Uganda returns fleeing RPA men

By Grace MatsikoUGANDA has handed over three Rwanda Patriotic Army (RPA) officers who have been in the country seeking political asylum.Michael Kanyamahanga, Joseph Akayezu and Habimana were handed to the outgoing Rwandan head of mission, Ben Rutsinga, last week for repatriation to Kigali, Rwandan and Ugandan officials said yesterday.Army spokesman Major Shaban Bantariza promised to give an official comment about the soldiers after consulting concerned offices.Uganda’s head of the military verification team Maj. James Mugira was unavailable for comment. However, sources said the decision to hand over the soldiers was taken by the Refugee Legibility Committee under the office of the First Deputy Prime Minister and that of the Minister for Internal Affairs. The military verification committee set up by President Yoweri Museveni and Rwanda head Maj. Gen. Paul Kagame, was involved.“They have been here as asylum seekers. When they met the verification committee, they indicated their willingness to return home,” a source in the ministry of foreign affairs said.The source said, “During the interrogation, the soldiers contradicted themselves, indicating that they were not genuine asylum seekers. they may have used that as a cover-up to enter Uganda without proper documents.“One of them was armed. He entered the country and went to Luweero in search of his relatives. “He found they had migrated to Kalangala. He went to Kalangala but was arrested in Bushenyi,” a source said.The hand-over of the soldiers comes at a time when relations between Uganda and Rwanda are moving towards normalisation.