Are LRA Delegation Leaders LRM Ideologues or Professionals Rendering Professional Services?
The feud between James Obita and David Matsanga, LRM/A former and current and former and current again! peace delegation leaders, is upon us again! I am not going to ask any questions that I already know the answers. Any questions that I have had on the Juba process and peace for northern Uganda, I have done through posting here:
www.northernugandapost.blogspot.com/.
I am sure many who have kept abreast of the Juba debacles have seen some of them. The last two recent ones (1) When a creidtor calls; and (2) Acholi leaders must define the part of the peace they seek, are very relevant to what we are talking about today. Those who did not see may want to read them.
Now to the issue I set out to raise: Does James Obita, still have access to a copy of or notes to his speech / address he gave at the KM97 conference? Those who are interested in acquainting themselves with that speech may want to check it out at:
www.km-net.org.uk/
In my humble view, James Obita may need to re-visit that text and re-acquaint himself with the style, issues, concerns, and scepticisms he raised then. I know situations have changed both in Uganda and within the LRM/A; but i do believe that the fundamental issues have largely remained the same. And that James Obita, is still the same passionate, thoughtful and careful and suave politician, ambassador and diplomat that I saw then. And i truly hope he is still the likeable Achholi man with a body-rattling laughter that makes you ask what he is doing with the LRM/A; given the bad press and horrors told of the movement and its millernarian like leadership. Could the LRM/A be more than what we are fed to believe, or there is something deeper that must be sought and it would take the careful and patient mind and intellect to reach-and the reason a likeable, intelligent and suave politician like James Obita would be found among them? Or is James Obita merely performing a professional service for a fee?
We cannot anwer here whether the LRM/A is more than it looks or we have been given. That will have to wait for another posting. Soon. For the second question, the answer will have to come from James Obita himself; he has in his public speeches and press interviews and releases come across as both an LRM/A ideologue and believer in the causes of the movement; and at itmes as a professional performing professional duties without anything more than a professional passion to do a good job well for a client. Moreover, at times, he comes across as an Acholi volunteer, doing a moral and right thing, to bring peace to his native land and people. But these several hats worn intermitently, do confuse and at least for now, the different and contrasting and even conflicting personae have harmed more than helped James Obita's credibility and clarify his own ambiguous motivations for his role in this process.
If I were to give James Obita any piece of advice: when I played football as a young boy in Kitgum Primary, I was a half right back. In those days-I think it is different now-keeping positions were fundamental to the game; a left or right half-back-is it midfield these days?-remained within their respective one quarter of the field and never crossed left or right or went beyong the midfield lines: they were marked out of position and free kicks awarded to the opposing team. But these days, I see Claud Makelele inside the goal boxes of the opposing teams. (John Latigo, a former Ugandan International may be able to enlighen us and answer whether things have indeed changed or if Lapwony Opai and Odoch were up to something else)?
What am I driving at? I think;
(1) James Obita or any other LRM/A spokesperson needs to stick to the role of a negotiator for the LRM/A-play right or left halfback and stick to that position;
(2) the new LRA peace team release wallows in the same mud that Matsanga had already muddled-name calling, dismissal of other voices and sounding as if they are the principal party, rather than Joseph Kony, who the world needs to listen to. It is ok if they are conveying Joseph Kony's or the LRM/A message, but it is not when they are speaking as people who otherwise are Kony's retainers;
(3) They should make the case for Joseph Kony, not for the Uganda Government, the International Community and Acholi civil society; I believe these constituencies have eloquent and competent spokespeople and representatives already;
(4) distinguish themselves from one who is a member of the LRM/A, believes in their political and ideological causes and speaks for the LRA; and one who is merely a professional hired to perform clinical, professional duties for a fee and has no emotional, personal, political and other interests other than professional passion to render a competent and satisfactory service for a client and to honestly earn their pay.
I am afraid it has been very difficult to understand who is James Obita or David Matsanga: a professional who happens to be an Acholi/ Mugisu/Ugandan hired to give the LRM/A a professifonal service for a fee; or an LRM/A ideologue who happens to be an Acholi/ Mugisu/ Ugandan and speaks for the group and its causes on those terms?
