Rwanda’s High Commissioner to Uganda, Frank Mugambage, yesterday said that a military struggle was the only option left to remove dictatorship in the Rwanda 17 years ago.

The envoy made the remarks in a press briefing he held with members of the Ugandan press on the forthcoming Liberation Day slated for July 4.

"All efforts to change the status quo were futile and therefore a war was inevitable to remove an oppressive regime that had led to violation of people's fundamental rights,” Mugambage said.

He added that the government has since been able to put in place programs that foster national unity, unlike the past regime where ethnic divisionism was rife.

"There was a state of absolute poverty, but as we speak today, people have been mobilised in various ways, all aimed at achieving a descent living,” Mugambage said.

Mary Karoro Okurut, Uganda’s Minister of Information and National Guidance, passed a congratulatory message to Rwandans and attributed the reconstruction success story in Rwanda to the liberation efforts.

"Rwanda’s pain was our pain and we congratulate our brothers and sisters on the progress and development in place today. We shall always be with them,” she said.

John Nkuruzinza, a Kampala resident said; "The Liberation day is very important because it reminds us of the dignity that was restored to the people of Rwanda”.

For Rogers Luwaga, a student at Makerere University Business School, the Liberation Day is important because it is the basis for every Rwandan to act against anything that can take them back to the dark days of the Genocide.

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