Give dissidents asylum
Dec 19, 2002
The representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Uganda has said that he is trying to organise asylum in the United Kingdom for various Rwandan dissidents presently in Uganda
THE REPRESENTATIVE of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Uganda has said that he is trying to organise asylum in the United Kingdom for various Rwandan dissidents presently in Uganda. Saihou Saidy was addressing a press conference with Adolf Ogi, a former Swiss president who has just been visiting refugee camps in Uganda.
There is heightened tension in Uganda because of widespread rumours that a rebel group headed by Colonels Mande and Kyakabale is about to attack western Uganda from Congo. Since Mande and Kyakabale are often in Kigali, this has undermined relations between the Uganda and Rwanda governments.
Similarly, the Rwanda government is not happy about the longstanding presence in Uganda of Major Alphonse Furuma and other RPA dissidents.
Earlier this year various summits between the Rwanda and Uganda governments agreed that these dissidents would be relocated to asylum abroad in countries like Sweden, the United States and the UK.
However, there seems to have been little progress in securing their asylum yet there are just four or five controversial individuals involved. If friendly foreign governments quickly gave them asylum, it would instantly defuse much of the tension now pervading the region.
These same governments are remarkably generous donors to Uganda giving tens of millions of dollars in aid every year. Giving asylum to five or six people would hardly cost more than one hundred thousand dollars but would help insure that their aid is being invested in a stable and secure region.
The USA, UK and Sweden should do their best to fast track the provision of asylum for Furuma, Mande, Kyakabale and other key dissidents.
There is heightened tension in Uganda because of widespread rumours that a rebel group headed by Colonels Mande and Kyakabale is about to attack western Uganda from Congo. Since Mande and Kyakabale are often in Kigali, this has undermined relations between the Uganda and Rwanda governments.
Similarly, the Rwanda government is not happy about the longstanding presence in Uganda of Major Alphonse Furuma and other RPA dissidents.
Earlier this year various summits between the Rwanda and Uganda governments agreed that these dissidents would be relocated to asylum abroad in countries like Sweden, the United States and the UK.
However, there seems to have been little progress in securing their asylum yet there are just four or five controversial individuals involved. If friendly foreign governments quickly gave them asylum, it would instantly defuse much of the tension now pervading the region.
These same governments are remarkably generous donors to Uganda giving tens of millions of dollars in aid every year. Giving asylum to five or six people would hardly cost more than one hundred thousand dollars but would help insure that their aid is being invested in a stable and secure region.
The USA, UK and Sweden should do their best to fast track the provision of asylum for Furuma, Mande, Kyakabale and other key dissidents.