It is not so often that I lock horns with my good friend Andrew Mwenda, who needs no introduction. That was not until the last issue of his magazine (The Independent). I did not know that I was actually and literary in his Last Words, until a friend called to ask whether I had any problems with Mwenda.
So I bought the magazine. And Indeed I was there for a bashing.

On August 25, Prof. Mahmood Mamdani and I were discussing the good professor’s new book, Saviours and Survivor, at Makerere University. I had been invited by Prof. Joe Oloka Onyango to be a respondent to Mamdani’s lecture. What was under review was a book that demonised the campaign that has brought into public domain the war that has claimed many in Darfur, the western region of Sudan.

Mwenda attended just part of the lecture. Anyone who attended certainly saw the savvy and smart Mwenda leaving the hall. And he left just as I was beginning to make my remarks. Maybe he thought, as he wrote in his column, that I was too naïve and simplistic to waste his time listening to. In the article, Mwenda argues that we should give war in Darfur a chance; really? ‘Naivety’; ‘too simplistic’; I will accept the accolades. For I know what war is; it’s certainly not a party.

Just so that Mwenda can learn, since I am offering it free: first, I do not work for the International Coalition to Save Darfur; I am co-chair, Darfur Consortium. Secondly, Mamdani and I were not discussing the politics of the war, neither the ethos of humanitarian intervention in Darfur. We were discussing whether the victims of Darfur indeed deserved to get justice after it was proven beyond reasonable doubt that war crimes and crimes against humanity had been committed and verified by both the United Nations Commission and then by the pre-trial chamber of the International Criminal Court. That is not for debate. Those are facts.

The central thesis for the debate though was whether President Omar El-Bashir of Sudan, who has an arrest warrant on his head, should be tried by The Hague-based ICC or indeed his crimes were a criminalisation of African leaders, who feared that the ICC was selectively targeting them.

I know the difference between International Humanitarian Law and International Criminal Law, for these are subjects I have debated and taught for long. I have my strong views about the economics of war, and the impact of humanitarian assistance and foreign aid for this was my thesis at Master’s level. Had Mwenda remained and listened, he would have known that there are areas I agreed with my professor Mamdani; particularly that international justice fundamentalism is not helping matters either in Darfur or indeed on the continent.

I am surprised that a man of Mwenda’s public stand could argue that ordinary civilians whom everyone thinks his crusade is all about, should be left to their own devices in the hope that when armies fight, the civilians being the collateral, they too will definitely be  winners.

And would this be the same advice my friend Mwenda would give the people of northern Uganda, whose hope of ending the atrocities committed against them by the attempted annihilation of the Lord’s Resistance Army in Garamba ended in the fiasco that Mwenda so well published?

Or indeed Mwenda should have asked President Paul Kagame who he eloquently supports, what were his first words about the atrocities in Darfur. Kagame is on record saying: “our forces will not stand by and watch innocent civilians being hacked to death”. I thought Mwenda had strong beliefs in what Kagame stands for!

And he goes further to say that war would lead to short-term suffering, but lead to a stable situation. Really? At what human cost my friend?! Mwenda, I covered the Rwanda genocide and know what it means to die. I know what it is to despair. If you prefer militarisation of civilians for purposes of their liberation, then indeed, I like the full circle turn around from your perceived public stand.

If indeed you prefer what happened in Luwero, that the absence of international presence helped the peasants as they were being mowed down by both the belligerent armies in that infamous war, then I have no more tears.

If speaking out about atrocities committed against our people and the quest for accountability from those who wrong us is a vice of the Nkundas of this world, then I plead guilty.
I am sure if you had stayed put and listened into the last minute of my naïve lecture, you would have had a better last or indeed first word.

The author is a human rights expert and specialist on refugee issues
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Luwero
written by Rev Amos Kasibante , September 21, 2009

About Luwero - I made a comment on the Independent website that actually the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)then with offices at Nakasero worked in the camps.

But they would not be drawn about the conditions in the camps explaining that they worked there under the condition that they would not be seen or thought to take sides. I did speak to them.

Nice lecture
written by smith , September 21, 2009

Nkunda ur brilliant and u analyse each situation the way it comes. shame to Mwendas of this world

Well Presented
written by Rogers-T , September 21, 2009

Absolutely Fantastic!! Well articulated as well as Educative. Well done-. Am sure he'll apologise.

Mwenda is a fraud
written by omwouganda , September 21, 2009

Mwenda is a dishonest charlatan selling Uganda fraudulently. And his arrogance is just empty boast to hide limitations and chicanery.

Mamdani is not only wrong on Darfur, but also prejudiced against Darfurians.

Nkunda U are right
written by Fagil lukwata , September 22, 2009

I have failed to understand Mr Mwenda since our days in Lumumba-incidentaly you were also in the same Hall in the early 90s. Mr Mwenda has this arrogance,stubborness and riding rough shode over every one.

Yes he is an intellectual and I love reading his writings but am not sure wether intellectuals meander to a degree were they become incoherent and seem to have no definite position or stand;may be he is too theoretical.

His only experience with war is post-war interviews with people who have caused us a lot of suffering and maim for their own selfish ends cloaked in the hood of 'revolutions'
Remember Obote was his idol,followed by M7 now Kagame!

LUKWATA LONDON UK

MWENDA WAS SIMPLY WRONG
written by Magwara Mate , September 22, 2009

Nkunda, I am glad you have finally responded to the piece I so well read in Mwenda's Independent and i spent some days disturbed at how some of our respected journalists can afford to pursue arguments that reflect intellectual redundance.

Mwenda lives in Uganda but I don't know how often he has endeavoured to visit Pabo, Amuru or any other IDPC in Northern Uganda to know what war means. Thank God and the Gov't of Uganda, the LRA is no more in N.Uganda and the camps are fast closing, or rather most of them closed while others have remained trading centres.

I should challenge Mwenda as a pragmatic jounalist to visit Darfur so that his arguments are not only academic but out of real life experience. He will make a more sound judgement next time he writes.

Mr
written by Isaac , September 22, 2009

Nkunda, you are too good to engage in this with this guy Mwenda. If you never knew, this guy is fraud just take time and read his columns, he is all over the place. For a person of his calibre he would do better, but for me I think, he wants to show, he knows it all and when you didn’t share his views for guys like you in the industry, he would attack. Don’t get stressed, just do what you believe in

Lets all nurture and practice tolorence!!
written by mabirizi Godfrey - Shanghai china , September 23, 2009

Hi Nkunda, if what you state is true,its then a set back for the preachers of free speech and tolorance. I hope Mr mwenda will also give his side.Though at times I disagree with some of his articles,I really read them and follow up his comments. They are good and intellectually articullated.

However, if he "hit a collegue below the belly" ie bashing him and calling him naive, its not good.I also suggest to fellow readers that lets not bash,radicule,ostracise Mwenda;instead we should emulate Nkunda whose article neither radicules nor attacks but only states his side for the public to know.For God and my country
MABO
Shanghai - China

Mwenda antics!
written by Angelo Baryaija , September 23, 2009

Hey Nkunda, i salute you.

The i-know-it-alls of this world will always play the bash game, little do they realise that they are pricking their feet.

You have always done your duty, atleast on the page without rubbing your characters the wrong way. Let little Andrew whin, the world is judging.

Your rock brother and harp on. We love your jazz!

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