Ugandan websites blocked in Rwanda as 'war' sucks in media houses
- Written by Frank Kisakye
Museveni and Kagame
The soured diplomatic relations between Uganda and Rwanda have now sucked in media houses - with each country blocking what they regard as the other regime's 'propagandist' media houses.
Yesterday, the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) ordered Ugandan internet service providers (ISPs) to block access to Rwanda’s New Times website (https://www.newtimes.co.rw).
It is not yet immediately clear if the blocking of access to Ugandan news sites such as The Observer (www.observer.ug), NilePost (www.nilepost.ug), Softpower (www.softpower.ug) and New Vision (www.newvision.co.ug), Daily Monitor (www.monitor.co.ug), The Independent (www.independent.co.ug) by Rwandan authorities was in retaliation to UCC's move. The blocked websites can only be accessed via virtual private networks (VPN). Uganda has blocked access to at least 6 Rwandan websites.
There has been no official communication from Rwanda but President Kagame's communications director, Yolanda Makolo in a reply to a tweet about the blockages said; "You of all people should know the difference between cause & effect/consequence. We don't get slapped and offer the other cheek. No apologies."
You of all people should know the difference between cause & effect/consequence. We don't get slapped and offer the other cheek. No apologies.
— Yolande Makolo ?? (@YolandeMakolo) August 22, 2019
UCC says the order was because the Rwandan paper has continued to publish 'harmful propaganda' against Uganda. UCC spokesperson, Ibrahim Bbosa, said UCC had directed “internet service providers to block New Times for publishing harmful propaganda that endangers the national security of Uganda”.
Adding that, “We are engaging the regulator in Rwanda and hope this will be temporary,” Bbosa said. Currently, an attempt to visit the newspaper’s website from Uganda returns an error.
The blockage of websites comes just a day when Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and Paul Kagame of Rwanda signed a peace pact in Angola on Wednesday, signalling an end to the bitter diplomatic relations between Kampala and Kigali that had resulted into the closure of Gatuna border.
Despite the signing, the New Times newspaper, which is Rwanda government’s mouthpiece, continued to publish propagandist articles blaming the Kampala regime for the impasse.
Comments
How did I read and reply to your story?
The wording should have been ".................. in what they deem as Regime Propagandist regime....." Isnt this an indirect confession that the observer is one of them, in as a propagandist regime sympathizer
Eish!
May be vindictive Museveni is just being jealous (as usual) that he was left out His role in Africa is eroding by being maligned and isolated slowly.
Time is up for the old con-man. The Museveni fatigue is now being felt around the world.
Lysol, I suppose in the hindsight Gen Kagame now regrets having thumbed his nose at the French, alienated the Rwandese people from their Belgian alias French social economic and cultural influence, and joined the alien Commonwealth (now the Common Poverty) Organization and East Africa Community.
If it were not for Museveni, who would have know skinny
murderous Kagame existed? swallow the pi, and save Rwandese from starvation , it's high time you stopped repentance!!!
May be that is why he always wears that colonial hat to cover hit. He has a big ugly deformed head anyway, may be some kind of a brain tumor? Or may be the devil's head.