President Paul Kagame has said Rwanda has the obligation of strengthening its defence infrastructure to deal with a security threat posed by Uganda, Chimp Corps report.
The remarks, delivered at a high level political function in Rwanda, come as a surprise to many especially diplomats who thought relations between the two countries were being restored.
It all started with Kagame, who fought in the NRA war that brought President Museveni to power in 1986, being invited to deliver closing remarks at the end of the ruling party’s RPF extended National Executive Committee meeting this past weekend.
“We are surrounded by only four neighbours whom we are at peace with,” Kagame started.
“However, we have issues with only one neighbour,” he added as the RPF top political brass listened attentively.
“In the past, we had two enemies – the second of the two being the country to our south, which is Burundi. As far as Burundi is concerned, we are gradually getting along with them,” said Kagame.
He emphasized that Burundians and Rwandans continued to working hard to restore bilateral relations with the view of living together in peace.
Both countries’ forces have had skirmishes along their border over counter accusations of supporting rival armed movements in the restive Eastern DRC.
Burundi accused Kagame of planning the 2015 coup attempt in Bujumbura against former president Pierre Nkurunziza who was attending a regional meeting in Tanzania.
When the coup failed, the plotters found a safe haven in Kigali.
On President Jakaya Kikwete’s orders, Tanzania’s special forces escorted Nkurunziza to the Burundian border.
DRC
During the RPF meeting in Kigali this past weekend, Kagame also pointed out that DRC, which he invaded twice in the 1990s, was also at peace with Rwanda.
“We resolved our previous problems with DRC and are working well with them. For Tanzania, we have never had issues with them,” said Kagame, who trained in Tanzania as an intelligence officer.
“Let us build a house with a foundation, a strong house with solid doors, and a solid roof so that when it rains while we are sleeping, our house will not leak. This also applies to nations.” Chairman Kagame | RPF extended National Executive Committee meeting. pic.twitter.com/lA9EWGxCmq
— RPF Inkotanyi (@rpfinkotanyi) May 2, 2021
This is not entirely true especially during Kikwete’s reign.
He ordered the expulsion of Rwandans over fears of infiltration.
Kagame also publicly attacked Kikwete after the then Tanzanian leader asked Kigali to consider holding talks with Hutu militants operating in DRC.
Kikwete had also supported a regional military force to defeat Rwanda-backed M23 rebels operating in DRC.
Kagame never saw eye to eye with Felix Tshisekedi’s predecessor Joseph Kabila.
But since Tshisekedi took power, Rwandan militants have had a free pass to conduct operations against all sorts of movements in DRC, killing dozens of rebel commanders.
Uganda
Kagame later spoke about Uganda, which he said remained a thorn in Rwanda’s flesh.
“Now, the neighbouring country to the north – they have an issue which I have failed to understand,” said Kagame in reference to Uganda.
“I lived there, I worked with them, but if you asked me the root of their issue with us, I can’t really tell,” said Kagame, who served as a senior military intelligence officer in Uganda in the last 1980s.
“In conclusion about this matter (Uganda issues), I will thatch my house properly to protect me from the rain.”
He emphasized: “Let us build a house with a foundation, a strong house with solid doors, and a solid roof so that when it rains while we are sleeping, our house will not leak.”
Unlike in previous addresses when he has publicly attacked Uganda, this time Kagame was careful not to mention Uganda.
However, many at the function interpreted this statement as referring to strengthening the country’s military to address the ‘Ugandan threat.’
Kagame had earlier reiterated his determination to decisively deal with whoever threatened Rwanda’s national security.
“We want to use our capacity not to attack any country but to defend ourselves against any threat to our security and sovereignty,” said Kagame on Monday, April 26.
“Anyone who threatens our security will be dealt with and will pay a heavy price,” he emphasized while commissioning 721 cadet officers at the Rwanda Military Academy – Gako.
Why Uganda?
Uganda and Rwanda fought hand in hand to remove DRC President Mobutu from power, installing Laurent Kabila.
Both countries would later have serious disagreements with Kabila before supporting rebel movements against him. Kabila was later assassinated.
Commanders of Rwandan and Ugandan forces later fought each other in Eastern DRC, leaving thousands dead and property worth billions of shillings destroyed.
Since then, both countries’ relations have been on and off – at times teetering on the verge of an armed conflict.
Matters worsened about three years ago when Kigali started accusing Uganda of helping militants led by dissident Rwandan dissident General Kayumba Nyamwasa, claims Kampala denied.
Quietly, Kampala accused Kigali of supporting DRC-based ADF rebels with logistics, intelligence and military training – a claim Kigali has dismissed as false.
Kampala further blamed Rwanda for conducting espionage activities to undermine Uganda’s national security.
