PRESIDENT MUSEVENI: (In progress) the relationship between the United States and Uganda on the one hand, as well as regional issues. Our views have been harmonious. I did not see any discrepancies in our positions. However, since I am a common sight here in Uganda and the journalists always like something new, I think I should invite General Powell so he can give you his own observations and then you can ask some question. General Powell.
SECRETARY POWELL: Thank you, Mr. President. As the President said, we did have a good discussion of a full range of bilateral and regional issues. I complimented him on the recent election and, looking forward also, I noted the parliamentary elections next month that we trust will be free and fair. I presented the compliments of President Bush on his election as well.
We have good relations with Uganda. One reason why I came here was not only to take note of those good relations, but also to take a look at the HIV/AIDS program that Uganda has which has succeeded in dropping the rate of infection from 30 percent to 10 percent in a relatively short period of time. A lot of the credit for that must go to the leadership of the President, who set the example for this nation and shows what can be done with respect to fighting this disease. In the course of my afternoon we will be announcing a new program that the United States will be participating in with the people of Uganda -- another $50 million in funding over a 5-year period -- and you will hear more about that later this afternoon.
We talked about the situation in the Congo. We talked about the importance of compliance with the Lusaka accords and withdrawal of forces from the Congo, and we also had a good discussion about the Sudan, the difficult nature of that conflict and what needs to be done to resolve it, reconciliation. I told him we would be playing a more active role, first noting the appointment of Mr. Natsios � who is with us -- as humanitarian coordinator in the Sudan and in the not-too-distant future with the appointment of a special envoy to show that the United States will take a more active role in the region.
I would like to thank the President for receiving me and for his hospitality and we�ll take your questions.
QUESTION: President Museveni, could you tell us when, under what circumstances, you are prepared to withdraw your troops from the Congo? And, secondly, your reaction to the U.S. decision to become more actively involved in solving Sudan�s 19-year civil war?
PRESIDENT MUSEVENI: We are already -- we will start withdrawing in the next three weeks from the whole of northwestern Congo. We shall keep one battalion at Buta, which is at north central, and one battalion at Bwina and a number of battalions behind the Rwenzori Mountains. The Rwenzori Mountains are partly in Uganda and partly in Congo, very high mountains -- 5,00 meters above the sea. Snow, on the equator, I don�t think you have ever heard of that. Snow right on the equator. That is where we shall keep more forces, but this is on the common border.
On the United States position on the Sudan, I welcome the decision to get more involved. This is because the other initiatives have got stuck; it�s not moving. It is becoming perennial. Once an initiative is perennial, perennial, many years -- you know, I speak your language in my accent so you have to sharpen your ears to get what I am saying in your language because this is your language.
So I am very glad that the US is coming in with this initiative of aid because people are dying in southern Sudan. People have been dying for the last 40 years. Since 1956, there has been a civil war in the Sudan except for only 10 years. So it is good that people come in, first of all, on the humanitarian aid side, and then secondly on the political side, which the Secretary of State talked about.
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, there have been two very strong reports issued just recently, one by the International Rescue Committee, about the death toll in Congo -- something like 2.5 million people may have died. And then the United Nations issued its report just a month ago about pillage and looting on a massive scale in Sudan. To what extent do the governments of Uganda and Rwanda bear responsibility for these terrible events?
SECRETARY POWELL: Well, it has been a terrible conflict, and I think that the loss of two million lives is regrettable. Rather than point blame at particular countries right now, I think it is important that we work hard to bring peace to that region, have all armies withdraw -- I am pleased to hear what the President just said with respect to his armies -- and to get on with the process of reconciliation. The United States has been working closely with the heads of the regions -- as you know, I met with President Kabila and President Kagame -- and hopefully we can get this behind us. With respect to the United Nations, the other report on pillaging, I know that there were some elements of that report that were troublesome to Uganda. I am pleased that the President has appointed a judiciary committee to look into the allegations contained in that report in respect to Ugandan activities.
QUESTION: Mr. Powell, you�ve talked about the importance of democracy for the future of Africa. President Museveni runs a system of government which restricts party political activity. Have you urged him to return to a multi-party system?
SECRETARY POWELL: We had an active discussion on democracy. I made the point that however one characterizes one�s democracy, you must always be moving in the direction of a pluralistic form of democracy where people are free to organize themselves in ways that allow them to present their opposing points of view. I think the President understands that, and I think he is moving in that direction. I look forward later this afternoon to meeting with opposition group members here in Uganda. When I told the president that, he said, "Wonderful, I�m glad you�re doing that. You should speak to those that have different points of view than I do."
I think each country has to find its right pace and adopt democracy in accordance with its own culture. I think that Uganda is moving in the right direction, and I hope that as it moves into the future, it will find more and more opportunities to allow free and open political discourse and debate, in order to become a maturing democracy, and a mature democracy in due course. But I must say, I am impressed by what the President has been able to do since he took over the leadership of this country in 1986. Great progress has been made and when you consider where the country was in 1986, the actions he has taken have certainly benefited the people of Uganda, and I think he has a clear idea of where he wants to take his country in the future.
QUESTION: Thank you very much. Secretary Powell, the United States was supporting the African Crisis Response Initiative. Uganda was initially a beneficiary but was dropped after getting involved in Congo. Now that they are withdrawing, is there a possibility of reconsidering that position?
