Uganda supported Rwanda Rebels of National Liberation Force (FLN)

[Rwanda]

Terror suspect Callixte Nsabimana yesterday appeared before Gasabo Primary Court where he pleaded guilty to all the 16 charges he faces. He spent most of the morning giving details of how, among others, Ugandan intelligence supported rebel outfit National Liberation Force (FLN)’s attacks in and around Nyungwe National Park. Until his arrest last month, Nsabimana was the group’s spokesperson.

The group last year launched sporadic attacks on Rwandan territory, killing nine people, while it also abducted several others, burnt vehicles, and looted. The hostages were later rescued by the Rwanda Defence Force. The attackers fled back into Burundi.

Nsabimana said that in a bid to find allies within the region, FLN was constantly in touch a Burundian external intelligence officer who he only identified as Major Bertin alias Moses.

FLN is affiliated to another outfit known as MRCD, which is led by Rwandan dissident Paul Rusesabagina, and is also part of the so-called P.5, an amalgamation of terror groups with training bases in DR Congo that seeks to destabilise Rwanda.

Nsabimana explained that Major Bertin was instrumental in helping FLN rebels to move from DR Congo to Burundi’s Cibitoke area, then Kibira Forest before they crossed over to Rwanda’s Nyungwe forest where the attacks were conducted.

Uganda connection

He said that the Burundian officer, through a Capt. Sunday Charles from Uganda, set up a meeting between FLN and Uganda’s Head of Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI); Brig Gen Abel Kandiho.

“When the meeting was confirmed, a decision was made to send Barnabe Sinayobye and another officer. When they got to Uganda, Kandiho was not available due to other commitments but he sent a Colonel who I learnt works in external intelligence to represent him,” he said.

Nsabimana said that the meeting between his team and Uganda’s CMI rotated around FLN’s appeal for both military and diplomatic support from Uganda.

“In our meeting, we asked for their military support and backing in terms of diplomatic relations and received a positive answer. By the time of my arrest last month, we were planning to go back to Uganda to finalise the deal. Your honour, I am guilty of my involvement and plead for your mercy,” he said.

Nsabimana has for the past one year been a vocal critic of Kigali and was regularly hosted by international media houses like VOA and BBC in his capacity as the spokesperson of FLN militia group.

During the court session, he said that indeed, the voice heard on the radio stations and on several Youtube-based outlets was indeed his.

His revelations of the support the armed group received from Uganda corroborates both the accounts of two former commanders of FDLR, a militia largely blamed for the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, and a UN Group of Expert Report released in December last year.

Nsabimana faces 16 counts including terrorism, murder, terrorism, murder, kidnapping, genocide denial, arson, armed robbery, forgery, and causing bodily harm.

In his submissions, the prosecutor, Oscar Butera, said that among the counts include one of conniving with foreign governments with an aim to wage war on Rwanda.

“While Uganda provided arms, Burundi allowed passage. Nsabimana himself recruited 30 people from Uganda and sent them to DR Congo for military training,” Butera said.

This is further corroborated by the report of UN Group of Experts, which cited Uganda in facilitating the recruitment drive for the outfit. The two FDLR officers – Ignace Nkaka, the outfit’s spokesperson, and Lt Col Jean-Pierre Nsekanabo, its head of the intelligence – were arrested at the DR Congo border on their way from Kampala where they had gone to attend a meeting of armed groups with view to form a common front to destabilise Rwanda.

According to the two men, the meeting in Kampala was chaired the Ugandan State Minister for Regional Affairs Philemon Mateke. They said the meeting was also attended by a delegation of another anti-Kigali outfit, Rwanda National Congress, among others.

Relations between Rwanda and Uganda have soured in recent past in the wake of a raft of grievances against the Kampala establishment, including persecution and illegal arrest, torture and irregular deportation of Rwandans.

Several Rwandans have testified about torture meted out on them by Ugandan security operatives, mainly CMI agents, working with Rwandan dissidents, after refusing to join anti-Kigali armed groups.

Both CMI’s Brig. Kandiho and Capt. Sunday are also implicated in the report by the UN Group of Experts, which showed that Uganda was facilitating Rwandan dissidents to destabilise the country. The UN report also said the rebel outfits were actively recruiting from Uganda.

Nyungwe attacks

The attacks by FLN in Southern Province occurred on at least two occasions, the first occasion taking place in Nyabimata Sector, Nyaruguru District, in April last year, during which people were killed, property burnt and people’s harvest looted.

The other attack occurred in Cyitabi Sector in Nyamagabe District and it targeted passenger service vehicles.

“Let me address the Nyungwe attacks…we had given FLN specific instructions that whatever operation they launch, it should be about destroying bridges, ambush military vehicles, attack sector and district office as well as police and military camps,” Nsabimana told the court. “We didn’t expect them to attack civilians,” he added.

Prosecution opposes bail application

Prosecution, which said it is in possession of the suspect’s three cell phones, his Lesotho passport (with a fake name) and four pairs of sunglasses, asked that the suspect be remanded owing to the gravity of the offences and the fact that he has no known address having been arrested outside the country.

According to the prosecutor, investigations were still underway.

Court said they would deliberate on the bail application and render the verdict on Tuesday, May 28.

