Powerful nations should respect our sovereignty and territorial integrity- Uganda's Foreign Affairs Minister

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Okello Oryem has advised powerful nations to leave smaller countries to exercise their democracy according to the values of the people.

Oryem, the son of former President Gen Tito Okello Lutwa while speaking at the Democracy symposium in Kampala on Friday said Museveni’s National Resistance Movement (NRM) has presided over democratic and responsive governance.

“Democracy is a common value of all mankind and an important aspect that the NRM Government upholds alongside Patriotism, Panafricanism, regional integration, and socio-economic transformation,” he said.

“The NRM under the visionary leadership of H.E the President Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has presided over democratic and responsive governance as enshrined in our constitution. Our Constitution has the fundamental and inalienable human rights under Chapter 4 of our Constitution. We have one of the most progressive democratic constitutions in the world that provides for universal adult suffrage, the right to vote and be voted for, affirmative action for women, youth, the elderly, and people with disabilities to be represented at all levels of governance particularly in our National Parliament,” he added.

Oryem used the same opportunity to urge that African people be allowed to determine the democratic system that works best for the best on the unique and peculiar history and conditions obtained in each country. The one-size-fits-all model of democracy cannot deliver the aspirations of the people and it’s important that democratic assessment be made based on the unique and peculiar conditions and circumstances obtained in each country.

“There is a need to respect the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of each nation. The big and powerful nations should not prescribe, impose and superimpose their systems and values that may not be tailored to local circumstances. There is a need for democratic adaptations based on what serves well the people,” he said.

“We have a responsibility to the Ugandans to deliver the socio-economic transformation and meet the human dignity and economic aspirations of our people. We remain committed to the promotion of Patriotism, peace, security, regional stability, integration,” he added.

Oryem’s comments follow those of President Museveni who during a meeting with ambassadors of the permanent representative countries on the UN Security Council earlier in the week.

Museveni said that superpowers should not simply interfere in the affairs of sovereign states.

According to Museveni, if interference must happen indeed, then it should take a trinity pattern where priority is given to that particular nation to solve their issues internally.

Museveni further argued that if at all nations have failed to handle their matters internally, the most available and logical interference should be from regional blocks or neighboring countries, and once matters escalate, that is when international parties should seek to join.