NazDaz,
Let me be a bit provocative here. Siwezi kuingia kwenye fikra za Julius Nyerere lakini naamini kuwa hakumwona Obote na Waganda waliokimbilia Tanzania kama wakimbizi (refugees) ila freedom fighters. Nyerere detested Amin, that is no secret and if he could, he would have got rid of him. Nyerere dested military coups in all its forms, kwa hiyo asingeweza kutumia diplomatic means to deal with Amin kwa sababu hiyo ingekuwa na maana kwamba amemkubali Amin. Museveni was able to go to Mozambique to get military training and back to Tanzania. Of course maafisa wetu wa usalama walijua. Ilifika wakati Amin alimkamata Kambona Uganda na kutaka wabadilishane na Obote. Nyerere would not have any of that. Ilifika wakati Amin alipanga njama ku "hijack" ndege alimokuwa anasafiri Nyerere kutoka mkutano wa Commonwealth. Vijana wetu got wind of it, wakaenda London, na siku ndege inaondoka (ilikuwa ni ya EAA) wakatangaza kuwa ndege haitatua Entebbe na wasafiri wote wa Uganda washuke. Walipofika Dar-es-salaam, Nyerere akamuuliza kijana mmoja wa usalama "mbona hatukutua Entebbe?" Na kabla hajamjibu akamwambia huyo afisa, "mmefanya kazi nzuri vijana," which means he already new. That was the atmosphere between us and Uganda, kusingeweza kufanyika maridhiano ya kidiplomasia.
Jasusi,
am afraid that u've missed my ground! Ni kweli kabisa kwa maelezo yako kwamba isingewezekana kwa Nyerere kufanya diplomasia na Amin...u're very right!!! Hata hivyo, hayo unayosema wewe kwamba yasingewezekana yalikuwa kwenye state ambayo tayari Tanzania tulikuwa in intense conflict with Amin. Hiyo conflict ni outcome ya yale ambayo wenyewe tuliyafanya na kubwa kuliko yote kufadhili harakati za kijeshi za Obote na watu wake kwa lengo la kurudi kumpindua Amin. Hilo jambo ndilo ninmalosema mimi kwamba halikubaliki....na kama linakubalika basi Amin alikuwa na haki za kutangaza mgogoro na Nyerere kwavile alikuwa anahatarisha mamlaka yake; yawe mabaya au mazuri; hiyo si hoja!! Hata wewe kama ungekuwa ndie Amin usingekaa kimya hata baada ya kuona jirani yako anafadhili harakati za kukuondoa madarakani!! Hata kama kungekuwa na kikosi cha watanzania, say in Kenya halafu Kenyatta akawa anafadhili harakati za kijeshi za kikosi hicho kwa nia ya kutaka kuja kumpindua Nyerere; hapo Nyerere asingekubali na angetangaza tu vita dhidi ya Kenyatta....hiyo ndio Rule of Thumb in Power struggle duniani kote!! Ikiwa watu hawapo tayari kupokwa madaraka kwenye uongozi wa kiroho itakuwa huu wa kidunia?!
Kuhusu hilo la Nyerere kuwachukulia akina Obote kama Freedom Fighters bado halimwondolei Amin haki na wajibu wa kutetea madaraka yake na kumuona adui mtu yeyote anayefadhili hao FREEDOM FIGHTERS! Hata hivyo si kwamba nakubaliana na hoja ya kuwaona Obote ni Freedom Fighters, la hasha! Labda wale ambao waliikimbia Uganda baadae na sio wale ambao mara tu baada ya Obote kupinduliwa wakaanzisha harakati za ,kumwondoa Amin madarakani....hawa walikuwa wana-fight for the lost power.