By
By Godfrey Olukya
28-9-2015
President Yoweri Museveni has said one of the root causes of violence in Africa is the pseudo-ideology of opportunistically, exploiting identity in the form of religious or tribal sectarianism in order to gain or retain political power.
According to a statement issued by his deputy press secretary, Lindah Nabusayi, Museveni said this was to the exclusion of the legitimate interests of the affected African people in the form of the production and exchange of the goods and services for their mutual prosperity.
“With the return to democracy in many of the African countries, one would have expected the termination of these crimes against African people. Unfortunately, however, in some of the African countries, these crimes are still continuing, committed, sometimes, by undisciplined government troops or by criminal gangs claiming to be freedom fighters,” he said.
The President said fortunately, there is peace and quiet in the vast majority of African countries.
“Out of the 53 African countries that are members of the African Union, in the last few years, there has been civil wars and terrorism in about 10 of them. The other 43 have been peaceful. Nevertheless, it is important that even the 10 should be assisted to end violence and terrorism,” he said.
The President was speaking during the Peace and Security Council 547th meeting at the level of Heads of State and Government meeting at the Permanent Observer Mission of the AU in New York.
He chaired the meeting in his capacity as Chairperson of the AU-PSC for the month of September.
The closed-door meeting was considering the Common AU position on the UN review of peacekeeping operations and a report of the AU Commission of Inquiry on South Sudan.
The President said after colonialism, undemocratic military regimes usurped power in many African countries and committed many human rights violations including extra-judicial killings, rape and defilement and looting of property.
“It is not correct to continue dealing with the adverse and tragic consequences of this pseudo-ideology in the form of massacres, massive displacement of people from their homes, loss of property and loss of development time, without condemning and banishing this root cause” he said.
The meeting was attended by H.E Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, President Jacob Zuma of South Africa, President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania, President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria, President Hage Gottfried Geingob of Namibia, President Yahya Jammeh of Gambia, the Vice President of South Sudan James Wani Igga among other leaders.
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