The causes of Rwanda Uganda tension are known

The Daily Monitor on August 05, 2021 published a story titled, “Rwanda’s security problems, real and Imagined,” authored by one Karoli Ssemogerere, a lawyer by profession. He gives an impression of someone familiar with Rwandan affairs but a complete stranger on the subject of Rwanda-Uganda relations based on his flimsy arguments. Karoli tries to tackle a subject outside his jurisdiction and ends up exposing his poor public relations aimed at exonerating Uganda as the sole cause of the bad relationship between the two neighbouring countries.

For example, in the article, Karoli claims that,  “It is strange that Kigali for one has been associated with a number of failed leadership bids to undermine Museveni;  Kizza Besigye, Kale Kaihura and others..” an Attorney-at-Law and an Advocate was not able to provide any evidence to substantiate his claims. Ugandans know very clearly that Kale Kayihura was used and damped by Museveni in his usual political theatrics of side-lining competent people and replace them with the “fishermen.”

In the past meetings aimed at restoring good relations between Rwanda and Uganda, the Rwandan side has provided tangible evidence of Uganda’s involvement in acts aimed at destabilizing the security of Rwanda. I am glad that Karoli mentioned that Ugandans are famous for “lugambo”, radio Katwe, and indeed with no evidence of his claim, he becomes the very example of ‘‘lugambo” tellers.

Contrary to Karoli Ssemogerere’s blame game on Rwanda with no evidence, here are a few of the evidence that Rwanda has on several occasions cited on  Uganda’s intent to destabilise Rwanda. In March 2019, the Ugandan president  Kaguta Museveni wrote to  President Paul Kagame saying that, ‘by accident’, he met RNC head of Diplomacy, Charlotte Mukankusi and Rwanda’s former Ambassador to the United Nations, Eugène Gasana.

Museveni admitted after a long time of denial. Imagine the diversionary claim of ‘accidental meeting’ as if the president was walking to a market place, and not in state house!  “I am writing to let you know that by accident, I, at last, had a meeting with a Rwandan who admitted to being a member of the group you told me about – Rwanda National Congress (RNC),” reads part of Museveni letter to Kagame.

“This is a lady known as Mukankusi, whom, I am sure you know, but I had never met before. One of my NRM contacts kept telling me that there was a Rwandan lady who had some important information to give me and that she wanted to come with someone called Gasana, who also had important information,” Museveni wrote. It seems Karoli never saw this letter but the New Vision which published the letter can avail a copy to him from the archives.

On February 21, 2020 the presidents of Uganda and Rwanda meet at the border town of Gatuna in the presence of Presidents João Lourenço of Angola and Felix Tshisekedi of the DR Congo, as the mediators the quadripartite Angola agreement. Ugandan authorities informed that Ugandan Passport number A000199979 that was issued by the Ugandan authorities to Charlotte Mukankusi, Commissioner in charge of Diplomacy in the Rwanda National Congress (RNC) had been withdrawn. However, it was later established that Uganda never stopped dealing with and supporting RNC activities aimed at destabilizing Rwanda. 

In December 2017, RNC recruits travelling on forged Ugandan temporary travel documents that were given to them by Uganda’s Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) were intercepted at the Tanzania border on their way to the training camp in Minembwe, South Kivu, DRC. The recruits were travelling in a Ugandan bus registration number UAQ374B and lied that they were going to Burundi for a religious crusade.

“This incident in Kikagati today should raise serious questions,” a security source in Kampala was quoted lamenting. “It is shameful that this recruitment is happening in broad day light and instead of questioning the culprits behind it, they are instead rewarded with promotion.” 

The bus loaded with RNC recruits

When the group initially reached Kikagati border post, Uganda’s immigration department blocked them suspecting the authenticity of their travel documents. Immigration officials were also suspicious why such a big number of young Rwandan men would be travelling with Ugandan documents in one single group.

Captured RUDI-Urunana fighters who exposed Uganda’s involvement

Seleman Kabayija – the deputy commander of the RUD-Urunana perpetrators of the terror attack in Kinigi of October 2019,   exposed Philemon Mateke’s involvement in acts to cause instability in Rwanda. Mateke, was then Uganda’s state minister for regional cooperation.

Kabayija was one of only four of the attackers that in the morning of Friday 4 October 2019 managed to escape after they came under the retaliatory fire of Rwandan security forces. “Our attack was done with the planning and assistance of Minister Philemon Mateke”, said Kabayija.

To Karoli Ssemogerere, this is just a tip of the iceberg on the tangible evidence that Uganda is in bed with anti-Rwanda terror groups and the stumbling block in the normalization of relations between the two countries.

There are also testimonies of hundreds of innocent Rwandans who were tortured in CMI safe houses branding them “spies.” Security analysts wonder how every Rwandan whether student, businessman, casual labourers can be called a spy. “This shows the incompetence of the intelligence services in Uganda, which raises suspicion that there is something sinister about Rwanda that is going on,” one security analyst in the Great Lakes Region told this website.

Among all the hundreds accused of “spying” on Uganda none has ever been aligned in court with tangible evidence. They are simply released and dumped on the border. It is rather fascinating to see that an Attorney-at-Law and an Advocate bases his arguments just on lugambo and radio Katwe. Next time you want to do PR to defend Uganda, present facts.