Burying the hatchet
<http://ca.mg5.mail.yahoo.com/cover-story/6097-burying-the-hatchet>
Saturday, 14 July 2012 09:14
By Andrew M. Mwenda
Museveni and Kagames reconciliation about year ago was a diplomatic coup
for the history books. After 13 years of rivalry and mutual distrust, with
accusations of mutual sabotage and assassination plots, they rebuilt their
friendship relying on the most rudimentary of diplomatic props, yet the
simplest and dearest of traditions family, cows and Christmas. That is
worked should be a valuable lesson to students of diplomacy and politics.
On December 23, 2011, Presidents Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and Paul Kagame
of Rwanda drove in the same car from Katuna border to the home of Mrs.
Constance Kabonero, in Ntungamo, for lunch. Kagame had come with his entire
family: wife Jeanette, daughter Ange and sons, Ian and Brian. Ivan, the
oldest son, was still on his way from the United States to join them later.
>From Mrs. Kaboneros home the two presidents parted Museveni headed for
Rwakitura, Kagame for Mweya Safari Lodge in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Kagame spent the next day visiting the park with his family and looked happy
and relaxed. Later in the day he even took time off to referee a soccer
match between two teams composed of family and friends Manchester United
supporters versus Arsenal, where the former beat the latter 3-1. The Rwandan
president was jovial and relaxed; a sea-change from previous visits to
Uganda which were filled with tension. He even took off time to take
pictures with Ugandans holidaying at Mweya.
Early morning on May 25th, Kagame drove from Mweya to Rwakitura to join the
Museveni family for Christmas. Ivan had landed in Kigali the previous day
and flown to Rwakitura to join his family. There, they found the Museveni
family waiting to receive them: the president, his wife Janet, son Muhoozi
Keinerugaba and his wife Charlotte and their children; first daughter
Natasha, her husband Edwin Karugire and their children; second daughter
Patience and her children (her husband Odrek Rwabwogo was absent) and third
daughter Diana, her husband Geoffrey Kamuntu and their children; and others
in the Museveni family, including a family friend from Tanzania.
It was a grand reunion as the two families sat for lunch and then later
moved to the sprawling gardens to take pictures. But it also underscored a
key shift in the regional political and diplomatic alignment. Uganda and
Rwanda had been at loggerheads for over a decade. The two countries and
their presidents had fallen from close friends and allies to bitter rivalry.
Their armies had fought three pitched battles in the Congolese town of
Kisangani. The intelligence organisations of the two countries had reported
severally of plots by either president to overthrow the government of the
other, and worse, to murder one another.
For those observing the cordial and relaxed atmosphere that Christmas day at
Rwakitura, a sea-change had taken place between the two presidents, their
families and their countries. Yes challenges remained but a closer
relationship had been crafted. How had this happened when only eleven months
earlier, Museveni had summoned Rwandas High Commissioner to Uganda and
given him a message for his president, that Kagame had allied with Libyan
leader at the time, Muammar Gadaffi, to overthrow his government?
Apparently, Muhoozi had sat with friends and decided to take the initiative
to bridge the communication gap that had fed the distance between the two
presidents and their establishments. He wanted to go to Rwanda and establish
an informal contact between the two presidents. But it would send a signal
to many other players, especially security organisations that were feeding
each side with toxic intelligence, that there was contact between the two,
at such a close family level, to end the standoff. If that happened, Muhoozi
and his colleagues reasoned, it might make intelligence chiefs more careful
when reporting intelligence to the presidents.
To initiate such a delicate process, Muhoozi sought and got a nod from one
of the most influential people on such matters, his uncle, Gen. Caleb
Akandwanaho aka Salim Saleh. Without Salehs support, Muhoozis leverage
would be weak. With Saleh on board, Muhoozi now needed to find out if Kagame
would welcome the olive branch. He sent an emissary to the Rwandan president
suggesting a meeting with him to begin the process. Kagame welcomed the idea
and gave Muhoozi a go-ahead to play role of contact between him and
Museveni. With Kagame on board, Muhoozi now needed to bring his plans to his
fathers attention and he did.
However Museveni was wary of the visit and said he needed to meet some of
Muhoozis friends to hear out their plan. When he listened to the reasons
why it was necessary to begin talks, the Ugandan president did the
unthinkable. I have known Paulo [Kagame] for many years and no one knows
him better than me, Museveni is said to have pronounced, So I will
personally travel to Rwanda for a visit and open the dialogue myself. In
just one masterstroke, Museveni had unlocked an incredible diplomatic
momentum.
On April 21, Ugandas president wrote a letter to Kagame saying that he felt
strongly that the two of them should sit down and iron out their differences
for the good of the region and their countries. I would like to come and
visit your country, the letter said, So that we can sit and iron out these
differences amicably. It was a bold and unprecedented move that, sources
say, took Kagame by complete surprise. For a moment, Kagame was taken aback;
could this be true?
