A senior Ugandan military officer on Saturday extolled the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) leadership for liberating Rwanda and said that it marked the country’s true independence.

Brigadier Leopald Kyanda, the Chief of Staff (Land Forces) in the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces made the remarks on the sidelines of celebrations by Rwandans and friends of Rwanda to mark Liberation Day in Kampala.

He said that when one looks at how the country had gone down the drain, nobody would have predicted that Rwanda would be where it is today. "When nations get independence they are born, but for Rwanda it was born again 20 years ago,” he said.

The army chief commended the defunct Gacaca courts, which he said has helped build unity among Rwandans.  "All this has been possible because of the sacrifice of the leadership,” he added.

Fred Mukasa Mbidde, a member of the East African Legislative Assembly (Uganda), said nothing should be allowed to interrupt the progress Rwanda has registered. "The scientists should be given ample time for the laboratory results to be realized safely. The good thing is that accountability is the guiding principal that the RPF accepted to govern by,” he said.