Two Rwandan nationals were Sunday abducted by Uganda’s Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence from a village where they had gone to attend a friend’s party across the border, the Rwandan National Police has said. “Today at 12:30pm 26 May 2019, Ugandas Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) abducted two Rwandan nationals, Samvura Pierre, 47, and Habiyaremye Eric, 25,” the Force posted on its Twitter account Sunday evening. The two residents of Gahamba village, Tabagwe cell, Tabagwe sector, Nyagatare District, were seized 1.5km inside Uganda where they had for a baptism ceremony of the son of their friend Silver Muhwezi, police said. Uganda’s CMI abducts two Rwandans: A Thread! Today at 12:30 pm 26 May 2019, Ugandas Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) abducted two Rwandan nationals, Samvura Pierre, 47, and Habiyaremye Eric, 25. (1/4) — Rwanda National Police (@Rwandapolice) May 26, 2019 Police said the two are from the same area where two men – a Rwandan and a Ugandan – were on Friday shot dead by Rwandan security personnel after the former confronted a security patrol as they attempted to smuggle merchandise into Rwanda. “The two Rwandans had earlier been urged by their friends not to go to Uganda because they feared they would be putting their lives in danger,” police said. “However, they ignored the warning, insisting that they needed to honour Muhwezis invitation.” In March 2019, the Government of Rwanda issued a travel advisory warning Rwandans against traveling to Uganda in the wake of sustained arrests and torture of Rwandans by security agents in the neighbouring country. Kigali says over 1000 innocent Rwandans are languishing in ungazetted detention centres in different parts of Uganda, and says it issued a travel advisory because it could not guarantee its citizens’ security across the northern border. Some of the victims have been dumped at the border in very bad shape, some in wheelchairs, as a result of the ordeal they were subjected to in torture chambers. Many of the victims have spent years in such detention centres without being produced before court and have been denied of consular services, according to testimonies of those released. Uganda says those being arrested were suspected of being involved in espionage, a claim rejected by Kigali, families of the victims and those who have been deported. In the meantime there is a growing body of evidence of Kampala’s support of armed and dissident groups bent on destabilising Rwanda. Several rebel leaders who have been arrested in recent months have implicated Uganda in plots to attack Rwanda, including its role in last year’s attacks in areas near Nyungwe forest that killed nine people and wounded several others. The Rwandan government also accused Uganda of economic sabotage, after cargo trucks from Rwanda were impounded for months on several occasions with no clear explanation. Uganda has maintained that Kigali’s grievances are unfounded and criticised Rwanda’s travel advisory to its nationals. However, Uganda President Yoweri Museveni has admitted to hosting some of the dissidents in question, claiming he met them accidentally.
