Trading for Peace (Draft Documentary Transcript)

Draft Transcript for the Documentary Film produced by INTERNATIONAL ALERT about the ‘Trading for Peace’ plus COMESA STR (Simplified Trade Regime) Meetings in Kasese 20th to 23rd October 2008 and Bwera Trade Fair on 24th October 2008 all organized by COMESA, DFID and USAID in partnership with the Government of Uganda. The theme was “Capacity Building and Cross Border Trade Facilitation”.

ALISON THOMPSON, ROBINAH KAJWENGE and FRIDAH MUSIIME worked on the documentation. The Journalist was EDWARD AIKOBUA and TOM ISINGOMA was the Cameraman.

DAY ONE (Monday 20th October 2008): TAPE 1 & 2
(Timber Trade and Livelihoods in Great Lakes Region)

We interviewed two Congolese Timber Traders plus Ms. FELICITE KALUME NDOOLE, Ministère Provinciale DRC – North Kivu; Ministère de l’Environement Nord – Kivu. Also interviewed was WINNIE KIZZA, MP Kasese (Uganda)… Details and correct spellings of all the names of interviewees can be double checked with the list of participants since we asked them to introduce themselves.

DAY TWO (Tuesday 21st October 2008): TAPE 3 & 4
(COMESA Strategy for Sustainable Timber Trade in the Great Lakes Region)

1. NICK BATES, Political Analyst (DFID – UK)
An Excellent Take; he spoke extensively about this timely initiative to have a forum that brings together different nationals in the COMESA Region and allow them to discuss their disagreements. He elaborated on the themes from the past meetings and also the future. I actually squeezed out of him what was in store for 2009 and he said ‘Energy’ since Congo has many rivers from which hydro-electric power can be tapped. The cameraman commented that this was a big interview for him since the subject in the frame revealed so much and spoke resourcefully. This clip alone contained a lot of important data and has a symbolic view of the Rwenzori Mountains in the background…

2. DAVIES M. BAMULESEYO, Principal Commercial Officer/ Trade at the Ministry of Tourism, Trade and Industry (Uganda)
A Good Take; it was actually very good in terms of content. We got the main man who is Uganda’s National Focal Point in implementing the COMESA STR. Davies spoke about the importance of having such meetings to facilitate trade across borders. As a civil servant, he did not want to be so political, so I avoided asking him the question of government interference in trading. Instead, I asked him what he thought about having information points at the many border posts like Busia-Malaba, Katuna, Vurra (Arua) in addition to the Mpondwe/ Kasindi Border Post. Information most especially about trade across borders as a resource can help build peace.
Trivia: Mr. Bamuleseyo chaired the COMESA STR meetings the following days Wednesday and Thursday alongside Helen Kenani, the COMESA Senior Trade Expert who turned down my request to interview her simply because her secretariat was among the facilitators of the forum…

DAY THREE (Wednesday 22nd October 2008): TAPE 5
(Opening of the COMESA Simplified Trade Regime [STR] workshop)

1. STANLEY PANDASI, General Chairperson of Traders and Representative at Mpondwe Border Post (Customs Market)
A Good Take; he spoke in English mixed with his local language Rukhonzo explaining the problems he is facing and what the people he represents go through. He gave suggestions of what government needs to do. He was a good authority to interview on issues concerning Mpondwe Cross-Border trading…

2. BISWEDE KALIHODI, Market Tenderer (Bwera, Kasese) and Member of the Women Choir Singers’ Group (Uganda)
Excellent Take; she talked in Swahili about taxes being paid in different places for the same good for example when trading fish, you may find yourself paying several people instead of just one officer. Arrests are actually made and this disjointed taxation kills their would-be profits. Her disposition was quite volatile which makes for a good screen presence. She brings out her grievances well and was very smart (on the fashion side). We ‘held for traffic’ (that is stopped recording) twice to allow a loud Bread Van pass at Hotel Margerita…

3. AGNES PASKA, Market Tenderer (Fish Trader) and Chairperson of the Women Choir Singers’ Group (Uganda)
Not a Bad Take; she felt more comfortable speaking her mother tongue Rukhonzi and
revealed that she sells fish at Kasitamu Market (at the border). We asked her to talk about
what she thought of Cross Border Trade and the challenges that constrain her…

