{UAH} WHY DOES MUSEVENI HIDE HIS PROUD RWANDESE HERITAGE?
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7:01 PM |
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Right from the time Museveni came to the political scene till today, sections of Ugandans have claimed that he is of Rwandese origin. The NRA Code of Conduct had made any form of secterian tendencies a grave offence. When he came to power, among the first laws that were decreed by his military goverment into the Penal Code was the Anti-Secterianism law. This law was meant cater for the anticipated anti-Rwandese sentiments.
Rwandese President Habyarimaana had blessed the introduction of formal ranks into the NRA ceremony. Habyarimana had been tricked into pysically decorating Fred Rwigyema with the Major General pips. Two years later its the same Rwigyema who led the attack on Rwanda. Just a day after the attack, Fred Rwigyema was killed. The cause of his death has remained a mystery. The most accepted version is that his death was a result of internal power struggle ochestrated by Dr. Baingana. Gen. Saleh a long time close personal friend to Friend to Rwigyena is said to have proceeded to the frontline and rounded all the key conspirators before sumarily executing them. Had Rwigyema not died during the early days of the invasion, alot of non Rwandese in the NRA would have deserted to the RPA to assist Rwigyema as an individual more than the the Rwandese cause. Even Gen. Saleh lost interest in the entire venture and since then his relationship with the Kigali government remains fragile.
Following the surprise attack on Rwanda and the sudden death of Rwigyema, the Rwanda goverment forces made a successful counter attack against the RPF. The RPF was pushed back across the border into Uganda. Many perished into the Akagera National Park, killed by even bees, drowning as many deserted. It against this background that Paul Kagame who was attending a military course in the USA had to cut short his course and return to Uganda to take over the overall command of RPF. It is at this time that Museveni felt stuck with these Rwandese if they were to be defeated. He knew that there was no more room for them in the NRA. Therefore the only way was to push the RPF further inside into Rwanda. A special arms depot was estblished at former Bihanga Prison for the RPF war efforts. The Mbarara based NRA 2nd Division under Peter Kerim was tasked with aiding the RPF in terms of Combat logistics and personnel. An RPF military radio communication Unit personnel was attached to the NRA Div Commander. The Kabale based NRA brigade under Anthony Kyakabale had been tasked to make occassional incursion into Rwanda to aid the RPF. Actually, at times Kyakabale would sturbonly refuse to come to the RPF's rescue until when he would be offered a looted car by the RPF.
In Kampala private mobilisation for the RPF cause intensfied. The likes of Majambere and Kananura committed alot of personal resources to the RPF cause. Prominent Rwandese in the diaspora commited personal resources though established channels based in Uganda. James Kabarebe and others who had been attending an Officer Cadet course in Jinja at the time of the invasion also joined the RPA. Patrick Karegyeya was moved from DMI to the Anti-Smuggling Unit. He had to play a crucial role in liaising external connections and diplomatic work.
Within the NRA several Rwandese did not go to RPF but chose to stay and they continue to serve to this day. It was not only criminal to pin point someone as being Rwandese but it was not easy to accurately identify one. Many did not hide their Rwandese identity but there a more evasive group that opted to claim Hima ethinicity. At DMI there had been two Rwandese Hutus namely Kagaba and Gatare who were both university graduates. While all the Rwandes Tutsis in DMI were predominantly under Counter Intelligence department, the two Hutus were segregated and issolated under Combat Intelligence department. At the time of the RPF invasion, Kagaba who was thought to have been working for the Habyarimana goverment in Rwanda, fled to Zambia. Anthony Gatare remained stuck in NRA and has always been in and out of jails for allegedly spying for Rwanda.
After the exodus of RPF, there were gaps left in the fields that they had been dominating. Those in the NRA who all along been suffocated by the Rwandese's tough stand on corruption, embezzelement, and general accumulation of illegal wealth. The impunity in the vice (money rush) in the NRA can be traced to this period. Good enough, at the time save for the inrurgency in northern and eastern Uganda, Museveni's personal security detail had not become an issue. At the time, the NRA junior level had very few Himas with some level of education to fill the gaps left by the departing Rwandese. Later, intervention plans were innitiated among them, the First Son Muhozi's LDU project. The RPF took four years to take over power culminating into the 1994 Genocide.
