The UPDF Commander Land Forces, Lt Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba has Monday morning returned to Kigali to resolve all outstanding issues between Rwanda and Uganda, according to Uganda’s High Commission in Kigali.
On arrival at the Kigali International Airport, Gen Muhoozi who is also President Yoweri Museveni’s Advisor on Special Operations, was received by Uganda High Commission Staff led by Anne Katusiime the Charge d’Affaires a.i and two officials from Rwanda Government who include Brig Gen Willy Rwagasana, the Head of Republican Guard and Col Ronald Rwivanga, RDF Spokesperson.
This comes a month and half after Muhoozi met President Paul Kagame in Kigali on a mission to restore bilateral relations.
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Lt Gen Muhoozi’s visit to Kigali was followed by Rwanda’s announcement that the Uganda-Rwanda border, closed since 2019, would be opened on January 31.
Despite the announcement, traders and passengers from both countries were at first not allowed to freely cross the border, but cargo trucks were permitted.
Rwanda would later announce full opening of it borders on March 7 which was effected and people are freely crossing.
Also read: https://plusnews.ug/lt-gen-muhoozi-travels-to-kigali-to-meet-kagame-over-uganda-rwanda-standoff/
Muhoozi would then announce that he was to return to Kigali to conclude on the remaining issues.
“After a long discussion with my uncle, President Kagame, this morning we have agreed that I will return to Kigali in the coming days to sort out all outstanding issues between Uganda and Rwanda,” Lt. Gen. Muhoozi tweeted at the start of this month.
On March 6, Gen Muhoozi in a tweet said that he deserved a prize for championing negotiations that led to the full reopening of the borders between the two countries.
“The border is fully opening tomorrow. Me and my uncle (President Kagame) achieved in 7 hours what all the diplomats on earth failed to achieve. I think we need a prize,” wrote Muhoozi a day to the full reopening.
The relations between the countries became frost in February 2019 when Rwanda closed Katuna/Gatuna border.
At the time, Kigali said the closure was due to the renovations at the border. Cargo was then diverted to Mirama Hills and Kyanika border posts in Ntungamo and Kisoro districts, but those too were later closed.
Rwanda shortly after, issued a travel advisory to its nationals warning them against travelling to Uganda, which it accused of, among other things, abducting its citizens and detaining them in ungazetted areas, allegations government of Uganda disputed.
Since the closure of border, there were at least four tripartite meetings involving Angolan President Joao Lourenço, and DR Congo President Félix Tshisekedi, and a series of lower level meetings between government officials of the two nations, but they did not yield much.
