Two Ugandan women were deported from Rwanda early over illegal entry through Burera district in Northern Rwanda, several local correspondents in the region reported Tuesday.
Reports indicate that among those deported include Monique Birungi and Lilian Kansiime who arrived in Rwanda earlier last week from Ntungamo district in Southern Uganda seeking employment in neighboring country.
They were accused of illegal entry and illegal stay hence declared unwanted and prohibited immigrants, Rwandan authorities said.
The deportation comes at time Rwanda and Uganda have been holding talks for several years now in an effort to normalise their relations.
Illegal detentions of Rwandan nationals in Uganda is one of the issues at the heart of strained relations between the two neighbours, the other being Ugandan authorities’ alleged support to anti-Kigali militia groups and economic sabotage.
The countries have since held a series of high-profile meetings, including at the Heads of State level, under the facilitation of Angola and DR Congo, but the latest development is part of efforts
toward finding a lasting solution.
In November last year, Rwanda security agents investigating suspected smuggling across the border with neighboring Uganda fatally shot a person and wounded several others while attempting to use porous entry points.
The political tension between the two countries climaxed in February last year when Rwanda closed its border and blocked all goods from Uganda.
Kigali has accused Kampala of supporting Rwandan rebel groups including the Rwanda National Congress (RNC) and the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).
Kampala has always denied these allegations.
CU/abj/APA