Australia’s secret deal with US to house accused Rwandan killers

Scott Morrison has defended Australia’s security after it was revealed two Rwandan men once accused of butchering tourists were settled in Australia under the refugee swap deal between Malcolm Turnbull and the Obama administration.

Scott Morrison has revealed Australia’s security agencies reviewed the cases of two Rwandans linked to a brutal 90s massacre between April and July of last year and gave the men the green light.

Yesterday the PM defended the country’s security vetting process after a damning report revealed two Rwandan men once accused of butchering a group of tourists in the 1990s have been settled in Australia.

The settlement deal was a result of Australia’s involvement in a refugee swap agreement with the US.

According toPolitico, the men — Leonidas Bimenyimana and Gregoire Nyaminani — spent years caught up in US immigration detention after failed efforts to convict them in relation to the massacre.

It’s alleged the men were involved with a rebel group responsible for the brutal murders of eight western tourists in Uganda in 1999 but they were never convicted of any crime.

Today, the prime minister confirmed that on the basis of the security assessment the two men were allowed to relocate from the US to Australia.

“These specific allegations were reviewed by our security agencies and by our immigration authorities and they were not found to be upheld in their view, and as a result they were allowed to come to Australia,” Mr Morrison said.

“That process went through between about April and July of last year.”

Mr Morrison did not become prime minister until August last year when Malcolm Turnbull was toppled.

Mr Turnbull struck the US resettlement deal with former president Barack Obama under which Australia has accepted at least 30 refugees through the reciprocal arrangements.

US President Donald Trump expressed strong opposition to the refugee swap deal when Mr Turnbull spoke with him about it but he was convinced to stick with it.

The swap deal dates back to Malcolm Turnbull and Barack Obama’s leaderships. Picture: Supplied

When Scott Morrison was asked about the men yesterday during National Press Club, he refused to comment specifically but assured “every single person that comes to Australia, under any such arrangements, are subject of both character and security assessments by Australian security agencies and our immigration authorities.”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison was asked about the two men during the National Press Club address today. Picture: Gary Ramage

“I don’t intend to make a commentary on allegations that have been made in open source information. But simply to assure Australians that they are the processes that we undertake and these are the same security agencies that have thwarted 15 terrorist attacks.”

“Matters of national security aren’t things that I have ever canvassed in specifics in open forums such as this. Allegations, I know, have been made out there in the public forum. But what I can assure Australians of is this — our government will always ensure that those character and national security considerations are undertaken for anyone who seeks to enter this country.”

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson responded to the claims saying the “government should hang its head in shame”.

Labor’s Chris Bowen said if there is a change of government at the election he would expect the new government to seek urgent briefings on the situation to determine whether it had been handled promptly.

Labor openly supported the US resettlement deal. Mr Bowen was asked if Labor would reconsider the deal if elected, he responded that the government would need to be properly briefed on the situation first.

BRUTAL TOURIST MASSACRE

The men were once-accused of being part of a rebel ambush of eight tourists who were trekking in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest of Uganda. The tourist group were on the lookout for rare mountain gorillas.

The Bwindi camp at the border of Uganda which was devastated in the attack. Picture: AP

The March 1999 attack saw an American couple, four Britons and two New Zealanders either hacked or bludgeoned to death by the rebels who were members of the Hutu Army for the Liberation of Rwanda.

Americans Susab Miller and Robert Haubner were killed by rebels during the attack. The rebels had targeted Americans and Britons. Picture: Supplied

Four Ugandan park employees were also killed at the campsites.

No Australians were killed in the attack, however Ugandan officials told media at the time that one Australian was among those held hostage as well as Swiss and Canadian tourists.

A New York Times report from back then claims the attackers were armed with automatic rifles, machetes and spears.

The horrific attack was said to be an act of revenge on America and Britain.

Survivors in the aftermath claimed the rebels had deliberately singled out British and American tourists to kill. Other nationalities including French were set-free.

Six tourists survived the ordeal.

The tourist group killed at Uganda's Bwindi National Park in 1999 were searching for rare mountain gorillas. Picture: AFP

As part of the deal struck in 2016 between Australia and the US, Washington agreed to take up to 1250 refugees — mostly from Iran, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan — who were being held in Australian-run offshore detention. Australia had agreed to resettled Central American refugees from camps in Costa Rica. Both these deals were made public.

But Politico claims a secret deal was also made between the two countries which saw Australia agree to take in at least two of three Rwandans who were in the US to face trial over the American tourist murders.

It’s reported the three men confessed to the murders but the case fell apart.

This left all three men in a state of legal limbo, without provisions to stay in the US but they were fighting not to be returned to their home country citing fears of persecution.

It’s understood Australia accepted two of the men as humanitarian migrants as a favour to the US.

‘JUST INSANE’

An American safari leader who was taken hostage during the attack told Politico it was ‘just insane’ that this deal had been made at all. The decision is likely to anger New Zealand and Britain.

A Ugandan soldier standing by wreckage of burnt out vehicle destroyed during the tourist massacre in 1999. Picture: Supplied

At the time of the murders, then British prime minister Tony Blair called the crime an “act of wickedness simply beyond belief.”

He vowed to do “everything in Britain’s power to pursue justice”.

In March this year the family of one of the Kiwi victims gathered in Auckland to mark 20 years since the murders.