[Rwanda]

Muri MRCD harimo ibibazo n'ubwumvikane buke

Muri MRCD harimo ibibazo n’ubwumvikane buke. Ibi bigaragarira mu biganiro Major Sankara yagiye agirana na Rusesabagina , Wilson n’abandi. Muri ibi biganiro hakunze kuvugwa ibibazo by’amafaranga abantu badatanga ngo urugamba rukomeze cyangwa ngo bashyiremo ingufu mugukangurira abantu kuyatanga. Major Sankara yagiye yumvikana kenshi avuga ko Rusesabagina bizwi ko afite amafaranga menshi ariko akaba adashobora gufasha byo kurwego rwe kandi ari nawe ubikuriye. By’umwihariko ngo hari aho Sankara yatonganye na Rusesabagina cyane kubera Twagiramungu Faustin alias Rukoko. Ngo Rusesabagina ntiyashakaga Rukokoma kandi abandi bamushaka nk’uko byumvikana mubiganiro Sankara yagiranaga na Wilson n’abandi bayobozi. Izi mpaka zarangiye batumvikanye. Hari ikindi kibazo cy’abagabo babiri bo muri MRCD aribo ushinzwe umutungo n’umunyamabanga. Rusesabagina yifuje ko ushinzwe umutungo n’umunyamabanga birukanwa ariko Sankara akamusubiza ko bitashoboka. Na none ngo Sankara yaba yeremezaga ko mubyo Rusesabagina yaregwaga harimo ibifite ishingiro cyane cyane nko guhora yizeza abantu ibintu ntabikore haba amafaranga cga mu Rwego rwa communication. Mubiganiro bya Sankara na none humvikanagamo akababaro n’uburakari aterwa no kuba babura amafaranga kandi ngo hari abahutu bayahunitse mumagunira. Aha atanga urugero ku bantu batandukanye b’abahutu bagiye bamwizeza ko ngo bazafasha umuntu ufite ibikorwa. Ati “nyamara reba muri Nyungwe inzara igiye kuhatsinda abantu abandi batubeshya ntibatange ubwo bufasha. Mu biganiro byumvikanye Sankara ari kuri telefone, ikigaragara ni uko nta bwumvikane bwari bukiri hagati y’abagize ubuyobozi bwa MRCD kimwe n’ikibazo gikomeye cy’amafaranga, bakaba bari bageze mumarembera. Muri make Rusesabagina aramutse ari mu bishimiye ifatwa rya Sankara nta gitangaza cyaba kirimo kuko ntibari bakivuga rumwe.

[Rwanda]

Nsabimana "Sankara's Court Case: A new stunt targeting Uganda, Burundi and some Rwandans in exile

By: Prof Charles Kambanda

Facts:
Nsabimana Sankara was spokesperson for FLN, a rebel outfit fighting to oust Kagame. Kagame junta kidnapped Nsabimana Sankara from an unknown country. For the past couple weeks, Sankara was detained in unknown place.

The junta presented him in Kagame’s court today only to pleade guilty to all charges.

In UNITED STATES of America, v. Francois KARAKE, et al., Defendants. The United States District Court, District of Columbia concluded that Kagame Junta uses torture to force suspect into “guilty plea”. Sankara’s case probably represents what Kagame junta does in many cases; torturing people until they “plead guilty”

Interesting questions:

1. Sankara is accused of forming and commanding a rebel group that attacked Rwanda. He was apparently accused of the crimes committed by his troops in Rwanda. However, he was prosecuted in a “civilian” Court contrary to Article 155 of the 2003 Constitution of Rwanda, which provides that:
“The Military High Court shall try, in the first instance, all offenses which constitute a threat to national security and murder committed by soldiers irrespective of rank.”

2. The gov of Rwanda has persistently said that: (i) there are no rebels in Rwanda, and (ii) FLN does not exist. However, Sankara is accused of the crimes he allegedly committed as a commander of FLN rebels.

3. Sankara is accused of what Kagame junta calls “denying Tutsi genocide”. Sankara is Tutsi. He was in Rwanda in 1994; he has a right to narrate what he saw happen during the 1994 massacres. He said it clearly; Kagame and some of his RPA fighters butchered some Tutsi, Hutu,Twa and foreigners during the 1994 massacres, which Kagame markets as Tutsi genocide. Kagame junta calls Sankara’s protected speech and his life story a crime; “genocide denial”!

4. With such stunning contradictions in the charge sheet, no right thinking person would plead guilty to the same and, certainly, no reasonable Court would accept that plea lightly. These things only happen in Rwanda

5. Clearly, the Junta wants to use this scame – “case” – to attack Uganda, Burundi, Rusesabagina and Rwandan politicians in exile .
Why did the junta take the “gulity plea” route, instead of presenting evidence to Kagame’s Courts, in such a case they are already using to throw mud ay neighboring countries?

Does Kagame junta reasonably expect the world to believe this garbage?

[Rwanda]

Uko iminsi igenda niko imivuno ya Kagame yubugizi bwe bwa nabi ishyirwa ahagaragara nabanyarwanda.

Mwene Rutagambwa muriyiminsi ahangayikishijwe nikitwa ubutabera bwo mu Rwanda kuko ashaka kwereka Isi ko mu Rwanda harubwisanzure mumanza nyamara ntibimworohera kuko niwe ufunga agashaka kwerekana ko atariwe wafunze ibi bigora cyane abacamanza bagaca imanza bagendeye kuko ari Kagame wafunze.

Imanza za Tom Byabagamba Rusagara na Joël Mutabazi nizimwe zihangayikishije Kagame kuko amahanga azikurikirana uko bwije nuko bukeye.

Izi manza zivugirwamo byinshi kuburyo bimwe byambika isura ya leta ya Kagame uko yabayeho n’uko ikora, imyanzuro yizi manza cyera ishobora kuzashyirwa munzu ndanga mirage z’u Rwanda.

Imanza zabayoboke ba FDU nazo zihangayikishije Kagame Paul kuko zihuzwa nishimutwa ryabayoboke ba FDU ndetse n’impfu zabayoboke bir’Ishyaka, ibi nikigeragezo gikomeye kuri Kagame kuko abanyarwanda ntibasiba kwibutsa ko abayoboke bir’ishyaka bishwe kandi iperereza ritigeze rikorwa.

Kagame ahangayikishijwe nikibazo cy’imipaka y’u Rwanda nibihugu ahana imbibi kubera kwivanga muri politiki zibihugu byahandi.