4. JEAN - MARCEL MUYA TUMBA, DRC Gouv, Directeur de Promotion Commerciale ; Ministère de Economie Nationale et Commerce Extérieur ; Secrétariat General au Commerce Extérieur ; et Point Focal Principal pour le RECOS/ RDC
A Good Take with the Rwenzori Mountains in the background. Since he is the focal point for DR Congo in implementation of the STR, we allowed him to speak about Cross Border Trade, Conflicts and other setbacks without interruption. He talked about the Trading for Peace Forum; Differences between Congo and Uganda; Problems and appropriate ideas


DAY FOUR (Thursday 23rd October 2008): TAPE 5
(Review of the COMESA STR with the handbook “Making Cross Border Trade Simplified”)

1. KISITU ASADU KIGOZI, Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) Customs Officer Mpondwe (Western Uganda)
Early morning capture…Very Important Take because the previous day, participants asked for the presence of at least one Customs Official to contribute to their forum and let his employers know the achievements of the ‘Trading for Peace’ and COMESA STR Forum…

DAY FIVE (Friday 24th October 2008): TAPE 6
(Trade Fair at Bwera Primary Teachers College)

Besides the interviews on the final day of filming, also captured on Tape 6 were the Bwera College students singing the Uganda National Anthem and another song to make the guests “feel at home”. The Trade Fair was like a cross border trade market with various items on display including bitenge, padlocks, juice, whisky, clothes, cosmetics, fruits, sugar, packaged products, stoves, agricultural foodstuffs, sandals, charcoal, glycerine, cooking oil, air time cards (most notably from Warid Telecom that had a conspicuous umbrella), shampoo and much more. Rather peculiar were logs of timber on display. The chief guest Chairman LC (Local Council) 5 Canon Julius Kithaghenda led the inspection of stalls. His speech came after the Principal of Bwera Teachers College; the LC 3; M. Damien Kamashi - President de la F.E.C/ Beni and another delegate were asked to say a word. Below are the people interviewed…

1. SOSTENE BWAMBALE, Bitenge Trader (Uganda)
Fair Take though shot while the Guest of Honour was giving his speech in the background. Sostene talked about revenue officials not giving them fixed prices and advised government to stabilize pricing…

2. ANGELUS MUHINDO, Bwera Solar and General Electricals, Power Equipment Supplier (Uganda)
A Good Take; one of his challenges was that people do not buy solar equipment because of prices. He advised government to reduce on (importation) taxes so that prices also fall. His eloquence in English smoothened our interchange. Basing on the fact that the Principal of Bwera Teachers College revealed (during his speech) that the school had an inadequate solar system installed as far back as 1995, Muhindo’s presence at the fair should have been of great interest to the administrators plus students besides other consumers…

3. (Hajjati) MASIKA TAUSI MWANAIDI, Bitenge Trader (Congo)
A Good Take; though the music was still loud. She spoke Swahili and complained about revenue authorities who put them in trouble. She begged that they also hear what the traders have to say…

4. MARGRET KINENE, Foodstuffs Trader (Uganda)
A Fairly Good Take; the entertainment deejay could not play his music at low decibels but we managed to find out that Kinene sells foodstuffs like bananas, cassava, pineapples, irish and sweet potatoes (a local favourite). Margret spoke her local tongue Rukhonzo and told us a very important point that as a handicapped Ugandan (lame person), she is not charged anything while trading in Congo. She was dressed in a yellow NRM (National Resistance Movement) T-shirt with the 2006 election campaign face of the ruling Ugandan President His Excellency Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. This was a great political statement because M7’s regime has really worked hard to empower women including rural agriculturalists. Unfortunately, we did not capture another piece of information about how she has educated her daughter up to Senior Four (That is the age when Ugandan girls are ready for marriage) but does not have money to sponsor her further. She added that the father died when the girl finished Primary Seven, about four classes behind. This human interest information can be used in a voice over or caption talking about Margret…

5. MASEREKA YONA HAYI, Timber Importer (Uganda)
His problems include among others Untrustworthy Congolese: Some Congolese run with their money; Secondly, when you load timber, Congolese officials beg for money with no reciept yet Congolese traders have no problem in Uganda; In the third place, even a Ugandan with a VISA faces problems - he gets phone calls looking for him or is chased; Finally, sometimes when you check timber bought, you find that it is the worst…

6. MOSES BALUKU, Timber Importer (Uganda)
Very Brief Take; Baluku had a similar grievance as Yona’s last, mentioned to me off camera how Congolese sell them rejects of timber...