[Ugnet] Short to the rescue!

The Rwandan government has written a strong letter to Uganda and Britain protesting accusations that Kigali trained the People's Redemption Army (PRA) rebel suspects arrested in Uganda's West Nile region last week.

In the protest letter seen by The Monitor, Rwanda says Uganda's accusations are aimed at "thwarting the process" of improving relations between the two countries.

"The spirit of public criticism at this stage when relations between our countries were becoming cordial, insinuates how your government is determined to thwart the process," reads the two-page letter signed by the head of the Rwandan Joint verification and Investigation Committee (JVIC) Lt. Col. Hassan Lumumba.

The letter is copied to the British High Commission in Kigali and the Commission's Defence Advisor in Kampala Lt. Col. Chris Wilton and Uganda's head of the JVIC, Lt. John Kasaija.

"I wish to reiterate that Rwanda can never and will never allow such activity to take place on her territory. This is your government propaganda to asperse Rwanda's image," the letter said.

Rwanda said it had relocated Captain James Katabazi, one of the eight PRA suspects arrested in West Nile, to a third country.

"Rwanda left no stone unturned to have Ugandan dissidents, including Cols Samson Mande and Anthony Kyakabale, Capt. Katabazi and others relocated to third countries," it added.

Katabazi, who was captured in Koboko district with eight others a week ago, told journalists and the Chief of Military Intelligence Lt. Col. James Mugira that he had been trained in Kabuga, Kigali. Rwanda has strongly denied the allegation.

"I remonstrate against the allegation and seek an explanation. I urge you to audaciously dissuade your government from public criticism and instead use peace measures and initiatives in place to resolve such differences," Lt. Col. Lumumba wrote.

Uganda's Defence and Army spokesman, Maj. Shaban Bantariza, said Kigali had misunderstood the issue.

"What the Rwandans read in the media was not said by a UPDF official, but the captives themselves," Bantariza said. "The media in Uganda will report about anything. We can never do anything to thwart the process [of improving relations] as they have said," he added.

Britain's former Secretary for International Development, Ms Clare Short, has been mediating talks between Rwanda and Uganda following simmering tension between the two countries.

The Uganda-Rwanda relations started deteriorating when the two countries' armies fought each other in 1998 in DR Congo's eastern town of Kisangani where they had gone as allies to support rebels fighting the slain President Laurent Kabila's government at that time.

Last week Rwanda and Uganda expelled each other's diplomats accredited to either country for alleged espionage.

[Ugnet] Short to the rescue!

Reply via email to