Imipaka ya Uganda na Burundi kuruhande rw’u Rwanda ntakinjira ntanigisohoka ibi kugirango bikemuke ntibizoroha nagato.

Ikindi kiyongereye kumipaka y’u Rwanda na Congo ni indwara ya Ebola yagaragaye muri Goma ndetse impungenge zikaba zatangiye kumvikana no muri Gisenyi.

Umupaka wa Goma na Gisenyi n’ubwo udafunze nta munyarwanda winjira Goma.

Aha niho hari hasigaye hari amahahiro.

Tugarutse kuriy’indwara ya Ebola nuko icyemezo cyafashwe numuryango wa OMS cyo kwemeza ko Ebola arikiza gikomeye bigomba kugira ingaruka zubukerarugendo kubihugu bituranye nahavugwa iyi ndwara.

Kagame kandi ahanganye nikibazo yahuriye nacyo muri Angola aho yasabwe gushyikirana na Uganda we akihutira guhindura ba Ambasaderi bazajya gutobanga imishyikirano yasabwe.

Kagame ahanganye nanone nikirego gikomeye Umwali Diane Shima Rwigara yamugejejeho cy’iyicwa rya abarokotse genoside yakorewe abatutsi.

Ibi bintu tuvuze hejuru bikomereye mwene Rutagambwa kuburyo kubyivanamo bitamukundira ahubwo uko tuzi Kagame azabikemuza kwica!!!.

Mwene Rutagambwa tugarutse inyuma gato nanone ahanganye nikibazo gikomeye cy’ubukene mu banyarwanda ndetse nubushomeri buteye ubwoba murubyiruko.

Kagame Paul arimo kwica hirya nohino mu Rwanda kuburyo kumunsi abanyarwanda bicwa biteye ubwoba nagahinda!!!.

Ese umuti wibibazo nukwica OYA.

[Rwanda]

INDAHIRO YA FPR

Banyamuryango muri hano, nindamuka mpemutse, nkoze ibinyuranye n’imigabo, imigambi n’amategeko bigenga FPR/INKOTANYI, nzaba mpemukiye buri munyarwanda, nzabambwe nk’umugome wese.

Ikibazo:

1 Guhemukira umunyarwanda wese bivuze ko abanyarwanda bose babarizwa muri FPR ntayandi mashyaka babamo?.

2 Guhanwa nande, urukiko cg FPR?.

3 Kubambwa bisobanuye kwicwa ese igihano cyo kwicwa cyakuwe munkiko gisigara mwishyaka rya FPR?.

4 Mwari muzi ko kwikuraho iyi ndahiro bimeze nko gusaba Ingamiya kwinjira mu mwenge w’urushinge!!!.

Niyo mpamvu usanga abanyarwanda kwerura bakavuga ububi bwa RPF bibagora, nimikoba ibaboshye yitwa indahiro ya FPR INKOTANYI.

[Rwanda]

Nyuma y’aho RNC ikubitiwe muri Congo babeshya ko bavugira abacitse ku icumu

Nyuma y’aho RNC ikubitiwe muri RD-Congo, abitwa inyeshyamba za Kayumba bakayabangira ingata bagana mu kirwa cya Kazimya kiri mu Nyanja ya Tanganyika hagati ya Congo na Tanzania – Kigoma.  N’umjinya wo gutsindirwa muri Congo kwa RNC-CMI. David Himbara na Jean Paul Turayishimye, inshuti magara y’umuryango wa Rwigara, kubera ipfunwe n’agahinda k’ibyabereye muri Kivu y’epfo mu Minembwe,  niko gutangira guhimba ikinyoma cyo gushyira ku nkeke leta y’u Rwanda biciye muri Dianne Rwigara [ Mouvement pour le Salut du Peuple [ M.S.P Itabaza ] ndetse n’ABARYANKUNA ba Ntamuhanga Cassier, babeshya ko bavugira abacitse ku icumu, ko bicwa nyamara ari Propaganda za RNC.

Ubu bugome bukomoka kukuba Museveni  yarananiwe gushyira mu bikorwa ibyo yemereye abarwanya u  Rwanda biciye muri RNC yiyemeje gushyigikira ya Kayumba Nyamwasa, agatsiko gashishikajwe no guhungabanya uRwanda. Abantu benshi bashimutwa na CMI , bashimutwa kubera abasangirangendo ba RNC. Bityo bakagerageza kubahata kwinjira muri ako gatsiko k’abaterabwo ba barwanyi ba RNC. Ariko ibi bikaba byarananiranye ku bacitse ku icumu rya Jenoside ya 1994, banze kubayoboka  uyu mugambi wa Kayumba na Museveni, hakoreshejwe bamwe mu  miryango y’abarokotse  baba hanze y’igihugu,  imiryango mpuzamahanga ikunze guharabika u Rwanda nka Human Rights Watch  ndetse n’abazungu bakorera zimwe muri  z’Ambasade zo mu Rwanda, ariko  kunyura kuri Dianne Rwigara ngo bamukoreshe kuko Calixte Sankara bitaciyemo. Nguwo umugambi  wa RNC n’Urwego rwa CMI ariwe mufasha wa Kayumba mu kwinjiza abayoboke.

Ku mugoroba wo kuri uyu wa kabiri tariki 16 Nyakanga 2019, nibwo Diane Rwigara yahamagaye itangazamakuru maze arimenyesha ko yandikiye Umukuru w’Igihugu ibaruwa, nyuma y’uko ngo yakoze ubushakashatsi agasanga hari abarokotse Jenoside bakomeje kwicwa mu bihe bitandukanye. Mu itohoza ryacu tukaba tumaze kumenya ko iyo baruwa yateguwe na David Himbara, Jean Paul Turayishimye na Ben Rutabana ba RNC bakaba inkoramutima za Kayumba Nyamwasa, uyu Ben Rutabana uba mu gihugu cy’ubufaransa akaba ari  nyirarume  wa Dianne Rwigara, dore ko muri iyo baruwa Dianne atabasha gusobanura no  kugaragaza ibimenyetso by’ibyo avuga. Ukurikije ibibazo yabajijwe n’umunyamakuru Edmund Kagire.

