About Frank Expertise My knowledge is mainly of the capital city, Kampala, and surrounding area. I will be glad to share about transportation, society, government, living conditions, education, media, etc.
Experience Experience in the area: I spent a month in Uganda, consulting at a major university and visiting government, media, and civic entities. My consultancies have taken me to many third world countries, equipping me for comparative observations about Uganda and other emerging societies. Many articles on economic development, media and society, emerging societies -- published in various countries, several languages. Credentials: Retired professor of international mass media.
Expert: Frank Date: 11/24/2001 Subject: uganda and it's neighboring countries
Question Could you please tell me a little bit about Uganda's relationship's with it's neighboring countries. Just a breif statement about each countries interaction and history with Uganda
Answer November 25, 2001
Dear Nik,
As the website indicates, I'm not really an "expert" on Uganda, but after having spent a month there and finding no source on this site that could help me, I signed on to provide what assistance I could.
My stay in Uganda was only in Kampala, Entebbe, and Jinja, all in south Uganda, all on or near the north shore of Lake Victoria. I was on a program for the American Embassy, and so I leaned heavily on their advice. However, I roomed with an American scholar who had spent six years in the country as a research professor, so through the Embassy and my roommate, I got a fairly good picture of the situation. However, with regard to neighboring countries of Africa, my expertise is all the more limited.
Basically, what I can tell you with regard to your question is this. Because Africa was a "colonized continent," the various European powers that claimed lands did so on the basis of their own convenience, not with any consideration for tribal identifications, loyalties, or definitions. Thus the colonies in some cases included rival tribes that did not get along with each other; in other cases split individual tribes into one or more of the colonies.
Further, the colonizers exploited the native peoples, giving them little or no opportunity for education, improved living conditions, infrastructure, or understanding of economy and government.
When colonies were relinquished, in post-World-War-II, the newly independent "countries" were ill prepared for nationhood. Tribal wars broke out within and between countries. And instability has been the rule for past decades.
Now this is a very general overview of the entire continent. As for Uganda's relations with neighbors, it falls largely into this pattern. However, Uganda and its bordering countries that were all former British colonies have some degree of commonality that gives them an affinity for each other.
For example, neighbors Kenya and Tanzania are formerly British colonies, and English is a common language of the three countries, along with many tribal languages. The three also are largely Christianized, giving them another tie. As a result, these two neighbors have a rather friendly and compatible relationship with Uganda. For example, one of the leading English language newspapers of East Africa is the "East African," which has news bureaus, advertising, and circulation in all three countries.
Uganda's borders on the north with Sudan and on the west with Congo are not at all friendly. The border areas are ruled by local self-appointed "lords" who rule with total lawlessness. There is little governmental structure or law enforcement. Kidnappings and murder, also enslavement of children, are common. National borders in those areas are not uniformly respected. Those who prey on the helpless drift back and forth, in and out of Congo and Sudan, giving governments on both sides of the border the excuse that "it's not our problem." Embassy warnings are "stay far away." I did. And government relations, while not on a totally hostile footing, are not exactly friendly either.
Well -- this doesn't fully answer your inquiry, but it's the best I can do. Hope it helps. And if you have any further specific question, throw it at me and I'll see what I can do with it. Maybe I'll have an answer, maybe not. After all, this expert is not much of an expert on this subject, but among AllExperts there seems to be no other.
