Rwanda blocks Museveni convoy
Jun 03, 2005
MORE than a half of President Yoweri Museveni’s convoy was on Thursday blocked at Katuna border and some Ugandan delegates denied entry to the two-day 10th COMESA meeting in Kigali.
By Felix Osike
MORE than a half of President Yoweri Museveni’s convoy was on Thursday blocked at Katuna border and some Ugandan delegates denied entry to the two-day 10th COMESA meeting in Kigali.
Rwanda immigration and security officials complained that Museveni’s delegation was too big, with about 60 people who were not on the list earlier sent to Protocol.
Two vehicles on the President’s motorcade were ordered back to Uganda for unknown reasons.
The affected delegates included the Minister for the Presidency, Dr. Beatrice Wabudeya, the President’s Principal Private Secretary, Amelia Kyambadde and MP Mike Sebalu. They were later allowed into the conference hall after the intervention of Uganda’s foreign affairs officials.
Uganda is to formally complain to the Rwanda government over the diplomatic hitch.
“Like other functions where there are presidents, there are always security-related incidents. There were incidents, which we are going to address through diplomatic channels but they cannot affect the good relationship between the two countries,†Uganda’s ambassador to Rwanda Adonia Ayebare said on phone yesterday.
Diplomatic sources said some Rwanda officials expressed concern over the matter. The incident comes at a time when the diplomatic relations between the two countries, affected by the Kisangani clashes, are said to be improving.
Efforts for get a comment from the Rwanda foreign minister Charles Murigande were futile as his phone was off.
“Even members of the Presidential Guard Brigade (PGB) had to fight their way in,†said a source who witnessed the incidents at Katuna and in Kigali.
“When we reached Katuna border, they cut off part of our convoy. They allowed only five of the 17 vehicles in the convoy to proceed. The President’s security was cut off. The president went with very few guards,†said one of the victims, who declined to be named.
“At the border, there was a Rwandese brigadier general and a regional police commander. It appears their mission was to cut off the security detail for reasons we don’t know,†added the source.
Sources identified the brigadier as Jack Nziza, the Rwandese Army Chief Political Commissar. He reportedly ordered a search of “illegal guns and excess passengers,†and allowed only a few vehicles to proceed. Nziza was the head of military intelligence during the Kisangani clashes in Congo between Uganda and Rwanda forces.
The PGB spokesman, Lt. Edison Kwesiga, denied reports that they tried to enter Rwanda with illegal guns. “That is not true. There were no illegal guns. We cannot take arms, which are not cleared by the host country. The ones we had on the convoy were cleared,†Kwesiga said.
He also dismissed reports that they had excess people. “That could not have been true. They had earlier cleared everybody,†he said.
A source said, “Even minister Wabudeya was held at the border. She was so humiliated.â€
Wabudeya’s phone was switched off when the New Vision tried to contact her.
Sources said the convoy arrived at Katuna at 7:00am but left for Kigali at 10:00am. Between Katuna and Kigali, a distance of about 80kms, there were four roadblocks and the delegation reached Kigali when the conference was almost over and Museveni was winding up his speech.
“When we reached the conference area, again our security detail was cut off by Rwanda security. Our president had only a few guards around him. It was a great diplomatic embarrassment,†a source said.
Museveni returned on Thursday after the opening of the summit, which ended on Friday. Foreign affairs minister Sam Kutesa was not available for comment. He remained in Kigali for the closing ceremony.
“Anything that affects the President’s convoy is something to look at and whatever complaints, will be addressed through diplomatic channels,†Ayebare said without elaborating on the glitch.
There was also a mix-up at Inter Continental Hotel in Kigali, the venue of the meeting. While most Ugandan delegates were issued with blue tags, on the eve of the meeting yellow and white tags were issued. The yellow tags were for access to the conference hall, while the white ones gained one entry to the conference centre.
“When the Ugandan delegation arrived in Kigali, security insisted that they would not allow anybody without the yellow and white cards to the conference venue,†a source said.
“I don’t think they were targeting us because I saw other delegates who also did not have the required cards being roughed up,†Museveni’s deputy Press Secretary Tamale Mirundi said yesterday.
Sources said some delegates from Kenya were also chased away and a bodyguard of one of the presidents was roughed up as he tried to make his way to the presidential suites without the card.
Despite the hold-up, Tamale said Museveni was jovial and delivered a powerful speech, which was applauded by the other delegates.
