David Kasozi
I have just watched the US ABC TV network program 20/20 and seen a story on child sacrifices in Uganda. Although the story is professionally done, I was surprised that it said nothing about the the economic and social chaos which provides the environment for this bizarre practice of child sacrifices. For example, the story did not talk about the cult-like NRM dictatorship government in Uganda for over 20 years, with over 50% of its budget funded by the foreign donors. The story also fails to mention that Uganda is one of the most corrupt countries in the world and is a haven for smugglers, ex-convicts, money launderers and others with satanic practices. How could they have missed all the stories on the corruption in Mr. Museveni’s own family?
In a sign that all black African are the same to ABC TV, the story leaves out information about the fact that a huge majority of the child sacrifices are happening in Buganda and that the victims are mostly Baganda. Yet, the practice of child sacrifices was unheard of in Buganda until the Uganda army occupied Congo and NRM top brass from Western Uganda started looting gold and adopting child sacrifice and other strange practices from Eastern Congo. The only authoritative Muganda who was interviewed, Sekagya, a Muganda , made it clear that child sacrifice was unknown in his culture. ABC did not ask him what his culture (Baganda) is.
The coverage of the ABC investigation is also surprisingly shallow because it is limited to the small fish. The story claims that the NRM government has created a 1,000 man police unit to fight the sacrifices but does only shows two poor peasants and small time businessmen peasant for examples. Surely, how come the 1,000 strong police unit has no convicts to show? Even a 6 year old Uganda child will tell you that 1,000 people force is only a channel to tap in American aid dollars but not to fight anything. Otherwise how come that the NRM government’s police failed to deal with hig profile cases such as the mass fire sacrifices of girl virgins at Budo Primary School (see http://www.bugandapost.com/main/archives/347) or the famous case of Edwin Muguluma case (http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/13/513533)?
When the Rwanda genocide happened many international news organizations claimed that there were no warning signs. The truth is that these organizations were too ignorant about African people to see the sign. To them all Africans are the same, with no strong cultural differences that can even cause a genocide. That is why ABC News and their 20/20 program say in their story that “Uganda is thriving”. How can a country thrive when its budget is 50% funded by foreign aid? They could not see that Buganda and that is under armed occupation by the Ugandan NRM dictatorship. They even missed the bloody Kayunga civil disturbances and police massacre late last year. They don’t see that the failed state status is a clear sign that genocide could very easily happen in Uganda.
The ABC News story helps to expose the severe failures of Museveni’s NRM government to protect Uganda taxpayers. However ABC wasted a big opportunity to understand the background, root causes and long term effects of child sacrifices in Uganda.
You can find the ABC story by searching on “Child Sacrifice in Uganda” at www.google.com.