But having known Museveni for long, sources close to Kagame say, the Rwandan
president was quick to smell the opportunity in this gesture and understood
that Museveni must be serious. Museveni had sent a message to Kagame that he
intended to stay for four days. Kagame suggested that two days be spent at
his country home in Muhazi so that the two presidents could even graze cows
together, a very informal interaction that provided a powerful glue to
create understanding, reconstruct their personal friendship and move the
formal process forward. Museveni welcomed it.
Thus, on Friday July 29, 2011, at exactly 4.15pm, a Gulf Stream Five
executive jet touched the tarmac at Kigali International Airport. There was
a lot of excitement, mixed with tension and anxiety among some dignitaries
who had been waiting for more than two hours, especially from the Rwandan
security establishment. As the jet landed safely and began taxing on the
tarmac, one could even feel a sigh of relief.
This was the first time Museveni was travelling to Rwanda by plane in 13
years. Officials in Rwanda believe, and their counterparts in Uganda
confirm, that the President had always been afraid that Rwandan officials
could easily shoot his plane out of the skies. Everyone who knows him says
Museveni can do many risky things but he cannot compromise his personal
security. This time, to demonstrate confidence in improved relations with
Rwanda, he decided to take the bold step and fly into Kigali.
Rwandan and Ugandan security and political officials did not believe it
until they actually saw the plane touch the ground. For many Rwandan
officials, there was suspicion that Museveni had little or no confidence in
them. For Museveni, it was an important demonstration of confidence in
Rwandas improving relations with Uganda. If there were still any doubts in
Kagames mind that Museveni had decided to turn a new page, they were now
significantly reduced.
However, before this Museveni visit, Kagame had taken an audacious step to
build confidence. He had sent his wife and three of his children (minus
Ivan), to Kampala to visit the Museveni family. Janet Museveni, sources in
Kigali and Kampala say, handled the visit very well. She made a profound
impression on Rwandas First Lady and the children. Also, sources say,
Muhoozi won the love and admiration of Rwandas first family for the care
and attention he gave them during their four day visit to Uganda.
At a dinner at State House Nakasero, Mrs. Kagame asked Mrs. Museveni if she
could accompany her husband on his scheduled visit to Rwanda. The date had
been set. Janet Museveni promised. Sources close to the first family in
Kigali say that when the First Lady and the children returned to Kigali,
there was an atmosphere of celebration that the visit was a success. It is
said that Kagame was personally touched by how Muhoozi, Janet Museveni and
President Museveni personally had hosted his family and felt a deep sense of
gratitude. He even sent a special thank you message to Muhoozi.
As the Ugandan presidents visit approached, Museveni sent his advance team
to Kigali. Kagame instructed his officials to treat the team generously.
Rwandan presidential guard officers would take their PGB counterparts
(Presidential Guard Brigade) to the Officers Mess for sumptuous dinners
every evening. The cooperation between them in security arrangements,
sources say, had been unprecedented.
However, Museveni wanted to keep Kagames spirit of building informal ties
as a stepping stone to strengthening formal relations. So he decided to go
for a state visit alongside a private one. First, he would visit with his
wife and one of his daughters. He selected Natasha Karugire. That was the
informal part. For the formal part, he would have his key ministers there.
He would also spend Friday and Monday in Kigali on official business; and
the entire weekend (Saturday and Sunday) at Kagames country home in Muhazi
where the two families would spend time together.
At Muhazi, there was initially no discussion of politics only social
interaction. Thus, during lunch, the only non-family members were the
waiters and waitresses serving them and a fly on the wall that kept The
Independent informed of what was happening. The families discussed Ankole
and Kinyarwanda culture and language and the similarities between them. They
talked about the coming of colonial rule and the internal divisions in
Africa that made colonial conquest possible. Lessons from Chinua Achebes
Things Fall Apart were supplemented with a discussion of the work of Cheikh
Anti Diop on the contribution of black people to civilisation.
Kagame told Museveni about the genome project where he surrendered his DNA
for testing and found his ancestry is a cocktail of many races from
Palestine to China, from Cameroon to Senegal and Kenya. Kagame said his wife
had also done a similar test and she was more genetically diversified.
Museveni proposed that he too should do it and asked if Janet would accept.
Then a string of jokes and laughter followed as Mrs. Museveni refused the
offer severally while Museveni insisted, teasing her that it was because of
her Christian views.
By the time the lunch ended it was close to 5pm; it had lasted nearly four
hours. Both families retired to their quarters to rest; Kagames in the main
family house, Musevenis in the guest wing detached from the main house.
Kagame and Museveni met again with their wives for evening tea at 8pm. At
9pm, the two presidents went into a private discussion in Kagames personal
study. The First Ladies sat in the living room waiting one hour, two,
three, four hours and the meeting was still going on. Someone advised that
that was a sign that things were going very well, the two presidents were
connecting.
