Neutralizing ethnicity in Uganda

bibliographic database
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Book chapter

Title:	Neutralizing ethnicity in Uganda
Authors:	Muhereza, Frank Emmanuel Otim, Peter Omurangi
Book title:	Ethnicity and the State in Eastern Africa
Year:	1998
Pages:	190-203
Language:	English
Geographic term:	Uganda
Subjects:	ethnicity National Resistance Movement
Abstract:	The authors examine the relationship between ethnicity and the State in Uganda after the advent in 1986 of the NRM (National Resistance Movement) regime under Yoweri Museveni. Since then, Uganda has been conducting an experiment of its own, designed to exorcise the spell of ethnicity. The Ugandan experiment aims to insulate the political process against ethnic contamination. Various means have been employed to this end, including the establishment of popular democracy at the grassroots level, the banning of political parties from participating in elections, and a conscious campaign to educate the public through political education courses. Nevertheless, ethnic sentiments are still very much alive in Uganda today, which is demonstrated by a number of examples: political appointments, the northern insurgency, the question of citizenship. However, the divisive influence of ethnicity has been mitigated by the efforts of the NRM to forge a national unity. Bibliogr.