Uganda given 30-days to verify accusations by Rwanda

Katuna, Uganda  | THE INDEPENDENT |  The meeting between Uganda’s President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame has ended with a commitment to preventing hostile forces destabilizing the government of Rwanda.

The meeting that was held on Friday at Katuna border post in Kabale district was mediated by João Lourenço, the President of Angola and Felix Tshisekedi, the president of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

It was part of the resolutions of the quadripartite summit held in Luanda, Angola on February 2, 2020, to mainly resolve a standoff between the two neighbouring countries, which was heightened by the closure of the Rwandan border at Gatuna last year.

During the time of the border closure, Rwandan authorities accused Uganda of abducting Rwandan citizens and locking them up in ungazetted areas and hosting dissidents from the Rwanda National Congress and the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, who have declared war on the Kigali government. Rwandan nationals were also advised against travelling to Uganda, on grounds that they safety could not be guaranteed. 

In a press briefing held after the meeting, the summit recommended that Uganda verifies allegations by the Republic of Rwanda about actions from its territory by forces hostile to the Kagame-Administration, within a period of one month.

They added that If the allegations are proved, the Ugandan government should take all measures to stop it from happening again.

The meeting also resolved that the once the recommendation is fulfilled and reported to the heads of state, the facilitators will convene a summit at Katuna within 15 days, for the solemn reopening of the borders and subsequent normalization of the relations between the two countries. 

The meeting also revealed that since the last meeting in Angola, progress was registered regarding the commitment of the tension factors. 

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