He was in Kigali to hand over the COMESA leadership to Rwandan President Paul Kagame.
Kagame is expected in Uganda on Monday.
MORE than a half of President Yoweri Museveni’s convoy was on Thursday blocked at Katuna border and some Ugandan delegates denied entry to the two-day 10th COMESA meeting in Kigali.
Rwanda immigration and security officials complained that Museveni’s delegation was too big, with about 60 people who were not on the list earlier sent to Protocol.
Two vehicles on the President’s motorcade were ordered back to Uganda for unknown reasons.
The affected delegates included the Minister for the Presidency, Dr. Beatrice Wabudeya, the President’s Principal Private Secretary, Amelia Kyambadde and MP Mike Sebalu. They were later allowed into the conference hall after the intervention of Uganda’s foreign affairs officials.
Uganda is to formally complain to the Rwanda government over the diplomatic hitch.
“Like other functions where there are presidents, there are always security-related incidents. There were incidents, which we are going to address through diplomatic channels but they cannot affect the good relationship between the two countries,†Uganda’s ambassador to Rwanda Adonia Ayebare said on phone yesterday.
Diplomatic sources said some Rwanda officials expressed concern over the matter. The incident comes at a time when the diplomatic relations between the two countries, affected by the Kisangani clashes, are said to be improving.
Efforts for get a comment from the Rwanda foreign minister Charles Murigande were futile as his phone was off.
“Even members of the Presidential Guard Brigade (PGB) had to fight their way in,†said a source who witnessed the incidents at Katuna and in Kigali.
“When we reached Katuna border, they cut off part of our convoy. They allowed only five of the 17 vehicles in the convoy to proceed. The President’s security was cut off. The president went with very few guards,†said one of the victims, who declined to be named.
“At the border, there was a Rwandese brigadier general and a regional police commander. It appears their mission was to cut off the security detail for reasons we don’t know,†added the source.
Sources identified the brigadier as Jack Nziza, the Rwandese Army Chief Political Commissar. He reportedly ordered a search of “illegal guns and excess passengers,†and allowed only a few vehicles to proceed. Nziza was the head of military intelligence during the Kisangani clashes in Congo between Uganda and Rwanda forces.
The PGB spokesman, Lt. Edison Kwesiga, denied reports that they tried to enter Rwanda with illegal guns. “That is not true. There were no illegal guns. We cannot take arms, which are not cleared by the host country. The ones we had on the convoy were cleared,†Kwesiga said.
He also dismissed reports that they had excess people. “That could not have been true. They had earlier cleared everybody,†he said.
A source said, “Even minister Wabudeya was held at the border. She was so humiliated.â€
Wabudeya’s phone was switched off when the New Vision tried to contact her.
Sources said the convoy arrived at Katuna at 7:00am but left for Kigali at 10:00am. Between Katuna and Kigali, a distance of about 80kms, there were four roadblocks and the delegation reached Kigali when the conference was almost over and Museveni was winding up his speech.
“When we reached the conference area, again our security detail was cut off by Rwanda security. Our president had only a few guards around him. It was a great diplomatic embarrassment,†a source said.
Museveni returned on Thursday after the opening of the summit, which ended on Friday. Foreign affairs minister Sam Kutesa was not available for comment. He remained in Kigali for the closing ceremony.
“Anything that affects the President’s convoy is something to look at and whatever complaints, will be addressed through diplomatic channels,†Ayebare said without elaborating on the glitch.
There was also a mix-up at Inter Continental Hotel in Kigali, the venue of the meeting. While most Ugandan delegates were issued with blue tags, on the eve of the meeting yellow and white tags were issued. The yellow tags were for access to the conference hall, while the white ones gained one entry to the conference centre.
“When the Ugandan delegation arrived in Kigali, security insisted that they would not allow anybody without the yellow and white cards to the conference venue,†a source said.
“I don’t think they were targeting us because I saw other delegates who also did not have the required cards being roughed up,†Museveni’s deputy Press Secretary Tamale Mirundi said yesterday.
Sources said some delegates from Kenya were also chased away and a bodyguard of one of the presidents was roughed up as he tried to make his way to the presidential suites without the card.
Despite the hold-up, Tamale said Museveni was jovial and delivered a powerful speech, which was applauded by the other delegates.
He was in Kigali to hand over the COMESA leadership to Rwandan President Paul Kagame.
Kagame is expected in Uganda on Monday.