Rwanda and Uganda have expelled junior diplomats accredited to each others capitals, it was confirmed Friday.
The move was started by Uganda when Kampala accused an administrative attache at the Rwanda embassy of being involved in the activities of a dissident organisation, government officials said.
Rwandan diplomat Jimmy Uwuizeye was ordered out on Wednesday after being found to be coordinating” the activities of the rebel Peoples Redemption Army PRA.
Rwanda retaliated by expelling the Ugandan first secretary at the embassy in Kigali, information minister, James Nsaba Buturo said.
We asked Jimmy Uwuizeye to leave. Those guys (PRA rebels) who were arrested with arms confirmed that he (Uwuizeye) was their main contact.
”We were concerned that such a person could engage in such activities and he had to be told to leave,” said Nsaba Buturo, confirming reports by early editions of Kampala’s Saturday papers.
”The decision of the government was that he had to leave the country. He was engaged in activities meant to destabilise our country,” the minister said.
The Ugandan government says that PRA dissidents said to be based in the Northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo, are led by a former run-up in Ugandas 2001 elections, retired army colonel Kizza Besigye now exiled in South Africa.
”His behaviour was incompatible to his diplomatic status. There was evidence from those arrested that that he was coordinating PRA activities,” the minister said.
Uganda in the past accused Rwanda of supporting PRA rebels and harbouring its leadership. Security authorities on Thursday paraded alleged PRA fighters with a variety of arms in a northwestern town.
The two states, formerly close allies, started feuding when their troops were in the former Zaire more than two years ago, with each accusing the other of supporting dissidents. – Sapa-DPA