Twelve Rwandans were on Wednesday bundled by Ugandan authorities and dumped at the Cyanika border post in Burera District. The victims were dumped in two separate phases. The first group of six arrived at 1:15 pm while the other was brought at around 7:15 pm. Some of the victims said that, for months, they had been illegally detained in prisons in Uganda’s districts of Kisoro and Kabale. While others said that they had been living in Uganda for many years. “Ugandan security operatives arrest you just because you are a Rwandan. While in their cells you are tortured, subjected to corporal punishments and forced labour,” said Jean de Dieu Ngarukiyintwali, a 43-year-old who hails from Kinyababa Sector, Burera District. “I have been detained for a year; I had been jailed in Kabale before I was transferred to Kisoro prison,” he added. Ransom Ildephonse Hakizimana from Gasakuza Cell, Gacaca Sector in Musanze District said he had been living in Uganda for about two years where he was engaged in business. He said that he was illegally arrested but was later released after paying a ransom to his jailers. “After spending a week in prison I was ordered to pay 1,200,000 Ugandan shillings to be released. My family in Rwanda sold some property to get me out of jail,” he added. The incident comes less than a week after the failed talks between Rwanda and Uganda, aimed at resolving their feud. Rwanda accuses Uganda of supporting anti-Kigali militia groups, economic sabotage as well as sustained illegal arrests and torture of its citizens.
