Is there anybody out there?

The Uganda I’m living in now is not the Uganda I arrived in two months ago. Two months ago Uganda was a success story. High rates of economic growth for sub-Saharan Africa, increased quality of life, more political freedom, and so on. There were still some very bad things, like the never-ending war in the North with its 1.5 million displaced people, and some ominous signs of what was to come, like President Museveni amending the constitution to allow him to run for a third term. But despite these things, Uganda looked like a country on the rise.

In ten days everything has changed. President Museveni has betrayed his true intentions. The best leader Uganda has ever had has taken a serious turn for the worse. He could have bowed out and retained respect, like Tanzania’s Nyerere did. Instead, Museveni is following the footsteps of Mugabe and his ilk.

Here are the latest headlines.

• The men in black who surrounded the Court last week were a government paramilitary group that has become known as the “Black Mamba Urban Hit Squad.” An army official said they were there to re-arrest the 22 co-accused of Besigye and take them to be tried in a court martial (a military court). The 22 co-accused are all civilians.
  


• The judge hearing the civil case recused himself, ostensibly too intimidated by the prospect of military squads in his courtroom to continue hearing the case.
  


• The 22 co-accused, having already been arraigned in civil court, were also arraigned in a court martial for the same offences. This violates a well-known principle of law that prohibits being tried twice for the same offence. If found guilty in either court, they face the death penalty.
  


• An unknown gunman shot at Besigye’s cousin and close ally while she was driving in a car. She was not injured.
  


• Principal Judge James Oogala spoke out against the Black Mamba’s attack on the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law, referring to it as the “rape” of the justice system
  


• On Monday November 21, the Uganda Law Society convened an emergency meeting in Kampala. Members spoke out against recent events and resolved to sue the government for violating the constitution. They declared Besigye and his co-accused to be prisoners of conscience, and resolved to hold a sit-down strike this coming Monday. They are to not come to work but instead come to the High Court in their court attire to stand in solidarity with the Court in silent protest against Museveni’s trampling of the rule of law. It was big news.
  


• At the same Uganda Law Society meeting, Fox Odoi, the presidential legal assistant, said that the Black Mambas overtook the Court because they had received intelligence indicating there was a terrorist threat to be directed at the many diplomats in the courtroom. The Mambas were simply there for their protection. In response to this, a lawyer present at the meeting asked, if that was the case, why did the Mambas follow the prisoners to the jail, leaving the diplomats alone and unprotected?
  


• On Tuesday, Museveni issued a decree banning all “demonstrations, processions, public rallies and assemblies” related to the case against Besigye. This is despite constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression and association. The Uganda Law Society’s planned strike is now illegal.
  


• Besigye was offered a deal under the Amnesty Act, which provides Amnesty to rebels who admit their guilt. He rejected it, maintaining his innocence. This deal was not a real deal at all, as by accepting the amnesty he would be barring himself from holding political office.
  


• On Wednseday, the government banned all talk shows and media debates on all pending court cases, including Besigye’s. The Minister of State for Information, Dr. James Nsaba, had this to say regarding cancelling the licences of media houses that disrespect the ban: “Revocation of the licence is something I am very eager to do” (Daily Monitor, Nov 24, 2005, p 1).
  


• On Thursday, riots are anticipated in response to Besigye’s scheduled bail hearing. The military deployed throughout the city. Uganda People’s Defence Force lined major streets with guns and batons. The Black Mambas were seen driving around town in military vehicles. Police were also deployed at Kampala fuel stations. Apparently this is to prevent “suspicious” people from purchasing fuel that might be used to destroy property in riots. One might also note, however, that preventing people from buying fuel has the additional effect of preventing them from leaving.
  


• Instead of being taken to the High Court for his scheduled bail hearing, Besigye was taken to the court martial on Thursday morning.
  


• Later on Thursday morning at the court martial, Besigye’s lawyers were arrested for “contempt of court” for arguing that the court martial does not have jurisdiction over Besigye, a civilian. The detained lawyers are Elias Lukwago and Caleb Alaka. My Canadian colleagues, imagine if you will being incarcerated simply for representing your client. It truly boggles the mind.
  


• Besigye, after being charged with terrorism and being in possession of illegal firearms at the court martial, was transferred to the High Court. Besigye was returned to Luzira Prison later this afternoon. His bail hearing could not be completed because his lawyers were still in detention at the court martial.
  

So, here we are. The situation has deteriorated rapidly, and who can really say what will happen next?

But wait, before you write this off as just another example of African failure, to be sighed at and then brushed from one’s mind, like so many other nameless places -Burundi, Zimbabwe, Congo, Rwanda- I want you to remember. Remember Innocent, the smiling night guard bearing sweet potatoes. Remember Max, the singing taxi driver. Remember Margaret, my cleaner from the war-torn north who cares for 6 children alone but never complains. Think of the child skipping behind me gaily, then presenting me with the gift of a coveted grasshopper before running off in a fit of shy giggles. Think of the man who walks for 10 minutes out of his way to make sure I find the place I’m looking for. Think of the lawyers sitting in prison because they fulfilled their professional duty. Don't worry if it makes you feel uncomfortable, that just means you're human. But remember them. Whatever happens, let it be recorded somewhere, anywhere.

We passed here. Like you, we lived, we loved, we died.