UGANDA: Theft with impunity fueling refugee riots (PHOTOS)

HOW THEFT WITH IMPUNITY IS FUELING REFUGEES RIOTS  IN UGANDA

CHANGE OF GUARDS - Last week Sudanese refugees at Bidi Bidi camp in Yumbe district rioted protesting over little food rations and delayed distribution of the same.  They vandalized office property, burnt vehicles, destroyed communication systems and other equipments.  It took the intervention of the military to contain the situation.  Minister for refugees, Musa Ecweru blamed the riots on WFP and camp government administratora for "taking drastic unilateral decisions." Bidi Bidi camp with an estimated over 250,000 refugees is the 2nd largest camp in the world.

Museveni's military dictatorship adopted a seemingly liberal refugee policy on refugees in order to coverup, blackmail and attract huge donor funding.  His military interventions in the region accounts for the huge influx of refugees and economic immigrants.  Upon arrival in Uganda refugees are allocated 900 sq metres of land, work permit and permission to remain forever as per the Ration Card which reads expiry date of 2040.  Over 40 aid organizations are involved in provision of water, medical supplies and food.  A quarter of this international aid budget directly flows into state coffers.

In June 2017 with support of the UN, he hosted a two day global Refugee Solidarity Summit.  It aimed at rallying international support for refugees and host communities in form of donations, investment and Inovative programmes.  It target the attendance of 30 heads of state and to rise USD 2b for the next four years.  However, as it turned out the poorly attended summit managed to raise only USD 350m.

Several countries heeded the call with Equatorial Guinea kick-starting pledging USD100, 000, it was followed by several other countries such as the United Arab Emirates which pledged USD5m, China – USD500, 000, United Kingdom – USD50m, Japan – USD10m, Gabon – USD250,000, Kenya – USD200,000, Somalia – USD100,000, Germany - USD56m, Australia – USD5m, Italy USD 5.6m, Canada – USD11.5m, Sweden USD 27.1M, Norway – USD4m, Austria -USD2.2m, Netherlands USD6.2m, Republic of Korea - USD6.8m, Denmark – USD62m , Ireland – USD2.6m, Finland – USD2.4m.
Regional groupings such as the European Union pledged USD 96.3m while African Union pledged USD100, 000.
The private sector pledges were led by MTN Group Uganda who pledged USD1m and more pledges were made in kind on the first day of the summit.

In September 2017 Sudanese refugees at Nyumazi refugee camp in Adjuman district rioted protesting the slashing of their monthly food rations by half.  From 12kgs of maize flour they were now getting 6kgs and shillings 8,000 to buy more food items.  To supplement their needs, the refugees would end up selling their other non food items like blankets.

On December 4, 2017 UNHCR sent a report to the Minister of Internal Affairs over threats and harassment of its field staff by ministry officials. The Minister forwarded the report to the Police Chief for investigations.  As usual the police instead ignored the matter in order to protect the implicated regime sycophants.

In January 2018 the UN Resident Coordinator wrote to the Prime Minister over incidents of gross mismanagement, of fraud and corruption in Uganda refugee operations.  Consequently, the US, UK and the EU threatened to withdraw aid.  On January 30th, the a high powered government team held a joint meeting with donors who expressed grave concern and threatened to withdraw aid.  On February 5th, the EU delegation in Uganda issued a statement that it had forwarded the case to its Office of Anti-fraud for investigations.

The now panicky Museveni regime suspended the Commissioner of Refugees and three of his surbodinate staff members. They were accused of colluding with UNHCR and WFP staff in the creation of fake names for refugees, multiple registration, diversion and sale of supplies meant for refugees, granting of refugee scholarships to Ugandans etc. The UN agencies demanded from government the exact figure of refugees.

In March 2018 the government and UNHCR launched a massive biometric verification exercise. The UNHCR's Inspector General's office also launched an independent probe into allegations of fuel embezzlement, sexual exploitation and abuse, irregular tendering, fraud in procurement and food distribution.  On February 15, 2018 the government pretended to call for a speedy investigation into the matter by police.  However the Police never investigated.

According to the online usatoday.com of March 22, 2018 some refugees in Bidi Bidi were heard lamenting thus;
      "We are not receiving enough food because some officials are eating money meant for refugees,” said Charles Lujang, a refugee representative at the camp. “They are using our name to enrich themselves. They should be arrested and jailed.”

Sitting outside her tent, Martha Antong, 40, was angry that officials could steal money intended for refugees.
         "I’m suffering with my children because of them," said Antong, a mother of four who fled South Sudan in July. "Many of us will die of hunger due to lack of food as they enrich themselves using the money meant for us.”

The now desperate military dictator publicly shed crocodile tears;
     "The ones who are stealing refugee money will go to jail. Because to steal what is meant for refugees, what is meant for desperate people, so, these thieves they will pay. They bring shame to Uganda. Because these refugees, they are from other countries, the donors who are giving support to the refugees are from other countries.”
It is now over one year and no one has either been jailed or made to account.

In September 2018 the Sudanese refugees at Mvepi and Omugo camps protested over failure to get food rations for two months.  They blocked World Vision staff from accessing the food stores, beat up staff, ransacked stores.  During the same month the head count exercise was completed and the figure was found to have been inflated by over 300,000 refugees.  The total figure for refugees was found at 1.1m and not 1.4m as earlier claimed.

The UNHCR was found to have mispent millions of U.S dollars.  In one incident a total of USD 320,000 was spent on a parking lot at the office of the Prime Minister.  Another USD 7.9m was budgeted for the construction of more than 1,200km road by a construction company that lacked experience.  USD 1.5b for a project to build Eragi bridge in Adjuman district was all swindled.  Another USD $20m water trucking system was shoddly handled.  The list is endless.

In November 2018 Sudanese refugees at Omugo reception centre in Arua district violently protested over little food rations.  They rampaged, disarmed the Police Constable and held service providers hostage.  The fact that hardly a month later, last week refugees have violently rioted again over the same matter is proof that the problem still persists.  The regime is all out to shield whoever was responsible for the mess simply because they had been mere agents acting for and on behalf of the usual regime big shots.

Corruption, outright theft and abuse of office is the trademark of the Museveni military dictatorship.  The vice is the lifeline of the regime and the beneficiaries are the few privileged regime sycophants.  Donor money has been one of the top targets.  In 2005 the Global Fund on health services suspended the grant to Uganda owing to serious mismanagement.  The government set up an inquiry under Justice Ogola whose report in 2006 confirmed theft of USD 1.6m.  It went further to identify a total of 373 suspects including three cabinet Ministers.  During the inquiry in March 2006 then Minister of Health Gen. Muhweezi told off justice Ogola;
       ".....you are one of those people who were hiding under your beds when the rest were fighting."
The regime simply kept mum and two years later Global Fund complained that government was not taking action against the culprits.  The government set up the Anti-corruption Court as a new division if the High Court.  A mock trial netted a few insignificant individuals leaving the big fish to enjoy their loot to this day. 

If they could steal donor funds for Ugandans with TB and AIDS, what about money for refugees!!!!

INFORMATION IS POWER AND THE PRIBLEM OF UGANDA IS MUSEVENISM