Diane Rwigara avuga ko yandikiye Perezida wa Repubulika ibaruwa, agashyira ku mugereka urutonde rw’abo yemeza ko barokotse Jenoside bishwe mu buryo budasobanutse kandi mu bihe bitandukanye. Cyakora ntiyabashije kwereka itangazamakuru gihamya y’ibyo avuga.

Abanyarwanda bakaba basabwa kwitwararika bidasanzwe, kuko ubu RNC yatsindiwe muri DRC. Abasangirangendo ba RNC n’inshuti zabo zo muri CMI bazaryakarungu, ibi bikaba ari ibitangazwa n’abasesenguzi. Bityo rero, inzirakarengane ishobora gushimutwa muri iki gihe, ishobora guhura n’uruva gusenya, kurusha uko byari bisanzwe.

Ibi ibi bikorwa by’umujinya  bya Dianne Rwigara wari utegereje amakiriro kuri RNC, bihura n’ibindi bikorwa bya RNC na CMI muri Uganda, bikomeje kwibasira Abanyarwanda, aho aba barirwa mu Magana bafungiwe Uganda mu buryo budakurikije amategeko, nkuko byemezwa n’ abajugunywe n’inzego za Uganda ku mupaka wa Cyanika.

Aba bakaba ari Baziruwiha Damascene w’imyaka 47 na  Rwagasore Bernard, ufite imyaka 42, bombi bakaba bari abayobozi mu idini rya ADEPR mu Rusengero rwitwa Zinga, mu Karere ka  Wakiso ho muri Kampala.

Ubwo binjiraga muri Uganda, bagiye mu buryo bukurikije amategeko, nkuko babivuga. Ariko ibyo ntibyigeze bibuza inzego z’umutekano za Uganda kubajugunya muri gereza.  Baziruwiha yari mu kazi ke mu kirwa kitwa Zinga mu Kiyaka Vigitoriya, mbere yuko ashimutwa n’urwego rushinzwe umutekano mu karere ka Wakiso, urwo rwego ruvuga ko ngo ari intasi ya guverinoma y’uRwanda.

Baziruwiha  we yari afungiye kuri sitasiyo ya polisi ya Wakiso, amaze igihe kingana n’ibyumweru bibiri, aho nyuma yaje guhindurirwa muri gereza ya Kigo, ntakumuburanisha, yewe no kuba bamukorera icyindi gikorwa kijyanye n’amategeko.

Uyu munyarwanda nyuma akaba yaraje gushyikirizwa ubushinjacyaha muri Entebbe. Ariko hari ikintu cyidasanzwe cyaje kuba: Uyu mushinjacyaha akaba yari inyangamugayo, umwe mubantu badashaka kwica amategeko, mu rwego rwo gushyigikira ingoma ya Museveni.  ati : “Uyu mushinjacyaha wa Entebbe yirukanye urubanza, avuga ko yasanze ndi umwere ko nazize akamama!”

Uwo mushinjacyaha yagiriye inama izo nzego z’umutekano kurekura Baziruwiha. Ariko abashinzwe umutekano b’ubutegetsi, baranga, kubera bamenyereye kuba icyo bakoze cyose kibi, batajya bahanwa, bityo barongera bamujugunya muri gereza, nta bisobanuro. Avuga ko bamucucuye amafaranga yari afite, bakana mukorera iyicarubozo, bakajya banamukubita ku buryo buhoraho bahereye mu gitondo kugeza ni mugoroba.

Impamvu, nkuko abivuga, nuko yanze kwemera ko ari intasi y’uRwanda. Akomeza avuga ko yafunzwe bakamuhambiriza imigozi mu kumba gato cyane kari kuzuye mo imyanda. Ngo bajyaga bamugaburira akawunga n’amazi y’ibishyimbo byabaga bifite impumuro mbi, nkuko Baziruwiha abivuga. Nyuma yo gukubitwa bikabije, ntakwemera ko ari intasi, Baziruwiha yaje kujugunywa Cyanika ku mupaka, bikaba byari ku wa 14 Nyakanga 2019

Nka Baziruwiha, Rwagasore Bernard, yagiye Uganda muri 2008. Akaba avuga ko yakoraga akazi ke neza mu Kabale kandi akaba yarakurikizaga amategeko.. Nawe yaje gufatwa arafungwa, bamuziza ko ngo yari maneko y’uRwanda. Abo Banyarwanda uko ari babiri nabo bazize urwego rwa CMI. N’umujinya wo gutsindirwa muri Congo kwa RNC-CMI.

Nk’abandi Banyarwanda basaga igihumbi barimo gutesekera  mu magereza ya Uganda, no mu buvumo bwa gereza ya Mbuya mu kigo cya gisirikare, n’izindi gereza zayo zidakurikije amategeko, aba bagabo uko ari babiri bakaba barazize politike ya Museveni yo kugirira nabi uRwanda.

Iyo CMI na RNC bashimuse Umunyarwanda, cyangwa Abanyarwanda, nkuko babikoze kuri Baziruwiha na Rwagasore, ntibajya bemererwa guhamagara imiryango yabo kugirango bayimenyeshe (imiryango) aho baherereye. Bafungirwa ahantu hatazwi.

Kandi ibi byose babikora bitwaje icyaha cy’igihimbano ngo ko baba ari intasi, cyangwa kwinjira mu gihugu mu buryo buba budakurikije amategeko, cyangwa no gutunga intwaro mu buryo buhabanye n’amategeko.” Muri ibi birego byose, inzego za Uganda ntizijya zigaragaza ibimenyetso. Inshuro nyinshi iyo inzego za Uganda zishinzwe umutekano batagaragaje ibimenyetso, bahindura ibirego bakabagerekaho ibindi byaha. Umunsi umwe bashobora kurega umuntu icyaha cyuko ari intasi, hanyuma bakaza kubihindura bavuga ko ucyekwaho icyaha, yinjiye mu gihugu ku buryo buhabanye n’amategeko.

