KISANGANI CLASHES SHIFT TO KAMPALA AND KIGALI. For the first time since taking over power, Museveni faced a real challenge to his presidency during the 2001 general elections. To Museveni, for Dr. Besigye to contest against him amounted to high treason. As a retired NRA Colonel and Musevenis physician during the bush war, Dr. Besigyes contest threatened to stray into Musevenis power base - the military. During the election campaigns Dr. Besigye had claimed that he had 90% of the armys support. Museveni reacted by warning Dr. Besigye to desist from even a mere mention of the NRA or else he would send him 6 feet underground. Since then Museveni has sofar sent Dr. Besigye 3 feet underground. Indeed within the NRA there was alot of excitement by those who felt that Dr. Besigye was the Messiah to save the sinking boat. The loyality of some NRA serving officers was put under scruitiny. Those on Katebe, the retired and the Veterans were not spared. The likes of Shaban Bantariza, Peter Kashure and others fell victim. A warning shot was fired into the head of Capt Makoko Segatunga who would openly campaign for Dr. Besigye. He was shot by unknown assaillants at his home in a Kampala surburb of Natete. The elections took place at a time when tension between Uganda and Rwanda were high following the military clashes in Kisangani. It was feared that Rwanda had financed Dr. Besigyes election campaigns. Rwanda was declared a hostile country. The army got involved in electioneering through intimidation, harrassment of the opposition and multiple voting. CMIs Maj. Oula drove stright into an oqosition crowd leavimg many injured. Museveni was declared the winner and Dr. Besigye went to court. All the Justices unanimously agreed that the election had not been free and fair but majority contended that the irregularities had not been substantial enough to warrant nulfication of the exercise. Museveni, mindful of his own designs after the 1980 elections, feared that Dr. Besigye could resort to armed rebellion. He was placed under full-time security surveillance, his movements curtailled and eventually placed on house arrest. Opposition supporters were harrassed by goverment agents. Dr. Besigye managed to beat the 24 hours security surveillance by escapeing from house arrest and fled the country. Around this time the Speaker of Rwandas Parliament- Joseph Sebarenzi fled to Uganda. He and his family were housed by CMI in a safe house in Ntinda, Ministers village, next to Mayanja Nkangis residence. His wife would be escorted by CMI operatives to take the children for medical attention at a clinic on Bombo road. Later on Rwandas Major Alphonse Fuluma fled to Uganda. He fled with a Mercedez Benz and a female maid. He was taken care of by CMI. He was housed in a safe house owned by Brig Muhoozi Kainerugaba that is next to Brig. Kasirye Gwangas residence in Makindye. Tight security was put in place that included the mounting of portable Ingler Missiles. He was facilitated with all the necessary communication gadgets including a desk top computer. He was linked to Dr. Tajudeen of the Pan African Movement with whom they would often meet at the laters residence in Kabalagala, a Kampala surburb. He featured as a leader of the Rwandese dissidents in Uganda. Many other Rwandese who had fled Rwanda like Major Mupende were housed in a safe house in Bweyogerere while others were in Mbarara. Rwanda intensfied its intelligence collection efforts against these dissidents. In one incident a lady suspected suspected to be a Rwandese agent managed to enter the Bweyogerere safe house. The CMI operative - Pte Rwambarale who was on duty that day was arrested, charged and dismissed from the NRA. All those in the NRA who were suspected to have any link with RPA were placed under scrutiny. In particular, those who had earlier worked with the RPA officers when they were dominating NRAs intelligence services were targeted. That is how even the Secretary for Defence - Dr. Ben Mbonye was dislodged from the Defence Ministry. During the crisis, NRA officers like Col. Mande, Lt. Col. Kyakabale and a number of other junior officers fled to Rwanda. Museveni now believed that the opposition and Dr. Besigye in particular intended to start an armed rebellion. To counter this threat, he designed measures that would deny them recruitment grounds. He sanctioned the operations of the nortorious Operation Wembly to ruthlessly deal with suspected robbers. He sanctioned the proliferation of security agencies that saw the birth of CAP, PIN etc. He sanctioned an intensive recruitment drive into the NRA in the western region. These conscripts were meant to be part of the force that was being prepared to invade Rwanda and change the regime. Both NRA and RPA intensified their intelligence collection efforts culminating into the rampant spy scandals that characterised souring diplomatic relations during the 1990s. INFORMATION IS POWER.
Posted on: Wed, 03 Sep 2014 12:31:05 +0000
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