Rwanda, Uganda end hostilities after leaders signed a pact
Rwanda’s Kagame said “The MoU addresses all these matters very clearly and I don’t think we should be picking and choosing what we implement and what we don’t.
We are going to address all these problems. By doing that indiscriminately, we will get where we want to be.”
“We have agreed on issues that will be implemented between our two countries largely meant to improve our security, trade, and political relations. Uganda is fully committed to enforcing this agreement,” said Museveni.
The dispute virtually threatened and impacted cross-border trade between the two countries.
Border towns and villages between Uganda and Rwanda were badly hit with businesses struggling to survive.
Rwanda on February 28 this year stopped cargo trucks from Uganda from entering through the Katuna-Gatuna border.
It claims it’s due to ongoing construction works. But it is believed the border closure was as a result of a travel ban on Rwandan citizens to Uganda.
Source of row
Rwanda had accused Uganda of harbouring armed groups to attack the country, a claim Uganda has denied.
Uganda has also been accused of arrest, imprisonment, harassment and deportation of Rwandan nationals.
Rwanda also claims Uganda had placed restrictions on Rwandan goods crossing over Uganda’s territory.
But there is a long historical link between Rwanda and Uganda which continues to spark suspicions.
Rwanda’s current leaders including President Paul Kagame, lived as refugees in Uganda for years.
They played a role in a guerrilla war that brought President Yoweri Museveni to power in 1986.
But four years later Kagame’s group broke away to launch another war in Rwanda with the backing of Uganda’s largesse and military.
