Uganda is safe place for all: Minister

Ahmedabad, May 9 (UNI) Dispelling fears about the security of Indian settlers in Uganda following the killing of a Gujarati youth during the riots in Kampala last month, Internal Affairs Minister Ruhakana Rugunda today assured that his country was a safe place for all.

Addressing mediapersons after visiting to the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) here today, Mr Rugunda said Uganda President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni had sent the delegation to Gujarat to dispel fears following the killing of Dewang Raval.

''I have come here to dispel the fears of Gujaratis that may have gripped them following the killing of a Gujarati youth during the rioting in Kampala last month and I want to assure each one of them and also the government that Uganda is a safe place for all, who have settled there for ages,'' he said.

President Museveni asked me to visit Gujarat to send across a message of peace and brotherhood to its people, as also to pay condolences to the grieving family members of Devang Raval, he said.

Sanjay Tanna, a member of Parliament in Uganda and one of the delegation members accompanying Mr Rugunda, said the country offers vast opportunity to investors and industrialists. CNN and BBC had reported only about an Asian being killed ignoring the two Ugandans who were also killed. This has created a wrong impression about the security aspect in the country vis-a-vis the foreigners, he said.

In November, Uganda will host CHOGM meet. If Uganda is a basket case, then this will not happen, said Manisha Madhvani, Deputy High Commissioner, Uganda High Commission, India.

Urging the investors of the state to come to Uganda, Ms Madhvani said Uganda has an open capital current account and it is more liberal than India. All that President Museveni wants is investment.

He is not bothered about the colour or skin of the investor. His main concern is development and industrialisation, she said, adding that Mr Museveni does not believe in aid but in trade.

Meanwhile, Raval's family in Ahmedabad was yesterday given a cheque of US 47,000 dollars, which included 15,000 US dollar as insurance claim, 10,000 US dollar contributed by the Ugandan Government and another 22,000 US dollar collected from NRIs in Uganda.

UNI