Henry Mukasa
19 November 2008
Kampala — PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni yesterday traveled to Nigeria for a three-day working visit.
Speaking to The New Vision from Nigeria, the President's press secretary, Tamale Mirundi, said Museveni would hold talks with his counterpart, Umaru Yar'Adua.
Mirundi said the President was also expected to meet officials from the oil industry and deliver a public lecture at one of the leadership colleges.
Before leaving for Nigeria, Museveni received a message from the Rwandan President, Paul Kagame.
A statement from the State House said the message was delivered by Kagame's special envoy, Dr Emmanuel Ndahiro, who is also the director general of Rwanda's National Security Services.
The statement said Museveni and Ndahiro discussed issues of bilateral interest.
The meeting was also attended by the Rwandan Ambassador, Kamali Karegyesa.
Uganda last week protested the arrest of Rwanda's head of protocol, Rose Kabuye, in Germany on November 9.
A protest note by Uganda's foreign affairs ministry said the arrest was a violation of the sovereignty of states.
She was picked at the Frankfurt Airport while on a trip to prepare Kagame's visit to Germany. The arrest follows a warrant issued by a French judge.
The note, signed by the Permanent Secretary, Ambassador James Mugume, said the indictment did not follow the principle of international jurisdiction.
He echoed Rwanda's demand for Kabuye's immediate and unconditional release. Kabuye is accused of involvement in the 1994 shooting down of a plane that killed President Juvenal Habyarimana and led to the Rwanda genocide.
Meanwhile, President Museveni on Tuesday evening met the United Nations special envoy to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo at the State House Nakasero.
A statement issued by State House said Obasanjo and the former President of Tanzania, Benjamin Mkapa briefed Museveni on the crisis in Congo.
"The president and his guests expressed a desire for the establishment of lasting peace in the DRC," the statement said.
Obasanjo had just returned from eastern DR Congo here he held talks with rebel leader, Gen. Laurent Nkunda.
Nkunda, Obasanjo said, promised to respect a ceasefire, participate in peace talks and open corridors for aid.
"From everything I have seen of the man, Nkunda is not an unreasonable person," Obasanjo told journalists at the Goma airport. "He understands what is possible and what is probable. I want to believe that what he says is true," Obasanjo said.
Obasanjo is the UN special envoy to the Congo, brought in to broker a peace deal.
He said although Nkunda had offered direct talks with President Joseph Kabila, talks would not come soon.
"I don't expect them to meet now. I expect that once we pass through this exploratory phase we will get to that point," he said.
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