UGANDA: Dutch tax payer money wasted on Museveni's army training on rights

DUTCH TAXPAYER'S MONEY WASTED ON MUSEVENI'S ARMY TRAINING ON RIGHTS

CHANGE OF GUARDS - Museveni's Army and The Kingdom of Netherlands have reaffirmed their close partnership in legal training by signing for the continuation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Legal Advisor Programme (LEGAD).

The programme was initiated years ago identifying legal training gaps and has been supporting to fill the vacuum by skilling Officers and Men in lnternational Humanitarian Law (IHL) to address the principles of humanity in situations of armed conflict.

Ambassador Henk Jan Bakker lauded the Government of Uganda for recognizing the importance of offering further assistance to legal experts so that they can dispense justice in the current changing global environment with ease.

The army chief, Gen. Muhoozi commended the Netherlands for offering training and re-training in legal formalities to the army's legal experts arguing that it will enhance their capacity to cope with opportunities that handle peace and security. He requested the Netherlands Government to extend its support to Museveni's Army operations most especially in the field of training and equipment so that missions like the African Union Mission in Somalia can realize their dreams.

By requesting for support in equipments for field oppractice, Gen. Muhoozi who is a Lawyer very well knows that the LEGAD programme is irrelevant because the army does not lack that training. It is simply that it can't afford to practice International Humanitarian Law.  With over 100 qualified Lawyers, the army could be having more Lawyers than even the Attorney General's Chambers.  Observance of International Humanitarian Law in armed conflict is a major training component at all levels of military training including   Basic Training for recruits.

Most of Museveni Army's brutal and coersive units are headed by Lawyers who are well versed with International Humanitarian Law.  The dreaded CMI has been led by three different Lawyers; Mayombo, Tumukunde and Mugira at the height of the worst atrocities.  Infact CMi has a fully fledged Human Rights Dest headed by Col. Timothy Kanyogonya.

Its Special Investigations Bureau (SBI) that is spread to all units is manned by Lawyers and Paralegals.  There is a fully fledged Chieftaincy of Legal Services manned by very many Lawyers and Paralegals who act as Legal Officers for different units.

The General Headquarters level, the army has a fully fledged Directorate of Human Rights headed by Brig. Wacha. Leave alone the once powerful Civil-Military Relations Desk. The proliferation of human rights desks within the army was meant to tap into donor funding.

The Museveni regine police force has a fully fledged Directorate of Human Rights manned by Lawyers.  The notorious former Police chief, Gen. Kalekyezi holds an LLM (Master of Laws) from LSE.  The General who commanded the infamous Black Mamba commando raid on the High Court holds a Masters Law.

The so-calles Judge Advocates, Defence Counsels, Regisras and Prisecutors in the Museveni's Kangaroo Court Martials are Lawyers.  Unfortunately the army has not only recruited but facilitated the training of more Lawyers than any other professionals.

Because of Museveni's policy of violent suppression of political dissent and suppression of human rights, the lawyers in the army are just agents of covering up the regime's heinous crimes against humanity.  The Kingdom of the Netherlands has for over a decade been supporting the Justice, Law and Order Sector (JALOS).  It has tremendously supported the Judiciary, the Police, Prisons, the UHRC, and the army with logistics and expertise.

Its goodwill is being undermined by a regime that is beant on disregarding justice and rule of law in its determination to entrench a military dictatorship.  The situation has not been different during its external military expeditions in Somalia, Sudan, Congo and CAR.

Therefore, instead of wasting more resource on supporting the army, the Kingdom of the Netherlands should instead concentrate on pressing the Museveni regime to observe and respect  human rights.

INFORMATION IS POWER AND THE PROBLEM OF UGANDA IS MUSEVENISM