Izindi nzirakarengane z’Abanyarwanda zafashwe na CMI cyangwa se n’izindi nzego zishinzwe umutekano zisaba ko inzirakarengane z’Abanyarwanda zibaha amafaranga kugirango bazirekure (izo nzirakarengane), abenshi mu bafunzwe akaba aribo batangaje. Aka ni akarengane kabakorerwa ku buryo buhoraho, ariko babasaba amafaranga y’umurengera. Iyo izo nzirakarengane zibuze amafaranga yo kubaha, nazo zimara igihe kirekire muri izo gereza cyangwa se ubwo buvumo baba bafungiwemo.

Kubera uku kubangamira uburenganzira bw’ikiremwamuntu, kw’Abanyarwanda iyo bari muri Uganda, Kigali ikomeje kugira inama abaturage kutajya basura kiriya gihugu, kubera ko umutekano wabo uba utizewe iyo baba bamaze kwambuka.

[Rwanda]

Uganda facilitates a prominent fugitive wanted in Rwanda for genocide

Uganda on Wednesday facilitated a prominent fugitive wanted in Rwanda for genocide crimes to return to Belgium.

An investigation by this newspaper established that Ugandan authorities first intervened when Anastase Munyandekwe was arrested in the capital Kampala and secured his release.

Munyandekwe, who arrived in Uganda using a Belgian passport in January 2019, had been arrested by one security organ on the basis of an Interpol red notice before another security agency intervened and had him freed. 

Days after his release, he flew from Entebbe International Airport yesterday night, according to reliable sources.

Munyandekwe, a fugitive of justice who was convicted by Gacaca courts for his role in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, has been on Interpol Red Notice for nearly 12 years.

Born in 1950 in Mburi cell, Rwamweru sector in former Kinyamakara commune in the former Gikongoro prefecture, Munyandekwe was a senior member of the extremist MDR-Power party.

He was leader of MDR-Power in former Gikongoro prefecture, but during the Genocide he lived in Rugunga cell, Biryogo sector in the capital Kigali.

He worked at the former Ministry of Transport and Communication, or Ministere de Transport et de la Communication (Minitransco) as Head of Department of Research and ICT (Etude et Informatique dans l’Office) of the Post Office.

Evidence gathered during investigations conducted in Biryogo sector, as well as Nyamagabe and Nyaruguru districts showed that Munyandekwe participated in the killings.

He was found guilty of direct and public incitement to commit genocide and subsequently sentenced in absentia by Biryogo Gacaca court to life in prison.

Munyandekwe, who has since acquired Belgian citizenship, was later put on the Interpol wanted list.

Travel history

Reasons for Munyandekwe’s latest trip to Uganda remain unclear but he has previously made several visits to the country even as he was a wanted person.

Details about his travel history show that he arrived at Entebbe International Airport for his latest trip on January 9, 2019, at 10:31p.m, using Belgian passport No. EN736469. He had last visited Kampala on September 12, 2018 departing on October 28, 2018.

Weeks ago, however, the Genocide fugitive was arrested in Kampala under Interpol notice for his role in the Genocide in Rwanda, before authorities intervened and secured his release, according to reliable sources.

“He will be leaving Kampala at the earliest opportunity,” a source said before the fugitive could Kampala.

Subsequently, Ugandan authorities facilitated the Genocide fugitive to leave the neighbouring country and return to Belgium on Wednesday this week, reliable sources confirmed to this newspaper.

“It’s a shame that someone who goes around claiming to be a Pan-Africanist sends a genocidaire who committed crimes on the African continent to a Western country instead of helping to bring him to justice,” said a Kigali-based analyst. “Survivors and victims of Munyandekwe’s crimes will be disappointed in Museveni’s government action.”

A copy of Munyandekwe’s travel history, which we saw, shows that Munyandekwe has visited Uganda at least six times since July 2011.

Following the Genocide, Munyandekwe continued to work with the forces that committed the Genocide, going as far as assuming high-profile positions within FDLR ranks. FDLR is an offshoot of ex-FAR, Interahamwe militia and other extremist elements that committed the Genocide in which over a million people lost their lives.

In particular, Munyandekwe served as spokesperson of the Murwanashyaka FDLR faction in 2004. 

Ignace Murwanashyaka, who died from Germany in April this year, was arrested in 2009 before a German court found him guilty of several counts, largely linked to his role in FDLR atrocities in DR Congo. FDLR has long been listed as a terrorist organisation. He was still in jail when he passed away.

According to a testimony from Straton Musoni, once FDLR vice-president and who was tried alongside Murwanashyaka, in a court in Stuttgart, Germany, that Munyandekwe was removed from his position of spokesperson for embezzling US$29,000 from FDLR coffers to buy a taxi in Brussels.

Munyandekwe was first put on Interpol wanted list on October 9, 2007 for crimes committed between April 6-July 19, 1994 in Rwanda.

A safe haven for génocidaires

According to National Public Prosecution Authority, Uganda is one of the countries hosting the largest number of wanted Genocide suspects, with Rwanda’s neighbour also having previously facilitated FDLR’s Ignace Murwanashyaka’s travels in breach of a standing UN embargo.

Kampala has also previously been accused of issuing Ugandan passports to wanted Genocide suspects and FDLR emissaries to ease their movement in and out of the region.

Earlier this year, evidence emerged that the Ugandan government was also issuing passports to RNC members, including Charlotte Mukankusi, the dissident group’s head of diplomacy.

RNC is a terrorist outfit led by South Africa-based wanted Rwandan fugitive Kayumba Nyamwasa and it is responsible for grenade attacks that claimed the lives of at least 17 people and injured hundreds others, mainly in the capital Kigali, between 2010 and 2014.

