What Reconciliation?

Attaboy! What reconciliation? How can you reconcile with troublemakers? They must first apologize. That is to say, they must first lick my boots.

Are you having a vertigo yet? That was vintage Museveni in his raw elements as he supposedly refused to shake hands with one of his perennial nemeses, Mr. Otunnu. The story goes that the dubious Mao purportedly urged Otunnu to reconcile with Museveni. Otunnu is reported to have frantically tried to catch Museveni’s attention to no avail at the innauguration of an Anglican Church (also dubbed the Church of Uganda as if there is any state religion in Uganda) prince as bishop of Northern Uganda. Mr Museveni, to his credit, did not stoop to such groveling and, predictably, thumbed his nose at the ambassador.

It befuddles my mind when our supposed luminaries don’t think straight. What is there in the history of Museveni that is not crystal clear using simple inductive reasoning? Yet Mao has for years tried all kinds of somersaulting feats to coddle the man. If his effforts were not tragic to others at times ( as in Candide Lakony), one would leave Mao to his night dances with the devil. You don’t criticize Museveni and turn around and ask for reconciliation. The business of “we are all Christians” just muddles the water. The man takes things personally. Besides, even if he has whacked Acoli girls and boys militarily, he knows that some will never acknowledge or accept his oft-desired claims to superiority. This constantly gnaws at his every fibre—his essence. It must be hard for the poor man when he ventures into Acoliland. Even if he surrounds himself with 100,000 bodyguards, he will always feel insecure in these territories. It is a case of King Midas fearing his own shadows.

Here are my two cents: Forget the reconciliation mumbo jumbo. If desirable, that may only be possible after the man is gone. The fuzzy logic of fantasizing that may be—just may be—there is hope for sharing the high table with the man is for those living in la-la land.

In The Wise Heart, James Autry is quoted as saying: " If you think managing conflict and diversity are problematic, then you haven't thought through the problem of managing sameness. I'd would rather be faced with trying to achieve harmony and goodwill among people who are at one another's throats than try to squeeze
an ounce of innovation or creativity, or risk out of a group photocopies of each other."

In Museveni's Uganda photocopies are at a premium, and that is not the milieu that bodes well for enduring reconciliations. Disintegration is one solution. Continued dysfunctional confusion is another. Or we can just get along. Kumbaaya! Ugandans have to make hard-nosed choices. Doing nothing is also a choice.

-------Bonus Movie. The Moonstone is in the British tradition of "who-dunit." Very clever.