Your guess is as mine. Had Matsanga and Obita played half-backs in my primary school team, we should have lost many times over because they abandoned their positions so often-not for any tactical and strategic reasons but carelessness and often getting out of depths. Their feuds is nothing other than classic own goals in injury time.
okello lucima
www.northernugandapost.blogspot.com/.
I am sure many who have kept abreast of the Juba debacles have seen some of them. The last two recent ones (1) When a creidtor calls; and (2) Acholi leaders must define the part of the peace they seek, are very relevant to what we are talking about today. Those who did not see may want to read them.
Now to the issue I set out to raise: Does James Obita, still have access to a copy of or notes to his speech / address he gave at the KM97 conference? Those who are interested in acquainting themselves with that speech may want to check it out at:
www.km-net.org.uk/
In my humble view, James Obita may need to re-visit that text and re-acquaint himself with the style, issues, concerns, and scepticisms he raised then. I know situations have changed both in Uganda and within the LRM/A; but i do believe that the fundamental issues have largely remained the same. And that James Obita, is still the same passionate, thoughtful and careful and suave politician, ambassador and diplomat that I saw then. And i truly hope he is still the likeable Achholi man with a body-rattling laughter that makes you ask what he is doing with the LRM/A; given the bad press and horrors told of the movement and its millernarian like leadership. Could the LRM/A be more than what we are fed to believe, or there is something deeper that must be sought and it would take the careful and patient mind and intellect to reach-and the reason a likeable, intelligent and suave politician like James Obita would be found among them? Or is James Obita merely performing a professional service for a fee?
We cannot anwer here whether the LRM/A is more than it looks or we have been given. That will have to wait for another posting. Soon. For the second question, the answer will have to come from James Obita himself; he has in his public speeches and press interviews and releases come across as both an LRM/A ideologue and believer in the causes of the movement; and at itmes as a professional performing professional duties without anything more than a professional passion to do a good job well for a client. Moreover, at times, he comes across as an Acholi volunteer, doing a moral and right thing, to bring peace to his native land and people. But these several hats worn intermitently, do confuse and at least for now, the different and contrasting and even conflicting personae have harmed more than helped James Obita's credibility and clarify his own ambiguous motivations for his role in this process.
If I were to give James Obita any piece of advice: when I played football as a young boy in Kitgum Primary, I was a half right back. In those days-I think it is different now-keeping positions were fundamental to the game; a left or right half-back-is it midfield these days?-remained within their respective one quarter of the field and never crossed left or right or went beyong the midfield lines: they were marked out of position and free kicks awarded to the opposing team. But these days, I see Claud Makelele inside the goal boxes of the opposing teams. (John Latigo, a former Ugandan International may be able to enlighen us and answer whether things have indeed changed or if Lapwony Opai and Odoch were up to something else)?
What am I driving at? I think;
(1) James Obita or any other LRM/A spokesperson needs to stick to the role of a negotiator for the LRM/A-play right or left halfback and stick to that position;
(2) the new LRA peace team release wallows in the same mud that Matsanga had already muddled-name calling, dismissal of other voices and sounding as if they are the principal party, rather than Joseph Kony, who the world needs to listen to. It is ok if they are conveying Joseph Kony's or the LRM/A message, but it is not when they are speaking as people who otherwise are Kony's retainers;
(3) They should make the case for Joseph Kony, not for the Uganda Government, the International Community and Acholi civil society; I believe these constituencies have eloquent and competent spokespeople and representatives already;
(4) distinguish themselves from one who is a member of the LRM/A, believes in their political and ideological causes and speaks for the LRA; and one who is merely a professional hired to perform clinical, professional duties for a fee and has no emotional, personal, political and other interests other than professional passion to render a competent and satisfactory service for a client and to honestly earn their pay.
I am afraid it has been very difficult to understand who is James Obita or David Matsanga: a professional who happens to be an Acholi/ Mugisu/Ugandan hired to give the LRM/A a professifonal service for a fee; or an LRM/A ideologue who happens to be an Acholi/ Mugisu/ Ugandan and speaks for the group and its causes on those terms?
Your guess is as mine. Had Matsanga and Obita played half-backs in my primary school team, we should have lost many times over because they abandoned their positions so often-not for any tactical and strategic reasons but carelessness and often getting out of depths. Their feuds is nothing other than classic own goals in injury time.
okello lucima
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