The Ugandan Government has cancelled the passport of Charlotte Mukankusi as the two countries attempt to mend their fragile relations, Ugandan officials have said.
Mukankusi is the Commissioner for Diplomacy in Rwanda National Congress (RNC), a terror group that works to destabilise security in Rwanda.
RNC is the organisation behind the spate of grenade attacks in Kigali between 2010 and 2013 that killed several Rwandans and injured many more.
For long, Mukankusi has held a Ugandan passport, with which she is said to have been conducting RNC’s different activities.
Available information suggests that the passport was issued on March 1, 2019.
Rwanda looked at this development as substantial support by the Ugandan Government to RNC which, in part, deteriorated relations between the two countries.
Mukankusi was also reported to have visited Uganda last year alongside other RNC officials.
During a recent ad hoc meeting between Rwandan and Ugandan officials in Kigali, Rwandan dignitaries called for the verification of Charlotte Mukankusi’s travel history to Uganda, especially during the month of January 2020 and the withdrawal of her Ugandan passport number A000199979.
This was one of the demands made by Rwanda ahead of the Friday, February 21, quadripartite summit.
The development is seen as a positive step by Uganda towards the cause.
In a note verbale issued by Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday, February 20, Kampala acknowledged that Mukankusi held their passport and confirmed that it had been withdrawn from her forthwith.
Speaking to The New Times about the details of the note verbale, Olivier Nduhungirehe Rwanda’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Regional Cooperation and East African Community Affairs acknowledged the development.
"Yesterday through their (Uganda’s) note verbale they acknowledged that Charlotte Mukankusi who is the RNC Commissioner for Diplomacy was using a Ugandan passport for her terrorist activities and they said that this passport was revoked forthwith and that investigations were commenced to ascertain the circumstances under which this passport was issued to her,” he said.
Among other things, Rwanda also requested Uganda to release its citizens detained in its territory, as well as handing over the suspects who are said to have carried out the deadly attack in Kinigi, Musanze District on the night of October 3-4, 2019.
To this cause, a few days ago Uganda handed over Seleman Kabayija and Fidel Nzabonimpa—two of the Kinigi incident suspects.
Rwanda says that two other suspects are still wanted.
Rwanda also asked Uganda to verify the operations and fundraising activities of Prossy Bonabaana, Sula Nuwamanya, Dr Rukundo Rugali, Emerithe Gahongayire and Emmanuel Mutarambirwa, all part of the RNC leadership through an NGO called the Self-Worth Initiative.
The fourth Quadripartite Heads of State Summit is currently underway in Gatuna as the two countries seek to iron out their differences.
Presidents Paul Kagame, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda are joined by Angolan President João Lourenço and his Congolese counterpart Félix Tshisekedi in the day’s discussions.