Andrew Mwenda ‘S Museveni-Mugabe Contrasting Analogy Is Not Only panic driven But Diversionary

Andrew Mwenda ‘S  Museveni-Mugabe Contrasting Analogy  Is Not Only panic driven But Diversionary 

When Romanian despot Nicolai Ceausescu and his ruthless wife Elena were brutally executed on Christmas day of 1989, it marked the end of Communist domination of most of Eastern Europe.

Causecescu had tried to stop demonstrations by ordering the security agencies to shoot at demonstrators resulting into the death of thousands of Romanians on the streets of Bucharest.

The despot had actually fled in a helicopter but he was tricked and forced to land in a remote village where he was captured, put on quick trial and executed (its believed that he was shot more than 30 times).

During the trial, Ceausescu had been asked about where he had put the millions of dollars he had stashed away in European bank accounts (like most thieving leaders) but he declined to reveal anything.

Ceausescu said he was betrayed by his generals – one of them had been in court making a paper areophane!- (which is why you should pity those who have a lot of trust in generals).

After the execution, his death became a worldwide sensation as live footages of the bullet strewn bodies of the Romanian despot and his wife Elena were displayed on global media.

 The then Zairian information minister said that on a day after Ceausescu had been executed, president joseph Mobutu rung him at around 3am and asked him bitterly why had allowed the Zairian television to broadcast such bad news!

Marshal Mobutu had been a very good friend of President Nicolai Ceausescu and had visited Bucharest just a few months before in 1988 with his favorite wife Ladawa.

It became evident that Mobutu was traumatized by the death of his friend with whom they shared expensive gifts.

Mobutu’s minister says that he quarreled and hurled insults at him for allowing the Zairian television to show the humiliating footages of the slain Ceausescus and then slammed the phone in total anger!.

After that, the minister says, Mobutu never mentioned anything regarding Ceausescu.

He also started spending long periods of time on holiday in Europe.

It seemed that Mobutu got so scared that he started spending less time on national duties and dedicated more time for himself and his family. He also stopped tormenting the then opposition leader Etienne Tsetsekedi which allowed him to stage so many rallies in Kinshasa

The Gist Of The Matter

The moral of Mobutu-Ceausescu story is that most dictators normally get traumatized when they see their fellow dictators lose power in a very violent manner.

And their fears are normally not unfounded because one revolution can have a domino effect on other countries which suffer from the same oppressive tendencies associated with bad leadership.

So when Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe got into deep trouble with his military, the comparisons between him and Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni were inevitable.  

Motor mouth journalist and spinner of the Ugandan regime, Andrew Mwenda quickly penned an article titled ‘’Why Mugabe-Like Downfall Is Impossible In Uganda ‘’   dismissing any comparisons between the situation in Zimbabwe and Uganda and insisted that the ‘smart’ Ugandan leader is completely immune to a military coup.

Mwenda argued that the circumstances between the Ugandan military and that of Zimbabwe differ and cannot ignite the same reactions and outcomes.

MUSEVENI IS MUCH YOUNG !

In his panic driven article Mwenda  makes very lazy argument that president Museveni is much younger, or actually 20years younger than Robert Mugabe and therefore still as the presence of mind to deal with the dynamics of power play.

It’s amazing that Mwenda still believes that only old age should account for the downfall of regimes.

Yes, Museveni might be 20 years younger than the Zimbabwean despot, but the circumstances of his continued stay might not favour him to stick around much longer.

Regimes have collapsed even when they were led by very young leaders.

 For instance Burkina Faso’s Blaise Campoare was much younger than Museveni is (around 62 years)when the Burkinabe rose up and drove him out of power when he (like Museveni is trying to do now)tried to amend the constitution to serve an extended period in power.

At 51 years, Former president Yaya jammeh of Gambia was much younger than president Museveni when he also failed to overturn people’s power and was driven out of power a few months ago.

There is another instance of Sgt Sameul Doe who captured power at 27 but was thrown out and executed at just 37 years in 1990.

Capt. Valentine Strasser assumed power when he was 25 years but lost it before he even clocked 30 years!

 So Mwenda’s reference to young age as immunity to military coup or regime change is so childish to be considered as an advantage for Museveni to continue clinging on power.

Leaders much younger than Museveni have lost power.

Purging Comrades With Loyalists

Mwenda also argued that while Mugabe has kept most of the bush war commanders in positions of command, president Museveni has managed to purge most of his bush war comrades and replaced them with young commanders.

M9 therefore reasons that these young commanders cannot plot an insurrection against their commander in chief because they feel a sense of gratitude to him for having elevated them to high positions of command!

By stating loyalty as a factor, Mwenda was trying to convince us that president Museveni has purged the army of his bush war comrades and replaced them with loyalist who cannot even think or dream of overthrowing their master.

If he was a good student of world politics he should never have mentioned or even insinuated about the word LOYALTY, as a factor that can deter the military from making a coup.

Mwenda who has been masquerading as a student of Ugandan politics since independence forgets that his friend the late president Milton Obote was overthrown by General Idi Amin who was a very loyal member of the UPC party. Obote had purged the likes of Brig shaban opolot from the army.

Even when you scan around Africa, you find coups like the Liberian coup where a much younger boy called SSgt Samuel doe overthrew president Tolbert who was also his relative.

SSgt Doe actually executed president Tolbert and arraigned his body before the Liberians in Monrovia.

EVEN current president Theodore Ngeuema of Equatorial Guinea overthrew Matthias Ngeuema who was his close relative in 1979. Therefore any reference to loyalty as a caution to a military takeover is wishful thinking.

This makes Mwenda’s argument about Museveni purging his bush war comrades a non-starter.

In fact it’s these soldiers who were not in the bush who have every reason to topple him because they have nothing in common with him. They might actually be thirsting for a new dispensation that befits their generational expectations other than getting stuck with bush war swansongs.

So Mwenda needs NOT to be blinded by groceries but generate constructive ideas that can advise our leader.

Mwenda dismiss the fact that President Museveni’s reign continues to get eroded by the same mistakes that Mugabe has committed in the last 37 years.

Our president therefore needs better advice so that we can have a peaceful transition. So while Mwenda is still praise singing that a Mugabe-like downfall is impossible in Uganda, there are obvious signs and symptoms that it’s very possible for Museveni to go the Mugabe way or even in worse fashion.

The author Fred Daka Kamwada is a blogger chat him up at kamwadafred@gmail.com