Ugandan MPs to visit

Ugandan members of parliament are due to visit Rwanda on a fact-finding mission, Rwandan officials confirmed to IRIN on Thursday. “Yes, we received a communication from the chairman of the Ugandan parliamentary committee on presidential and foreign affairs informing us about their visit,” said Dr Theogene Rudasingwa, political adviser to Defence Minister Paul Kagame. He said the visit was due to take place on 14 April.

The chairman of the Ugandan parliamentary committee Elly Karuhanga told IRIN he was leading to a four-man delegation to Rwanda “to find out what is going on by interacting with both the leadership and parliamentarians”. “Rwanda is our neighbour and the Ugandan parliament, as the voice of the Ugandan people, needs to be better informed about developments in Rwanda,” he said. He added that areas of interest included current political developments after the resignation of President Pasteur Bizimungu, reported tension between troops from both countries in the DRC town of Kisangani and the implementation of the Lusaka peace agreement. The findings would be used to judge Uganda’s relations with Rwanda. “We shall use our findings to criticise or congratulate our government depending on what we find out,” he said. Observers say some Rwandan officials believe the visit amounts to interference in Rwanda’s affairs.