The King of Rwenzururu Kingdom, His Royal Highness Charles Wesley Mumbere, has thanked Rtd Gen Salim Saleh, the Patron of the Uganda Peace Support Team and the Chief Coordinator of Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), for his contribution to peace in the Rwenzori region.
He was speaking to SoftPower News on Tuesday upon learning of the news that the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Jane Francis Abodo, had withdrawn all charges against him and 217 of his subjects.
King Mumbere appreciated Gen Saleh’s contribution to the dropping of charges against him and others.
“I will never forget my friend Salim Saleh. I am very happy that these charges have been dropped. I thank him for this and for building peace in the Rwenzori region,” the King said.
He added: “My people are also very happy. I also thank the Rwenzori Peace Team for their contribution.”
On her part, Her Royal Highness Queen Ithungu said she was very happy at the good news.
“I have not felt this happy for years. We are going to celebrate. God bless Gen Salim Saleh, we will remember him for many years to come,” the Queen said before hugging His Royal Highness King Mumbere to congratulate him on dropping the charges.
Background:
In 2017, a team codenamed the Rwenzori Peace Team was selected by King Mumbere to foresee negotiations aimed at restoring peace in the fragile Rwenzori sub-region.
The 10-person team consisted of government representatives, security, Rwenzururu kingdom officials and others.
On the committee, the kingdom was represented by Her Royal Highness of Rwenzururu kingdom, Queen Agnes Ithungu Asimawe, then Rwenzururu Prime Minister Edwin Kugonza and Enoch Muhindo, then Speaker of the Cultural Parliament.
Other delegates from the Obusinga bwa Rwenzururu included; Alfred Makasi, the then Kingdom Attorney General and Best Juliet Bakoko, the then Minister of Education.
The side of the central government was led by Prof. Tarsis Kabwegyere, Gen Wilson M. Mbadi, the current Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Col James Nkojo of Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) who is also the Military Assistant of Gen Saleh.
Businessman Chris Kaijuka and communications guru Sarah Kagingo, who is a member of the Secretariat of the Uganda Peace Support Team, were part of the Rwenzori Peace Team.
The joint committee of Government and Obusinga bwa Rwenzururu was chaired by Dr Ambrose Agona, the then Executive Director of the National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO).
The committee which conducted a two-year-long peace-building presented its findings and recommendations to Government in November 2018 and proposed a number of measures to build enduring peace in the Rwenzori sub-region.
