::::I've Left Copenhagen for Uganda::::

Apologies for still talking about the diesel issue

But it is still an issue.

Today I drove the 450 km from Kampala to Arua, starting on an almost full tank. I stopped at a few stations on the way from Kigomba to Karuma Falls, but the same gesture in all places; idle staff waving their arms from the middle to the sides shaping a 'V' signaling; 'Diesel is not there!'

In Pakwach, however, 'it was there', and I got a refill while the service guy showed me his white teeth in a smile which wouldn't go off. 3000 UGX (1,75 USD) per liter! It is the first time in 15 years according to Paul Busharizi in the Sunday Monitor that the prices have reached this level, and he predicts a black market for diesel.

In March the price for one liter diesel was 1910 UGX (1,11 USD). A Toyota HiLux full tank contains about 60 liters, and takes me around 450 km. It is a difference of about 65,000 UGX (38 USD). Quite a lot of money in a country where app. 80% of the population lives for less than a dollar a day. Not that I believe they worry about the price of diesel as a first thing, but it will effect us all.

Arua already has a lively black market, thanks to Congo and an invisible border. I can't tell the difference. However, it does mean that everything in this country which runs on diesel - the fees for using generators, Internet cafés, matatus, airoplanes etc. will increase. It also means that people will mix diesel with water (to a larger extent than usual) which explains another African trademark - the black smoke from vehicles.

Thank god for jerry cans! The Ugandan solution.

Besides CHOGM, Mabira, a World Bank donation (which must have given a few Ugandan governmental officials the similar feeling as the occasional events when my parents decide to donate a large sum of cash without me having performed extraordinarily), and the sudden death of the permanent secretary of defence (who also happened to be one of the guys who went to the bush with Museveni back in 1985, and whom the papers now indicate died 'mysteriously', which makes most people around here interpretate as 'murdered') - the talk of town is still the lack of diesel.

In today's Monitor I read through a page where people had been encouraged to give their opinion on why they think Uganda lacks diesel. However, I like my news kind of more factual. If I want a multiple human perspective on the lack of diesel situation I'll ask the first four people I meet in the MS Uganda compound, or I will drive my car around town and stop by at all the empty gas stations (untill it dies) and ask what the service staff thinks. But I want to know why , I want to know when the diesel is back and I want to be sure that is isn't going to happen (soon) again.

I found the most factual information on the BBC, but still I couldn't help thinking as I read along:

Right, Uganda has suffered from lack of diesel because: Diesel comes to Uganda from Kenya via a pipeline but technical problems since March have caused low fuel supplies. Uganda has been negotiating with Kenya to allow the fuel to be transported in trucks from the refinery at the coast. Kenya's Revenue Authority has licensed five oil companies to ferry the fuel in trucks but there is disagreement over a demand that they pay a refundable deposit. Kenyan officials argue that this deposit will ensure the companies do not divert the fuel to the Kenyan market, but Uganda's authorities say it amounts to double taxation. And I do agree with Museveni when he puts the situation in a nutshell: 'The halting of fuel deliveries amounts to a blockade and is causing a "very big problem", says Mr Museveni.  But when he continues; "If you stop fuel from coming to Uganda, that is a blockade instead of using his energy trying to solve the issue with the Kenyans; 'This is serious and it can create a very big problem," Mr Museveni told crowds in Jinja during the Labour day celebrations. He tells the Ugandans what they already know, in stead of adressing the obvious fact, in stead of doing something about it; Like other countries in the region, Uganda suffers from frequent electricity blackouts, and many people use diesel to power private generators. Uganda has hydro-electric plants but these are not enough as yet. Last week, the World Bank approved a huge loan to fund a new dam project.

Mabira, CHOGM, FDC and governmental rhetorics

One of Uganda's leading dailies,  the New Vision, Saturday published an editorial titled; 'Opposition should have Uganda at heart'. You can read the whole text here.

In short, the editorial is about the Mabira Forest protests, the up-coming Common Wealth Meeting (CHOGM) and the opposition. In particular I paid attention to the last three paragraphs.

