The UPDF Commander Land Forces, Lt Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba has once again warned Rwanda’s dissent leader Lt Gen Kayumba Nyamwasa against disrespecting the sovereignty of Uganda.
In his Saturday tweet, Gen Muhoozi, who is also the First Son of Uganda told Gen Kayumba that he has warned him enough to stop playing with Uganda. He said the results will be terrible for him and his Rwanda National Congress (RNC) has absolutely no space in the East African Country.
“My uncle, Afande Kagame, told me in our first meeting in January, that General Kayumba and his followers were involved in ‘Mountain-topism’. This was the ideology of many Latin American left-wing movements before Fidel Castro captured power in Havana,” Gen Muhoozi tweeted.
” General Kayumba, please try to respect the Republic of Uganda. We have made peace with Afande Kagame and Rwanda. Try and respect that. We sent you your man last night.”
The First Son’s warning to Gen Kayumba follows Uganda’s last night decision to deport Kayumba’s right hand man Robert Mukombozi to Australia.
“I don’t like doing this, but if it saves the lives of my soldiers, I will do anything. I thank CMI, under Maj.General Birungi for this excellent operation. This enemy of Uganda and Rwanda was picked up and sent back to wherever he came from,” Gen Muhoozi revealed.
This is not the first time Gen Muhoozi is warning Gen Kayumba against using Uganda for his hidden agendas.
In February, 2022, he told off Kayumba not to dare use Uganda for his adventures.
Gen Kayumba who lives in South Africa is the leader of the RNC, an opposition group in exile which Rwanda President Paul Kagame accuses of aiming at toppling his government.
“General Kayumba and RNC, I don’t know what problems you had in Rwanda with the mainstream RPF/RDF? But I warn you not to dare use my country for your adventures,” Muhoozi tweeted.
“This is not about political points. I have no interest in politics. The illegal and criminal activities of RNC in Uganda in the past were driving us to a stupid war! All those who were involved in that deceitful enterprise will be found out!” he added.
In 2019, Kayumba denied claims that he receives support from Uganda to destablise Rwanda.
In an interview with Saturday Vision on May 5, 2019, the former Rwandan Lieutenant General said if Uganda was behind him, Kagame and his government would be no more.
“If Uganda was supporting me, they would not be in power. They know very well what happened when Uganda supported them (although they deny it now),” he revealed.
However, Kayumba admitted that as RNC they have approached many governments including Uganda asking for assistance in resolving the Rwanda Political impasse as well as writing to Kagame seeking a peaceful dialogue.
“That can hardly be interpreted as seeking support to fight.”
On the issue of RNC training rebels to declare an armed struggle against Rwanda, the former chief of staff of the Rwandan army stated that the reports are baseless and being speared headed by Kagame to fight the group.
“Those reports have existed since RNC was formed and there have been no attacks.
“That is how all dictators describe genuine opposition. It is also common knowledge that dictators construe political criticism as crimes. Even where crimes do not exist, Kagame will fabricate them to justify a witch-hunt. Look at Bizimungu, Charles Ntakirutinka, Victoire Ingabire, Gen. Frank Rusagara, Col Rugigana, Col Byabagambaa and Lt Joel Mutabazi, all prisoners of conscious, but convicted of imaginary crimes. Considering the publications of Human Rights Watch, court decisions in South Africa, international media reports in relation to Kagame, it is amazing how he gets the audacity to call anyone a criminal compared to his record. Before he labels other people criminals, I wonder whether he knows how other people view him.”
Kayumba who has survived at least two assassination attempts, he believes were ordered by Rwandan authorities further disclosed that he regrets to have worked with Kagame.
“The Rwanda Patriotic Front [RPF] struggle is a lost cause. I am not the only one who has been disappointed by what is happening in Rwanda. During the war, the Ugandans across the border fought the war like all of us. They gave us food, shelter, carried and hid our casualties. They also got casualties of their own from bombings across the border. In ‘appreciation’, Paul Kagame has the courage to close the border and kill their businesses. Even if he did not like President Museveni, how can he quickly forget the sacrifices of people who supported a war that was not their own? Inside the country, people cannot express their views or associate freely. The country is churning out refugees more than ever before. Our foreign policy is driven by assassinations abroad. Surely, regret is an understatement.”
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