“STOP FOMENTING OPPORTUNISTIC WARS, COUPS”- PRESIDENT
MUSEVENI ADVISES
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has advised countries, organizations
and people that are in a culture of fomenting, sponsoring and promoting
un-justified, opportunistic wars, terrorism and criminality both on the
African continent and in the entire world to stop it because they are
wasting their time as history has proved that humanity has overcome all
forms of injustices that have come their way over years.
Addressing the first session of the 2nd Russian-Africa summit this
morning in the Russian city of Saint Petersburg, President Museveni
said that fighting an unjust war is a waste of time and even if the
perpetrator comes out victorious, the gains of such a war are likely to be
very temporary.
Mr. Museveni therefore advised that people in the modern times should
explore dialogue to solve the existing issues in society instead of always
looking at violence as the only way to solve human disagreements.
“You cannot win an unjustifiable war and history has proved that.
Humanity will overcome it ultimately. Historically the religious wars in
Europe and the fight between the feudalists and the emergence of
capitalism in Europe are a historic testimony because they were justified
and of a right cause; humanity came out victorious beyond all odds,” the
President told the delegates.
He castigated forces in Africa and foreign ones that are in a culture of
overthrowing legitimate and democratically elected governments in
Africa, the recent one having taken place in Niger, an act he said was
shameful in the modern era.
President Museveni further used the occasion to call upon Russia and
other developed allies of Africa to help the continent do away with
exportation of raw materials by supporting the continent’s
industrialization agenda.
He referred to exportation of raw material as “modern slavery and the
remaining major bottleneck of neo-colonialism”.
The President further explained that whereas the global coffee business
annually is 460 billion US dollars, the world coffee producing countries share is only 25 billion US dollars while the entire continent of Africa with
many coffee producing countries get a mere 2.5 billion US dollars due to
the exportation of un processed coffee.
He said that African allies can even ban the importation of raw materials
from Africa to their countries to encourage industrialists to invest on the
continent which he said would boost people’s income, enhance the
population's purchasing power and provide a market for the
industrialists.
In his remarks, the Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia
has at all times been an ally of Africa from her independence struggle
and is on record to have never attempted to plunder any part of Africa
but rather have contributed to the development of the continent.
He added that Russia has at all-time been monitoring with interest the
plight of Africa in areas of security, economic exploitation and
humanitarian issues and said that the country has always and will
continue working with Africa in these areas in line with the United
Nations charter.
President Putin added that Russia and Africa are united in the fight
against terrorism, climate change and the imposition of unilateral
sanctions by self-seeking nations.
“Some countries have become the founders and interpreters of
international laws and just use them for their own benefit and this is
unacceptable,” President Putin said.
He added that it was time for African countries to fight for their
sovereignty and Russia was to back the continent in their quest to have
permanent representation on the major United Nations bodies.
“Sovereignty is not something you achieve but it’s something you have
fought for, and Africa must continue fighting for its sovereignty.”
He commended the African leaders for their input in trying to find a
solution to the conflict in Ukraine and said that Russia attaches a lot of
importance to the efforts of the African leaders.