The government of Uganda through Ministry of Foreign Affairs has strongly dismissed media reports suggesting that President Yoweri Museveni is planning to topple his long-time comrade President Paul Kagame of Rwanda.
The reports appeared in a local newspaper Red Pepper on Monday quoting a Rwandan online publication Rushyashya.
The Ministry has since issued a press statement; below we produce it unedited.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has learned, with dismay, of the Red Pepper cover story carried on Monday November 20, 2017 with the headline “M7 plotting to overthrow Kagame – Rwanda” in which the Red Pepper reproduces a malicious article by a Rwandan online publication “Rushyashya” of an alleged plan by the Ugandan Government to overthrow the Rwanda Government.
The Ministry dismisses, with contempt, allegations carried by any media publications or platforms to the effect that relations between Rwanda and Uganda are anything but strong and cordial.
The Ministry informs the citizens of both Uganda and Rwanda that the continuous innuendo by the likes of “Rushyashya” and various other media outlets both in Uganda and Rwanda, including the Red Pepper is mischievous at best, irresponsible at worst and meant to sow discord between our two sister nations. The Ministry condemns such abuse of the communication platforms they are privileged to manage.
The Ministry calls upon the public to ignore any alleged “list of grievances against Uganda by Rwanda” which is expertly planted and regurgitated in various media outlets by diabolical sources, as though it were factual. There has been no concern raised through the agreed official channels by either State and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has no reason to suggest anything to the contrary.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs categorically states that bilateral ties between Uganda and Rwanda remain solid and Rwanda remains a strategic partner to Uganda in both our visions for integration and for peace and security in the region.
It should be clearly emphasized that there are agreed avenues, procedures and mechanisms through which any discontentment or misunderstandings between both our countries may be raised as well as addressed. The media is not one of them.
