Rwanda’s accusations against Uganda makes Kagame cry boy EAC-regional analysts.
Rwanda’s latest accusations, according to a regional political analyst, that Uganda is hosting rebels who want to topple the regime in Kigali, is a flimsy excuse that has only exposed President Paul Kagame as a “cry boy” of the East African Community (EAC), the bloc his country joined in July 2007.
“President Rwanda has antagonized with almost every country in the EAC. Talk of Burundi, Tanzania and of DRC which does not belong to EAC. I am sure if Rwanda was bordering Kenya OR South Sudan Kagame would have had issues with them. It cannot be that all these countries hate Rwanda. Kagame is just a cry boy of EAC. He wants to make small issues big so that he escapes the blame,” the analyst said on condition of anonymity for he is not allowed to comment on a particular country in the media since he is a regional peace broker as well.
“Kagame should ask himself why he has had bad relationships with Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and DRC. It cannot that he is good and his neighbours are bad. Kagame is just someone who thinks neighbours owe him and not vice versa. Kagame should also remember that Burundi and DRC have in the past accused Rwanda of harbouring elements that want to destabilise governments in both countries.
The analyst also rubbished Rwanda’s accusations that Uganda has killed and mistreated 1000 Rwandan nationals, saying that if that was true many Rwandans would not be interested in coming to settle in Uganda which has more opportunities. “I have seen many Rwandans doing business in Uganda. I have seen many Rwandans employed in Uganda, even in government. Is that killing them and mistreating them? He asked.
President Kagame and his ministers should own the mistakes they have committed in Uganda. You cannot send your nationals to do subversive activities in a neighbouring country and when they are caught you don’t want them to face the law. “No country in the world can allow such criminals to act at liberty,” he said.
The analyst said Kagame and some of his ministers should thank Uganda for keeping them alive in the years when they were not wanted in their own country. They lived here studied here and benefited from Uganda’s national programmes including scholarships. “They cannot now go to Kigali and turn against Ugandans. The top leaders in Rwanda owe Uganda more than Uganda owes,” he said.
Another Kenyan political analyst Eagle Online talked to give his view on the current stand-off between Uganda and Rwanda said Rwanda’s denial of her citizens to enter Uganda and refusal of Ugandan goods to enter Rwanda is against the principles of the EAC. “Rwanda joined the EAC because it recognised the benefits that Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania were enjoying such as free movement of persons and goods,” he said. “What the Kigali regime is doing to Uganda is bad and only shows Rwandan is undermining the same EAC he begged to join,” he added.
Kagame’s warning to kill former Tanzanian president Jakaya Kikwete
The Kenyan analyst advised Kagame that Tanzanians have never forgotten the day when he threatened to kill former President Jakaya Kikwete. “It is on record and have never forgotten that threat to the former fountain of honour,” he said.
In 2013 Kagame warned Kikwete that: “Those people [Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete] you just heard siding with Interahamwe and (Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda) FDLR and urging negotiations… negotiations? Me, I do not even discuss this topic, because I will just wait for you [Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete] at the right place and I will hit you (Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete) did not deserve my answer. I did not waste my time answering him…It is well known. There is a line you cannot cross, there is a line, a line that you should never cross. It is impossible…”
“First the former Rwandan Foreign Affairs Minister Louise Mushikiwabo and former Defense Minister, James Kabarebe, had publicly cursed Kikwete and called him a sympathizer of “genocidaires”, a “genocide denier”, and other names.
Then former Prime minister Prime Minister and now President of the Senate, Bernard Makuza, called Kikwete a mediocre leader. Tanzanians have never forgotten these utterances from Rwandan officials,” he said.
Kagame’s threats came after Kikwete called on the authorities in Kigali to hold peace talks with the Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda to end the war of 17 years. Kagame felt then that Kikwete should apologise to him just because the former Tanzanian leader had made remarks that call on Rwandans to make peace. Tanzanians so that as funny.
Kagame just like Amin
The Ugandan ruler Idi Amin was one of the factors that led to the collapse of the East African Community (EAC). Amin was in a war of words with Kenya in 1976 about border demarcation. Amin then turned on Tanzania in 1978 alleging Tanzania was harbouring Ugandan rebels.
The EAC whose roots are traceable to the customs union and common currency implemented by the British since the 1940s collapsed in 1977. Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda revived EAC which came into force in July 2000, 23 years after its collapse.
Fast forward to March 2019 Kagame ordered Rwandans not to travel to Uganda and closed the common border with Uganda. Thus, Kagame becomes the second military ruler to jeopardize the EAC as he cries of foul play he alleges is ochestrated by Uganda.
By Peter Etiang
