{UAH} WHY AND HOW DID THE NRA( BUTARE BOY) CLAS WITH RPA IN CONGO? KALE WE KNOW ABOUT U IN DRC.
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WHY AND HOW DID THE NRA CLASH WITH RPA IN CONGO?
In April 1999 the Rwanda backed RCD leader, Prof. Wamba Dia Wamba was replaced by Emilly Ilunga. Uganda lured Prof. Wamba to relocate to Kisangani where he defected together with his close body guards that included Bosco Ntaganda. In Kisangani, Uganda helped Prof Wamba to form and head a rival RCD faction that came to be known as RCD Kisangani. The original Rwanda backed RCD headed by Emille Ilunga retained its headquarters in Goma and came to be known as RCD Goma.
Earlier on Kaziini had indentified and introduced to Museveni a one Jean Piere Bemba - a Gbadolite based business tycoon. With Museveni's approval, the NRA took Bemba through a crush paramilitary training programme at the Jinja School of Infantry. Back in the Northern DRC town of Gbadolite, a rebel MLC headed by Bemba was born. The NRA helped with recruitment and training of MLC fighters in both Congo and Uganda.
Museveni despatched James Wapakhabulo, Kahinda Otafire and Noble Mayombo to help as political backers of RCD Kisangani. Museveni through his 'colonial Governors' that he had sent to the Congo had sanctioned the creation of a new teritory of Ituri amidist protests by Congolese. In August 1998 following the signing of the Lusaka ceasefire in July 1999, Zambia's foreign Minister intended to visit Kisangani to among other things to assess Prof. Wamba's popularity. Kaziini provocatively deployed the NRA behind the RPA line of Defence and when the RPA exercised restraint, he ordered an NRA armed convoy led by Gavas Mugyenyi to ride through the RPA defence. His intention was to provoke a situation that would make it impossible for the Zambian Minister to tour the area.
The tension resulted into open military confrontation between RPA and NRA. Kazini had flown in reinforcements from Gbadolite only to land at Bangok airport amidist skirmishes. The RPA under the command of Patrick Nyamvumba had tough commanders like then Major Ruvusha. Nyamvumba had been in NRA when he trained as an officer cadet in Nigeria. Some of the Ugandans that had trained with Nyamvumba in Nigeria had been dismissed from the NRA by Kaziini when he was the C.O Mechanised Regiment. These officers were accused of trying to know the destination of the first ever Tanks that were going to guard State House following the experience of the assassination of Burundi's Ndadaye. At the time of the clashes one of the victims was escorting the Lebanese mineral dealers betwen Entebbe airport and Kampala as he was working as a security guard with Gen Saleh's private security company. Gen. Kazini had underestimated the capability of the RPA commanders whom Museveni always refered to as 'these boys'. On the other hand, Kazini had his usual rogue commanders like Ikondere, Gavas, Kagumaho,Ssegamwenge and the para military senior officers like Mayombo and Otafiire. The last two together with Prof Wamba narrowly survived death or capture between Hotel Wagenia and Soteski Textile factory with the help of CMI's Sgt Mugume. The descent NRA commanders like Ddiba Sentongo and Makona who had defied orders by Kaziini's ADC, Nuwe Kyepaka were arrested and incercerated in Makindye for a long time. By the time a full ceasefire took effect, RPA's James Kabarebe had taken over Command and the results were embarrassing to the NRA.
Following the talks between Museveni and Kagame who was the then Rwanda's Vice President and Minister of Defence, a cease fire came into effect. It was also agreed that the two overall Commanders i.e Kazini and Nyamvumba be withdrawn from Kisangani. Rwanda complied by withdrawing Nyamvumba but Museveni retained Kazini as the overall Commander of OSH. In the Kisangani sector, Museveni deployed Col. Edson Muzoora but very soon Kazini succeded in having him removed. He was replaced by the rouge Col. Sula Semakula inorder to prepare for a revange on RPA and regain NRA's lost glory. Museveni while justfying Muzoora's removal publicly stated that "Muzoora had become friendly to the Rwandese". With Col. Sula now in charge, another round of fighting was a guarantee. Earlier on a joint probe team had been instituted headed by NRA's Army Commander, JJ Odong and RPA's Chief of Staff, Kayumba Nyamwasa. The final report implicated Kaziini as the source of trouble but Museveni dismissed it and instead NRA's Army Commander, JJ Odong was accused of treachery. The then Ag CMI Noble Mayombo who did not realise that he was in a 'trap' suggested that JJ Odong deserved lynching.
