Rwandan Army Commander, Gen. Patrick Nyamvumba has cautioned residents who live along the border to desist from seeking health services in Uganda, promising that medical services will be extended to their areas.
The residents have for long been seeking medical treatment from Ugandan hospitals in Kisoro but after the unilateral border closure by Rwanda, the leadership in Kigali is desperate to see that no Rwandans are interested in crossing to Uganda, something that is inevitable.
Last month, a Rwandan National identified as Elizabeth Mukarugwiza (37) collapsed to death as she fled from Rwandan forces at Cyanika border with Uganda after she tried to cross into Uganda to buy food. The Rwandan forces were determined to block the poor woman from accessing Uganda through a porous border point.
The Rwandan army chief has now issued his warning while traversing the district of Burera near Kisoro in South Western Uganda.
“I am aware that you have been seeking some services from Uganda, which are going to be provided because you deserve them,” said Gen Nyamvumva.
A source that attended the meeting, however, noted that Rwandans have no option but to seek help in Uganda since the other option is to live ‘like animals’.
“Rwandans are not animals, we can’t see our children dying yet there are hospitals just across the border. We know that he (Nyamvumba) was delivering a message from Kagame but it only stops at that. We will try to find treatment in Uganda if we can’t find it at home,” the source said.
The source further explained that Uganda is a source of various basic services that Rwandans cannot live without.
Since the border closure, the business between the interdependent border communities has been severely disrupted. Many Rwandans depend on Uganda for basic home user goods, food, and other services, and these are in short supply since the border shutdown on President Paul Kagame’s orders.
For instance, the price of a bar of soap has since risen from RF 1000 to RF 4000 (about UGX 15,000/-).
Running away from hunger
Last week, Uganda Red Cross Society – URCS handed over seven Rwandan asylum seekers to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees – UNHCR.
The Rwandan asylum seekers were Eugine Mukeshimana, Sudi Uwiyesenga, and their children, Joana Uwase Irakoze, Fred Kwibuka Mugisha, and another two-year-old child.
The others were Enock Kwizera and Sumayi Nkurikiyimana. Christine Ayebazibwe, the Kabale URCS Branch Manager, says the Rwandan nationals reported to their offices in Mwanjari ward in the southern division of Kabale Municipality.
She says the Rwandans asked URCS to find them a place where to stay, saying they will never return to Rwanda because of the unbearable conditions in the country.
Ayebazibwe explains that Mukeshimana who was pregnant was taken to Kabale Regional Referral Hospital over the weekend where she delivered a baby girl.