August 26, 2008 - South African High Commissioner to Uganda, Chiliza Thanduyise, on August 25, 2008 visited the two South Africans who were arrested in connection with terrorism earlier in the week. The High Commissioner addd that the commission had not yet been officially given the reason why Islamic clerics, Mufti Hussain Bhayat, 57 and Haroon Saley, 50, were arrested. Bhayat and Saley were arrested by the Joint Anti-Terrorism Task Force at Entebbe International Airport. The families of the suspects and Muslim clerics last week claimed they were being subjected to Islamaphobia and terror profiling. The Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) and the Media Review Network (MRA) in South Africa said they were outraged that Muslims of undeniable integrity had been arrested. However, the Uganda Peoples Defense Forces (UPDF) spokesperson, Maj. Paddy Ankunda, dismissed the allegations, addins ' there must be a reason why we arrested them. If they are innocent, they will be released.' Ankunda added that the South Africa High Commissioner had written to the Ugandan Ministry of Foreign Affairs demanding an explanation on why their nationals had been arrested. He pointed out that the army had no problem with the suspects getting consular services, adding that the investigations were going on. We are making progress in our investigations and we have got useful leads, Ankunda stated. (From "New Vision" paper - Uganda.)

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