It is unthinkable that any opposition party in the UK would try to boycott an international event benefiting the entire country the way FDC has been doing. Already in Malta, the opposition tried to block Uganda from hosting CHOGM.

You can disagree with Museveni and his Government on many issues. But you should do so in a constructive way, using the appropriate channels, and always having the interests of the country at heart. One only has to look at Somalia to see what anarchy and the pursuit of selfish interests by certain politicians and groups can lead to in Africa.

Certainly, the Government could do more to listen to the people and engage the opposition in dialogue. But attempts of the opposition to sabotage CHOGM and turn Uganda into a pariah- state cannot be justified.

Somehow this editorial piece manages to blend it all together in order to conclude that 1) the opposition (FDC?) uses the 2) Mabira Forest protests to create insecurity in general, in the streets in Kampala in particular, 3) but for the higher purpose of destroying Uganda's opportunities to show off at its best when the CHOGM visitors arrive. If they will arrive, because rumours will that anonymous sources in the British government have stated that the situation might be too insecure regarding the safety of the Queen. In fact there is a strong tendency at the moment to stirr up rumours of uncertainty concerning the CHOGM, not a very factual discussion, I'm afraid. But it makes you think.

It seems as if the editorial is using the old trick to play on dubious loyalty to the nation's interests. But why would the New Vision do so? Wouldn't a serious editorial also question the Ugandan government's evident attempts to cover up that they are failing on time management for the CHOGM regarding road construction, hotels, power, diesel, Juba Peace Talks, well - with or without the CHOGM - the Ugandan government is failing regarding the IDP camps in northern Uganda, the instability of the Juba Peace Talks and the growing problem in Karamoja in north eastern Uganda. If the CHOGM secretariat are looking for reasons to boycot the next meeting in Uganda, there are better ones.

And why doesn't the editorial question that the people behind the Mabira protests and the FDC might have different motives, maybe they are not even the same? I don't know, I don't have any preferences, I am just looking for some journalistic coverage on a higher level. I would actually like to know what is what, but the papers doesn't dig into it. For me this editorial is quite an interesting example of giving space to governmental rethorics. (Actually, go back and give it a try while imagining that the progress-friendly president wrote the editorial).

The images are from the Jinja Road/Yussuf Lule roundabout, where the Electoral Commission, the institutional body charged with administering elections in Uganda, has recently painted impressive slogans motivating Ugandans to practise their democratic right.

Confused?!

Shopping for ripe avocado

Arua and Koboko are the kings of avocado. Obviously everyone around just knows when an avocado is ripe, or if it isn't ripe untill in 12 or 24 hours.

We got caught in one of these discussions today - the man postulated that the woman was selling an avocado which wouldn't make it ripe today, but tomorrow.

And what do we know?

For most of the wazungu tribe avocado is mainly known from the green section in the supermarket. To the wazungu people it is always a nice surprise when they realise that the stuff grows on trees in northern Uganda.

Uganda's Black Conscience

Yesterday I visited Willy Akena from the Diocese of Northern Uganda in Gulu. We went to Amuru IDP Camp anout 40 km North of Gulu. I will write more about it, when digested. It is heavy stuff.

Don't let yourself fool by the Ugandan friendliness and the so-called progressive president - Uganda still has one big problem: the about 1,6 mio. internally displaced persons in the camps in Northern Uganda, the abducted who are now returning, trying to integrate, and too many governmental representatives benefitting from a drag-out of the Peace Talks in Juba.

And for the record - for these people in the IDP camps there isn't a touchable outcome from the peace talks yet, though they have been going on since August 2006.

See more photos here.

 

Rally turned violent in Kampala today

Several people died today in Kampala during what was intended to be a peaceful demonstration in favour of Mabira Forest. Sometimes things escalate fast, and today the ever so friendly Kampala simply went mad. The man behind the company who is to buy the piece of the forest is Indian, and apparently the rally took an unexpected direction and turned its anger into a manhunt for Indians or the ones who look like.

I was in a meeting all day and only heard of the riots around 11 am where one of my development worker colleagues explained how she got trapped in her red MS car the middle of the riots on her way to Nakesero Market. She is of Iranian origin so the mob took her for Indian. When you see others being stoned by a mad mob, pulled out of taxis, shops being looted, you do think 'to hell with a scratched car!' - and she made it out of there.

