Twitter.
Angry Ugandans caused the Germany Embassy in Kampala to pull down congratulatory messages from chancellor Angela Merkel to dictator Gen. Yoweri Museveni from their social media pages.
Merkel’s congratulatory remarks angered Ugandans who know the history of Germany, which once also suffered under brutal military dictatorship under the Hitler regime, which plunged the world into war while committing genocide at home.
This development comes ahead of tomorrow’s “swearing in” ceremony of Gen. Museveni whom many Ugandans believe was roundly defeated in the Jan. 14 Presidential election by Member of Parliament Robert Kyagulanyi, a.k.a Bobi Wine. The dictator has since unleashed a regime of terror, kidnapping, torturing, and murdering Ugandans.
The terror spree has been covered by international media, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, the BBC, and Al Jazeera. Yet Merkel acted as if she was blind and deaf.
Gen. Museveni was announced “winner” by his personally selected election “commission.”
The German government’s social media posting had announced:
“Germany’s Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel and Uganda’s president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni have known each other for quite some time.
On the occasion of Mr. Museveni’s reelection as president in January 2021 and ahead of the swearing-in ceremony this week, Ms. Merkel has just conveyed her congratulations:
Dear Mr. President,
I would like to congratulate you on your reelection as president of the republic of Uganda. Your new term in office is an opportunity to continue advancing the democratic and economic development of your country and strengthening the rule of law in the interests of all Ugandans.
Germany remains a willing partner to your country as you continue down this path.
I wish you strength and a sure hand for the tasks that now lie ahead.
Yours sincerely,
Dr. Angela Merkel
Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany.”
Ugandans would not have any of this nonsese.
Ugandan posted a response to Merkel’s twitter handle @amerkel57 with images of people killed by Museveni regime.
Immediately after it had been published, angry Ugandans released an avalanche of verbal attacks against Germany which forced the embassy handlers to post a warning that “Hello followers, we are getting a lot of criticism for this post. That’s ok, we respect and tolerate freedom of speech in Germany. but we don’t tolerate hate speech. Hate is not an opinion. We expect our users to use common courtesy in their comments. If you use offensive or threatening language, we will delete your comment and or block you from our page”.
They may have expected Ugandans to calm down but instead that warning communication fanned more criticism from all over and in the end, the congratulatory message was deleted in the night when everyone was sleeping. Many commentators asked themselves why the Germany chancellor would congratulate a dictator who has ruled Uganda for 35-years and is still thirsting for more killings, imprisonments, harassment, enforced disappearance, and torture.
Recently, Uganda was ranked worst when it comes to rule of law in the whole world. It is shocking for Merkel to congratulate Gen. Museveni, the kleptocratic despot who together with his foreign minister Sam Kutesa shared a $1 million bribe, according to a 2019 U.S. federal court case. While $1 million may seem small given the millions embezzled by the dictatorship, this course case proved that Gen. Museveni was corrupt to the whole world. Is Merkel not aware of this case?
In contrast to Merkel’s message, the U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on April 16, issued a statement rejecting the Jan. 14 elections stolen by Gen. Museveni as “neither free, nor fair.” The U.S. has issued visa restrictions that many Ugandans hope includes Gen. Museveni and his son Gen. Muhoozi Kaenerugaba who commands the Special Forces Command (SFC) which is responsible for the disappearances and murders. The U.S. has sealed the names of the Ugandan officials sanctioned.
In Kampala there is already heavy security deployment in preparation for tomorrow’s illegitimate “swearing in.”
Gun-toting soldiers roam the streets while snipers have taken positions on rooftops of the tallest buildings in the central business district. Fighter jets have streaked across the skies.
The writer, a survivor of torture under Gen. Museveni’s regime can be reached via [email protected]
