{UAH} HOW WAS THE RPF EXODUS FROM NRA ACCOMPLISHED?
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HOW WAS THE RPF EXODUS FROM NRA?
Museveni is not being sincere when he repeatedly claims that he did not know if some of the boys he was recruiting into FRONASA, UNLA and later NRA were Rwandese. When Rwandese from his FRONASA faction of the UNLA were eliminated from the new army, he had retained then as his private army and were to form the core of his guerilla army. Both in the bush and in goverment, Museveni enjoyed 100% loyality from Rwandese fighters. A provision in the NRA Code of Coduct barring any form of sectarian tendencies was aimed at protecting the Rwande fighters. It was highly dangerous to even mention the word Rwanda. Ofcourse, the Rwandese Tutsis like any other right thinking people in exile, were looking for an opportunity of going back to their home country. The UPC goverment rightly knew that Rwandese Tutsi refugees from both the settlement camps and outside the camps were escaping to join the NRA guerillas. In 1982 a motion was tabled in parliament seeking to repatriate these refugees back to Rwanda. The motion was rejected on grounds of respect for international law. However, the Minister of Security Chris Rwakasisi mobilised local UPC leaders and Youth Wingers in Mbarara to brutally chase the Rwandese back to Rwanda. It was not a government policy and that is why the Rwandese who were settled in other areas outside Mbarara were not harassed. A number of Rwandese were staunch members of the UPC party and government. Nathan Kalema who was the District Commissioner of Luwero during the bush war is a Rwandese and was a staunch UPC member and a Senior Officer in NASA. However, the incident was an advantage to Museveni as several of the victims ran to the bush to boost his guerilla ranks. In return, Museveni has rewarded Rwakasisi with a presidential pardon and a fat government job while Hajji Sebirumbi was hanged. Next time Museveni will appoint him Uganda's Ambassador to Rwanda.
When the NRA took over power, the Rwandese dominated key departments of the army like Intelligence, Finance, Supplies etc. This is mainly because of among other reasons, their sound academic background. To some senior Ugandan NRAs, the war was over and it was time to steal and accumulate wealth. To the Rwandese NRAs, they had completed only phase one of the struggle and the second phase was to involve invading Rwanda and returning home. Because they had a stake in the NRA's stability, they had zero tolerrancence for corruption, embezzelement and crime in general. This earned Paul Kagame the nickname 'Pilato'. However, Fred Rwigyema's amazing popularity among all sections of the NRA and Ugandans matched that of Saleh and it helped alot to neutralise the growing animosity towards Rwandese in the NRA. Rwigyema had been the Deputy Army Commander and later Minister of state for Defence. Among the NRA senior officers there was dissent against Museveni's overreliance on Rwandese and Rwigyema in particular. It had become common for Rwigyema to pitch camp in State House whenever Museveni would be away.
By the begining of 1990, rumours were high that the Rwandese in NRA were planning to invade Rwanda. The Rwanda goverment through their embasy in Kampala intensified intelligence gathering. Most of the agents it sent were Rwandese Tutsis residing in Rwanda. Museveni rendered Fred Rwigyema redundant. Fred used the cover of sending his escort Unit under Capt Kayitare to Kabamba Training School for a refresher training. While there Capt Kayitare liaised with Capt Musitwa who was based at Bihanga training school to coordinate the training of Rwandese recruits to be used in the attack on Rwanda. The recruits used to come from as far as Tanzania. Then Sgt Moses Rwakitarate of DMI spearheaded the investigations (behind Kagane's back) into this illegal recruitment and training of Rwandese. Consequently, in a major shake up of DMI, Andrew Lutaaya was moved to the Anti-Smuggling unit, Byemaro Mijumbi became the new DMI with Fred Tolit as his Deputy. Paulo Kagame was rendered innactive and demoted to Asst. Director Techinical unit in DMI where he was assisted by Eng. Michael Bossa. He was unimpressed and reluctant to take up the new assignment. From the powerful, busy and posh office on the top floor of Basiima House to the innactive ground floor office partitioned by plywood, it was indeed humiliating for the powerful Major Paul Kagame. Soon after he left for a military course in the USA. However, the equally powerful Asst. Director of the strategic Counter Intelligence Lt. Patrick Karegyeya retained his position and assistf by Sgt Jack Nziiza, their network was not inturrupted.
On the 1st October 1990, a big number of Rwandese in the NRA led by Fred Rwigyema escaped and went to attack Rwanda. Three days later DMI deployed Sgt Jack Nziza (believing him to be a Mufumbira from Kisoro) to gather intelligence on the activities of the deserters but he never came back to this day.
NEXT: Dont miss the impact of the desertion and how RPA progressed.
When the NRA took over power, the Rwandese dominated key departments of the army like Intelligence, Finance, Supplies etc. This is mainly because of among other reasons, their sound academic background. To some senior Ugandan NRAs, the war was over and it was time to steal and accumulate wealth. To the Rwandese NRAs, they had completed only phase one of the struggle and the second phase was to involve invading Rwanda and returning home. Because they had a stake in the NRA's stability, they had zero tolerrancence for corruption, embezzelement and crime in general. This earned Paul Kagame the nickname 'Pilato'. However, Fred Rwigyema's amazing popularity among all sections of the NRA and Ugandans matched that of Saleh and it helped alot to neutralise the growing animosity towards Rwandese in the NRA. Rwigyema had been the Deputy Army Commander and later Minister of state for Defence. Among the NRA senior officers there was dissent against Museveni's overreliance on Rwandese and Rwigyema in particular. It had become common for Rwigyema to pitch camp in State House whenever Museveni would be away.
By the begining of 1990, rumours were high that the Rwandese in NRA were planning to invade Rwanda. The Rwanda goverment through their embasy in Kampala intensified intelligence gathering. Most of the agents it sent were Rwandese Tutsis residing in Rwanda. Museveni rendered Fred Rwigyema redundant. Fred used the cover of sending his escort Unit under Capt Kayitare to Kabamba Training School for a refresher training. While there Capt Kayitare liaised with Capt Musitwa who was based at Bihanga training school to coordinate the training of Rwandese recruits to be used in the attack on Rwanda. The recruits used to come from as far as Tanzania. Then Sgt Moses Rwakitarate of DMI spearheaded the investigations (behind Kagane's back) into this illegal recruitment and training of Rwandese. Consequently, in a major shake up of DMI, Andrew Lutaaya was moved to the Anti-Smuggling unit, Byemaro Mijumbi became the new DMI with Fred Tolit as his Deputy. Paulo Kagame was rendered innactive and demoted to Asst. Director Techinical unit in DMI where he was assisted by Eng. Michael Bossa. He was unimpressed and reluctant to take up the new assignment. From the powerful, busy and posh office on the top floor of Basiima House to the innactive ground floor office partitioned by plywood, it was indeed humiliating for the powerful Major Paul Kagame. Soon after he left for a military course in the USA. However, the equally powerful Asst. Director of the strategic Counter Intelligence Lt. Patrick Karegyeya retained his position and assistf by Sgt Jack Nziiza, their network was not inturrupted.
On the 1st October 1990, a big number of Rwandese in the NRA led by Fred Rwigyema escaped and went to attack Rwanda. Three days later DMI deployed Sgt Jack Nziza (believing him to be a Mufumbira from Kisoro) to gather intelligence on the activities of the deserters but he never came back to this day.
NEXT: Dont miss the impact of the desertion and how RPA progressed.
Posted by Uganda - A Change of Guards!
Viele GruBe
Robukui
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