Gen Fred Rwigyemas untold story
By Muwonge Magembe
The death of Gen. Aronda Nyakairima on September 12; eclipsed the 25th year
death memorial of Maj. Gen. Fred Rwigyema which is commemorated every
October.
Rwigyema died strangely in October, 1990, after launching a military
invasion against President Juvenal Habyarimana. Before he left for Rwanda,
Rwigyema parked a coffee brown Mercedes Benz (G-Class) near the residence of
then special administrator for Mbarara district, Henry Rwigyemera.
Rwigyema started living in Uganda when he was only three years following his
parents relocation from Mukiranze village, Kamonyi district, Rwanda to
Nshungerezi refuge camp, Ankole and Kahungye, Toro. Their relocation was
motivated by the Hutu-Tutsi rivalry leading to the 1961 coup plotted by a
Hutu; Dominique Mbonyumutwa against Tutsi king, Jean Baptiste Ndahindurwa
while the king was in Zaire meeting United Nations secretary general, Dag
Hammarskjöld. President Grégoire Kayibanda maintained the rivalry after
taking over when Belgium granted Rwanda independence on July 1, 1962.
Frustrating refugees from returning home continued when Maj. Gen. Juvenal
Habyarimana who was Kayibandas defense minister and fellow Hutu ousted
Kayibanda on July 5, 1973. This motivated the 19 year old Rwigyema to join
the Front for National Salvation (FRONASA) as a springboard to gaining
military expertise he eventually exploited to launch the RPF invasion. In
1979, after Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA) toppled Idi Amin;
Rwigyema who was part of the struggle lobbied for the inclusion of his
tribesmen for military training among the 300 recruits slots President
Julius Nyerere offered at Tanzania Military Academy, Monduli. However, Lt.
Col. Oyite Ojok, the UNLA chief of staff cautioned the four regional
commissioners charged with recruitment never to register Banyarwanda
refugees. The four commissioners cautioned by Oyite were; Balaki Kirya
(Eastern), John Kabaireho (Western), Aloysius Darlington Lubowa (Central)
and Brig. Shaban Opolot (Northern). Central region was offered 100 slots
where Katumba Wamala (now a General and UPDF chief of defense forces)
enrolled on the advice of his elder brother, Benon Sentongo.
Eventually, Rwigyemas wish for his tribesmen gaining military expertise
availed in 1981 after NRA launched its bush war and more so when state
agents increased their persecution of Banyarwanda refugees following their
alleged involvement in the gruesome murder in Rakai of an aide to
Agriculture minister, Prof. Patrick Rubaihayo. Aware of their exodus to NRA,
Obote protested to Habyarimana highlighting that his refusal to let refugees
back home was availing NRA a recruiting base. Habyarimana reluctantly
reacted by subjecting the refugees to a Kinyarwanda language proficiency
test as a condition for their return.
Habyarimana falsely believed that once NRA took over power, and many
Banyarwanda refuge fighters took over top administrative posts; they would
abandon their wish for returning home. No wonder, Habyarimana accepted an
invitation as chief guest at the formalization of NRA army ranks at Lubiri
barracks on February 6, 1988, during which Rwigyema was decorated as Major
General. Rwigyema then seemed at home given his outgoing character with
sports lovers. He often watched his favourite club- SC Villa at Nakivubo. In
the meantime, Villa chairman, Patrick Kawooya and his business associates;
Faison Damulira and Mohamudu Kajumbi lobbied him to push for their cash
payment from defense ministry outstanding since Obote II regime when Paulo
Muwanga was defense minister. Then army commander, Elly Tumwine was
reluctant recommending its clearance cognizant of the many questionable
contracts Muwanga engineered for his protégés in return for kickbacks.
Actually, before Obote was ousted in July, 1985, he was mindful of Muwangas
controversial contracts. That is why in 1984 when Chris Rwakasisi advised
him to transfer Muwanga from being minister of defense to finance, Obote
angrily responded- You do not know Paulo Muwanga! If I appoint him minister
of Finance, he will finish all the money.
Around 1989, Rwigyema was betrayed by a local security officer who leaked to
Habyarimana all RPF preparation activities conducted at Lungujja, Makamba
Zone near the residence of former Buganda Katikkiro, Paulo Kavuma.
