Friends aided Nyamwasa's escape - Rwanda Minister

MENDING RELATIONS: Uganda's Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Kuteesa and Rwanda's Foreign Affairs and Cooperation MInister Louise Mushikiwabo after signing a joint communique during the 8th session of the Uganda - Rwanda joint permanent commission held at Serena Hotel on March 3. Photo by Geoffrey Sseruyange

What you need to know:

Rwandan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms Louise Mushikiwabo, told journalists in Kampala that the fugitive general was helped by his friends living in Uganda in their individual capacities, and that there is no information linking the Ugandan government with the general’s escape.

Kampala

Kigali on Thursday moved to mend its diplomatic relationship with Kampala, saying it has now established that Uganda did not assist Rwandan renegade, Gen. Kayumba Nyamwasa, to escape.

The General is wanted in Kigali to answer unspecified criminal charges.

Rwandan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms Louise Mushikiwabo, told journalists in Kampala that the fugitive general was helped by his friends living in Uganda in their individual capacities, and that there is no information linking the Ugandan government with the general’s escape.

WANTED MAN: Gen. Nyamwasa

“The moment we realised that he left Kigali, we got in touch with authorities in Kampala and the fact that he did not spend a night here is a sign that Uganda is not a safe haven for Rwandan fugitives,” Ms Mushikiwabo said, “I would like to state that Uganda did not play any role.”
Ms Mushikiwabo, who was speaking after meeting with President Museveni over the matter, added, “Yes, I talked about this with the President and the agreement was that since Gen. Kayumba lived in Uganda and has many friends in this country, it was easy for him to escape.”

About the man
Before his escape last Friday, after a government retreat in Rubavu, the general was the country’s ambassador to India and previously served as a commander of the President Paul Kagame-led Rwanda Patriotic Front, after the 1994 genocide.

Gen. Nyamwasa’s was the highlight of discussions at a Joint Permanent Commission meeting between the two governments in Kampala yesterday.

Ms Mushikiwabo said Rwanda was working on the documents containing the crimes that Gen. Nyamwasa allegedly committed and that it would present them to the South African government to demand for his extradition.