{UAH} TOLD YOU BABOONS, THE ASSHOLE WAS THREATENED BY KAGAME
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RIP: Patrick Karegeya
Sources in the ministry of Foreign Affairs familiar with the case, told The Observer that up until last Friday , Uganda had no problem accepting Karegeya's burial here.
Sources told us that members of the Karegeya family in Uganda, including his mother, had met Museveni at Rwakitura and expressed their wish to have the former Rwandan external intelligence chief buried here.
Museveni reportedly did not oppose the idea but told them he had to make consultations (with Rwanda). But before a final decision could be made, Okello Oryem, the minister of state for Foreign Affairs was quoted in the Daily Monitor as saying that Karegeya would be buried here but "without the involvement of government in the arrangements."
Oryem's remarks, we are told, infuriated Museveni and Rwanda because a final decision had not been made. Sources told us that Rwanda's ministry of Foreign Affairs contacted Kampala expressing their displeasure at the reports.
It was later agreed that the issue should be handled at a higher level, between presidents Paul Kagame and Museveni. While our sources could not confirm whether the two presidents talked and reached a conclusion, Uganda's retraction of its earlier position suggests that Kampala finally bowed to
President Yoweri Museveni
Kigali's pressure
The 76-word retraction statement, signed by Fred Opolot, the spokesperson of the ministry of Foreign Affairs, issued on January 5, was notable for its lack of detail.
It simply stated: "Following media reports of the death of Col Patrick Karegeya in South Africa and speculation regarding his internment, the Government of the Republic of Uganda wishes to clarify that the deceased was a citizen of the Republic of Rwanda and resident in South Africa at the time of his death. Therefore burial arrangements should be made in one of those countries. The Government of Uganda has communicated this position to the family of the late Karegeya."
Uganda roots
Rwanda's relentless effort to ensure that Karegeya is not buried in Uganda, where he was born and where part of his family lives, has left some people in Kampala dumbfounded. It is true that Karegeya had fallen out with the Kigali regime and had been indicted on charges of treason and sentenced, in absentia, to 20 years in prison by Kigali.
While Kigali denied a hand in his death, the foreign affairs minister, Louise Mushikiwabo, in a Twitter message said Rwanda had no sympathies for Karegeya's demise. She described Karegeya as a "self-declared" enemy of Rwanda, adding that he deserved "no pity."
It remains unclear how a dead Karegeya posed any threat to Rwanda or for that matter to the relations between Kigali and Kampala.
"We don't know why [Rwanda objected] but I think it is about their internal politics," one of the sources told us.
Besides causing friction between the two countries, our sources said President Museveni's unwillingness to assert himself could also have been influenced by the fact that he currently has too much on his plate to deal with. For instance, over the last couple of weeks, the president has been preoccupied with the crisis in South Sudan that seems to escalate by the day.
The last thing he, therefore, wanted was to engage in a prolonged face-off with Rwanda.Opolot denied that some pressure had been applied on Kampala to change its position.
"There was no diplomatic pressure [from Rwanda]. The minister [Oryem] said he was misrepresented in the article. I cannot add any more to that," he told The Observer today.
Karegeya had strong roots in Uganda. He was born in Buzuya in Kabezi, Rubaare-Ntungamo in 1960 before his parents moved to Kashaari, Mbarara. He attended primary and secondary school here and in 1980, he stood as guild president at Makerere under the banner of UPM, which was headed by Museveni.
Later, after the 1980 elections, Karegeya became a coordinator for recruiting the elites into the NRA. He was part of the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) rebels who invaded Rwanda in 1990 before launching a full-scale war in 1994 which culminated into them taking power.
He was later appointed to head Rwanda's external intelligence before fleeing in 2007 after falling out with Kagame. He later joined forces with other Rwandan dissidents to form the Rwanda National Congress (RNC). In 2010, he, together with other dissidents, was indicted and sentenced to lengthy jail terms.
Karegeya's family issued a statement on January 5 saying the fallen colonel would now be buried in South Africa on a yet-to- be-communicated date.
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