| Congolese flee rebels for Uganda |
| 28 Nov 2008 |
| Some 13,000 people have fled into Uganda from a rebel advance in the Democratic Republic of Congo in just two days, the UN refugee agency says. Some of those who crossed the border said their relatives had been killed by the rebels of General Laurent Nkunda.
His forces declared a ceasefire last week but say this does not apply to operations against foreign militia and they are now attacking Rwandan Hutus.
Earlier, the EU was urged to send forces to stop the DR Congo fighting. Sixteen former top officials and world leaders sent a letter to EU heads of state, saying they were best placed to intervene because it would take too long for the UN to send reinforcements.
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| U.N. hope for peace agreement |
| 26 Nov 2008 |
| The U.N. stated on 26 November 2008 that there is every indication that the Ugandan Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebel group will sign a peace agreement in the coming days. U.N. special envoy -- former Mozambican President Joachim Chissano -- stated that LRA leader Joseph Kony is on his way to a 29 November signing ceremony in Ri Kwangba in southern Sudan from his hideout in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Kony had refused to sign a peace agreement in April 2008 due to outstanding international arrest warrants against the rebel group's leaders; however, the Ugandan government then stated that it would be willing to ask the U.N. Security Council for a one-year suspension of the warrants to allow for the signing and resolution of the conflict by other means. Although there are no guarantees that Kony will sign the agreement on 29 November, Chissano is very optimistic. The LRA has been waging a rebellion against the Ugandan government for the past 20 years.
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| Massive protest planned in Kampala on 20 November |
| 19 Nov 2008 |
| Ugandan civil organizations announced that they will hold a massive protest in Kampala on 20 November 2008 over the recent arrest of a senior Rwandan official. Rose Kabuye -- who is Rwandan President Paul Kagame's Chief of Protocol -- was arrested in Germany on 9 November subsequent to an arrest warrant for her alleged involvement in the 1994 genocide. The protest will be staged in solidarity with Rwanda against Kabuye's "kidnap" by Germany and France. The Ugandan Civil Society, Makerere University Guild, Makerere Community Church and Pan African Movement will participate in the protest, which will begin at Makerere University and proceed through Kampala to the German and French embassies. Organizers have stated that they intend the protest to be peaceful, but anti-riot police officers will accompany the demonstrators in order to put down unrest if violence breaks out.
Meanwhile, large-scale protests continue in Rwanda. On 18 November tens of thousands of people gathered in Kigali to protest Kabuye's arrest. Large numbers of people converged at the Germany Embassy and the local offices of Deutsche Welle. Expatriate Rwandan residents in Germany, the United Kingdom and Sweden have also staged demonstrations in recent days.
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| Truckers at the Malaba border post continue to strike |
| 21 Oct 2008 |
| On 21 October 2008 truckers at the Malaba border post between Kenya and Uganda are continuing a strike to protest the condition of the customs parking lot. The strike, which started on 20 October, froze trade between the two countries. The drivers are trying to express their concerns over the lot and the road leading to it, stating that accidents have occurred as a result of the poor conditions. Traffic between other border points was not affected, however, Malaba is the main control point for goods and services between the two countries.
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| Security increased ahead of Kampala summit |
| 21 Oct 2008 |
| Reports on 21 October 2008 advise that security has been increased in Kampala, Entebbe and bordering towns ahead of the Tripartite Summit, which begins in Kampala on 22 October. The Tripartite Summit will be the first ever joint meeting of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), East African Community (EAC) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). Among the increased measures are more vigorous checks at Entebbe International Airport (HUEN/EBB) and a temporary ban on freelance taxi driving. Military police officers and bomb squad units have also been deployed along the main thoroughfares -- including along the Kampala-Entebbe road -- that will be used by the 26 heads of state who are expected to attend the summit. The increased measures come after President Yoweri Musevini warned of a possible terrorist threat on the summit earlier in the month.
