Rwanda forces abduct UPDF soldier at border
The Vurunga check point at the Uganda-Rwanda border that was closed on January 20, 2020. FILE /PHOTO
What you need to know:
- The capture of the soldier comes in the wake of frosty relations between the neighbouring countries that deteriorated in February 2019 when Rwanda shut its major border with Uganda.
Ugandan officials have said Rwandan security on Saturday took into custody a Ugandan soldier they found patrolling the border.
Kigali confirmed they had seized the unnamed soldier attached to the 35 battalion in Kisoro District for allegedly straying into Rwandan territory.
The Kisoro Resident District Commissioner, Mr Peter Mugisha, who doubles as the head of the district security committee, said: “One UPDF soldier was on Saturday evening captured by Rwandan army officials as he patrolled the Uganda-Rwanda border with his colleagues.
‘‘The captured soldier remained behind to ease himself and by the time his colleagues turned back to check on him, they found that he was already abducted.”
We were unable to get comment from the Rwandan Ambassador to Uganda. But the Ministry of Defence for Rwanda confirmed the incident claiming he was on Rwandan soil.
“He was dressed in UPDF camouflage uniform, armed with a medium machine gun with its 100 rounds, one binocular, one cell phone and his military identification documents. RDF is in the process of repatriating him,” the ministry said in a statement yesterday.
The capture of the soldier comes in the wake of frosty relations between the neighbouring countries that deteriorated in February 2019 when Rwanda shut its major border with Uganda.
Mr Mugisha said shortly after the Saturday incident, he led a security team that met the Rwanda army officials at Chyanika border post who postponed the meeting to yesterday morning but the Rwandan soldiers later refused to talk to them.
He said the daily border patrols were put in place to scare away the illegal immigrants from Rwanda and the DR Congo from entering Uganda after the official borders were closed as a measure to stop the spread of Covid-19.
“The fact that we have been handing over Rwandan soldiers found taking alcohol in the border trading centres, we thought in the same vein, they would hand over to us the Ugandan soldier that was abducted on the borderline. We have now informed Kampala to use diplomatic means to rescue the kidnapped UPDF soldier,” Mr Mugisha said.
