By Spy Uganda
Kabale: Following long-standing rows between Uganda and Rwanda despite being sisters in the regional East African bloc, Police in Kabale has arrested 50 Rwandese and 10 Congolese suspects accusing them of illegal entry/stay in Uganda.
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According to Kigezi Region Police Spokesperson Elly Mate, 47 of them were intercepted at Kabale Bus Park on Tuesday, January 5, 2021 morning at around 6:30 am from Jussy coach registration number UAS 290Y T/ Isuzu which was heading to Kampala.
Mate revealed that 13 other suspects were intercepted from Malaika bus yesterday from Kisoro district heading to Buganda and Bunyoro regions for casual labouring with the expectation of having used the porous borders.
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Mate further noted that government shall not allow and tolerate illegal entries into the country as if there are no policies regarding entry and exit of people.
He noted that the inquiries are completed and suspects would be taken to courts of law to answer charges accordingly.
Once Friends Turning Into Frenemies
It all began in February 2019, when Ugandan authorities claimed that “external forces” were plotting to overthrow Museveni, and seemed to point a finger at Rwanda. Rwandan diplomats in turn asserted that Uganda had detained, tortured and illegally deported Rwandan citizens and sheltered dissidents.
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In March 2020, Kagame used an annual leadership retreat in Rwanda to lob his own incendiary allegations against Museveni, claiming that he has been trying to topple him for the past two decades and declared, “No one can bring me to my knees.”
Not to be outdone, Museveni responded. “Those who want to destabilize our country do not know our capacity,” he said while commissioning factories outside of Kampala. “Once we mobilize, you can’t survive.” Months later, in July 2019, police in Uganda arrested 40 Rwandans living in the country. The intelligence services cited unspecified security concerns.
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The brinkmanship between Rwanda and Uganda has already taken an economic toll. The Ugandan Ministry of Trade recorded millions of dollars in losses in 2020, resulting from the border closure, and accused the Rwandan government of effectively imposing a trade embargo.
