Citizens reportedly arrested

Both Rwanda and Uganda have accusing the other of detaining and harassing each other’s citizens following repeated clashes of their forces in Kisangani, DRC. “On our side, we have no problems with Rwandese citizens living here. It is the Rwandan government that should explain the fate of 47 Ugandans that are being detained in Rwanda,” Ugandan army spokesman Major Pheneas Katirima told IRIN on Monday. Rwanda has denied harassing Ugandans living in Rwanda and instead accused Ugandan security officials of creating a story to cover their anti-Rwandan activities. “The state media in Uganda is trying to cover up well-publicised cases of harassment, torture and detention of Rwandese citizens in Uganda. Here there is no problem; the Ugandans are going on with their activities, the Ugandan Embassy can confirm,” Rwandan government spokesman Joseph Bideri stated. Meanwhile, Arinaitwe Rugyendo, a correspondent of the independent Ugandan ‘Monitor’ newspaper for the western districts of Mbarara and Kabale bordering Rwanda, told IRIN there had been cases of state-inspired harassment and detention of Rwandans. “On 9 June, officers from the Criminal Investigation Department picked eight Rwandese men from a bar on suspicion of being security operatives from Rwanda and they have not been seen again. The anti-Rwandan feeling is limited to state officials, not the population,” he said.