Magezi Kiirinjju, just like his boss Yoweri Museveni, is trying to divert debate from real issues to theoretical Pan-Africanism based on talk alone, never willing to walk the talk. After Rwanda complained for years that Uganda was hostile, after a ton of evidence proved that Uganda was supporting dissidents; Magezi publishes a propaganda article on the Luanda MoU. He titles it the Beautiful, the Ugly and the Bizzare.

He should really have titled it delusional it corresponds more to the flow of his writing. Beginning with usual Pan-African and East African slogans of brotherhood, he quickly moves to stab with lies. His flow is very similar to Yoweri Museveni talk on integration and free movements of goods and services while at the same time sabotaging the northern corridor project and incarcerating hundreds of Rwandans. In the Uganda ruler’s selfish interest, he will block any project that might develop or lead to economic growth in Rwanda. He sees Rwandan growth as a threat to the point of blocking an electricity purchase deal with Ethiopia or even a milk export from Rwanda.

That RNC is working with FDLR is bizarre, but Magenzi forgets that the “bizarre” is forged by Museveni’s Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI). The determination to destabilize Rwanda was so high that CMI organized a meeting in Kampala between the RNC and FDLR leaders. This came to light when in December 15, 2018 FDLR officials their spokesperson Ignace Nkaka –aka La Forge Fils Bazeye– and Theophile Abega – the Head of Intelligence – were arrested in Congo and confessed having come from Kampala for a meeting to coordinate activities with RNC. The effort to merge both hostile terrorist groups were coordinated by none other than Philemon Mateke, the current Ugandan Minister of State for Regional Affairs.

Read: Virunga Post on Mateke and FDLR meetings

Magezi’s trivializes a fact clearly stated by a UN Group of Expert in December 2018, Uganda is supporting both FDLR and RNC. Although they are strange bedfellows, stranger still is the bed that carries both entities. The obsessive focus on Rwandan issue by the Museveni regime can be illustrated by a stunt its diplomacy pulled by mobilizing the entire diplomatic corps to the handover ceremony of a deceased smuggler at the border. With the constant wave of assassination, why have they never invited the diplomatic corps to a funeral of a Ugandan assassinated? Fact is, Uganda is using it as a diversionary tactic to hide endemic corruption only is partly the reason.

Magezi cannot undo the past, not even with satirical titles. In one incident, the Uganda government public communication Executive Director, Ofwono Opondo, literally relayed fake news that the Foreign Affairs minister of Rwanda was poisoned to death. But one would not blame him for taking an RNC lie and propagating it, Opondo does not fall far from the tree. Museveni, publicly, confessed to ‘accidentally’ meeting the head of RNC international relations Charlotte Mukankusi. Although he granted her a Ugandan passport to facilitate her travels, he claims that he didn’t know who he was meeting with.

The Luanda MoU is an admission by Uganda that it has been hostile to Rwanda, and that it persecuted Rwandans in Uganda. The real question is whether Uganda, with the signature of the MoU, will backtrack on the numerous hostile policies it adopted on Rwanda.