Kaziini continued to head the OSH in Congo. Next was the 2nd and 3rd round of fighting with RPA and the event that followed proved catastrophic for the NRA and Uganda as a country.
INFORMATION IS POWER.
Earlier on Kaziini had indentified and introduced to Museveni a one Jean Piere Bemba - a Gbadolite based business tycoon. With Museveni's approval, the NRA took Bemba through a crush paramilitary training programme at the Jinja School of Infantry. Back in the Northern DRC town of Gbadolite, a rebel MLC headed by Bemba was born. The NRA helped with recruitment and training of MLC fighters in both Congo and Uganda.
Museveni despatched James Wapakhabulo, Kahinda Otafire and Noble Mayombo to help as political backers of RCD Kisangani. Museveni through his 'colonial Governors' that he had sent to the Congo had sanctioned the creation of a new teritory of Ituri amidist protests by Congolese. In August 1998 following the signing of the Lusaka ceasefire in July 1999, Zambia's foreign Minister intended to visit Kisangani to among other things to assess Prof. Wamba's popularity. Kaziini provocatively deployed the NRA behind the RPA line of Defence and when the RPA exercised restraint, he ordered an NRA armed convoy led by Gavas Mugyenyi to ride through the RPA defence. His intention was to provoke a situation that would make it impossible for the Zambian Minister to tour the area.
The tension resulted into open military confrontation between RPA and NRA. Kazini had flown in reinforcements from Gbadolite only to land at Bangok airport amidist skirmishes. The RPA under the command of Patrick Nyamvumba had tough commanders like then Major Ruvusha. Nyamvumba had been in NRA when he trained as an officer cadet in Nigeria. Some of the Ugandans that had trained with Nyamvumba in Nigeria had been dismissed from the NRA by Kaziini when he was the C.O Mechanised Regiment. These officers were accused of trying to know the destination of the first ever Tanks that were going to guard State House following the experience of the assassination of Burundi's Ndadaye. At the time of the clashes one of the victims was escorting the Lebanese mineral dealers betwen Entebbe airport and Kampala as he was working as a security guard with Gen Saleh's private security company. Gen. Kazini had underestimated the capability of the RPA commanders whom Museveni always refered to as 'these boys'. On the other hand, Kazini had his usual rogue commanders like Ikondere, Gavas, Kagumaho,Ssegamwenge and the para military senior officers like Mayombo and Otafiire. The last two together with Prof Wamba narrowly survived death or capture between Hotel Wagenia and Soteski Textile factory with the help of CMI's Sgt Mugume. The descent NRA commanders like Ddiba Sentongo and Makona who had defied orders by Kaziini's ADC, Nuwe Kyepaka were arrested and incercerated in Makindye for a long time. By the time a full ceasefire took effect, RPA's James Kabarebe had taken over Command and the results were embarrassing to the NRA.
Following the talks between Museveni and Kagame who was the then Rwanda's Vice President and Minister of Defence, a cease fire came into effect. It was also agreed that the two overall Commanders i.e Kazini and Nyamvumba be withdrawn from Kisangani. Rwanda complied by withdrawing Nyamvumba but Museveni retained Kazini as the overall Commander of OSH. In the Kisangani sector, Museveni deployed Col. Edson Muzoora but very soon Kazini succeded in having him removed. He was replaced by the rouge Col. Sula Semakula inorder to prepare for a revange on RPA and regain NRA's lost glory. Museveni while justfying Muzoora's removal publicly stated that "Muzoora had become friendly to the Rwandese". With Col. Sula now in charge, another round of fighting was a guarantee. Earlier on a joint probe team had been instituted headed by NRA's Army Commander, JJ Odong and RPA's Chief of Staff, Kayumba Nyamwasa. The final report implicated Kaziini as the source of trouble but Museveni dismissed it and instead NRA's Army Commander, JJ Odong was accused of treachery. The then Ag CMI Noble Mayombo who did not realise that he was in a 'trap' suggested that JJ Odong deserved lynching.
Kaziini continued to head the OSH in Congo. Next was the 2nd and 3rd round of fighting with RPA and the event that followed proved catastrophic for the NRA and Uganda as a country.
INFORMATION IS POWER.
Posted by Uganda - A Change of Guards!
Viele GruBe
Robukui
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