By Andrew Irumba:
Rukiga: The Ugandan Police and army have arrested two Rwanda Defense Forces (RDF) soldiers who are suspected to have been spying on Uganda on behalf of Rwanda.
The suspects identified as Bosoce Ishimwe and Peter Sanvura, both residents of Tabarwe in Nyagatare District, Rwanda, were arrested during a joint operation by the army and police on Sunday morning, in Kamwezi Sub County, Rukiga district. They were netted together with Silva Muhwezi, a resident of Kamwezi Sub County. It is alleged that the suspects crossed into Uganda under the guise of attending Muhwezi’s birthday party at Mpororo trading Centre in Kiruhura village. He however, says the suspects instead went to Rwamatumguru Catholic Church to spy on what was going on. It is when Ugandan security, which was monitoring their movements swung into action and apprehended them and whisked them away in a UPDF vehicle under tight security to unknown location. However, Richard Ecega, the Kigezi Region Police Commander and the Kigezi Region Police Spokesperson, Elly Maate declined to comment and instead the media to Uganda Police Spokesperson, Fred Enaga who couldn’t be reached by press time. The arrest of the two suspected Rwandan spies comes a few days after the shooting of two people by Rwandan Soldiers in Kamwezi. An unidentified Rwandan soldier shot dead John Batista Nkyerengye, a resident of Nkoma cell, Ntabarwe parish in Nyakatere District, Rwanda and Alex Nyesiga Atuheire, a resident of Nyakabungo village in Kamwezi Sub County on Friday evening at Mpororo trading Centre in Kiruhura village.
The Rwandan soldiers crossed to Uganda to arrest unidentified Rwandan smuggler for attempting to cross to Rwanda with second hand clothes. A scuffle erupted after the Rwandan soldiers impounded the motorcycle registration number RE736G, which the smuggler was using drawing protests from residents who accused them of illegally crossing into Uganda’s territorial boundary to conduct an arrest. As a result, one of the soldiers drew his gun that was concealed in a long jacket and opened fire killing Nkyerengye and Nyesiga. The Rwandan soldiers attempted to retrieve Nkyerengye’s body prompting Uganda police to shoot in the air forcing them to flee back into Rwanda. The soldiers who were over 40 in number, managed to retreat with the motorcycle, goods and unidentified Rwandan smuggler who had crossed into Uganda. Uganda’s Foreign Ministry protested the incursion by Rwandan soldiers on Uganda’s territory and asked Rwandan authorities to reprimand the implicated officers. However, Rwanda National Police and Foreign Affairs Ministry issued a statement on Saturday evening refuting Uganda’s claims. Rwanda insists that the incident occurred at Tabangwe sector in Nyagatare district, in Rwanda, not Uganda. The statement also indicates that Rwandan security officers acted in self-defense when Nkyerengye resisted arrest and turned violent with the help of a mob that crossed to Rwanda from Uganda armed with machetes. Uganda’s Foreign Affairs Ministry is expected to have over Nkyerengye’s body to Rwanda authorities later today at Katuna border.
