Twenty Rwandan refugees arrested early this week on suspicion of attempting to join the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) rebels will be prosecuted in Uganda, a highly placed security source has said.

The security source privy to the incident told The New Times yesterday that the suspected FDLR recruits will be charged with abusing their refugee status.

 "They will be prosecuted under the Refugees Act for abusing their status,” the source said.

On Monday, the Uganda Peoples Defense Forces (UPDF) intercepted the Rwandan refugees suspected to have been on their way to FDLR bases in eastern DR Congo.

The UPDF Spokesman, Maj. Felix Kulayigye, confirmed the arrests on Thursday and said the army handed the group over to the country’s police force.

The group was arrested in Kanungu District at the border with the DRC from Nakivaale refugee camp, Isingiro District.
Refugee camps in western Uganda have for long been suspected to be used as FDLR recruitment bases.

FDLR is a rebel outfit comprised of Interahamwe militia and ex-FAR, which are largely blamed for the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda that claimed at least one million people.

Another official in charge of Refugees in southwestern Uganda also said that the suspected rebel recruits will be prosecuted in Uganda.

"They will be subjected to the laws of the host country. But it will all depend on ….,” Walter Omondi said.

When contacted, Uganda’s deputy Attorney General and Minister of State for Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Freddie Ruhindi, declined to give his opinion on the legal implications of the matter.

"It is a very sensitive issue. I need to first internalize the whole issue before I can give my legal opinion,” Ruhindi said.

However, Uganda’s Minister for Regional Cooperation, Isaac Musumba, said in an interview that the issue will be resolved at a Joint Permanent Commission between Rwanda and Uganda slated for early next year, as well as the next Tripartite Plus meeting.

"We might have to eventually hand them over to Rwanda should it become necessary,” Musumba said.

By press time the suspects were still in custody in Kanungu, according to a security source handling on the case.

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