UGANGA: Behind Museveni's fresh attack on the UN & DRC over ADF - PHOTOS

BEHIND MUSEVENI'S FRESH ATTACK ON THE UN AND THE DRC OVER ADF.

CHANGE OF GUARDS - In his recent State of the Nation address, Uganda's military dictator renewed his verbal attack on the UN for allegedly preserving the ADF rebel group in eastern DRC. This time around, he also directly accused the government of Congo for the same. He said; "The terrorists of ADF are still in Congo, preserved there by the UN and the Congo government." His bold inclusion of the Congo government regardless of the diplomatic repercussions was out of excitement over the release of former Congolese warlord, Jean Pierre Bemba by the ICC.

During the Second Congo War in the late 1990s, Gen. Kaziini identified and encouraged J.P. Bemba to start a rebel movement. Typical of Gen. Kaziini, he wanted a warlord and rebel movement that he had total control over unlike the then main Kisangani based, RCD under Prof. Wamba Dia Wamba. RCD was being remotely controlled by Museveni's political leaders like Otafiire, Mayombo, Wapakhabulho etc.

Gen. Kaziini convinced Museveni who sanction the support of MLC as another rebel group with bases in the northern Orientale Pronvince. Jean Pierre Bemba was taken to Jinja Barracks and given a two weeks crush basic military training. The Uganda army recruited, trained and armed the MLC fighters. In a September 2000 Press Conference at its base in Gbadolite, MLC supreme leader thanked the Uganda army for helping it raise a force of 20,000 fighters (the Museveni regime owned New Vision reported). Soon, MLC expanded its influence to Equateur Province as Gen. Kaziini undermined the Prof. Wamba led RCD.

In October 2002 there was a coup attempt in Central African Republic (CAR) led by the former Army Chief of Staff, Francois Bozize. The CAR President, Felix Patasse asked for help from the MLC rebels who were accompanied by the Uganda army's 19th Batallion that was based in Gbadolite. The mercenaries managed to beat off the uprising but committed horrendous war crimes. The attempted coup leader, Francois Bozize was taken captive and flown to Kampala. Museveni flew in a military helicopter to Gbadolite; the only time he went to Congo during the conflict. He congratulated the 19th Battalion that had just returned from CAR. He ordered planeloads of fresh meat to be flown from Kampala to Gbadolite for the soldiers of the 19th Battalion to feast.

In Kampala, Francois Bozize who was in the company of his son who could speak English and acted as his interpreter was accommodated at a CMI "safe house" in Muyenga under tight security. Shortly after, Museveni facilitated his connection to Chad from where he led a successful rebellion and ousted President Felix Patasse in March 2003. His son Jean Francis Bozize (the other interpreter) became his Minister of Defence. He later made a State Visit to Museveni bringing along with him the controversial Cpl. Masaba who had defected the UPDF and sought asylum in CAR.

In Congo, the MLC joined government and Jean Piere Bemba became the Vice Presidebt following a peace deal that ended the Second Congo War. But still, Museveni had not given up on Congo; he had sanctioned the preparation of a special force that was to help Vice President J.P. Bemba overthrow Joseph Kabila. The scheme was overtaken by events. This is the force under the West Nile based 409 Brigade that gullible Ugandans were made to believe that Gen. Kaziini had been raising a personal force intended to use in overthrowing Museveni. Gen. Kaziini was so hopeless that he could not even have thought of overthrowing Museveni.

In 2006 Jean Pierre Bemba lost an election and in 2007 he fled the country to Belgium from where he was indicted by the ICC over war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly when his troops intervened in CAR in October 2002. In 2016 he was convicted by the ICC over the same charges and sentenced to 18 years imprisonment. A few days ago, the Appeal Chamber of the ICC overturned the conviction on grounds that he could not be held criminally liable for crimes committed by his troops.

The ICC prosecutors had done a shoddy work while carrying out their investigations. Bemba's MLC militias had no military capacity to intervene in CAR and suppress an attempted coup by rebellious soldiers. It was Museveni's army firepower by 19th Battalion that halted the coup in CAR and committed the atrocities that ensued. There is no way any of the Congolese conflict warlords could be indicted and convicted by the ICC without the joining of the Museveni army onto the charge sheet.

Jean Pierre Bemba is highly expected to change the already fragile political landscape in DRC. The Southern region based and Rwanda's confidant, Moise Katumbi is currently the leading Kabila opponent. The coming of J.P. Bemba on the stage would give Museveni a fresh stake in the political life of DRC. This explains why out of excitement he boldly attacked the government of Joseph Kabila for "preserving ADF". Unless the international community, the Congolese and J.P Bemba address Museveni's sinister schemes, we are likely to see a Third Congo War.

INFORMATION IS POWER AND THE PROBLEM OF UGANDA IS MUSEVENISM.