Testimonies from arrested rebel leaders – including FDLR’s spokesperson Ignace Nkaka, alias LaForge Fils Bazeye, and head of intelligence Lt Col Jean Pierre Nsekanabo, indicated that Uganda facilitating talks between RNC, FDLR and other anti-Rwanda groups with view to joining hands in destabilising Rwanda. The two were arrested by Congolese security on their way from a meeting with RNC operatives in Kampala. The meeting was attended by a Ugandan cabinet minister Phelomon Mateke.

A UN report released December last year confirmed that Uganda was a major source of recruits for Rwandan rebel outfits based in eastern DR Congo.

Hundreds of Rwandans have also been illegally arrested and tortured in Uganda, sparking a diplomatic row that has seen Kigali issuing a travel advisory to Uganda.

Angola and DR Congo earlier this month offered to help broker talks to end the crisis following a mini-regional summit in Luanda.

[Rwanda]

PEACE TALKS BETWEEN RWANDA AND UGANDA SUFFERED A MAJOR SETBACK

Peace talks between Rwanda and Uganda suffered a major setback last Friday with high-powered delegations of both countries failing to reach a breakthrough during the second meeting in Kampala of the Ad hoc Commission on the implementation of the Luanda Memorandum of Understanding.

The differences were so glaring they even failed to agree on a joint communique.

James Munyaneza spoke with Rwanda’s chief negotiator in the bilateral talks Amb. Olivier Nduhungirehe, State Minister for East African Community in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, on Monday.

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Let’s take stock of your meeting in Kampala. There is a sense that things have hardly improved, if not worsened. Is this a fair observation?

As you are aware, we signed the Luanda MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) almost four months ago and we had that first meeting of the Ad Hoc Commission on the implementation of Luanda MoU in Kigali three months ago. This was enough time to show good faith.

We had a seven- or eight-hour meeting and what we confirmed is that there is still lack of good faith on the part of Uganda. Instead, there has been an escalation on the concerns that Rwanda has repeatedly raised with Uganda since the signing of the Luanda MoU and the Kigali Communique – mainly the support to armed terrorist groups that are facilitated by and operate in Uganda.

In Kampala, we gave the example of the attack on Kinigi on the night of 3rd October leading to 4th (by RUD-Urunana) just two weeks after the Kigali meeting. People were killed with machetes, with hammers, 14 people were killed and 16 wounded.

There are two facts that implicate Uganda in this attack;

First, the evidence gathered from the crime scene, including phone handsets, from the assailants which showed that they were in coordination with Uganda’s state minister for regional affairs, Philemon Mateke.

The Ugandan minister was particularly in contact with one Nshimiye, alias Governor, the head of special forces of RUD-Urunana, who lives in Kisoro District (south-western Uganda) with his family, protected, and is in close contact with Mateke.

He travels regularly in North Kivu (DR Congo) for his operations.

Second, the assailants who escaped after the attack fled to Uganda (including Nshimiye), first to Kisoro District, then to Makenke Barracks in Mbarara District and were then moved to CMI (Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence) headquarters at Mbuya Barracks in the capital Kampala.

We wrote a Note Verbale to Uganda on October 14 and received no feedback. This was after the Kigali meeting and it was really an extreme sign of escalation.

L-R: Security minister Gen Patrick Nyamvumba, Uganda’s Deputy Attorney General Mwesigwa Rukutana, Amb. Nduhungirehe, Kutesa, Angolan Minister for External Relations Manuel Domingos Augusto, Local Government minister Prof. Anastase Shyaka, and Justice minister and Attorney General Johnston Busingye in a group photo after the latest round of talks in Kampala on Friday last week. 

When you have a cabinet minister directly involved in a terrorist attack that killed civilians, families and those who escaped fled to Uganda and are protected by the Ugandan army, what more do you want to see to understand that they lack good faith?

Not to mention that the arbitrary arrest of Rwandans in Uganda continues, including when there was a roundup of Rwandans in Kisoro District on the 25th of October, I think more than 150 of them, 33 were expelled and dumped at the border and there are plenty of these examples.

The thing is that Uganda has not only done anything to resolve the two main concerns that are the origin of this crisis, but we’ve instead seen escalation as if for them agreements are just a piece of paper.

But why would a cabinet minister of Uganda get involved with a terrorist group that’s killing innocent people with machetes?

I don’t know, many things have been said about him but I am not going to speculate about his motivations. But this was not his first action against Rwanda because you remember that when FDLR’s La Forges Fils Bazeyi (spokesperson) and Theophille Abega (intelligence head) were arrested in December last year in eastern DR Congo, they were coming from Uganda, they had been meeting in Serena Hotel for two days with, guess who, Philemon Mateke!

Do you think he has personal reasons?

There is this involvement of Hon Mateke but this should not be limited to him. He’s not a rogue cabinet minister who’s doing things on his own. The RUD-Urunana people who escaped after the attack in Kinigi fled to Uganda and were received in a military barracks, they were moved to CMI in Mbuya, I don’t think Philemon Mateke is running CMI, it would be a mistake to limit Uganda’s involvement to Philemon Mateke.

You are State Minister for East African Community. In a way, Mr Mateke is your counterpart since he’s state minister for regional affairs. Have you reached out to him about these issues?

We have actually rarely met, because my counterparts are the Minister for EAC and the Minister of State for EAC. He rarely attends EAC meetings, I saw him once at an EAC Council meeting but he left earlier.

What we saw after the closed-door meeting suggests that maybe there is not enough reason to be too optimistic, you even failed to agree on a joint communiqué…

During the meeting on Friday, we raised all of our concerns with Uganda. But during those seven hours we didn’t get a sense that Uganda was understanding our concerns because they were denying everything, denial was their strategy and they were requesting evidence even though we were actually giving them evidence like the Rwandan who was recently dumped at the border who had been beaten badly, you must have seen the pictures, he was beaten up by his employer and by local authorities.

