Ministers meet ahead of Museveni, Kagame border meeting

KABALE-Ugandan and Rwandan officials on Friday held a joint planning meeting at Katuna/Gatuna border post ahead of the planned meeting between Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni and his Rwandan counterpart, Mr Paul Kagame, on February 21.

In August last year, Mr Kagame and Mr Museveni signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Luanda, Angola that was meant to end a border standoff between the two nations and repair relations.

On Sunday, Mr Museveni and Mr Kagame were again in Angola where they resolved to meet again at Katuna/Gatuna border on February 21, as they seek ways to permanently end hostilities.

The Rwandan delegation was headed by the of Infrastructure Minister, Mr Claver Gatete while the Ugandan delegated comprised Works and Transport Minister, Gen Katumba Wamala and Dr Christ Baryomunsi, the State minister for housing.

Uganda’s ambassador to Rwanda, Ms Oliver Wonekha and the Angolan ambassador to Rwanda, Mr Eduardo Octávio attended the meeting.

Katuna Town Council Mayor, Mr Nelson Nshangabasheija said that dignitaries were hosted in the newly-constructed one-stop border post before touring the no man’s land  where the meeting between Mr Museveni and Mr Kagame is scheduled to take place.

“It our prayer that the February 21 meeting results into the re-opening of the border to revive cross border trade,” Mr Nshangabasheija said.

Since February last year, Rwanda stopped traders from ferrying goods from Ugandan and issues a travel advisory warning her citizens against travelling to Uganda arguing that the nation was a hostile country.

On Sunday, Mr Museveni, Mr Kagame, while in Luanda, resolved to release prisoners and promises by the two administrations not to support "destabilisers" as well as protecting human rights.

It was also agreed that an ad Hoc team would meet before the two heads of State meet again on February 21.