KAGAME’S DECISION TO BLOCK UGANDAN GOODS TO RWANDAN MARKET IS INSANE—HIMBARA

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In Rwanda
Exiled Rwandan dissident Prof. David Himbara has labeled the decision by the Rwandese president Gen. Paul Kagame to block Ugandans goods from accessing the Rwandan market as “insane”
He made these remarks during NTVs political talk show ‘Fourth Estate’ on Sunday night.
“Only somebody who is insane would close an international border through which a countrys exports and imports transit. It is not just normal, if this was debated at least, no matter what the issues were, it would not have gone this far,” said Himbara.
Speaking via a telephone, Himbara who has twice unsuccessfully worked with Kagame in different portfolios decried the lack of political checks and balances in Rwanda which he said would have helped to avoid this problem.
However, he pointed out that in the current dispensation such situations are inevitable due to Kagame’s style of management which does not allow space for internal debate.
As such, he added that Rwandans and Kagame himself inclusive are at crossroads, wondering what to do next.
“I think that basically the main problem we have in Rwanda is that you have one man, President Paul Kagame becoming everything, sometimes without fully understanding the consequences, he further added.
I actually worked for President Kagame twice from 2000 to 2012 and things did not work out basically he would not take advice. I left and then he invited me back in 2006 to 2010 when things got really violent and people started disappearing, people ending up dead and some attempted assassinations. I decided that this was not for me, so that is when I left for South Africa”, he narrated.
Himbara previously served as Kagames economic advisor.
Himbaras brother Col Tom Byabagamba and in-law, Rusagara, were arrested and jailed over charges related to threatening security.
Asked about Rujugiro’s links to the dissident Gen. Faustin Kayumba Nyamwasa’s led Rwandese National Congress (RNC) which has since been designated as a terrorist group by Kigali, he said Kagame is merely using him as an excuse to reign in on his opponents.
More so, Himbara said Kagame’s accusations do not add up especially if one is to consider the establishment of this entity and the time he went into flight.
“Let me put it this way, Kagame has been hunting for Tribert since 2009. In 2009, there was no RNC, it came much later. So this is a typical Kagame looking for a scape goat”
According to different media reports, Rujugiro’s presence in Uganda was cited as the primary cause of the diplomatic spat between Uganda and Rwanda.
It is alleged that Kagame wanted the businessman who runs the Arua based Meridian Tobacco kicked out of Uganda for purportedly supporting elements hostile to President Paul Kagame, a decision Ugandas president Yoweri Museveni rejected due to lack of supporting evidence.

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