Africa-Press – Uganda. The army has warned of dire consequences if anybody attempts to foment trouble to undermine the peace of the country during and after elections.
The chief political commissar of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), Maj. Gen. Henry Matsiko, said the force “will not fold their hands and look on as some wrong elements with foreign backing plan to break Uganda.”
He made the remarks while addressing journalists at the Uganda Journalists Association (UJA) offices in Kampala on Friday.
Matsiko disclosed that the recent riots that rocked Kampala and some parts of the country after the arrest of the National Unity Platform presidential candidate, Robert Kyagulanyi, were not mere political protests, but an insurrection, which prompted the security response.
Kyagulanyi was on his campaign trail in Luuka district when he was arrested.
“The manner in which those who say are politically expressing their views matters a lot. If it is insurrectional as we all saw in the recent riots, we shall intervene. Enemy actions are different from opposition actions,” Matsiko said.
President Yoweri Museveni has pledged compensation to families of non-rioters who were injured or killed during the violence. About 50 people were killed.
Matsiko said those who see that they no longer have any chance to destabilise Uganda are taking opportunity of the country’s normal processes to wreak havoc because they do not want Uganda to be an example to Africa.
“Trouble causers may be here but we shall deal with them. And if they think they can take us on, we are ready for them and we shall not mince our words,” Matsiko added.
He disclosed that Uganda is at the stage of total transformation because of the peace and investment in basic infrastructure, which have given confidence to foreign investors.
“The opportunities of Uganda to take off are very ripe, but the enemies of Africa are saying we cannot allow this. They think they can bring insurgency through our vulnerable young people by confusing them. So, with our experience of dealing with other insurgencies, we cannot allow these forces to do it,” he said.
He reiterated that nobody will provoke the army into becoming anti-people.
“We shall deal with the trouble causers, but still remain on the side of the people,” he said.
