Uganda’s president Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni used his sixth term inauguration speech to outline his security plan for the continent before fellow African leaders present in Kampala, further revealing he wanted to send troops to fight western aggressors in Libya, but was let down by Muammar Gadaffi.
Here is what Museveni said about his security dream for Africa, and how he wanted African armies to teach western powers a lesson:
I need to express my concern to the African brothers and sisters that are here today and those that are not here, that the situation in a number of points in Africa does not give credit to the African people.
The security situations in: Libya; Mali; Niger; some parts of Nigeria; Chad; Central African Republic; some parts of Cameroon; Eastern Congo; Somalia; recently, Northern Mozambique; etc., must be addressed and can be addressed.
First of all, the situation in Libya, was created by the arrogant and irresponsible actions of some actors that took actions that were against the express position of the African Union.
I can reveal to you now, that those actors, had a narrow escape.
When some actors started attacking Libya against the decision of the African Union, I contacted H.E. Jacob Zuma of South Africa for African Armies, that so decided, to intervene in Libya and confront and teach a lesson to those aggressors.
We were let down by Muammar Gaddaffi who abandoned Tripoli without a fight.
Although, at that time, I did not have direct link with Muammar Gaddaffi, I advised his envoy who came to see me, to turn Tripoli into a Stalingrad.
With H.E. Jacob Zuma, we had to work out a solution for the air-craft and cruise missiles that attack defenceless people from far away, so that if the aggressors so wished, could come on the ground and we fight man to man.
Such a confrontation would, of course, have been imposed on us unnecessarily.
We have, since long time ago, stated that African patriots, like we in the NRM, are neither pro-West nor proEast.
We are, first and foremost, pro-Africa.
It is on account of that, that good friends should only deal with contentious strategic African issues via the African Union.
By-passing the African Union, is not acceptable when it comes to dangerous strategic African issues.
We have no interest in fighting anybody except poverty and under-development in Africa, starting with Uganda.
However, some actors are always “in search of enemies”.
Our role there, is to advise those who are advisable, but also do our patriotic duty if unavoidable.
Unfortunately, the Libyans collapsed quickly.
On account of that, much of North West Africa, has been with security problems that were not there before: Libya, Chad, Mali, Niger, parts of Nigeria, Central African Republic and Cameroon.
Who is responsible for this haemorrhage? Of course, Muammar Gaddaffi had his own problems.
I had had the task of fighting him twice ─ 1972 and 1979 ─ as he intervened in Uganda on the side of Idi Amin because he was a Moslem.
However, foreign armies attacking an African country against the express objection of the African Union, is not the solution.
The huge concomitant suffering of the Africans in Libya and the surrounding countries, has proven that, if any proof was needed.
Africa can defend itself against any and all aggressors if we co-ordinate.
In 1963, our leaders met in Addis Ababa (only 36 of them at that time) and declared that the rest of Africa must be freed peacefully or Africa will use force.
That time, some actors thought, as they seem to think now, that this was just idle talk.
Exactly 11 years later, in 1974, the African Armies, of Mozambique, Angola and Guinnea-Bissau, supported by the courageous Mwalimu Nyerere, Kenneth Kaunda, Sekou Toure, Boumeddiene, Nasser and briefly Nkrumah and the socialist countries, had defeated the Portuguese African Armies, totaling almost 200,000 soldiers.
Just before this victory, there had been the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, where the Egyptian Army put up a better performance and quite bled the Israelis before the latter crossed the canal and surrounded the Egyptian 2nd and 3rd Armies in Suez and Port Said.
They (the Israelis) badly needed resupplies by the USA.
However, the USA had a problem because many of the European countries did not want to refuel the American transport planes in fear of the Arab anger.
The Arabs had announced the 1973 oil boycott against those that they saw as their enemies.
That left the Portuguese Islands of the Azores.
In the USA National Security Council meeting of 1974, the issue of using the Azores came up.
Somebody in the meeting, pointed out that Africans will be very annoyed. Henry Kissinger, who was said to be a very clever man, is said to have said that African anger does not matter because they have no capacity to enforce it.
Exactly 5 months from the date of that meeting, the Africans who did not matter, defeated the Portuguese who mattered.
I am told Kissinger is still alive.
It would be good for his record, if he cleared up this allegation.
It is up to us to show all and sundry, that we matter and we have the capacity.
We defeated the Islamic hoodlums in Somalia; we defeated the racist Whites in Southern Africa.
We can defend Africa, if we act together and act right.