I think it was in Kisoro District, we gave them that example, we gave the name of the employer, gave them the name of the locality, the village where this happened.

But they still said that they didn’t have evidence that this happened and said that, ‘assuming this is true still the employer is a private individual’, but we said ‘yes, but he did it with the authorities.

But even if it was a private individual doing it on his own, what did you do after’. But as we have seen it’s a pattern, it’s not an isolated case, it happens every day.

Remember the case of the lady whose baby was taken away from her, she was told that her baby had died, she was given a death certificate but the description of the child on the supposed death certificate was not of her child.

The Rwandan Attorney General wrote to his Ugandan counterpart and nothing was done. There is also this recent case of a Ugandan who was mistaken to be Rwandan and was severely beaten by security people then he fled to Rwanda, he was treated in hospital after which I think he was handed over to Uganda.

It keeps happening. But they kept denying all these facts.

Uganda’s foreign minister Sam Kutesa, who led his country’s delegation, said they had committed to ensure due process in the case of people who have been arrested, do you believe him?

He said the same in Kigali, but what has been done since? People are still being arrested and are being held incommunicado in ungazetted detention centres and ‘safe houses’, it’s something that’s said for the press but we don’t believe it.

Uganda has accused Rwanda of infiltrating its security organs…

Do you think that the people being arrested, the small traders, are infiltrating Uganda’s security organs? Have you seen the profiles of the people that are being arrested, many picked up from areas close to the border?

And, since they claim that Rwanda has infiltrated their security services, why don’t they charge these people and provide evidence in courts of law? Why are they arresting people illegally, incarcerate them in ‘safe houses’, beat them up, torture them and then dump them at the border without pressing charges?

This is a serious accusation. When someone is infiltrating security organs of a country you charge them. Another thing that we have said in our meetings is that some of those Rwandans were in fact arrested by RNC operatives, including Rugema Kayumba, who illegally arrested Fidel Gatsinzi.

It’s Rugema, and one Mukombozi, who took Gatsinzi to CMI headquarters in person. It’s not me saying it, Fidel said this. Others were asked to join RNC, it’s only when they refused that they were arrested, that’s when they became ‘infiltrators’.

Others had charges changing, first its illegal entry, then its illegal possession of arms, etc…they are basically looking for excuses to justify why they are arresting Rwandans en masse.

And then why the systematic torture? How do you explain that? Why beat up people and dump them at the border.

Is the Ugandan government probably so keen on hiding something so much they end up easily arresting people for what they are feared to have seen or may end up seeing?

Well, people have said that, wondering what Uganda is hiding that every Rwandan who’s not involved in subversive activities against Rwanda is considered to be a spy. Maybe their involvement with armed groups?

Is it true that during the closed session Uganda accused Rwanda of training young Rwandans, especially students – through Itorero programme – with view to overthrowing the Government of President Museveni?

Yes, they made this ridiculous allegation, isn’t it laughable? But it was not the first time they were accusing us of that. This accusation had come up before and it first came from the President of the Republic of Uganda himself.

When it first came up, President Kagame was surprised and suggested that we should invite Minister Sam Kutesa to the next Itorero and he was invited to Gabiro to come and to talk some of those young people. He didn’t come through.

They said that they have pictures and we told them that we actually even have videos of the students, those are young Rwandans from Rwanda and Diaspora in different countries across the world, including Uganda.

We told them that among participants in this programme there are many Rwandan students from the US, China, Belgium and other countries, does it mean that we are training them to attack China, to attack Belgium, or to attack the US?

Itorero is just a national programme designed to foster unity, patriotism and culture among Rwandans. These young people study the history of Rwanda, the culture, values, but they also get basic military training. Many countries have compulsory national service, a form of conscription, which runs for up to two years.

In Rwanda, Itorero just lasts a few weeks and it includes physical exercise and basic military training. And all students are trained together regardless of where they came from.

And Uganda says that some of these students are Ugandan citizens…

That’s true, they said that. But for us, as long as one is Rwandan, we really don’t care about which other nationality they might be holding. (Rwandan constitution allows for dual citizenship).

In one of your most recent tweets, you quoted former French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau, thus “If you want to bury an issue, create a committee”. This was in reference to Uganda’s proposal that the two countries should set up a joint verification team to look into these issues. Why is Rwanda against this idea?

Because we already have one. This has been a long process already. First, we dealt with our Ugandan counterparts bilaterally for over a year, if not a year and a half. We provided evidence even at the highest level, they promised to do something about it, and nothing was done. Then we had that the Quadripartite Summit (Rwanda, Uganda, Angola and DR Congo) where issues were discussed and again President Kagame said that we have evidence of the involvement of Uganda.

Subsequently, a technical team of the facilitators – DR Congo and Angola – was put in place, they came to Rwanda, they got material evidence but they also met the people who were arrested, then they went to Uganda afterwards.

After this, the technical team reported to the principals (Heads of State) who came up with the Luanda MoU that was signed on August 21, 2019.

In the MoU, there is a provision that establishes an Ad Hoc Commission at the ministerial level, it is composed of ministers of foreign affairs, who are the heads of delegation, ministers of local administration, internal security, it also includes the heads of intelligence…the Heads of State established this framework with this composition with a purpose.

It’s because they expected that the commission would consider all the issues, including evidence, because the intelligence people have evidence, the ministers in charge of internal security and local administration have information about movement of people, actually we even added the Attorneys General, so the commission is broad enough.

We have information that we need and we used the two meetings to provide the information – both in Kigali and Kampala. But in both meetings, they were singing the same tune, ‘oh provide evidence’ while we were actually providing it, they have said ‘create a joint verification committee of heads of intelligence’, but we told them ‘we ourselves we are a commission’, these were delaying tactics, evidence was provided at length, at all levels.

