General Salim Saleh's errand boys: How bandits control Uganda's security

By The Nairobian Reporter | 5yrs ago | 5 min read

News dominating Uganda's media of late has been about the insecurity that has infested the country, including the assassinations and abductions of people especially in Kampala.

It is widely believed that the insecurity is a by-product of the chaos and infighting in the security forces that has rendered them incapable of identifying the killers, let alone being able to prevent the killings.

However, for one reason or another these analyses tend to disregard the hand behind the ongoing insecurity: Gen. Salim Saleh.

Once you have put Saleh's entire career under the microscope, the picture that emerges shows that the ongoing insecurity on display in Uganda is the culmination of a criminal system that has long betrayed both the military and the country.

For instance, the junk choppers he purchased for the army and the trade in illegal timber are only among Saleh's much known sagas.

However, there are tens of them that never made it to the public in Kampala that sheds light to the criminal network that nurtured today's insecurity in Uganda.

Saleh uses Kandiho to dupe Americans:

On February 3, 2011 a mafia-like meeting sat in Kampala to prepare a gold heist. It was chaired by none other than Salim Saleh, Abel Kandiho, the current head of Uganda's Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI), was also present.

Kandiho had for long been Saleh's aide and had been used to run most of his errands, such as these in the mineral smuggling and laundering.

At this meeting were also three Congolese men, Jean Luc, Yusuf, and Bruce, who fashioned themselves as Gold traders.

Also present were four Americans (led by one Edwardo Carlos St. Mary III) who had come to Kampala looking for Salim Saleh who, they had been told, had a big network in the minerals trade, mainly from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Saleh had hired some Congolese for this very purpose: to act as mineral traders in order to bring credibility to the heist. After all, as long as there were Congolese involved, the minerals were not too far.

And so, Saleh promised to sell the Americans 475 kilograms of gold that he had kept in a storage in Goma. (It was fake gold but the plan was to dupe the Americans into buying it). His Congolese "traders" would take the Americans to a FARDC (Congolese army) Commander who would show them the Gold and Abel Kandiho would oversee that the entire deal through.

After some negotiations on the price Saleh and the Americans agreed a payment of 19.4 million dollars, which came with an advance payment of 11 million dollars that the Americans paid Saleh in cash with the balance to be settled in Goma once the Americans had seen and tested the gold for authenticity.

Kandiho took charge. The Americans had a private plane. Soon after they boarded the plane along with the Congolese "traders" and took off for Goma airport. As promised, they found the FARDC General waiting at the airport, surrounded by at least ten bodyguards. The General, enthused to be of service to the legendary Salim Saleh, immediately took his visitors to Saleh's gold storage facility.

Kandiho had been preparing this deal at least two months in advance and had visited Goma on numerous occasions, all the while staying at Ihusi Hotel (we can avail hotel records).

This time round, he decided to stay in Kampala from where he coordinated the operation Saleh had assigned him. When the Americans landed the Congolese General had called Kandiho to confirm that the guests had landed and continued to update him when they reached the gold storage facility.

At the facility the Americans wanted to test the gold to see whether it was genuine. They were given one kilogram that Abel had purchased in Bunia, DRC, during his two-month preparations for the heist.

They tested it and it turned out authentic. The Americans were greening. Thus far, everything they had agreed with Saleh and Kandiho was turning out roses. Saleh was an honest man after all, they must have thought to themselves.

Not so fast. As the young men finished loading the truck, the Americans insisted that out of the $8.4 million balance, they'd pay $3.6 million and the remaining balance of $4.8 million at the airport after the plane was loaded. The General obliged. He stepped on the side to make a phone call. Kandiho's line kept busy.

The truck raced to the airport and the gold was loaded into the waiting plane. Carlos turned to make the final payment. As soon as the money exchanged hands, the General sat into the waiting car, sped off.

Carlos found himself encircled. Other Generals wanted a share of the loot: the North Kivu Chief Intelligence Officer (Agence Nationale de Reiseignement - ANR), the Sector Commander for Rutsuru,the Brigade Commander of the Republican Guard also showed up. So did the intelligence boss of the police (J2) for North Kivu.

Apparently their intelligence had alerted to them a "suspicious" mission at the airport. They searched the plane and "found" the gold, which they unloaded and called Kinshasa for instructions.

Kabila's aide said the gold should be taken to the reserve bank in Goma and arrest the Americans (part of this story was reported in the BBC and Reuters but without these details more of which we are ready to produce). But the real aim was to prevent the Americans from taking off with fake gold.

The objective of securing the money had already been reached and there was no need to create further trouble for themselves. After all, they may need to use the same "gold" to dupe another unsuspecting foreigner in a rush for quick riches off Congolese minerals.

Once the Americans were out of the picture, it was time to divvy-up the loot. The regional commander took $2m; he gave another $1.4m to his close commanders to share. The Commander of "Amani Leo" pocketed $500,000.

The North Kivu Division Commander got his cut, $500,000. The Congolese brokers shared $2m amongst themselves. Kandiho claimed his boss wanted another $1m to add to the $11m advance.

Saleh's total haul proved who the regional criminal kingpin was and how "small fish" the Congolese Generals truly are in the dirty mineral criminal network.

For Saleh, his protégé Kandiho had once again proven capable. Ugandans, however, must come to terms with the fact that Seleh is rewarding criminals, who have performed dirty operations on his behalf, with positions that place the lives of ordinary people at serious risk.