We don’t need advice on democracy- M7 tells the West

President Yoweri Museveni shortly after being sworn in for a 7th term of office

In his inauguration speech at Kololo on May 12, 2021, Museveni claimed that he is among the architects of a democratic system that was established in Uganda in the 1960’s saying this has effectively worked and there’s no need to lecture him on democracy, especially by foreigners.

“I doubt there are many comparable pro-democratic structures in the world. It is therefore quite comic and laughable to hear some actors in the world giving us lectures about democracy. You give me lectures about democracy, what are your credentials?,” Museveni asked.

Museveni’s comments came against the background of widespread human rights violations including detentions without trial, abduction of political opponents, harassment of journalists and failure to leave power among other anti-democratic norms that are universally accepted.

Museveni took oath to lead Uganda for the sixth consecutive 5-year term before 12 Heads of State and other dignitaries from Uganda and the region at Kololo Ceremonial grounds.

Museveni’s victory in the January 14, 2021 elections was the most contested ever since he came to power with his leading opponent and National Unity Platform leader Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine, claiming widespread rigging.

Museveni, 76 won with 58 percent of the votes cast in January’s polls after beating his closest rival and pop star, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu alias Bobi Wine of the National Unity Platform.

The retired Military General further said the only lectures and advice he and Africa would listen to is that from peers with in the African Union and other individual Africans with whom he’s linked to African brotherhood, solidarity and shared values based on mutual respect.

“We diagnosed this system not from air conditioned rooms but from jungles of our country where we lived with people for more than 16 years of the resistance war. We need no advice from anybody apart from our peers from the African continent,” said Museveni.

Museveni rallies African counterparts to unite

Museveni rallied his fellow African leaders to unite against what he calls interference and arrogance of western leaders.

“Africa can defend itself against any and all aggressors if we co-ordinate,” he said.

“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.”

Museveni added: “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. Back to Uganda, the elections are over. Let us get down to work.”

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