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| 500 houses, businesses and eateries demolished by armed attackers |
| 14 Oct 2008 |
| According to reports on 14 October 2008, a group of armed people razed hundreds of homes and businesses in the Mukwenda zone of Makerere in Kampala late on 12 October. The affected area -- which is located adjacent to the Makerere University veterinary school, colloquially known as Kikumi kikumi -- included more than 500 houses, businesses and eateries. Local security forces suspect that a group of people claiming ownership of the land is responsible for the incident. Police officers were supposed to have evicted the tenants the previous week, but information suggesting that the ownership document that triggered the eviction order was fake halted the police action. The armed group fired gunshots to evict the tenants and used a grader to demolish the buildings. At least six people were injured, and an additional 500 people were displaced as a result.
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| Ugandan President warns of a possible terrorist attack against an upcoming international meeting in Kampala |
| 10 Oct 2008 |
| On 10 October 2008 Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni warned of a possible terrorist attack against an upcoming international meeting in Kampala. Uganda will host the joint international summit for the Common Market for Eastern and Southern African (COMESA), the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the East African Community regional organizations from 16-22 October; the meeting will be held at the Munyonyo Commonwealth Resort, a popular resort on the Lake Victoria. Ugandan authorities suspect that the country may now be a prime target for al-Qaeda terrorists because of its involvement in the Somali peacekeeping mission. The warning comes a week after the country's security forces initially went on high alert in response to a tip from Kenyan authorities that a suspected terrorist may have entered Uganda from Somalia through Entebbe International Airport (HUEN/EBB) in late September 2008. Authorities have reiterated, however, that there is no threat to any specific location at this time.
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| Four suspected terrorists arrested at Entebbe International Airport |
| 22 Aug 2008 |
| According to reports emerging on 22 August 2008, four suspected terrorists were arrested on 18 August at Entebbe International Airport (HUEN/EBB) in Kampala. Two of the suspects are South African nationals, who apparently arrived in Uganda from Kenya and were scheduled to depart for South Africa when they were arrested; the other two suspects are Ugandans. The Joint Anti-Terrorism Task Force arrested the men, and the Ugandan military police are currently holding and interrogating the suspects. Families of the two South African men -- one of whom is a Muslim cleric in Johannesburg -- have appealed to the department of foreign affairs to intervene on their behalf, but so far, no progress has been made. Earlier in August 2008, Uganda's internal affairs minister warned of suspected al-Qaeda terrorists in the country.
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| Uganda Ministry of Health has advised people not to enter any caves or mines where bats may live. |
| 22 Jul 2008 |
| The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has reported that a woman from The Netherlands recently died from Marburg hemorrhagic fever (Marburg). She became ill after returning from a trip to Uganda.
The women was most likely exposed to Marburg virus after entering a cave with large numbers of bats. The cave is in the Maramagambo Forest in western Uganda (at the southern edge of Queen Elizabeth Park). It is understood that she had direct contact with a bat while in the cave.
Travellers should know that there are serious health risks associated with visiting caves in the Maramagambo Forest in Uganda and in other areas of Africa. These risks include diseases spread by bats, such as Marburg, rabies, and histoplasmosis. The Uganda Ministry of Health has advised people not to enter any caves or mines where bats may live.
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| Riots start in Kampala suburb after shooting |
| 02 Jul 2008 |
| Residents of Kalerwe -- a Kampala suburb -- rioted on 1 July 2008 after a botched routine arrest resulted in the shooting deaths of a bystander and an off-duty Special Police Constable (SPC). The unrest began when a suspected criminal resisted arrest, prompting the SPCs to fire warning shots into the air. A stray bullet from this scuffle struck a bystander in the head, killing him. Angry over the death, a mob quickly formed and threw stones at the police officers who were trying to recover the body. An off-duty SPC was killed when the on-duty police officers mistook him for a rioter and shot him.
When the local police force was unable to handle the unrest, the military was called in to stop the rioting. Once officers recovered the bodies, the crowd smashed a police car and set it on fire. Two suspects were arrested in the incident. The riot lasted approximately two hours, during which time traffic on Gayaza Road between Kubbiri and Kyebando was forced to utilize alternate routes. An investigation is underway to determine exactly what happened at the scene; three SPCs have been suspended while the investigation is ongoing |
