Museveni meets his Luweero war abductee
President Museveni. File photo
Kampala- President Museveni has met Dr Pierre Perrin, a former medic with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) who was once kidnapped by the National Resistance Army (NRA) rebel outfit during the bush was in 1984.
Mr Museveni was the commander of the rebels.
A Tuesday State House statement said the two “old friends” had a good time at State House, Entebbe.
Dr Perrin has never returned to Uganda after he was expelled by the government of the then President Milton Obote, following his release by the rebels in Luweero.
“You were on a medical mission when I met you. I have been dying to see you. I can still recognise you very well. It was really dramatic, so many interesting things…I have always been asking about you,” President Museveni said during the meeting.
Mr Museveni said he has been looking for Dr Perrin since the end of the war until recently when he talked to the President of the ICRC who visited Uganda and promised to trace him.
He encouraged Dr Perrin to write his experiences at the time.
Dr Pierre donated a book to Mr Museveni in which he mentions him.
The president gave a copy of The Mustard Seed, a book he authored to outline his struggles against bad governance.
In the book, Mr Museveni described Dr Perrin as: “My old friend Dr. Perrin of the Red Cross whom I met in interesting circumstances in 1984, January just before our big January victory in Masindi on the 20th of February.”
On January 7, 1984, eleven employees of the ICRC who were on a routine medical mission fell into an ambush of NRA rebels who that had infiltrated Luweero.
The employees included Dr Pierre who was then a chief medical officer.
On January 9, the NRA released seven hostages; four Swiss nationals including Dr Pierre’s wife Christine Perrin, who was then a nurse with the ICRC and three Ugandans.
Two weeks later, other the hostages including Dr Perrin were set free.
However, Dr Pierre and his Swiss team were arrested by government forces and questioned about Mr Museveni and the NRA. When they testified that they were treated well and left to go, the government expelled them to avoid positive publicity for the NRA in the Diaspora.
Media outlets in Europe widely reported about NRA rebels and the abduction.
