13 other illegal detainees were yesterday, February 18, released by Ugandan authorities in what media houses close to Ugandan intelligence were quick to trumpet as a sign of “goodwill”. Those were the lucky ones, others either died or disappeared in a madhouse or are yet to be released, but at least the stonewalling is dead as Uganda finally acknowledges it was illegally holding some Rwandans. Incidentally, three of the women released were wives of men who had been released earlier in last month causing one to wonder why they were being held in the first place. However, the “goodwill” is a huge sigh of relief for many families but it is still shrouded with intrigues and some veiled diplomatic concessions. During the summit that took place in Kigali last week, the Rwandan side had a few demands one of which was the arrest and extradition of four members of RUD-Urunana who had taken part in a deadly attack in Kinigi last October and fled to Uganda where they were being sheltered. Uganda had feigned ignorance at first, but in a swift sleight of hand, it managed to slip two of the attackers; Nzabonimana Fidele and Kabayiza Seleman, among the 13 released. But the other two; Captain Nshimiye alias “Gavana” who led the attack and Mugwaneza Eric, are yet to be accounted for. So what does one read in this soap opera? Is Uganda finally relenting to the pressure of the Luanda agreement to break ranks with forces hostile to Rwanda and doing so by handing over the two RUD-Urunana sacrificial lambs? Let us hope so.
