The Ugandan government has handed over nine Rwanda nationals to the Rwandan High Commission and Immigration Office in Kampala on Wednesday, a day after they were freed from detention.
Seven of the nine Rwandans were released by the Makindye based general court martial on Tuesday, after charges of unlawful possession of firearms, ammunition and military uniform against them were withdrawn.
The nine have been identified as Mugabo Nelson, RTD SGT Rene Rutagungira, Etienne Nsanzabahizi, Claude Yakalemye, Emmanuel Rwamuchwo, Augustine Rutayisire, CPL Nzeyamana Herman, Munyagabe Adrien and Urayeneza Gilbert.
Some of them have been incarcerated since 2017.
Uganda’s Foreign Affairs minister, Sam Kutesa told journalists at the handover in Kampala on Wednesday afternoon that the charges against the Rwandan nationals were withdrawn in fulfilment of the pact signed between Kampala and Kigali in the Angolan capital Luanda last year.
While those released by the military court were seven, Kutesa presented two more Rwandan nationals that were not part of the case to make the number rise to nine.
He handed them over to the Rwanda High Commission ahead of their repatriation.
According to Kutesa the Ugandan government is committed to ensuring the normalization of relations between the two neighbours and assured Kigali that any further concerns will be addressed in an open and transparent manner.
However Rwanda’s High Commissioner to Uganda Major General Frank Mugambage cautioned Kampala against arbitrary arrests in the future but welcomed the release of his compatriots as a step in the right direction.
Mugambage said, “This is good, but we need more Rwandans released. We have given Uganda a list of names, we want to see the same goodwill”.
Kutesa however denied claims from Kigali about the arbitrary arrest of Rwandans.
“Let me set the record straight. We have withdrawn charges. These people were not arbitrarily arrested. It was an act of goodwill and we hope it will be reciprocated,” emphasized Kutesa.
Uganda and Rwanda have had strained relations that saw Kigali close its borders at the Gatuna post last February.
It has remained closed since then.
Rwanda advised its citizens against traveling to Uganda claiming that the Ugandan authorities were abducting, arbitrarily arresting, jailing, torturing and illegally deporting them.
The Ugandan authorities however dismissed these claims by Rwanda as nonsense.
In his New Year’s message President Yoweri Museveni had promised to ensure improved relations with Rwanda in 2020.
CN/as/APA