Museveni, Kagame to meet at border

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni greets his counterpart Paul Kagame of Rwanda at their common border in Katuna/Gatuna on February 21, 2020. PHOTO | URUGWIRO 

In Summary

• Presidents João Lourenço of Angola and Felix Tshisekedi of the DR Congo will mediate the meeting.

​

By IVAN R. MUGISHA
More by this Author

By DAILY MONITOR
More by this Author

Ugandan and Rwandan presidents Yoweri Museveni and Paul Kagame are meeting on Friday at the Gatuna/Katuna border to discuss the reopening of the main crossing.

The two mediators, presidents João Lourenço of Angola and Felix Tshisekedi of the DR Congo, will oversee the implementation of terms agreed upon in Luanda, the Angolan capital, in August last year. Presidents (from left) Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Uganda's Yoweri Museveni, Angolan João Lourenço and Felix Tshisekedi of DR Congo at the Gatuna/Katuna border for the fourth Quadripartite Heads of State Summit on February 21, 2020. PHOTO | URUGWIRO

Uganda and Rwanda are mending relations that soured early last year. Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Angola's João Lourenço arrive in Gatuna/Katuna, the main border crossing between Rwanda and Uganda, on February 21, 2020. PHOTO | CYRIL NDEGEYA | NMG

Hopes for a resolution of the tension between the two countries rose this week after a prisoner swap in which Kigali released 20 Ugandans and Kampala setting free 13 Rwandans as part of the Luanda agreement.

The Uganda-Rwanda border crossing in Gatuna/Katuna on February 21, 2020. The presidents Yoweri Museveni and Paul Kagame meeting to discuss the reopening of the main crossing. PHOTO | CYRIL NDEGEYA | NMG

“After assessing the progress, the heads of State will decide on the way forward,” Rwanda’s East African Community Affairs Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe told Daily Monitor in a telephone interview Thursday.

“They will have a one-on-one meeting and come up with a way forward.”

The Luanda agreement also calls for the resumption of movement of persons and goods across the common border, which is expected to be discussed Friday.

The newly-built Gatuna border in Rwanda on February 21, 2020. PHOTO | CYRIL NDEGEYA | NMG

Both parties had committed to protect and respect the human rights of nationals of either party in observance of the rule of law and international humanitarian law and by ensuring due process.