The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | President Yoweri Museveni has expressed optimism that relations between Uganda and Rwanda will improve soon.
“I can guarantee, that Uganda will do its share of the normalization of the relations between our two countries. I salute President Paul Kagame, the brotherly people of Rwanda and the people of Uganda,” Museveni said in one of his end-of-year tweets on Tuesday night.
President Kagame on Sunday held what the Office of the Rwanda President described as “a positive meeting” with Ambassador Adonia Ayebare, President Yoweri Museveni’s Special Envoy, who traveled to Kigali with a message regarding the two countries’ relationship.
“Ambassador Ayebare was well received by President Kagame and they had very fruitful discussions. Soon, the two sides will be taking decisive actions to end the tension,” Museveni said.
It is the first time President Museveni is commenting on the declining Rwanda Uganda relations in months.
The presidents of Rwanda and Uganda in August signed an agreement in Angola to ease months of tensions after the two leaders exchanged accusations of spying, political assassinations and meddling.
Since then, there has been slow progress on the actual return of normalcy especially the opening of the Gatuna border which the Kigali administration closed in February this year.
Delegations from Rwanda and Uganda two weeks back failed to reach an agreement and decided to refer the matters to the head of states of both countries.
Ayebare mission
Details of the message to Kigali have not been released yet, but Ambassador Ayebare said, “thank you President Paul Kagame for warmly receiving me at Urugwiro village this evening where I delivered a message from President Museveni.”
Ayebare is the Permanent Representative of Uganda to the United Nations.
News of the message and meeting will raise hopes of an agreement to end a year-long disagreement that has seen Rwanda close its borders.
Kagame and Museveni were once close allies but their relations have turned deeply hostile in a dispute that damaged trade between the east African neighbours.
But I wonder why uganda is begging that country to open her boarder! Why are you begging? What is it that uganda gets from Rwanda without which we cannot survive? I have seen Opondo sa, “we have no issue with Rwanda”, then why are you arresting their people and fail to produce them in court?
Rwanda has made its case known to the public, why have Uganda not made her case? Mbu infiltrating our security…why is our security infilitratable by any Tom and Dick?
Sometimes I feel bad when our country is placed in an ackward situation because it seems to have no clear policy.
Uganda has hosted many rwandese and indeed uganda is a the best home for everyone and yet we are portrayed as if we hate our rwandese brethren: a silly and unfounded accusation.
Why has no one asked a question: why those that were arrested and not millions of rwandese who live happily in Uganda?