𝐁𝐲 𝐋𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐊𝐚𝐦𝐮𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐚 𝐀𝐤𝐢𝐝𝐚,
𝐊𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐀𝐋𝐀: “𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐮𝐬 𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐔𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭.” 𝐔𝐏𝐂 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐦 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐠𝐞𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐔𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚.
The Uganda Peoples Congress -UPC has asked government to consider disarming refugees coming into the country for the safety of Ugandans.
“We argue to investigate and disarm the refugees coming into the Uganda to prevent the country from being a hub for terrorists,”
The remarks were made by the party head of media and relations, Muzeyi Faizo, on Wednesday during the party weekly press conference at Uganda House in Kampala.
UPC’s call follow reports by the ministry of foreign affairs that Uganda will temporarily host 2,000 fleeing Afghan nationals after Taliban fighters ousted Ashraf Ghani’s government and bounced back to power.
Esther Anyakun, the state minister for relief, disaster preparedness and refugees, says they (refugees) will be hosted for a period of three months or more, and reports indicate that they will be hosted at Mandela National Stadium Namboole.
In Uganda, refugee camps and settlements are exposed to escalating armed violence which has resulted into endless conflict dynamics in many camps especially in the Bidibidi refugee settlement.
But UPC argues that parliament should be consulted on disarming refugees since the hosting camps and settlements are in the areas they represent.
Muzeyi further tasked the Office of Prime Minister to tge security aspects of hosting the refugees as way of avoiding unrests and possible spread of diseases like coronavirus.
Additionally, the UPC has called for equal distribution of services between the refugees and their hosting communities stressing that the hosting communities are neglected yet they have similar social challenges as the hosted refugees.
“UPC argues that much as its a humanitarian act of hosting refugees and providing safe haven for them, the host communities should equally benefity to the servuces offered to these refuges,”
“In most cases, the host communities are ignored and tgey have needs like medical care, which are readily available to the refugees,” UPC argued.
In related info, the UPC has wormly welcomed political changes in Zambia and argued that Ugandan government should borrow a leaf from President Edgar Lungu to prepare for a peaceful transition in Uganda.
Muzey Faizo, never hid the UPC-Zambia affections.
“Uganda People’s Congress congratulates Mr. Hichilema Hakainde upon his victory as President Elect of the Republic of Zambia in the just concluded general elections,” he said.
He further applauded the outgoing president H. E. Edgar Lungu for honoring the outcome of elections as announced by the Electoral Commission of Zambia calling the decision a Nationalism and Pan-Africanism spirit that African states Uganda should emulate.
UPC says the landslide victory of President elect Mr. Hichilema Hakainde and United Party for National Development (UPND) is a ray of hope to all emerging leadership and their political parties/movements in Africa never to give up.
They added that Zambia practices true democracy witb seperation of powers and independence of the Electoral commision something that has resulted into this peaceful election victory.
“UPC is appealing to Uganda and Africa to borrow some key important lessons about their Democracy and Elections, more so the aspect of transition Politics that has been handled well in Zambia,” Faizo said.
Courtesy Photo.
