KIGALI – Self styled Rwandan rebel leader Callixte Nsabimana alias Maj. Sankara has on Thursday May 23, pleaded guilty to the 16 charges including terrorism he stands accused of, in a Rwandan court.
The charge sheet according to local media includes terrorism, kidnap, murder, genocide denial, arson, armed robbery, forgery, causing bodily harm among others.
During the trial, Maj. Sankara who was arrested a couple of weeks ago has told court that his rebel group has been receiving facilitation from Uganda’s Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence boss Brig Gen Abel Kandiho to hit Rwanda hard.
In March this year, he said, he was helped by a one Major Bertin aka Moses; Burundi’s External Intelligence Officer and a Ugandan Captain Sunday Charles to meet CMI Brig. Gen. Abel Kandiho.
“We met Ugandan military officials. There was a scheduled meeting with Brig. Gen. Kandiho but on the day of the meeting, he had an emergency so he sent a Colonel.”
He added: “We requested for military and diplomatic support and by the end of the meeting we were given a positive answer.”
“By the time of my arrest, he added, “our delegation was in the process of going back to Uganda to collect on the promise.”
Rwanda’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs Olivier Nduhungirehe has blasted Uganda and CMI chief for ‘supporting ‘activities aimed at destabilize Rwanda.
“Beyond illegal arrest and torture of a hundred Rwandan citizens in Uganda, we now learn that this man, Brig Gen Abel KANDIHO, Head of Uganda’s Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI), met with Callixte Nsabimana to plan destabilizing Rwanda. Was it also “by accident”?
Beyond illegal arrest and torture of a hundred Rwandan citizens in #Uganda, we now learn that this man ??, Brig Gen Abel #KANDIHO, Head of #Uganda‘s Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI), met with Callixte Nsabimana to plan destabilizing #Rwanda.
Was it also “by accident”? pic.twitter.com/8Kiblund8w
— Amb. Olivier Nduhungirehe (@onduhungirehe) May 23, 2019
Early this year, President Yoweri Museveni in a letter to his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame had early admitted that he also interacted with Rwandan dissidents and fugitives “who are working to destabilize” the East African smallest country by accident.
The admission was contained in a letter addressed to Kagame, also published in the media.
Among the dissidents hosted by Mr. Museveni include Tribert Rujugiro and Charlotte Mukankusi, the Head of Diplomacy of Rwanda National Congress (RNC), an organization implicated in the spate of grenade attacks in Kigali between 2010 and 2013 that killed several Rwandans and injured many more.
“I am writing to let you know that by accident, I, at last, had a meeting with a Rwandan who admitted to being a member of the group you told me about – Rwanda National Congress (RNC). This is a lady known as Mukankusi,” the letter by Museveni read in part.
Museveni added: “Mr. Rujugiro also came, separately.”
Mr. Museveni, however, denied providing to support to any of the two.
“I told her [Mukankusi] we could not support them because what was happening in Rwanda was an internal matter of Rwanda.” Museveni wrote.
Rwanda has repeatedly accused Uganda of harassing its citizens through arbitrary arrests and irregular deportations, in addition to harboring dissidents against Kagame government.
The foreign minister also noted that Rwandan citizens involved in regular business and trade, have been targeted by Ugandan authorities, through actions including limiting free movement of perishable goods coming through Uganda.