We said ‘now is time to implement what we’ve agreed on, please have political will and good faith and implement what we’ve agreed’.

Is it probably a case of looking for a little more time to possibly extract themselves from this situation?

But the people don’t have time – both Rwandans and Ugandans. So more time until when? They had four months to do that if you are starting from the Luanda meeting.

As I said, Rwandans living at our borders want to live in peace without fear of being threatened or attacked by RUD-Urunana, RNC and other groups facilitated and supported by the Government of Uganda. And then Rwandan citizens want to be free to travel to Uganda to visit relatives, attend weddings of loved ones and friends, and to trade because we are both signatories to the East African Community’s Common Market Protocol.

And it’s the same for Ugandans as well. This crisis hit them as well. So we can’t just turn around, buy time, while people are suffering. This is why we don’t want any more delaying tactics, we don’t want endless meetings of the Ad Hoc Commission that doesn’t result in tangible progress.

You said in Kampala that, by Uganda continuing with the illegal arrests and detentions it had effectively closed the border. But the narrative in the Ugandan media is that Rwanda is the one to blame for the trade slump.

The fact is that it’s Uganda that closed the border because goods don’t move by themselves, they are carried by people. If Rwandan citizens, for the past two years, if not more, are being abducted, illegally arrested, tortured, detained in ‘safe houses’ over and over again, how do you turn around and say that you want trade to thrive?

Like the President said in Luanda, when you harass and arbitrarily arrest people who trade with you, you have effectively closed the border.

Critics have pointed out that Rwanda has had issues with all its immediate neighbours at one point or another…

If you’ve neighbours who keep throwing stones at your house from all sides, is that evidence that you are bad? This reminds me of something, during the Genocide against the Tutsi, a young man asked his uncle – who was one of the genocidaires – that ‘why are Tutsi being targeted and killed’ and he answered him, ‘my son, you should ask yourself if everybody is attacking the Tutsi, do you think those people are innocent?’

It’s not about the numbers, it’s not about having an issue with all your neighbours at one point or another, it’s about evidence, facts. We had issues with the previous administrations of DR Congo, the cause was known, the genocidaires – Interahamwe – crossed into Congo armed, started launching attacks on Rwanda, they benefited from support from former Heads of State.

Then Tanzania, you know the statement of former President (Jakaya Kikwete) asking us to negotiate with the same genocidaire group the FDLR, but then we know that he had contacts and links with some of them.

Then, we have Burundi and Uganda. This is about facts and evidence. It’s not even us alone. It’s also from the report of UN Group of Experts on DR Congo, which said the same thing in December 2018.

There is plenty of facts and evidence that Uganda is supporting these armed groups. Burundi, the same thing. You’ve followed the trials of those people who captured in eastern DR Congo, the RNC and others, how they were describing recruitment networks in Bujumbura. It’s not just a matter of saying these things without knowing the specifics, we take time to analyse each case, and critically analyse every piece of evidence.

From your observation, why would the Ugandan government support armed groups that have killed people?

Many things have been said about possible motivations of Uganda. Even the President said it during the last Umwiherero (National Leadership Retreat). This is not something that started yesterday, this started as far back as the 1990s.

I am not be in position to know with certainty the motivations of Uganda but in any case the issue didn’t start yesterday, we have had issues in the past, remember the Kisangani fighting?

Of course, there are those details in the book of Gérard Prunier about Seth Sendashonga and how he was plotting with Uganda against Rwanda immediately after 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. I really can’t venture further in that but what I know are facts behind the current crisis that link Uganda to Rwandan armed groups.

What does the ongoing successful operations of the Congolese army against armed groups – including those at the heart of the current crisis between Rwanda and Uganda – tell you?

First of all, I think we are living in interesting times. Since the election of President Felix Tshisekedi he has committed to eliminating all these groups, regardless of where they come from.

Things are changing. This is, of course, a blow for those groups and Rwandan political movements that organise and support them from other countries like South Africa, in European countries, and in North America.

We have tried with all those countries to do something about those people who are organising these terrorist groups and, so far, no significant progress. Now the solution is coming from the ground, from those operations by the Congolese forces.

It’s a blow for those political groups, like RNC of Kayumba Nyamwasa and his networks in Europe, North America etcetera, but it’s also a blow to the countries supporting those groups and we believe that, maybe, if this can convince them that they are betting on the wrong horse, then maybe that could contribute to the resolution of this crisis.

But, in any case, these operations are giving us hope for peace and security in eastern DR Congo, which would open a new era of cooperation with DR Congo but also with other countries in the region because we have many projects to work on together, such as infrastructure and energy.

So this is really, I would say, a turning point and we hope that Uganda and Burundi will understand that it is not in their interest and it’s not in the interest of their people to continue supporting those destabilising forces.

The Congolese government is no longer willing to let those groups operate freely on its territory and we hope these developments will convince the countries to return to the table of peace, good neighbourliness and regional cooperation.

Finally, your message to the people of Rwanda…

My message is that, of course, we care about their security, the two main issues we are having with Uganda are about their security – the armed groups that threaten their security, and the security of Rwandans in Uganda. This is why we are telling Rwandans that the travel advisory we issued still holds, the reasons at the origin of it are still there.

Rwandans are not safe in Uganda and we urge Rwandans not to travel to Uganda.

For their security here, we are telling them that we are ready to defend them. We’d have preferred, of course, solving the issues diplomatically with our Ugandan counterparts but since the signing of the Luanda MoU almost four months ago, since we signed the Kigali Communique three months ago, it is clear that there is no good faith and no political will on the part of Uganda to resolve this crisis, but of course we’ll continue to engage our counterparts to see if they can change their mind.

In the meantime, we’ll protect our territory, we’ll protect our citizens within our territory, this is why we tell Rwandans that you are safe in Rwanda, but you are not safe in Uganda and that’s why we request you not to travel to Uganda until this issue is resolved.

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