Uganda in the Crossfire

Whatever the intentions of an action, everyone responds in their own way.

Recently President Barack Obama announced that 100 troops would be sent to assist the Ugandan government in its fight against the Lord's Resistance Army, a rebel group that has committed heinous crimes of murder, rape and the kidnapping of children for over two decades.



Juxtapose this against a March 21, 2010 Economist article entitled "Uganda's Oil: A bonanza beckons. And the weakness that consumes America -Oil and Money - dramatically reveals itself.

Iraq
Libya
Now Uganda
Elevated
integral members of the oil family.

To the some it may represent a humanitarian effort, the benefactors being third world citizens. My questions with regard to Uganda: For how long has the LRA been around? When did the State Department discover the heinous crimes? Why are they acting now?

The March 2010 Economist article reports that Uganda stands to make 2.5 billion dollars a year in oil revenue, beginning in 2015.

Humanitarian missions are good, but how much damage needs to be done, before action is taken? Is there a barometer that is used to gauge the opportune time?

Would it be a fair question to ask:  if President Barack Obama was in the White House at the time, would the genocide in Rwanda have happened?

Wiki Njema,

Mama Shujaa.

Comments

  1. JanelleOctober 25, 2011 at 12:50 PM

    a poignant post indeed...and now the war in somalia...things are really tense everywhere but particularly in northern kenya...sigh. sending love and salaams.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hana Njau-OkoloOctober 25, 2011 at 2:04 PM

    Thanks Janelle..very tense and i am worried.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousNovember 14, 2011 at 1:43 PM

    I've thought about this post a lot. Oil and money are at the root of so many of the U.S. problems. Thank you for this.

    Judy

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hana Njau-OkoloNovember 14, 2011 at 10:42 PM

    Thanks Judy for sharing your thoughts.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Swallow Me

Image
Swallow me whole without sedation. Sample the truth my heart's vibration. Limb by limb take me in. In every crevice you will find Hints Teetering, dancing around life's rim. Swallow lest the precipice invites me in. Swallow me whole Smack your lips Seal them with my single wish Brimful, the Marrow Of My Love. Mama Shujaa. **First published on July 8, 2009** Copyright © Mama Shujaa 2009. All Rights Reserved
Read more

See the World, No Visa Required

Image
Early last month a friend sent me an email with the subject FW: Student Cultural Exchange. "Exciting opportunity," the two words leaped at me as I slugged three short paragraphs to grasp the important details. Age range: 13-16, male or female. Commitment: 1 week, July 6th to 13th. I made note that only eight privileged friends were recipients of the message. Until I read the last sentence, "Feel free to share with others!" My friend is charming, but she is also practical. Interestingly, our thirteen-year-old conceded reluctantly to the novel idea of hosting a Chinese student for one week. My guess is that his regular summer routine - daily swim team practices, and swim meets every Thursday evening - causes little anxiety. In addition, sticking to his assigned school projects and reading lists, is easy and comfortable. Moreover, when we sat to discuss the opportunity that evening, he must have thought hard about the adjustments required, about coming out of a c...
Read more

Kilimanjaro

Image
By HANA NJAU-OKOLO Kilimanjaro You are I am Melting. Those patterns etched into your face Are tears carved under my eyes Draining through the mask. A glacial screen The landscape of my life Frozen into the familiar. Snow-cap Washing away As men in their folly Plunder the spoils of the earth. Face-to-face you say Do not weep for me Weep for yourself And for your children. For the Sahara And its spreading. For your soul Marooned on an Island of dreams Unfulfilled. Copyright © Hana Njau-Okolo 2008-2012. All Rights Reserved. First posted on December 10, 2008.
Read more