The extradition of Rwandan President Paul Kagame’s ex-bodyguard, by the Ugandan government to Rwanda was an act of violation of international obligation by Uganda.  The Uganda police’s casual handover of Joel Mutabazi to Kigali is not only incomprehensible but a bad precedent for other refugees in Uganda and possibly on the African soil.

It is unfortunate that despite UNHCR’S condemnation of the above act, it jointly with Ugandan government bear responsibility for the illegal extradition of Joel Mutabazi who will not only be tortured but also not get a fair trial in the Kagame courts.

“We condemn the act in the strongest terms possible, and it is a violation of refugee rights,” said Mr Mohammed Adar, the UNHCR country representative in Uganda. “No government that is signatory to international refugee law should ever [facilitate] refoulement (expulsion of persons eligible for refugee status).”  These words are too little and too late, Joel Mutabazi is in the talons of the vicious eagle on the continent. Indeed, Joel Mutabazi had survived different assassinations   attempts but it will not be easy for him to survive the   Dan Munyuza and Jack Nziza liquids that kill a person in slow motion.

Lt Mutabazi escaped to Uganda in October 2011 after 17-month incarceration at Kami military facility, outside Kigali, where he was tortured over links to the Rwandan former army Chief Gen. Kayumba Nyamwasa . While the Rwandan security used fake international arrest warrant accusing Lt. Mutabazi of an armed robbery, he is now accused of being part of a wider group behind grenade attacks in Kigali to destabilize the country.

The Ugandan MP for Masaka Constituency Hon. Matthias Mpuga asked why Rwanda should come in Uganda pick up a person who in fact is under UNHCR and Uganda protection under international obligation, the Uganda’s Disaster and Refugees minister Hillary Onek said the country suspended Police crime intelligence chief, Mr Joel Aguma, who on October 25 arrested and extradited Lt. Mutabazi to Kigali,  who the Minister said that he  acted in an “error of judgment and misinterpretation of the international arrest warrant.”.

It is therefore an open secret that Ugandan government did not follow any refugee protection law or legal extradition process, rendering the arrangement flawed from start and precarious for Mutabazi. It is unfortunate that many Rwandan leaders in the current government   where one day refugees.  Infarct Uganda should act responsibly because if the Kagame’s where handed to Habyarimana , may be the current RPF regime would not be there.  These are  the same sentiments echoed by the  opposition party in Ugganda by  the  Forum for Democratic Change party  Spokesman Wafula Oguttu  who  urged caution in Uganda’s cooperation with Rwanda in pursuing refugees, reminding that majority of current senior leaders in Kigali were themselves refugees in Uganda.

The Kagame regime should also understand that  taking one refugee or two, from Uganda or elsewhere in the world  will not save or help the RPF and Kagame’s regime, the problem in Rwanda is  ideological one, good governance ,as long the people have grievances which you think you will suppress by force, killing, torture , then the President is mistaken .

Persecution of the RPF political opponents is on the increase unabated by any strong civil society. It has become a trend that whoever has a different view of how Rwanda should be governed is either killed or made politically impotent. As the HRW Director for Africa Mr Daniel Bekele, said, no Rwandan who runs from Kagame’s persecution should be turned back, and “The Ugandan police have utterly failed to protect (Mutabazi), who was clearly at serious risk it’s unconscionable that they handed him over summarily to the police force of the country whose persecution he fled.”

It is in this regard that, we call upon the Kigali regime to protect Mutabazi from the liquids of Dan Munyuza and the claws of Jack Nziza,but above all , he should be given fair trial bearing in mind that Mutabazi is not an enemy of Rwanda but a Rwandan who spend 20 years serving his country but ended up going AWOL running for his dear life. But also like many at large who want  the Kigali regime  to  change and put its house in order.

Jacqueline Umurungi

Brussels.