These same criminals will return to Kampala harass and kill those perceived as threats to President Paul Kagame’s government, said Prosy Bonabana, speaking to a local new website in an interview.

She was dismayed by the hand over of nine Rwandan Nationals who had been incarcerated in Ugandan prisons and charged over espionage.

However, as a means of honoring the Luanda MoU, Kampala withdrew all charges against the nine suspects, handed them over to Rwanda High Commissioner in Uganda Maj. Frank Mugambage last Wednesday and would later be repatriated.

But Prosy Bonabana, a Uganda mother of four, whose husband was kidnapped by Rwanda agents in 2015 and remains languishing in Kigali safe house protests the move by NRM regime saying this revives fresh fear as there is no guarantee for her safety and other thousand Rwandan nationals/refugees who blew the cover of the 9 ruthless ‘blood sucking’ DMI operatives which were arrested by Ugandan security agencies.

“My Name is Prosy Bonabana, I am Uganda aged 40 years. I am married to Gendarme Rwema, a Banyamulenge Cultural leader who lived in Uganda since 1999 and was kidnapped by Rwanda in 2015.

My husband lived in Uganda as a political refugee for five years, he later made peace with Joseph Kabira’s government and became an ordinary resident of Uganda especially after he had married me. So he lived here as a foreigner. We have 4 children,” she narrated to this reporter on Saturday morning.

Like any other wife fighting for her husband, Ms Bonabana followed Mr Rweme up to Rwanda and became vocal about the gross human violation of not only her husband but various other Rwandans abducted or even killed in Uganda.

“Because he wasn’t a Rwandan I hoped that they would understand that they have no jurisdiction and have no right to keep him in their prisons. But it never worked out that way because we have not seen him neither has he ever been produced in court.”

United Voices

Bonabana was determined to find her husband more so create awareness by staging a spirited fight together with other victims of Rwanda aggression.

“After his kidnap as I tried to find justice for him, I met up with various other women whose husbands had been kidnapped or killed. Most of them were refugees from Rwanda and others Ugandans who are married to Ugandans of Rwandan origin. In 2016 I learnt that it wasn’t me alone after all. We were many and the hardest part was that the rest of the victims were refugees and couldn’t voice out their plight because being a refugee makes you vulnerable as they were followed up by those they were running from,” she explains.

Adding that however, the campaign was complicated because majority of the refugees feared to implicate officials in Ugandan government who were allied to Kigali.

She gave an example of police officers who conspired with Kigali to commit the crimes of kidnap, murder and illegal repatriation of the refugees.

“So it would be hard for them to come up and accuse a government that was seemingly protecting them.”

She added: “So we as Ugandans who were amongst those that had lost people decided to give them a voice, put up a spirited campaign and blow a whistle over these crimes. So we formed a group of activists; me, Sulah Numanya, Fiona Barungi and others decided to petition authorities; Parliament, Presidency, security, EU and various agencies.”

The purpose was to create awareness about whatever that was going on but above all giving a voice to the vulnerable.

“As a result, we formed an organization, Self Worth Initiative,” she said.

Ms Bonabana is the Executive Director of this organization while Sulah Nuwamanya acts as programs director.

Successful

 Bonabana and her associate Sulah Nuwamanya underscored the successes of their initiative.

“We scored some achievements after forming this initiative as we got the attention of government, we had security in this country pay attention, we had the kidnappers arrested and put in jail, the policemen who helped abductors were also jailed.

So we felt like we had a lease of life, we felt secure thinking we wouldn’t be picked again even though I personally got threats from Rwanda. But I knew I was protected since security in Uganda had taken a step to get rid of Rwandan operatives who were kidnapping our people,” she articulated.

Anxiety

 However, three days ago these individuals would learn of very traumatizing news of the release of the same ‘criminals’ they had succeeded in throwing in jail.

“It was good until this week, when suddenly, I don’t know what informed the government of Uganda, I heard that these same criminals who were put behind bars had been released.

This is a political move obviously, but it is not justice to people like me and fellow other victims and families that lost people,” Bonabana narrates.

For example, Bonaba alleges that Rene Rutagungira killed over 20 refugees in Uganda.

“He killed a Rwandan journalist Charles Ingabire, there is evidence on that even security knows.

That journalist has a family that would want to see justice for their loved one.”

She added, “look at Joel Mutabazi’s family although they live outside Uganda but they were hoping that the people who violated his rights by illegally repatriating him to Rwanda and is now facing a life sentence hoped to get justice for him.

Our dismay is that all who committed these crimes were released.”

No ray of hope for Justice?

“While we may understand that it’s a move to create peace between two countries but we have not been told as the people at the center of this conflict if it will be reciprocal,” she explains

Bonabana wonders whether Ugandans incarcerated in Kigali safe houses would be released and they meet their loved ones back home in Uganda.

“Will our people kidnapped by Rwanda also be released by Kigali? Those who are still alive.”

She said it was dark day for Ugandans and Rwandan refugees who have continued to suffer the wrath of President Kagame is his government.

“It’s a dark day for us the victims of Rwandan aggression not only are we denied justice but also our security is being compromised.

Where does the release of hardcore criminals leave us because they have their co –accused who are Ugandans like Nixon Agasirwe and others. If their Rwandan counterparts are released that means even the Ugandans will be released, and they won’t be deported to any other country but remain Uganda.

So where does that leave us who exposed them? Who led them to prison. We are very scared about that,” she said.

Blackmail?

 Ms Bonabana maintains that handing over the Rwandan nationals without convicting them was an extremely wrong step by government.

“This move I think was very wrong because peace can’t come when one party seem to be extending an olive hand to another that doesn’t seem to reciprocate.

If Rwanda was saying that we are giving you the people we have in custody, then we would understand but no. Uganda seems to be acting like it offended Rwanda in the first place,” she suggests.

Way Forward

“We intend to talk to the concerned people in Government. On Monday we are taking a protest letter to Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we don’t take it lightly because it concerns our lives and it concerns the core values, justice that has been denied to us.

The whole security situation is worrying us. We are going to engage with government to know what informed their decision.”

-Trumpet news