Ugandan and Rwandan leaders will on February 21st meet at the Gatuna/Katuna Border to continue talks about the Luanda Memorandum of Understanding.
The decision was reached at the Third Quadripartite Summit with Presidents Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Felix Tshisekedi of Democratic Republic of Congo and the host Manuel Lourenco of Angola that took place on Sunday 2nd February 2020 in the Angolan capital of Luanda.
During the meeting, the Heads of State exchanged views on strengthening their political, diplomatic, economic and cultural relations.
President Museveni and his Rwandan counterpart Kagame, also welcomed the efforts of Presidents Lourenco and Tshisekedi in search for a peaceful solution in the spirit of pan-africanism and regime integration, to resolve the dispute between the two countries.
Ugandan and Rwandan leaders pledged to continue to prioritize the permanent dialogue between the two countries for the development and well-being of their people.
The Luanda Summit decided on; the release of the national citizens of each country, duly identified and included in the lists exchanged for this purpose, both parties must refrain from all factors that may create the perception of supporting, financing, training and infiltration of the destabilizing forces in their neighbor’s territory.
The Summit also decided that both parties must continue to protect and respect human rights on the national citizens of the other party.
“Continuation of the activities of the Ad-Hoc Commission, as a mechanism for monitoring the implementation process of this process. The next Quadripartite Summit will take place in Gatuna/Katuna border between Rwanda and Uganda on the 21st of February 2020” the Summit decided.
The trouble for Rwanda and Uganda started in February 2019 when the former closed her borders, denying citizens a right to cross to Uganda, under the pretext of “You will be killed” as announced by President Kagame.
Ever since, all Rwandans visiting Uganda would have to fly in or risk being killed by Rwandan soldiers if using the ground borders. Several Ugandans have also been killed by Rwandan soldiers while attempting to cross the closed borders.
Many remain skeptical as to if the 21st February meeting will bring about any change, since the last one in December at Speke Resort Munyonyo, Kampala ended in a stalemate. This particular meeting decided that the stalemate could only be resolved by Museveni and his protégé Kagame, not some commission made up of ministers from either country.
Rwandan Citizens have been crying and praying for opening of the borders due to the lack of house hold items that were always imported from Uganda, now that they are unable to find them in their country or even cross to pick them in Uganda. Many believe the closure is stunt by the other party to get some “attention” from the old man with a hat.
