A group of parents of Rwandan nationals arbitrarily arrested by Uganda intelligence agencies have written to the Norwegian government asking for intervention. The letter addressed to Norwegian Embassy is written by a group of Parents whose sons were arrested in December 2017 as they headed for rebel recruitment. The 43 young men were recruited by a one Rugema Kayumba of who is facilitator of Rwandan dissident group RNC. Rugema is working with the Uganda Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence – CMI.
Read full letter below:
Norwegian Embassy, Kampala Uganda
Plot 18B, Akii-Bua Road
P.o.Box 22770
Kampala, Uganda
Email: emb.kampala@mfa.no
Dear Ambassador,
Greetings and best wishes for 2018. We write this letter on behalf of our three sons who have become victims of terror recruitment that is sponsored by an individual who claims to be a resident of your great country.
Our sons, whose names we prefer not to mention for their safety, were recruited into a terrorist organization by Rugema Kayumba who had befriended them and was often seen around our home in Western Uganda. We came to learn that he was befriending them so that he could take them to join the Rwanda National Congress (RNC), which has been classified as a terror organization due to their activities in Rwanda.
Rugema frequented our neighborhood telling young men that he was going to get them jobs in Iraq as guards. He promised their parents that once they get training for the Iraq job, it would be easier for them to enter Norway as immigrants. He told them that their security skills would guarantee them jobs in Norway. All of them, including our sons, got excited. We too got excited, especially because he said that he too was a beneficiary of a similar scheme that ultimately made him a resident of Norway.
Being desperate, our children heeded these empty lies. Little did we know that Rugema was instead recruiting them for illegal terror/rebel activities . We only learnt later that the training he was referring to was sending our children into the rank and file of Rwanda National Congress (RNC). It was never about the dream of going to Norway that had excited us.
Now our children are in the hands of Uganda Police which intercepted them at Kikagati border as Rugema was taking them to Minembwe in the Democratic Republic of the Congo where we are told the RNC has a rebel camp.
We are worried, Ambassador. Any parent would be worried. We don’t know what to do. We have only thought of engaging you because Rugema would brag about how easy he can change the lives of our children and ours by taking them to Norway.
We don’t know whether the Norway government actually has this program that recruits young men and eventually gives them residence as Rugema promised our kids because we hear he has moved to neighboring towns promising young men the same.
The lives of many young people are at risk and many families will blame the Norwegian government for whatever happens to their children because Norway is being used as the bait to lure young men into terrorism. If this continues some families here will start thinking that the Norwegian government supports terrorism.
For now, please help us get Kayumba Rugema to explain to Uganda Police where he was taking our children so that the police releases them to us.
Sincerely,
Concerned Parents
