{UAH} SONGS OF FREEDOM, LET US TAKE UGANDA BACK
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SONGS OF FREEDOM, LET US TAKE UGANDA BACK
Colonial boundary demarcations placed Kisoro district on the Ugandan side and Ruhengeri province on the Rwanda side. The people of Kisoro became Bafumbira while those of Ruhengeri remained Rwandese of the Bakiga Hutu ethinic group. Late President Habyarimana was a Mukiga Hutu. In Kisoro among the Bafumbira are both Hutus and minority Tutsis. Rwandese migrantion into Uganda in search of land hightened during the early 20th Century. This migration involved both Tutsis and Hutus searching for pasture and arable land respectively. This group settled and assimilated with local communities in the western and central regions. Majority especially the Hutus lost their Rwandese identity while the Tutsi kept their identity a closely guarded family secret. In the early 1990s during a funeral vigil
at Gen Aronda's residence on Buganda Road, close family mourners broke into Kinyarwanda hymns leaving many other onlookers bemused.
In 1959 a new wave of Tutsis fled Rwanda into Uganda as refugees. They were settled in refugee camps in Tooro and Ankole. Those with the means managed to leave these camps, acquire land, education and accumulated wealth. The economicaly disabled remained in the camps but enjoyed equal social services with nationals. Uganda's weak immigration laws made it easy for both the Rwandese immigrants and refugees to access goverment jobs in the civil and security services. It was not easy to distinguish a Munyankole Hima from a Rwandese Tutsi on one hand and a Ugandan Mufumbira from a Rwandese migrant or refugee on the other hand. Museveni knowingly used these refugees in his NRA wars.
In 1990, Rwandese Tutsi refugees in the NRA invaded Rwanda. Many remained in the NRA where they continue to serve todate. The RPF invaded through a hostile teritory of Uganda's Kisoro district where the majority Bafumbira are Hutus and were sympathetic to the Habyarimana regime. Many other Rwandese Tutsis in Congo, Tanzania, Burundi and even the diaspora flocked into Uganda to join hands with the RPF invasion. The likes of ICC's Ntaganda and Nkunda who are now climing to be Congolese were in the RPF fighting the Hutu government of Rwanda. After the RPF took over power many Rwandese Tutsi in Uganda simply moved en masse with their cattle and returned to Rwanda. The government, UNHCR and other aid agencies were not involved in the repatriation. Earlier on, these Tutsi refugees has kind of been naturalised by the NRM regime. Imagine a refuge camp where most of the adult males are members of the army of the host government. Deputy Army Comander, Director of Medical services, Director of intelligence, Brigade and Batallion Comanders, District commissioners etc were all registered refugees and would visit the camp in military helicopters and escorted by machine guns.
Those who had established themselves outside the camps did not bother to return but are well represented in the Rwanda government by some family members. It is very common to find scenarios like a Ugandan Nurse in Mulago Hospital having a brother who is a Colnel in the Rwanda army while another brother is a State Attorney in Uganda and the father is a teacher in Uganda as an uncle is Rwanda's Ambassador to Canada. That is why during the early days many top Rwandese Tutsi officials in the Rwanda government would invest their savings and send their children to school in Uganda. Also, many of those who had returned to Rwanda en masse returned and settled in Uganda after finding the going not easy in Rwanda. During the time Kagame was a Vice President in Rwanda, Kayihura and Aronda would facilitate him to sneak out of Rwanda, visit Museveni or even transit through Uganda before sneaking back without the knowledge of the then figurehead Hutu President of Rwanda. In this way, when Museveni brought on board the likes of Kaihura and Aronda at the helm of security in Uganda, definetely the souring relations between the two countries were cemented.