It was not until past 1am that the two presidents ended their meeting and
retired to their rooms. After that, Kagame and his wife talked into the wee
hours of the morning during which it was agreed that for lunch the next day
on Sunday , they should invite the foreign ministers and ambassadors of both
countries, plus a few of their trusted advisors. Kagames PPS (Principal
Private Secretary) was given the unenviable task of locating the guests so
deep in the night, to make sure they would be at Muhazi the next day for
lunch.
Both presidents woke up early on Sunday morning; Museveni took time off to
read his favourite military treatise, On War by Clausewitz, while Kagame
read Fidel Castros My life. After breakfast, the two presidents, Kagames
wife and Musevenis daughter Natasha Karugire, boarded a boat to go to see
Kagames Rwandese cattle in a paddock across the lake from the house. Mrs.
Museveni remained behind. At the paddock, they were joined by journalists.
Kagames herdsmen recited traditional poems when they saw Museveni,
something that made the Ugandan president beam with excitement.
Museveni walked around explaining things about almost every cow, the names
of the different plant species and the purpose they serve in cattle
nutrition. Kagame listened attentively, occasionally explaining the things
he has been doing on the farm. Behind them, Jeanette Kagame and Natasha
Karugire could be seen engrossed in deep and friendly conversation.
Apparently, the two had also connected well.
The grazing went on for more than an hour until the two presidents reached a
small kraal with ten cows in it. As Museveni admired the cows, Kagame told
him that he had specially prepared those cows for him to take home as a
gift. Museveni did not hear the sentence properly and thought Kagame was
asking him to choose which one of the ten cows in the kraal hewanted. Kagame
corrected the Uganda president saying all the cows there were his to take.
Those who know him say Museveni rarely shows emotion. However, this time he
was openly emotional about the offer and turned to shake hands with Kagame
three times, each time saying urakoze cyane meaning thank you very much.
Museveni was even more generous in his gratitude as he told Kagame that when
he returned to Uganda, he would now be swearing in Kagames name, saying
Paulo ayampha inka, meaning Paulo who gave me cows.
Kagame and Musevenis security detail were extremely relaxed as they noticed
that their two presidents were walking around and talking like brothers,
where previously they had been bitter rivals. The presidents also interacted
with the journalists and photographers well, Museveni making poking jokes at
NTVs Maurice Mugisha, accusing him of reporting lies. The herdsmen on the
farm were excited too as Museveni spoke to them in a combination of broken
Kinyarwanda, Kinyankore and English, and kept throwing questions about
different cow habits at them.
As the grazing came to end, the two presidents walked to the boat to sail
back to the Kagame residence. Upon sitting on the boat, someone suggested
they take a ride on the 120km long stretch of this winding lake. Museveni
agreed. The driver of the boat hit the accelerator as Rwanda Defence Forces
marine boats speeded on each side, providing a protective guard to the two
presidents and their family members.
A boat ride that was envisaged to last five minutes lasted more than 30
minutes as Kagame took Museveni around the different arms of the lake,
showing him hills and homes of different Rwandans who came from Uganda. What
the program had sought to achieve, to make the two presidents develop a
strong personal connection, was succeeding far beyond imagination. The
cattle grazing expedition, meant to last one and a half hours, lasted three
as the boat driver turned it round to ride back to the residence.
Back at the residence, Kagames security detail brought a Range Rover Sport
into the compound; Kagame jumped in to drive while Museveni took the
passenger seat, and the two presidents began driving around the farm. They
visited the Friesian cattle used for diary milk, which Kagame had separated
from the Rwandese i.e. indigenous cows. From there they visited the
mechanised milking area, the cooling plant, and the packaging section, which
Kagame abandoned.
These earlier developments therefore set the tone and shaped the mood at
Christmas in Rwakitura. On the morning of December 26, the two presidents
and their wives sat under a shady tree talking about nothing in particular.
They took family pictures and reminisced about old days in Luwero. Later
they boarded a helicopter to Kisozi, President Musevenis second and largest
ranch. Wearing cowboy huts, the two first families set out to spend the day
grazing cows. They drove from one kraal to another, Museveni in the drivers
seat, Kagame the co-drivers seat. The first ladies sat in the back seats.
There was an atmosphere of one family enjoying Boxing Day.
In January 2012, Museveni crowned this process by officially recognising the
role Rwandans played in Ugandas liberation when he bestowed the Kagera
Medal on Kagame and Fred Rwigyema (posthumously) during the 26th anniversary
of NRMs coming to power. Museveni also bestowed upon Kagame the highest
medal the state of Uganda can give only reserved for heads of state the
Pearl of Africa Medal.
Thé Mulindwas Communication Group
"With Yoweri Museveni and Dr. Kiiza Besigye Uganda is in anarchy"
Kuungana Mulindwa Mawasiliano Kikundi
"Pamoja na Yoweri Museveni na Dk. Kiiza Besigye Uganda ni katika machafuko"
_______________________________________________
Ugandanet mailing list
[email protected]
http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet
UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
All Archives can be found at http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/
The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including
attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible for them in any way.
---------------------------------------