Later, Jack Nziiza was declared Persona Non Grata in Kenya following the assasination of a Rwandese dissident Seith Sendashonga in Nairobi.
Rwandese President Habyarimaana had blessed the introduction of formal ranks into the NRA ceremony. Habyarimana had been tricked into pysically decorating Fred Rwigyema with the Major General pips. Two years later its the same Rwigyema who led the attack on Rwanda. Just a day after the attack, Fred Rwigyema was killed. The cause of his death has remained a mystery. The most accepted version is that his death was a result of internal power struggle ochestrated by Dr. Baingana. Gen. Saleh a long time close personal friend to Friend to Rwigyena is said to have proceeded to the frontline and rounded all the key conspirators before sumarily executing them. Had Rwigyema not died during the early days of the invasion, alot of non Rwandese in the NRA would have deserted to the RPA to assist Rwigyema as an individual more than the the Rwandese cause. Even Gen. Saleh lost interest in the entire venture and since then his relationship with the Kigali government remains fragile.
Following the surprise attack on Rwanda and the sudden death of Rwigyema, the Rwanda goverment forces made a successful counter attack against the RPF. The RPF was pushed back across the border into Uganda. Many perished into the Akagera National Park, killed by even bees, drowning as many deserted. It against this background that Paul Kagame who was attending a military course in the USA had to cut short his course and return to Uganda to take over the overall command of RPF. It is at this time that Museveni felt stuck with these Rwandese if they were to be defeated. He knew that there was no more room for them in the NRA. Therefore the only way was to push the RPF further inside into Rwanda. A special arms depot was estblished at former Bihanga Prison for the RPF war efforts. The Mbarara based NRA 2nd Division under Peter Kerim was tasked with aiding the RPF in terms of Combat logistics and personnel. An RPF military radio communication Unit personnel was attached to the NRA Div Commander. The Kabale based NRA brigade under Anthony Kyakabale had been tasked to make occassional incursion into Rwanda to aid the RPF. Actually, at times Kyakabale would sturbonly refuse to come to the RPF's rescue until when he would be offered a looted car by the RPF.
In Kampala private mobilisation for the RPF cause intensfied. The likes of Majambere and Kananura committed alot of personal resources to the RPF cause. Prominent Rwandese in the diaspora commited personal resources though established channels based in Uganda. James Kabarebe and others who had been attending an Officer Cadet course in Jinja at the time of the invasion also joined the RPA. Patrick Karegyeya was moved from DMI to the Anti-Smuggling Unit. He had to play a crucial role in liaising external connections and diplomatic work.
Within the NRA several Rwandese did not go to RPF but chose to stay and they continue to serve to this day. It was not only criminal to pin point someone as being Rwandese but it was not easy to accurately identify one. Many did not hide their Rwandese identity but there a more evasive group that opted to claim Hima ethinicity. At DMI there had been two Rwandese Hutus namely Kagaba and Gatare who were both university graduates. While all the Rwandes Tutsis in DMI were predominantly under Counter Intelligence department, the two Hutus were segregated and issolated under Combat Intelligence department. At the time of the RPF invasion, Kagaba who was thought to have been working for the Habyarimana goverment in Rwanda, fled to Zambia. Anthony Gatare remained stuck in NRA and has always been in and out of jails for allegedly spying for Rwanda.
After the exodus of RPF, there were gaps left in the fields that they had been dominating. Those in the NRA who all along been suffocated by the Rwandese's tough stand on corruption, embezzelement, and general accumulation of illegal wealth. The impunity in the vice (money rush) in the NRA can be traced to this period. Good enough, at the time save for the inrurgency in northern and eastern Uganda, Museveni's personal security detail had not become an issue. At the time, the NRA junior level had very few Himas with some level of education to fill the gaps left by the departing Rwandese. Later, intervention plans were innitiated among them, the First Son Muhozi's LDU project. The RPF took four years to take over power culminating into the 1994 Genocide.
Later, Jack Nziiza was declared Persona Non Grata in Kenya following the assasination of a Rwandese dissident Seith Sendashonga in Nairobi.
Posted by Uganda - A Change of Guards!
Viele GruBe
Robukui
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