Rwanda, for long time has consistently accused its neighbouring state Uganda of hosting rebels who are threatening a military action against its government.
Although without filing an official complaint with the East African Community (EAC), a regional intergovernmental organization of 6 partner states, Rwanda, six days ago rushed to close its border with Uganda at Gatuna thus denying entry hundreds of cargo trucks into the country.
The closure is seen by Uganda as a deliberate move to curtail business.
Against that background, Rwanda through its spokesperson and also Minister of Foreign affairs, Dr. Richard Sezibera who attained his education in Uganda came out to justify border closure claiming that Uganda is harbouring dissidents planning to attack his country.
The outspoken minister though ‘reckless’ with diction bluntly said without mentioning names that some individuals in President Museveni’s government have been collaborating with two rebel outfits, RNC and FDLR all opposed to President Paul Kagame’s rule.
At Gatuna border a heavy deployment of Rwandan combatants can be seen from a distance prompting observers to conclude that this is a veiled signal that Rwanda is ready for war under a pretext of defending its territory.
Philemon Mateke
This website understands that a Ugandan official referred to as abetting these rebel groups is none other than State Minister of Regional Affairs Philemon Mateke who hails from Kisoro a close District to Rwanda.
According to two online outlets affiliated to Kagame’s government and popular for peddling propaganda against Uganda, Igihe and Vurunga post in January published stories linking Uganda to two FDLR rebel leaders who were arrested last December in Congo and later extradited to Rwanda.
These two Rwandan dissidents are, Ignace Nkaka alias Forge Fils Bazeye The FDLR spokesperson and his comrade Lt. Col. Theophile Abega Head of Intelligence.
According to Minister Sezibera, the duo has since given Rwanda very useful information part of it being facilitated elements by in Uganda government.
Earlier, Igihe News reported that Bazeye and Abega were arrested in Bunagana on Uganda- DRC border while traveling from Kampala where they attended a high profile meeting.
“Last week this website reported on a meeting in Kampala between Ugandan senior security officials and high-level RNC and FDLR representatives in Kampala at President Museveni’s invitation. The meeting, which took place at the Kampala Serena between December 14 and 15, was coordinated by Philemon Mateke, Uganda’s state minister for regional affairs,” part of the story reads carrying a headline, “Museveni’s Support for Rwanda’s Dissidents continues as Kampala Meeting Details are revealed.”
Igihe adds, “The elderly gentleman had a special message from President Museveni for the two terrorist outfits. On December 15, the FDLR delegation led by its spokesperson and deputy chief of intelligence, Ignace Nkaka (aka LaForge Bazeye Fils), was arrested by DR Congo authorities at the Uganda-Congo border post of Bunagana. They transported him first to Goma, then on to Kinshasa for questioning.”
The story further alleges that before traveling to Kampala last year, FDLR rebels were hosted at Mubano Hotel in Kisoro which belongs to Minister Mateke.
Reaching Kampala Igihe claims, Bazeye and his colleague led by Minister Mateke then met RNC delegation spearheaded by Frank Ntwari at Serena Hotel in Kampala.
Ntwari is a brother in-law to Maj Gen Kayumba Nyamwa, Rwanda’s most wanted fugitive currently living in South Africa.
Nyamwasa has survived several assassination attempts and he accuses Kagame as the master minder.
Mateke and Mugambage
These Rwandan publications aver that Mateke assured the two group of Uganda’s support until Kagame is removed from power.
This website has gathered that upon disclosing such details, Rwanda’s leader Kagame has since gone ‘berserk’ and as Commander in Chief ordered the combatants to oil their guns and prepare to defend their sovereignty.
This explains why in an interview with East African Newspaper, Kagame sounded war drums by openly accusing Uganda of communicating with a group of Rwandan renegades in South Africa.
“My problem with Uganda started in South Africa,” Kagame said.
But Uganda however, rubbished off Rwanda’s accusations but maintained strong stance on criminal Rwandan migrants whose aim is to distablise the country.
In fact, government Spokesperson Mr. Ofwono Opondo said President Museveni had advised all authorities to cease discussing Rwanda’s claims in the media, insisting that there are proper channels where such matters can be resolved.
Later on Tuesday Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Kutesa in his statement maintained all Rwandans who are ready to abide by the land’s laws are welcome and having nothing to fear.
Last week Kutesa’s counterpart Sezibera issued a travel advisory to all Rwandans to desist from traveling to Uganda because they would subjected to torture and extreme persecution.
TrumpetNews Investigates
According to an investigation carried out by this website on the two FDLR leaders who are currently in detention in Rwanda and have reportedly “given useful” information to authorities, the two rebels were not extradited as earlier reported by Congolese government.
The Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) is an armed rebel group active in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. An ethnic Hutu group opposed to the ethnic Tutsi influence.
A source who wished not remain unnamed said the arrest of Bazeye and Abega was a well orchestrated plan launched by Kigali with a help of Congolese Forces that demanded a huge pay cheque once the mission is executed.
“Bazeye and ilk were betrayed by one of their own who revealed their whereabouts to Congolese army,” said a source.
They were abducted from Eastern Congo and planned to propagate propaganda that they duo had been arrested from Bunagana while travelling from Kampala, our investigation reveals.
“Rwanda paid hefty amount for the two rebels around shs 5 billion (UGX)” adds a source.
While in DRC prison, the already compromised army officials voluntarily handed over Bazeye and his colleague to Rwanda army and were extradited to Kigali where they are detained todate.
This happened at a time Congo was embroiled in an election petition crisis a calculated move to have no local media attention over the ‘repatriation’ of these FDLR rebels.
In Rwanda detention, they have been subjected to tortured and later coached to implicate Uganda as planning overthrow Kagame.
Our investigation likened the mechanism used to repatriate these FDLR rebel leaders to how Rwandan refugees in Uganda were kidnapped and forcefully handed over to their home government by rogue cops between 2012 and 2016 during General Kale Kayihura’s reign as Inspector General of Police.
Mateke Fires Back
“Am I really interested in becoming President of Rwanda?” the ageing politician queried what could be his interest in aiding Rwandan rebels when contacted.
He added, “those are lies ignore.”
On claims he hosts the rebels at his facility in Kisoro, Mateke raised a voice, “they have been writing that rubbish, it’s not new to me. That is rubbish,” he said before ending our call.
