Moses Akena and Andrew Pacutho
9 July 2009
Gulu — Leading opposition politicians in the Acholi sub-region have said efforts by the government to link them to rebel activities will not deter them from 'fighting for justice and freedom'.
The politicians, some of them members of the Acholi Parliamentary Group (APG), also said recent claims by the army describing Gulu chairman Norbert Mao as an accomplice to an alleged new rebel group in the north has strengthened their collective fight for freedom.
Aswa County legislator Regan Okumu, David Ocheng Penytoo of Gulu Municipality and Chairman Mao all voiced the same message over the weekend during a radio talk show in Gulu town. "We will continue to fight for the freedom of our people and defend them from oppression. If a leader is accused, it means the subjects are also facing the same accusation," Mr Okumu said.
He accused the government of illegally detaining suspects beyond the stipulated 48-hour period. Mr Okumu maintains that the suspected rebels of People's Patriotic Front (PPF) were arrested to blackmail the opposition. He said Mr Mao's issue should not be branded as an Acholi issue. "The whole thing is a hoax and the government should not use the media to intimidate Mr Mao," he said.
The army recently accused Mr Mao of helping rebels when they found some information on his memory stick, allegedly linking him to Uganda Patriotic Front (PPF). He later demanded that the army apologises for "stealing my computer memory stick". When contacted, army spokesperson Felix Kulayigye said the army was not talking about any particular MP.
"So the claim that it is a ploy to intimidate them is outdated and has been dispelled," Maj. Kulayigye said.
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