It has always been speculated that Museveni is a Rwandese. During the new constitution making process, Museveni managed to push through a provision that introduced Banyarwanda as one indigenous tribes of Uganda. The deal was sealed and Saleh who had all along been refered to as his half brother now became a full brother. Amazingly, no Munyarwanda is willing to openly identify him/herself as one. They commonly identify themselves as Banyankole. Calling him a Munyarwanda amounts to secterianism. Beyond Kigezi, Ankole and some parts of western Uganda, the communities there cant differenciate betwen Hima and Tutsi pastrolists instead they simply generalise them as Balaalo. These gun wielding 'Balalos' have been a problen to the host comunities. Museveni only sends in his NRA Generals to quell the land conflicts without explaining how and why these Balaalos came to be armed with automatic rifles. No doubt, as is the case with the Banyamulenge of Congo, these Banyarwanda of Uganda owe their allegiance to the Tutsi regime in Rwanda.
at Gen Aronda's residence on Buganda Road, close family mourners broke into Kinyarwanda hymns leaving many other onlookers bemused.
In 1959 a new wave of Tutsis fled Rwanda into Uganda as refugees. They were settled in refugee camps in Tooro and Ankole. Those with the means managed to leave these camps, acquire land, education and accumulated wealth. The economicaly disabled remained in the camps but enjoyed equal social services with nationals. Uganda's weak immigration laws made it easy for both the Rwandese immigrants and refugees to access goverment jobs in the civil and security services. It was not easy to distinguish a Munyankole Hima from a Rwandese Tutsi on one hand and a Ugandan Mufumbira from a Rwandese migrant or refugee on the other hand. Museveni knowingly used these refugees in his NRA wars.
In 1990, Rwandese Tutsi refugees in the NRA invaded Rwanda. Many remained in the NRA where they continue to serve todate. The RPF invaded through a hostile teritory of Uganda's Kisoro district where the majority Bafumbira are Hutus and were sympathetic to the Habyarimana regime. Many other Rwandese Tutsis in Congo, Tanzania, Burundi and even the diaspora flocked into Uganda to join hands with the RPF invasion. The likes of ICC's Ntaganda and Nkunda who are now climing to be Congolese were in the RPF fighting the Hutu government of Rwanda. After the RPF took over power many Rwandese Tutsi in Uganda simply moved en masse with their cattle and returned to Rwanda. The government, UNHCR and other aid agencies were not involved in the repatriation. Earlier on, these Tutsi refugees has kind of been naturalised by the NRM regime. Imagine a refuge camp where most of the adult males are members of the army of the host government. Deputy Army Comander, Director of Medical services, Director of intelligence, Brigade and Batallion Comanders, District commissioners etc were all registered refugees and would visit the camp in military helicopters and escorted by machine guns.
Those who had established themselves outside the camps did not bother to return but are well represented in the Rwanda government by some family members. It is very common to find scenarios like a Ugandan Nurse in Mulago Hospital having a brother who is a Colnel in the Rwanda army while another brother is a State Attorney in Uganda and the father is a teacher in Uganda as an uncle is Rwanda's Ambassador to Canada. That is why during the early days many top Rwandese Tutsi officials in the Rwanda government would invest their savings and send their children to school in Uganda. Also, many of those who had returned to Rwanda en masse returned and settled in Uganda after finding the going not easy in Rwanda. During the time Kagame was a Vice President in Rwanda, Kayihura and Aronda would facilitate him to sneak out of Rwanda, visit Museveni or even transit through Uganda before sneaking back without the knowledge of the then figurehead Hutu President of Rwanda. In this way, when Museveni brought on board the likes of Kaihura and Aronda at the helm of security in Uganda, definetely the souring relations between the two countries were cemented.
It has always been speculated that Museveni is a Rwandese. During the new constitution making process, Museveni managed to push through a provision that introduced Banyarwanda as one indigenous tribes of Uganda. The deal was sealed and Saleh who had all along been refered to as his half brother now became a full brother. Amazingly, no Munyarwanda is willing to openly identify him/herself as one. They commonly identify themselves as Banyankole. Calling him a Munyarwanda amounts to secterianism. Beyond Kigezi, Ankole and some parts of western Uganda, the communities there cant differenciate betwen Hima and Tutsi pastrolists instead they simply generalise them as Balaalo. These gun wielding 'Balalos' have been a problen to the host comunities. Museveni only sends in his NRA Generals to quell the land conflicts without explaining how and why these Balaalos came to be armed with automatic rifles. No doubt, as is the case with the Banyamulenge of Congo, these Banyarwanda of Uganda owe their allegiance to the Tutsi regime in Rwanda.
Posted by Uganda - A Change of Guards!
Viele GruBe
Robukui
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