Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni and his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, will hold another round of talks in three weeks time; at the Gatuna-Katuna border post, as they continue to seek ways of resolving sticking issues between the two countries.
According to a statement from Uganda’s Presidential Press Unit (PPU) the resolution was one of five that the Heads of State arrived at) during the third round of talks in Luanda, Angola yesterday.
The summit resolved that the heads of state reconvene on February 21st 2020 at Gatuna Katuna border post for another summit.
Dubbed the Quadripartite Summit, the talks are facilitated by Angola’s President Joao Lourenco, while DRC’s Felix Tshisekedi is an observer.
Before yesterday’s summit, two others were held in July and August last year in Luanda.
President Lourenco, who briefed the media on behalf of the other Presidents, noted that unlike the last summit that involved signing memoranda of understanding, this time round there were no such documents.
The meeting, according to the communique, resolved that both countries release duly identified nationals who are in detention of the other country, saying the lists had been exchanged between the delegations.
Both countries also resolved to refrain from conduct that creates the perception of support or financing of “destabilizing forces” in each other’s territory.
They also agreed that each country will respect the human rights of citizens of the other parties and that the adhoc committee that was created to facilitate discussion between the two countries will continue with its work.
Uganda and Rwanda have had an escalation of sour relations that saw Rwanda close its borders with Uganda at Gatuna border post in February and this has remained closed to date.
Rwanda advised its citizens against traveling to Uganda claiming that Uganda authorities were abducting, arbitrarily arresting, jailing, torturing and illegally deporting Rwandans.
Addressing more than 60 diplomats at the home of the Presidency in Kigali last week Kagame said there were still hundreds of Rwandans in Ugandan jails and that telling his people they were safe in Kampala would be a lie.
This month makes it a year since Rwanda decided to close the Gatuna border with Uganda.
CN/abj/APA