KAMPALA: In a reciprocal move to assuage the Rwandan Government, Uganda reportedly released 58 Rwandans.
Their release comes on the heels of Kigali’s announcement early this morning that the border with Uganda, which it closed almost three years ago, will be reopened on Monday, January 31st 2022.
A source in Kigali who talked to MediaScape News on condition of anonymity, confirmed this developing story:
“Uganda has started releasing Rwandans. Last night, 58 were sent back home to Rwanda,” the source told this news website.
Without specifying the details, this news website has not established the details of the Rwandans who have gone back home.
The Ugandan Army Spokesperson Lt. Col Ronald Kakurungu was non committal when this news website contacted him.
“I have not heard about this information at all,” he responded.
However, a top intelligence source in Uganda who also preferred anonymity confirmed this developing story and added that the matters between the two countries are being handled at the highest level.
“This is why it is difficult to know what is going on until you see information being released to the press,” the source added.
Release of Rwandans allegedly detained in Ugandan was one of the key demands Rwanda made to Uganda as a condition for reopening the border and restoring relations that have ebbed since 2017.
Reopening of Katuna/Gatuna Border
In a communication by the Rwandan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and seen by this news website, the Rwandan government says it has taken this step following the visit by Lt. General Muhoozi Kainerugaba to Rwanda on January 22.
“Following the visit to Rwanda of Lt Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Senior Presidential Advisor on Special Duties and Commander of Land Forces of the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) on 22nd January 2022, the Government of Rwanda, has taken note that there is a process to solve issues raised by Rwanda, as well as commitments made by the Government of Uganda to address remaining obstacles,” the communique from the ministry and posted on its official twitter handle reads.
It adds that: “In this regard and in line with the communique of the 4th Quadripartite Summit held at Gatuna/Katuna on 21st February 2020, the Government of Rwanda wishes to inform the public that the Gatuna border post between Rwanda and Uganda will be re-opened from 31st January 2022.”
In the same announcement that has brought excitement to the people of the two sister countries, the ministry guided that: “As it is the case for other land border posts in the country, health authorities of Rwanda and Uganda will work together to put in place necessary measures to facilitate movement in the context of COVID-19.”
“The Government of Rwanda remains committed to ongoing efforts to resolve pending issues between Rwanda and Uganda and believes that today’s announcement will contribute positively to the speedy normalization of relations between the two countries,” the communique ended.
Background:
In 2019, Rwandan President Paul Kagame ordered the closure of the border for the movement of people and cargo over simmering disputes between the two countries that had been kept out of the public eye for some time.
In December 2019 Adonia Ayebare, Uganda’s ambassador and permanent representative at the UN, was sent to Kigali as President Yoweri Museveni’s special envoy with a special message for the Rwandan leader.
However, reported Daily Monitor, a Ugandan website, that sources within the foreign affairs ministry of Uganda said that very little progress was made to end the protracted dispute between the two countries.
When Rwandan authorities first announced the closure, it was said that it was for renovations at the border. Cargo was then diverted to Mirama Hills and Kyanika border posts in Ntungamo and Kisoro districts, but those too were later closed.
Kigali shortly after, issued a travel advisory to its nationals warning them against travelling to Uganda, which it accused of, among other things, abducting its citizens and detaining them in ungazetted areas.
Since the border was closed, there has been at least four tripartite meetings involving Angolan President Joao Lourenço, and DR Congo President Félix Tshisekedi, and a series of lower level meetings between government officials of the two nations, but they have not yielded much.
Gen Muhoozi’s visit
Early this year, Ambassador Ayebare returned to Kagame with another special message from President Yoweri Museveni. Analysts said the visit could have marked a resumption of talks and thaw in the thorny relations between the countries.
Rwanda has been accusing Uganda of harboring wrong elements with intentions to destabilize its security while Uganda has accused the southern neighbor of infiltrating its security and causing instability.
In one of the demands that dominated the conditions Rwanda set for the re-opening of the border was the removal of Ugandan Military Intelligence chief and Ayabere’s brother Gen Abel Kandiho who Rwanda accuses of orchestrating harassment of its citizens on its soil.
However, Ugandans believe he is the man who has worked so tirelessly to rid the country of Rwandese agents and destroying their cells in the country.
But fresh of the heels of Ayebare’s visit came the unexpected visit by Gen Muhoozi who is also President Museveni’s son to Kagame last week.
Fresh from the meeting Gen Muhoozi revealed that enemies are the ones fighting the historical unity between Uganda and Rwanda.
“I have been alive long enough to know that Uganda and Rwanda are one country! In exile in the 1980s, me and my family were also called ‘Rwandans’. Only enemies would fight our unity. Let us resolve these small problems quickly and move forward together as always,” Gen Muhoozi said in a third tweet following his one day visit!
He did not name who these enemies are.
However, two days ago, President Museveni announced changes in the armed forces during which he dropped Gen Kandiho and replaced him with another military officer, Gen James Birungi. Gen Kandiho was assigned to South Sudan.
The dropping of Gen Kandiho led many to believe that the Rwanda would possibly reciprocate with the reopening of the border that has caused huge business opportunity losses between the two countries.
Gen Muhoozi in Rwanda
Gen Muhoozi was received by the Commandant of Rwanda’s Republican Guard, Brig Gen Willy Rwagasana, the Spokesperson of the Rwanda Defence Forces and Kainerugaba’s schoolmate, Brig Gen Ronnie Rwivanga and Ugandan Embassy officials.
After a brief chat in the VIP lounge and at the Ugandan Embassy, Gen Muhoozi was chauffeured to Kacyiru to meet with Gen Kagame.
The visit comes at a time when Ugandan ground and air forces launched blazing attacks on the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) camps in Eastern DRC late November, where uniforms and identity cards suspected to belong to the Rwandan army were recovered, a move that left Kigali thinking deeply about its own operations in the vast country.
It also comes at a time when the frosty relations between the two countries have not eased and the common border between them is still closed.
Further, it comes immediately after one week of a move that sent shock waves in the Great Lakes Region, in which Gen Muhoozi warned in a tweet that those fighting Rwandan President Paul Kagame, to be careful.
In a gesture that shows a conciliatory tone starting to build between Rwanda and Uganda, President Paul Kagame immediately ordered the release of a Ugandan soldier who was arrested for straying into Rwandan territory last year.
The release followed a request by Muhoozi.
“I further thank President @PaulKagame for honouring my request to release our SFC soldier, Private Ronald Arinda, who strayed into Rwandan territory on personal business without permission. I returned with him tonight to Uganda. Longlive the friendship of the two countries,” Gen Muhozi tweeted.
Uganda accused Rwandan Security forces of abducting the soldier when he went missing at the border with Rwanda late last year.
Uganda’s military and the country’s top diplomat in Kigali separately confirmed the abduction, which officials said was being handled at the highest levels of government.It remained unclear whether the arrest by Rwanda security forces of Pte Ronald Arinda, 23, is related to the strained relation between the