SECRETARY POWELL: Well, I can�t answer that question right now. We are training some additional battalions at Nigeria right now as part off an offshoot of that program call Operation Focus Relief. As we move into the next year or two, we will examine what else we should be doing with the respect to the Africa Crisis Response Initiative. But I don�t have any announcements of decisions to make with respect to individual countries at this time.
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary what is your view about the new body of the African Union?
SECRETARY POWELL: I�m sorry?
QUESTION: I just wanted to know your opinion -- the body that just replaced the OAU, that African Union that just went into force yesterday.
SECRETARY POWELL: I not sure I understood?
PRESIDENT MUSEVENI: (Inaudible) this was an attempt to form a common market. This is an initiative by Qadhafi and �
SECRETARY POWELL: Ah! (Laughter)
I regret I do not pay enough attention to what Mr. Qadhafi may be doing from day to day, so I don�t have a comment, I�m sorry.
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, you are talking about the peace initiative, the reconciliation in the region and looking into ways of bringing peace in the region, especially in the Sudan and Congo. I don�t know whether in your meeting you also discussed anything to do with small arms proliferation in the region?
SECRETARY POWELL: Small arms proliferation in the region is a problem. Another problem with respect to conflict resolution is landmines, and the United States really looks at these two elements together, doing everything we can to fund the removal of landmines that hurt people long after conflict is over.
We do have funds that we have been using to support the limitation of small arms that are the residue of any conflict. Once a conflict is over and the process of resolving a conflict -- everything should be done to disarm the combatants and remove small arms from the field and destroy them so they don�t become a new source of instability and leave alive the opportunity to start up the conflict again.
QUESTION: Secretary Powell, in your Sudan policy review, have you made a decision on whether or not the US will re-staff its embassy in Khartoum?
SECRETARY POWELL: Not yet. Certainly that is something we will keep continually under review, but it would premature to do that at this point. We are going to move into this new strategy carefully, prudently, and we are going to be watching the response from the government from Khartoum as we move forward, but we have no immediate plans to reopen the embassy.
QUESTION: What kind of moral high ground is it for the US to beef up the NDL positions by $3 million at the time when regional leaders are actually gearing up peaceful moves at the present time?
SECRETARY POWELL: Are you talking about Sudan?
QUESTION: Sudan.
SECRETARY POWELL: The $3 million that we are going to be spending in Sudan is for the purpose of capacity building in opposition groups so they will be able to represent themselves, be able to serve as a opposition to the government. We think it is a useful expenditure of money. It will not in any way extend the conflict or destabilize anything. Quiet the contrary. It allows these organizations to develop the capacity to represent themselves before the government and to represent themselves in open debate. So I think it is a very wise investment of money.
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, in your discussions with His Excellency President Museveni, did you also discuss the issue of opening up of the American market to Ugandan goods and also the issue of terrorism?
SECRETARY POWELL: Yes, we touched on the African Growth and Opportunity Act. I am anxious to see Uganda certified. I think we got the documentation within the last few days and we act expeditiously on it, and look forward to seeing Uganda represented at the AGOA forum that will be held in Washington later this fall. Terrorism is a real oppressing problem throughout the world. I know it�s very much in the President�s mind as it is in my mind, but it was not something on the agenda for today. We do not have a particular issue to discuss with respect to terrorism.
QUESTION: There has been a lot of talk and writing things about Uganda looting Congo. Many countries, donor countries, have been suggesting that they will withdraw their assistance to Uganda (inaudible) having had a discussion with President Museveni about this issue?
SECRETARY POWELL: As you know, we are a major contributor of aid to Uganda. Our aid program will continue, but the issue of looting, the issue of taking resources is a real one, and I think it has to be looked at seriously. It can�t just be brushed aside. I am pleased the President sees it that way and has appointed a judiciary committee to look at those issues.
QUESTION: Mr. Powell, there appears to be a fresh outbreak of violence in the Sudan, the north apparently launching some attacks on the south. Will you call upon the north to take action to stop this right now?
SECRETARY POWELL: I take every opportunity to encourage the north to stop this kind of activity. Bombing gets you nowhere. Bombing, especially of humanitarian activities, especially of people who are trying to help people who are starving to death. NGO organizations, hospitals in the region -- this kind of attack against those kinds of activities is disgraceful, it is reprehensible, and it is uncivilized. The government in Khartoum should not be doing it. It makes it hard to work with such a government, and the government that does such things should not be have any confusion in its mind as to why it is ostracized in the international community.
QUESTION: Mr. Powell, Mali and other African countries have to be worried over Libya. Don�t you think a constructive engagement with Libya would be more productive at this time given problems of the continent?
SECRETARY POWELL: Libya has a very mixed record over the years. It was one of the leading proponents of terrorism for many years. American citizens died directly as a result of Libyan terrorism. It is going to be difficult for the United States to engage with Libya until we get a full resolution of the issue of the Pan Am bombing. As you know, a trial was held and one person was found guilty, and the links are clear back to the Libyan government. In order for this matter to be resolved, we believe the Libyan government owes compensation to the families of the victims, and the Libyan government has to accept responsibility for its actions. Until the Libyan government does that it will be difficult for the United States to participate in constructive engagement with Col. Qaddafi and his regime.
Thank you very much.