Rwanda: Interahamwe target, kill Ugandan Banyarwanda - report

New Times (Kigali)
22 July 2007
Posted to the web 23 July 2007
Charles Kazooba in Kampala
Elements of the defunct Rwandan Armed Forces (FAR) and Interahamwe, a Genocide militia, have infiltrated Uganda and are systematically carrying out violent attacks on a section of Banyarwanda living in the country, The New Times has learnt.A recent investigation by The New Times established that at least 10 people were in recent months killed by the militias in Masindi District in western Uganda.
The Interahamwe are common in Panyadoli refugee camp in Kiryandongo sub-county and Mutunda sub-county in Kibanda County.
According to residents in these areas which have large communities of Ugandan Banyarwanda, the Interahamwe have now joined hands with other local thugs to terrorise residents, particularly Banyarwanda.
Godfrey Byempaka, a Munyarwanda resident of Kiryadongo said the Interahamwe easily cross from the DRC through the porous border into Uganda, commit atrocities and then sneak back before security forces intercept them.
"They are always armed and at times they hire their guns out to robbers. When they realize that you have seen and noticed them, they kill you," Byempaka said.
Other sources among Rwandan refugees in the area said that a number of Interahamwe stay in Muntunda Sub County, from where they coordinate their activities.
Mutunda borders River Nile and shares a boundary with Kiryandongo, 50 kilometres from Masindi on Gulu-Kampala highway.
Victims According to the local communities, at the end of last year, Interahamwe elements murdered four members of John Ntagwira's family in cold blood. They had reportedly wanted to kill Ntagwira himself earlier but had failed on different occasions.
Ntagwira, who later relocated from Mutunda to the neighbouring Kijunjuba Parish, had, according to his friends, for long been surveilling the militia's activities in the region but his motive later came to the attention of Interahamwe. It is at that time that he became a top target of the militias.
At Kiryandongo, where suspected Interahamwe attacks are reported to be common, another victim, William Mushabe, escaped unhurt when the attackers pursued him early this year.
The suspected Interahamwe also killed one Rwamudola, Rwenega and Didas Biizi and a child to one Karachi. They also hacked to death three other unidentified Banyarwanda and and a Munyankore man.
In an exclusive interview, one Godfrey Kihirwa, alleged that the Interahamwe militias have links with some Uganda army officers.
"It is hard to believe it but at times they are arrested but only to be rescued by some big people in the army," Kihirwa said.
Sources identified some of the identified Interahamwe militias who were arrested and later released are Aisa, Bujenyi, Yamireme and Muzeeyi. They were reportedly released under unclear circumstances.
Kihirwa said one Mukotani is one of the most notorious Interahamwe militia in the area. However Mukotani recently fled to either Rwanda or DRC, according to his associates. He is also linked to an arms racket.
The area MP, Sam Otada, confirmed the presence of the militias in his constituency. "It is true there are some former Rwandan soldiers and militias that are terrorising my constituency. But what I can tell you is that police is still investigating. As of now I cannot assure you that I have details at hand," Otada told The New Times recently. But the Masindi Criminal Investigation Directorate, Chief Christopher Mcagiu, denied that Interahamwe exist in the area despite allegations that that police often clear the suspected the Rwandan criminals without carrying out thorough investigations. "Who told you that? I cannot say anything. I do not have any such cases," Mcagiu said.
Uganda's Police Spokesman Assan Kasingye referred this reporter to Masindi District Police Commander, whose phone was switched off by press time.
Uganda's Coordinator of Intelligence Services, Gen. David Tinyefuza, also denied knowledge of Interahamwe presence in Uganda.
"I hadn't known that. What I know is that there are other people (Banyarwanda) who are not pastoralists in the area that could be causing havoc," Tinyefuza said.
Majority of Interahamwe militias and members of the defeated Genocidal force are living in eastern DRC, where they have committed numerous human rights abuses against local communities. They fled Rwanda after participating in the 1994 Genocide which claimed at least one million ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus.