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Ugandan journalist and political commentator Andrew Mwenda is concerned about potential sanctions along with other Ugandan and Rwanda officials over their alleged involvement in rebel activities in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo
Mwenda is being accused by among others the United States of supporting the M23 rebel group operating in the eastern DRC.
He was listed in a report by a team of UN experts, which alleged that both Uganda and Rwanda were backing the rebel group.
The report was last year submetted to a sanctions committee at the UN for examination.
Mwenda has acknowledged meeting with M23 leaders, including Lawrence Kanyuka and Desire Rwigyema, in March 2024.
He asserts however that these interactions were part of his journalistic duties and aimed at facilitating a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict in the DRC.
In his discussions with the rebels, Mwenda said he learned of their desire to reinitiate peace talks with the DRC government.
They claimed that previous negotiations had collapsed due to attacks by Congolese forces during a planned demobilisation in November 2022.
Mwenda says attempted to convey the rebels' willingness to surrender to Western embassies, including those of the United States, France, and the European Union, seeking their assistance in mediating between M23 and the Kinshasa government.
However, these efforts were met with reluctance, as the embassies declined to engage with the rebel group.
In a social media post yesterday, Mwenda accused the US of going behind his back to impose sanctions on him and other Ugandan officials.
“ The Americans sought to exploit this situation to sanction me, Rwanda and Uganda,” he said.
UN Report and Allegations of Support for M23
In the UN experts report, Mwenda is named as an intermediary, accused of facilitating communications between M23 and Western embassies to advocate for the removal of sanctions against the group.
He has refuted these claims, saying his interactions were solely for journalistic purposes and to promote dialogue aimed at ending the conflict.
Mwenda's Defence and Critique of International Organisations
In response to the allegations, Mwenda has criticised international organisations, particularly the United Nations and Western nations, for what he perceives as biased investigations driven by predetermined agendas.
He argues that his efforts were focused on encouraging a peaceful settlement and that his meetings with M23 leaders were within the scope of his work as a journalist.
Mwenda contends that the accusations against him are unfounded and reflect a misunderstanding of his intentions.