Habyarimana became more furious when Rwigyema organised the successful
escape from Rwanda of RPF top sponsors; Valence Kazigagwa and his wife (Mama
Alien) in a red pajero driven by Nyamaswa. Kazigagwa was a fuel trader.
Other persons Habyarimana was briefed to be in concert with Rwigyema were;
Gregory Karuletwa, Antoine Mazimpaka, Pasteur Bizimungu, Talatibu, Charles
Nkanika and Cyrus Majambere.
In reaction, Habyarimana through his wife Agathe allocated a cash budget to
facilitate the assassination of Rwigyema. Col. Elie Sagatwa, infamous for
planning the 1994 genocide under the code name unit-Network Zero, was among
those tasked to eliminate Rwigyema.
Poisoning Rwigyma was the top option aware that he loved roasted meat and
roasted matooke. They also plotted to ambush him in Kampala after getting
details of his Volkswagen UPX, silver in colour he often travelled in while
planning the invasion. Habyarimana also sent a diplomatic note to French
President Francois Mitterrand through French ambassador to Rwanda, Georges
Martres, requesting for military support. The request was studied by
Mitterrands security adviser, Francois de Grossoure who subsequently died
mysteriously of bullet wounds in his office at Elysee Palace on April 6,
1994 after
Habyarimana died in a plane crash. Habyarimana was hopeful of Mitterrands
military support owing to their friendship resulting in Mitterrand donating
a Dassault Falcon 50 plane to Habyarimana that acted as his presidential
jet. Somehow, Mitterrand and Habyarimana doubted the possibility of Rwigyema
invading in 1990 when President Museveni was still chairman of O.A.U after
succeeding President Hosni
Mubarak on July 9, 1990. Their skepticism led to the delayed deployment of
French ground troops in Kigali under operation Noroit which occurred four
days after the invasion. Rwigyemas conduct also hoodwinked them. For
instance, on September 30, 1990, a day to the invasion, he was at Nakivubo
stadium watching Uganda cup final match between SC Villa and KCC. KCC won by
3-0. President Museveni was also in New York, attending the 45th United
Nations General Assembly chaired by Guido de Marco of Malta. Before Rwigyema
left, he had held a brief strategic meeting at Kasanga, Kiwafu zone in a
storied house Idi Amin formerly used. One of the attendants advised him to
instead coordinate the invasion from Mbarara and let Dr. Maj. Bayingana,
Chris Bunyenyezi and Lt. Col. Adam Waswa command from inside Rwanda.
Rwigyema rejected that proposal. That counsel to Rwigyema related to
Bayinganas little respect for him based on their incomparable levels of
education and clan background. No wonder, when Rwigyema was declared
missing, the first accusing finger pointed at Bayingana who in the process
kept telling soldiers that Rwigyema had gone to Libyan to lobby for money
and arms supplies from Col. Gaddafi. After Bayingana and Bunyenyezi also
died mysteriously; Maj. Reuben Ikondere quizzed Bunyenyizis escort,
Corporal John Sekamatte alias Birimumaso.
Sekamatte however insisted that Rwigyema died of stray bullet from
government forces which is now the official version. Sekamatte later died at
Luzira prison due to HIV/AIDS after he was detained for losing a gun
formerly for Bunyenyezi.
That aside, Rwigyemas wife, Jeannette, spent two years devastated over her
husbands death. Rwigyema never told her that he was going to invade. After
she mourned her husband, Jeannette set up Butembo pharmacy on Kampala Casino
building. In December, 1994, she relocated to Rwanda with her two kids; Teta
and Junior Gisa.
The writer is a researcher
EM
On the 49th Parallel
Thé Mulindwas Communication Group
"With Yoweri Museveni, Ssabassajja and Dr. Kiiza Besigye, Uganda is in
anarchy"
Kuungana Mulindwa Mawasiliano Kikundi
"Pamoja na Yoweri Museveni, Ssabassajja na Dk. Kiiza Besigye, Uganda ni
katika machafuko"
_______________________________________________
Ugandanet mailing list
Ugandanet@kym.net
http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet
UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
All Archives can be found at http://www.mail-archive.com/ugandanet@kym.net/
The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including
attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible for them in any way.
---------------------------------------
