FACTBOX-Quotes from Uganda's Museveni

Tue Jul 22, 2008 7:30am EDT


July 22 (Reuters ) - Uganda's Yoweri Museveni, one of Africa's longest serving leaders, looks likely to win re-election in 2011 with little challenge to his rule.

Here are some notable quotes from the former rebel:



* "The problem of Africa in general and Uganda in particular is not the people but leaders who want to overstay in power," -- Museveni says after seizing power in 1986.

* "Longevity without democracy was what I meant ... if the people are renewing my mandate in a free election, then I wouldn't put it in that category. I was talking about dictatorship," -- he clarifies his position after polls in 2006.

* "We, the freedom fighters of Africa, lost confidence long ago in the international community. If the international community has lost confidence in us, then that is a compliment because they are habitually wrong," -- Museveni rejects criticism ahead of the last presidential election in Feb. 2006.

* "The Western countries do not listen carefully. They are full of themselves, they think they know everything. That's why they make mistakes," -- Museveni criticises donors in Jan. 2007.

* "We are very happy with the food problem. Why? Because we produce enough food but our problem has been marketing. We produce 10 million metric tonnes of bananas but a lot of it rots," -- Museveni sees an upside to the global food crisis.

* "The problems of Africa are not lack of forests but lack of factories, real estate, professional services," -- Museveni defends plans in Dec. 2006 to slash part of a rainforest reserve to make way for a sugar plantation.

* "I don't see how anybody in Europe or outside Africa can demonise the leader of a liberation movement ... These are the founding fathers of Africa, you can't demonise these people," -- he says during a rare state visit to Zimbabwe in Oct. 2004. - for a link to the main story, please click on [nL22074541] (Writing by Daniel Wallis) (For full Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say on the top issues, visit: africa.reuters.com/)

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