Rashidah Naakayi
The government has released 13 more Rwandan nationals detained on crimes related to threatening her national security.
They include three women and ten men who had been facing trial in the General Court Martial and the civil court on charges of human trafficking, illegal possession of firearms among others.
This brings to 22, the number of Rwandan nationals now released by Uganda and immediately deported to their country.
The Foreign Affairs Minister, Sam Kutesa says the release of the Rwandan nationals is part of Uganda’s effort to implement the memorandum of understanding signed between the two countries.
Kuteesa told journalists that some of the Rwandans had been repatriated but later came back to Uganda and engaged in criminal activities, leading to their re-arrest.
The two presidents signed a memorandum of understanding that among others obliged the two countries to form an Ad hoc committee on the implementation of the MOU.
The committee comprises the Internal and Foreign Affairs Ministers, Attorney Generals and Intelligence services of both countries. The committee has met twice in Rwanda and once in Uganda. It’s these meetings that have led to the freeing of prisoners from both countries.
President Yoweri Museveni met his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame at a summit in Angola recently and promised to work towards peace.
Kutesa also revealed that 15 Ugandans have also been set free from Rwandan jails. He said currently there are 39 Rwandans who are still in Ugandan prisons.
Noel Mucyo, the First Chancellor at the Rwandan High Commission in Uganda who received the 13 former detainees, said his government was determined to fully implement the MOU that they signed.
