[Ugnet] Uganda's Envoy Smuggles Weapons

The Ugandan Ambassador to Rwanda, Adonia Ayebare, tried to smuggle illegal and uncleared weapons during the just-concluded COMESA Summit in Kigali.

According to Brigadier Jack Nziza, Ambassador Ayebare's official car and other cars in the entourage, which carried an unspecified amount of weapons, opted to return to Uganda because they refused to have their passports stamped and the vehicles checked.

He said that the Ugandan delegation arrived at the border at 6:00 am and was received by the Minister of Local Government Protais Musoni, with a full presidential convoy (Rwanda escorts) of two Mercedes Benzes and two jeeps.

Nziza said that to avoid delays at the border the Rwanda Immigration officials cleared five vehicles including the Presidential car, which proceeded with the Rwandan convoy to Kigali. However, he said that the Ugandan presidential convoy comprised of eighteen vehicles, a factor that violated the communication that was sent to all delegations, regarding the security arrangements for the Summit. In the communication, it was stipulated that all participating governments were allowed eight pistols.

"The agreed upon number of vehicles (five) in the convoy were cleared but later security discovered that the other vehicles had illegal weapons; we asked to check them and allow them to proceed but they refused and instead went back," Nziza said.

Meanwhile, an official in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the Rwandan government had received communication from the Ugandan presidential entourage, indicating that the President, First Lady and a daughter, would arrive in Kigali on June 1, by air.

He however, said the Ugandan Ambassador later informed the Rwandan authorities that the Ugandan President and his delegation would arrive by road through Katuna border post.

He castigated the Ugandan delegation's indifference, saying that all the nineteen Heads of State and Government, with the exception of Museveni, had respected the laid down security measures communicated to them earlier.

He added that it was unacceptable that the Ugandan government had violated the immigration rules and regulations that require checking of vehicles for contraband, adding that the scuffle at the border was exclusively caused by the Ugandan delegation.

He added that Museveni's 'advance party' were also aware of the security arrangements made by Kigali for the COMESA Summit.

Efforts to contact Uganda's Ambassador to Rwanda Adonia Ayebare were fruitless as his phone was off. But he had earlier been quoted by the press as saying: "Like other functions where there are presidents, there are always security-related incidents. There were incidents, which we are going to address through diplomatic channels but they cannot affect the good relationship between the two countries."

When contacted the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in charge of Regional Cooperation Protais Mitali confirmed the development and said, "I have already sent a protest note to my Ugandan counterpart regarding this issue and am still waiting for a reply."

Meanwhile, President Paul Kagame was invited to attend a regional Heads of State Summit in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, The New Times learnt.

According the State Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Cooperation, Protais Mitali, the Heads of State and Government are to discuss the development of agriculture in the region. A similar summit he said was held in Cairo last year.

Additional reporting by Emmy Karemera

[Ugnet] Uganda's Envoy Smuggles Weapons

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