CHANGE OF HEART?

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33003, 24 August 1972, Page 13

CHANGE OF HEART?

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter —Copyright) KAMPALA, Aug. 23. Thousands of Ugandan Asians reassessed their future today after President Amin, in a reversal of previous policy, announced that Asians who could prove their Ugandan citizenship would be allowed to remain in the country.

According to an official version of a speech he made on Saturday, General Amin said that those Asians claiming Ugandan nationality would have to leave the country in “a second-phase operation.” The first phase operation is the expulsion, by early November, of about 60,000 British, Indian, Pakistan and Bangladesh Asians. But, even now, not all the 23,000 Asians claiming Ugandan nationality will be allowed to remain: it is thought that as many as 10,000 of these will fail the Government-organised verification test of their citizenship papers. But the feeling among most Ugandan Asians is still one of relief that they have been spared the threat of statelessness. General Amin’s change of heart came after President Nyerere of Tanzania had accused him of racialism in ordering the expulsion of Asians holding Ugandan passports; Ugandan student leaders had also appealed to General Amin to reconsider his decision expelling Ugandan citizens. Last night, the Ugandan leader told the Sudanese Foreign Minister (Mr Mansour Khaled), who is visiting Kampala, and Dr Nyerere that he had “no plan to expel Ugandan nationals.” General Amin told the Tanzanian leader in a telegram that only Asians who had obtained citizenship by corruption or forgery would be given notice to quit. But he accused Dr Nyerere of not sticking to facts, but “following imperialist broadcasts arfd newspapers.” In his strongly-worded message. General Amin rejected Dr Nyerere’s criticism of his policy on the Asians in Uganda, and accused the Tanzanian leader of cowardice in handling what he described as a similar problem in Tanzania. President Amin said that President Nyerere knew “that the people of Tanzania want you to take similar measures to put the economy of Tanzania into their hands.” General Amin told President Nyerere that “If you had any courage you would certainly do so. “Since you do not have the courage to do so you hope that by vulgar abgse

of a friendly State you will stem the demand of the Tanzanian people for their just rights.” General Amin said that President Nyerere had called his Asian policy racialist, but “you know that you are doing the same thing although at a snail’s pace since you are scared of antagonising the strong financial forces which they represent.” General Amin said that Dr Nyerere should not interfere in Uganda’s internal affairs although “I love you very much and if you had been a woman I would have considered marrying you even though your head is full of grey hairs.” But he said: “Your misguided policies are causing great hardship to the people of Tanzania.” General Amin said that hundreds of refugees had fled from Tanzania to Uganda because of “fear of your policy of nationalising people’s houses, including churches and mosques. “You know very well that the economy of Tanzania is controlled not by Tanzanians but by British Asians. Relations between Uganda and Tanzania have been freqently strained since the militardy coup in January of last year that ousted the civilian government of President Milton Obote and brought General Amin to power.

Dr Nyerere gave refuge to his friend. Dr Obote, and sub-

sequently refused to accept General Amin’s nominees to positions in the East African community, which links the two countries with Kenya in trade, communications and transport.

From July to November, 1971, there were continual border clashes along the short Ugandan-Tanzanian frontier, but eventually these died down as relations improved a little. General Amin is today attending military maneouvres on the Rwandese frontier, not many miles from the border with Tanzania.