President Yoweri Museveni has reiterated that peace that has been restored in northern Uganda is irreversible. He said the army today has the capacity to decisively deal with any trouble maker.
The President was meeting the new United Nations Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Co-coordinator Sir. John Holmes.
The meeting took place at State House, Nakasero. Sir John Holmes, who succeeded Mr. Jan Egeland in January 2007, arrived in Uganda today from Somalia. He was accompanied by the UN Resident Co-coordinator Mr. Theophane Nikyema, the Head of Office for Humanitarian Assistance in Uganda Mr. Tim Pitt and Mr. Chris Hystop from the Humanitarian Affairs Office in New York, USA.
President Museveni also assured the envoy that government was effectively handling the security situation in Karamoja where the disarmament exercise is progressing well. He said that other development programmes such as buildings roads, schools and valley dams, among others, would be embarked on following the return of peace in the region.
The new UN Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Mr. Holmes highly commended President Museveni for the Ugandan peace keeping force in Mogadishu. He reported that the Ugandan peace keeping force is very popular and compassionate. He told the President that the Ugandan forces in Somalia that provided him security need to be strengthened.
Mr. Holmes further said that he is in Uganda to assess the situation in the Internally Displaced People's Camps (IDPCs) in order to make sure that his organization renders properly the much needed humanitarian relief assistance.
Foreign Minister Mr. Sam Kutesa, State Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees Mr. Musa Ecweru, that of Northern Uganda Mr. David Wakikona and Permanent Secretary Office of Prime Minister Mr. Martin Odwedo, attended the meeting.