Others didn't. Some were stoned, some were shot at by the police and others were hit by cars.

Bloggers write their first hand impressions from Kampala here:

http://dying-communist.blogspot.com/2007/04/frig-us-all-for-riots.html

http://petesmama.wordpress.com/

http://kellyuganda.livejournal.com/93836.html

http://ernest-bazanye.blogspot.com/2007/04/tear-him-for-his-bad-verses-tear-him.html

And the Daily Monitor covers it here.

Wake up and smell the coffee - Black Gold

''Multinational coffee companies now rule our shopping malls and supermarkets and dominate the industry worth over $80 billion, making coffee the most valuable trading commodity in the world after oil.

But while we continue to pay for our lattes and cappuccinos, the price paid to coffee farmers remains so low that many have been forced to abandon their coffee fields.

Nowhere is this paradox more evident than in Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee. Tadesse Meskela is one man on a mission to save his 74,000 struggling coffee farmers from bankruptcy. As his farmers strive to harvest some of the highest quality coffee beans on the international market, Tadesse travels the world in an attempt to find buyers willing to pay a fair price.

Against the backdrop of Tadesse's journey to London and Seattle, the enormous power of the multinational players that dominate the world's coffee trade becomes apparent. New York commodity traders, the international coffee exchanges, and the double dealings of trade ministers at the World Trade Organisation reveal the many challenges Tadesse faces in his quest for a long term solution for his farmers''.

Read more at http://www.blackgoldmovie.com/. See the movie trailer for Black Gold here. And note that it is shown in Uganda May 3rd-13th at the Amakula Kampala International Film Festival - read more here!

'Save Mabira Forest. Do not buy Lugazi Sugar'

...say the text messages which are circulating Uganda these days.

'Mabira forest is among the richest in biodiversity among the remaining forests in Africa. It has also added value for the communities that inhabit and surround it. The value of the forest to Uganda and her people is beyond the values of the trees, but it is also a frequented tourism site for bird watching, forest walks, and other activities; it has cultural and historical values; it significantly impacts the environment as a natural water filtration system and a natural regulator of global climate'.

I got one of these text messages around Tuesday last week. It came as a response to media reports that the government had endorsed the forest giveaway. Congratulations to the Ugandan civil society for reacting! This is a fine example of a non-violent action, which in no time has created massive attention among the population, not just on individual basis, but also institutions and organisations are reacting. And not just within Uganda, it is going global. Campaign-wise this is a very interesting tool; any person with a mobile and airtime can participate.

However, no one said it should be easy; Police Spokesman Asan Kasingye is now hunting the originators of the text messages encouraging the sugar-boycott. He states that this kind of boycott is economic sabotage, claiming probably rightfully, it is illegal in the country. He is prepared to carry out arrests.

In my opinion this man's reaction is proving that the campaign is working! Guess the Uganda goverment is to learn about modern non-violent campaigning methods...(hopefully before it runs out out teargas)

Sign the petition here!

African Presidential Rethorics

We will always have two routes. It can come on peaceful means or the other routes. It is Kony to determine which one he wants," the President said, adding that peace would return to the region with or without the success of the Juba peace talks. "Peace will come. There is peace now in Teso and Lango. If peace will not come by peace talks, we shall hit them… We shall have peace without begging Kony."

Museveni (M7) in the Daily Monitor today on the Juba Peace Talks - which seems to have been cut off for the 872nd time. In particular, I am amused with the M7's way of logics; 'If peace doesn't come by peace talks, we shall hit them...'.

Seem to be the way in Africa. Works better the other way round, though. With war. Considering lasting peace, I doubt this is the way. I question the M7's ability as a peace maker. He has the rethorics of a rebel commander.

Wonder why the guys can't talk....?! They have so much in common.

Seperation Or Unity - Sudan?

Read here an interesting blog post, written by Black Kush blogging from Juba  - on the question wether South Sudan should vote for seperation from Northern Sudan (in 2011) - now that the CPA has given the South Sudanese the right to choose between unity and separation.