UPDF Colonels Named In Kidnap Of Rwandan Asylum Seekers
Two Uganda People’s Defense Forces – UPDF have been named in the kidnapping or killing of Rwandan Asylum seekers.
The two, only identified as Lt. Col. Kankiriho and Lt. Col. Buryo,
have been named by Christopher Busigo and Charles Sande as the people
who have been helping them kidnap Rwandan citizens who seek asylum in
Uganda.
Busigo and Sande are former Rwanda Patriotic Army (RPA) soldiers who
were arrested last week for alleged involvement in the kidnap of asylum
seekers.
Following the disclosure, the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence
(CMI) started investigating the two officers. UPDF spokesperson Lt.
Col. Paddy Ankunda confirmed the two officers were being investigated by
CMI.
Ankunda however, declined to give details of the said investigations saying they needed more time to complete the work.
The two names of the officers came to light following police
investigation of the kidnap and attempted murder of Pascal Munirakiza, a
Rwandan student who fled to Ugandan over one month ago.
Munirakiza says he fled from the M23 rebel ranks in the DRC to Uganda
and requested for asylum, but before his status could be determined, he
was kidnapped from Kyaka refugee camp two weeks ago.
Munirakiza was beaten and burnt with a hot metal on the back and
dumped in Lusaze cemetery, from where Police picked him and delivered
him to the city mortuary only to discover he was still alive. According
to police investigations his captors wanted to know why he had betrayed
the Rwandan government.
He was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit at Mulago Hospital where
both Christopher Busigo and Charles Sande had gone to ensure he was
dead. The two former RPA officers are still being held at Old Kampala
police station while investigations into the case of attempted murder
continue.
Other people that have recently been kidnapped include Innocent
Kaliisa who is still missing. Joel Mutabazi, a former body guard to
President Paul Kagame, was also kidnapped by unknown people who rushed
him to Entebbe Airport to be deported to Rwanda on a forged Interpol
arrest warrant. He was rescued after government intervened and is now in
the hands of the UN refugee agency, UNHCR.
There have been complaints that the Rwandan government through its
embassy in Kampala is hunting down the asylum seekers. Rwandan High
Commissioner to Uganda, Major General Frank Mugambage, however,
distanced himself from the kidnappings and murder of asylum seekers.
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