By KGR Reporter,
President Yoweri Museveni has warned foreign states and multinationals that the continued exploitation of Africa’s resources with no visible returns is a recipe for political instability.
Speaking at the just-ended Uganda-South Africa Trade and Investment Summit in Kampala, Mr. Museveni blamed the colonialists and neo-colonialists for the persistent coups and wars in West and Central African states.
It comes as the region has registered seven government takeovers in less than three years, with the most recent this year being in Burkina Faso, Niger and Gabon.
Speaking about the need for African states to protect their resources against foreign interests, Museveni said France, which has been taking uranium from Niger should have used some of it to build power plants in the country.
The same, he said, happens with other commodities like coffee and other minerals which the colonizers of the affected countries did not mind the welfare of the people and continued “stealing” the resources, due to the failure of the states to build strong armies. Mr. Museveni speaking……
He reiterated his stand against the exportation of raw materials, mainly unprocessed minerals giving the example of uranium in Uganda which he says will never happen for as long as he is around. Turning to multinationals in Uganda, Museveni said many had been making profits in Uganda without caring to uplift the welfare of the Ugandans, the customers. END