Sheikh Muhammad Kirevu aka Abbas Kirevu, who was shot dead on Thursday by security forces, was an Allied Democratic Force (ADF) commander who benefited from amnesty.
The State Minister for Internal Affairs Gen David Muhoozi said Kirevu got amnesty in 2005 before being reintegrated in society.
At the time of his death, said Gen Muhoozi, “Kirevu was an active recruiter for the rebel outfit.”
In 2000, the Uganda Parliament passed the Amnesty Act, offering amnesty to all Ugandans engaged or engaging in acts of rebellion against the government since January 26, 1986, on condition that they reported to a local authority, renounced and abandoned the rebellion, and surrendered all weapons in their possession.
Thousands of former combatants in various rebel movements were demobilised and reintegrated into their communities.
The rebels, together with children and other members of their families, were issued a certificate of amnesty and resettlement packages by Amnesty Commission.
They received blankets, mattresses, utensils, farm inputs and 260,000 shillings (about 140 US dollars), which constituted the resettlement package.
They were also provided with education, financial support for income-generating activities and vocational and skills training.
However, human rights organisations at the time said the initiative was promoting impunity as the criminals were not held to account for their crimes.
Several former ADF combatants have since been accused of creating cells to revive the uprooted ADF network.
Government said then that amnesty was a tool to promote peace and to encourage rebels from all parts of Uganda to come home.
Controversy
The shooting of Kirevu has sparked controversy with some family members saying he was shot after being handcuffed.
“It’s allowed to apply some force in apprehending somebody who is resisting arrest but that force must be proportional to the force used in resistance,” said Busiro East MP Medard Ssegona while appearing on NTV on Thursday night.
Several other terror suspects have been shot dead in multiple security operations in recent months.
Police publicist Fred Enanga said one of the arrested terror suspects Musa Abdullah Ayebare, led counter terrorism forces to the home of Sheikh Kirevu, who recruited him, located at Gangu, Busabala Road in Makindye Division, Kampala.
The cleric was not around and the suspect further led security to Kirevu’s second home, located at Katereke cell, Kyengera town council in Wakiso District.
“The Sheikh was arrested and resisted handcuffs,” said Enanga.
“He (Kirevu), however, attempted to escape while being escorted to the patrol car, which led to a shooting, killing him instantly,” Enanga observed.
He added: “Both Sheikh Muhammad Kirevu and Sheikh Sulaiman Nsubuga of Kajjansi, were strong ADF rebel collaborators, who were using their networks to identify vulnerable individuals and families, to recruit from. They thereafter, facilitated their movement to the DRC, for training and radicalization into the rebel ranks.”
Police said Kirevu and Nsubuga were also providing material support to operatives involved in the terror attacks.
“We are still actively hunting for Sheikh Sulaiman Nsubuga, who is still at large,” said Enanga.
“We want to assure Ugandans that our top priority remains preventing and countering terrorist attacks in our country. The recovery and detonation of dangerous IEDs, together with the arrests of operatives and collaborators, serves as a strong warning to all those who support terrorism and related acts of violence against our country.”
Gen Muhoozi said “it is time to rethink the national interest and to inculcate it in the young people. We must have a baseline of agreement as a country, from that, even handling terror threats will be easier.”
He also disclosed that the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo “is willing to engage on ways of decisively dealing with the ADF because it is now a threat on both ends.”
