Uganda's President has told the UN how to handle the Korean situation

Mr. Museveni has suggested Korea crisis could easily be resolved if the two countries were left alone to discuss their re-unification.

In his 12-minute address to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, Mr. Museveni drew a comparison between Korean unity and African unity, proposing a hands-off approach instead toward Korea by outside powers.

"On the dangerous situation on the Korean Peninsula, where very

dangerous instruments of mass extermination are paraded

around by the two contending sides, I have one question. Who

would lose if North Korea and South Korea, those kith and kin,

were left alone to discuss their re-unification? The Korean nation

came into existence ever since 1234 AD.

They were temporarily divided towards the end of the 2nd World

War. Why should this division be allowed to be permanent and a

source of dangerous tensions? A unified Korea would be a very

strong nation. Why do some actors fear strong nations in the

world?

Why should the Koreans themselves (North and South) allow

external forces to continue to divide them? We always strive not

to allow actors, foreign or local, to divide the African peoples,

regardless of the complications involved.

When you hear that Uganda accommodates many African

refugees, it is on account of a conscious ideological position ─ not

to allow any actors to divide us.

We only fight traitors. Who has been hurt by a unified Vietnam

since 1975 although the method of their unification was not the

best one? Who has been hurt by the re-unification of Germany in 1990" ? Mr. Museveni said.

Also read: AFRICAN COUNTRIES RISK GETTING SLAPPED WITH SANCTIONS FOR DEALINGS WITH N.KOREA

The Ugandan leader was also not shy in appreciating the role North Korea has played in his country and delivered a rare thank you message.

“We are, however, grateful that, in the past, the North Koreans helped us to build our tank forces.” He added.

Museveni, however, added despite Uganda’s dalliance in the past with the nuclear-armed country, his country was complying with United Nations sanctions against North Korea.

“We do not have to trade with North Korea,” he said.

A report by United Nations panel of experts dated on September 9th had incriminated Uganda along with several other African countries for its dealing with North Korea after the Asian nation trained the Ugandan military and police forces and had called for more investigations.

The eight-member panel also added that the Ugandan government had not responded to its enquiries regarding trade with North Korea.

Mr. Museveni, however, did not refer to the UN report in his speech.