President Museveni(L) and Kagame shake hands as they exchange documents of the Luanda MoU August 2019
President Paul Kagame of Rwanda and his Ugandan counterpart Yoweli Museveni will meet in Luanda-Angola tomorrow Sunday February 2 to resolve the ongoing tensions between both countries, with the hope of fully restoring ties.
“The third Quadripartite Summit on relations between Uganda and Rwanda to be held in Luanda this Sunday 2nd February 2020, under the facilitation of Presidents João Lourenço of Angola and Félix Antoine Tshisekedi of DRC,” wrote Minister of State in Rwanda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Olivier Nduhungirehe.
Min. Nduhungirehe was quoting a communiqué of Angola’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs according to which President João Lourenço has invited is counterparts Félix Tshisekedi (DRC), Paul Kagame (Rwanda) and Yoweri Museveni (Uganda), for another Quadripartite Summit in Luanda this Sunday. Security matters and regional cooperation will be at the heart of the discussion.
As Rwanda has maintained it, Minister Nduhungirege reiterated: “With good faith and resolve, we can end this crisis.”
The first quadripartite summit took place in Luanda in July 2019. The summit stressed the importance of permanent, frank, open multilateral and bilateral dialogue for the consolidation of peace and security in the region and as a premise for economic integration.
The second quadripartite took place the following month – August 2019 where the output was the signing of a memorandum of Understanding code-named “Friendship agreement” which set the ground of reconciliation of Rwanda and Uganda.
In the MoU, they agreed that cross border movement of goods and people would resume as soon as possible.
Both countries also committed to protect and respect the rights and freedoms of nationals of the other party residing or transiting in their national territories, in accordance with the law of that country.
The quadripartite summit whose host the Angolan President João Lourenço was proposed following escalating tensions between Rwanda and Uganda .
Rwanda accuses Uganda of arbitrarily arresting and torturing Rwandans in Uganda, deporting hundreds, supporting groups that seek to destabilise Rwanda and economic sabotage.
Uganda denies such allegations and only maintains that arrested Rwandans were spies.
Since the first quadripartite summit, the reported cases of torture of Rwandans in Uganda only intensified despite some efforts where last month, Uganda released 9 Rwandans who said they were illegally arrested and tortured.
However, Rwanda said there are still hundreds in the same conditions and supports that border movements between both countries would be normal if only Uganda addresses the remaining challenges.