It is “wrong” for “Rwanda agents to try to operate behind the government of Uganda,” Museveni said a letter to Paul Kagame, shortly after Rwanda unilaterally decided to close its busiest border with Uganda in February 2019, disrupting trade.
In the letter, Museveni also spoke about the Rwanda businessman Tribert Rujugiro, whom Kagame accused of financially supporting Rwandan rebels.
Kagame had flown to Kampala to meet with Museveni over Rujugiro, insisting that the latter’s tobacco business should be shut down.
“Mr Rujugiro..seems to be resisting the idea of selling his businesses which he had accepted to do before,” said Museveni, adding, “He (Rujugiro) countered the idea of giving money to Kayumba [Nyamwasa] by saying that even if he sells the factories in Uganda, he still has more lucrative factories in Angola, Dr Congo..a total of eight of them. He can send money from those.”
Kigali also complained about Rwandans being arrested and held incommunicado by Ugandan authorities.
However, the Ugandan military said it was crushing espionage rings created by Rwanda to destabilize the Kampala government.
As relations worsened, Rwanda quickly removed all high ranking Ugandans from top positions in their government and corporate institutions.
The Rwandan military aggressively enforced a border closure, blocking Rwandans from crossing into Uganda.
Those who resisted were gunned down, escalating tensions with Uganda.
Rwanda further deployed heavily along its border with Uganda and also expanded military operations in DRC.
Civil society officials in DRC say Rwandan soldiers operate in the South and North Kivu near the Ugandan border.
Uganda responds
In response to the situation, Uganda has over the last five years been importing modern military equipment and training forces in combat action in mountainous areas neighboring Rwanda and DRC.
In February 2021, UPDF opened a new barracks in Kabarole district to strengthen security in the Rwenzori sub-region.
The 333 Mountain Brigade headquarters was commissioned at Kakyomya in Kabende sub-county.
The Chief of Defence Forces Gen. David Muhoozi, who commissioned the brigade, said Kabende Sub County was a pathway for ADF rebels and was neighboring Semliki national park – a hideout for ADF.
Gen Muhoozi revealed that UPDF Engineers brigade together with the National Enterprise Corporation had completed seven projects in the 2019/2020 financial year.
He said some of the heavily-fortified brigades which were commissioned included among others Ruhengeri, Karama, Ntungamo and Kabale.
These new military bases have heavy weaponry and hundreds of soldiers stationed in various mountains near the borders with Rwanda and DRC.
Sources say Museveni and Kagame have been talking via envoys on restoring relations in vain.
Uganda also plans to commence oil production activities this year in the Albertine region neighboring DRC, which explains the massive deployments along the western flank.
It remains unclear how Rwanda will react to Uganda’s plans to build roads in DRC to improve bilateral trade.
During the recent NRM retreat at Kyankwanzi, ruling party lawmakers agreed to support Museveni to embark on the road construction projects in DRC.
The Ugandan Cabinet last year approved an ambitious plan to construct a 223km road network running from the Ugandan border deep into DRC territory to boost bilateral trade.
ChimpReports understands Dott Services, a Ugandan construction company and two Turkish firms, were tipped to construct and upgrade the national road from Kasindi section (border) to Beni (80kms) and the integration of the Beni-Butembo Axis (54 kms) to national road.
Government will also construct another road from Bunagana in South Western district of Kisoro through Ruchuru up to Goma (89kms). Traders using this route usually take about three days to transport goods from Kisoro to Goma due to bad roads but with a tarmac road, the duration of the journey will be reduced to only two hours.
Other roads being considered include Mpondwe-Beni road which is about 977 kilometres and Goli-Bunia road (181 Kilometres).
But these roads are based in rebel-infested areas. This will require UPDF deployment to secure road contractors and workers.
“In essence, this means UPDF conducting counter insurgency operations in Eastern Congo to create a conducive atmosphere for road contractors,” said a source who preferred anonymity to speak freely.
“Uganda will be working with other partners in the region and beyond to achieve this objective,” the source emphasized.
On the other hand, Rwanda recently agreed with Kinshasa to conduct joint military operations against Rwandan rebels in DRC.
Stakes will be high if both Ugandan and Rwandan militaries start operating in DRC.
Uganda has since refused to be part of any joint military operation with Rwandan forces in DRC.
Politics
During the 2021 general elections, several suspected Rwandan agents were arrested in Kampala on charges of interfering in Uganda’s electoral exercise.
In his victory speech, a visibly angry Museveni warned “a country in the region which has been sending agents to come meddle in our politics.”
“But we have been counteracting them,” he added.
Museveni did not mention the country but it is understood he was referring to Rwanda, which he has previously accused of funding the Ugandan opposition. Rwanda denies the charge.
The author has been covering armed conflicts in DRC, Burundi, South Sudan and Somalia since 2012.
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