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It's time Africa shed blood for Cuba -Bukenya

It's time Africa shed blood for Cuba -Bukenya
By Larry Moonze in Havana, Cuba
Monday September 10, 2007 [04:00]

IT'S time for Africa to shed blood for Cuba, Ugandan Vice-President Gilbert Bukenya has said During a courtesy call on Cuban foreign affairs minister Felipe Perez Roque on Saturday, Vice-President Bukenya said it did not make sense in today's globalised world to impose economic and financial sanctions on any country

"As we are going into a global village humanity must understand that we shall not live another life apart," Vice-President Bukenya said. "We must live together in a brotherly state. This is why when I go to Europe from here I am going to urge them to push for lifting of this blockade on Cuba. It is not necessary."

Vice-President Bukenya said Cuban people had been to Africa to help fight for the continent's liberation. He said Cubans went to Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo), Angola, Namibia and even Uganda in support of those countries' independence. He said Cubans had shed blood all for the cause of Africa's freedom.

"Now we should also shed blood for Cuba," Vice-President Bukenya said. He said he undertook the trip to Havana to get to know Cuba in person since Uganda had been supporting resolutions at the United Nations to compel the United States to lift its embargo on the island.

Vice-President Bukenya said Cuba had been a centre of peace and a banner of a people determined in fighting for their own destiny. "Uganda just like Cuba likes to fight for its own destiny," Vice-President Bukenya said.

"No one country on earth can come to fight for my own destiny. This is why for Uganda we shall always support Cuba for its right to fight for its destiny." Vice-President Bukenya, who also met minister of international economic cooperation Marta Lomas Morales, said Africa owed Cuba a lot.

He said part of the development Uganda enjoyed now was as a result of collaboration with Cuba.
Vice-President Bukenya said Uganda was eager to enhance bilateral relations with Cuba.

He said Cuba had continued to train Ugandans in health including the creation of a medical university in Kampala. "At one time when Uganda wanted to start a new medical school because numbers of health staff were very few in our country, there was too much opposition," he said.

Vice-President Bukenya said the solidarity response from Cuba at that time gave rise to a heated opposition but Uganda did not yield. "We had a pressing need, we chose our destiny and the university is functioning well," he said.

Vice-President Bukenya said he hoped to replicate Cuba's neighbourhood clinics in Uganda to enhance public health. "The Cuban health system is the best in the world. This is not flattery but a fact, especially for a country economically blockaded by the United States," said Vice-President Bukenya.

And Perez Roque said Vice-President Bukenya's acceptance to visit Cuba at the invitation of the island outlined the existence of excellent relations between the two countries. He said their meeting was an opportunity for him to brief Vice-President Bukenya on the consensus of last week's Non-Aligned Movement ministerial meeting on human rights and cultural diversity that was held in Tehran, Iran.

Both Cuba and Uganda are members of the 118-nation Non-Aligned Movement currently under the presidency of Cuba. Perez Roque said the duo would review bilateral relations and establish more areas of co-operation. He thanked Uganda for its continued support to end the embargo on Cuba.

"Cuba will also continue to support efforts of Africa to meet her challenges of development, peace and social justice," said Perez Roque. WM

Labels: CUBA

posted by MrK @ 3:38 AM