By Andrew Irumba
Despite
Presidents Yoweri Museveni and Paul Kagame signing a peace pact on Wednesday in
Luanda, Angola, the Rwandan border posts at Gatuna and Chanika remain closed to
both travelers and traders.
The
signing was witnessed by Angolan President, João Lourenço and his DRC
counterpart, Felix Tshisekedi.
In the agreement, the two leaders agreed to respect and protect the rights and freedoms of the nationals of the other party residing or transiting through their national territories, in accordance with laws of their countries and desist from financing, training and infiltration of destabilizing forces.Â
Both countries also agreed to resume cross-border activities, including the movement of persons and goods. The presidents also undertook, in the spirit of Pan-Africanism and regional cooperation, to comprehensively cooperate in politics, security, Defense, trade and culture. However, because of the continued border closure business is yet to normalize at the Uganda-Rwanda border posts
Signing
of the Peace Pact between the two countries began with a quadripartite summit
on July 12, 2019 where the four leaders met and agreed to begin a resolution
process. Despite the agreement, life has
remained the same at the Uganda-Rwanda border at Gatuna, which borders Kabale
district and Chanika in Kisoro district,
Sources
reveal that heavily armed Rwandan soldiers are still manning their territory
and there is no movement of trucks to either side of the border. Besides that, no
Rwandan nationals are being allowed to cross to Uganda like it has been in the
past months since Rwanda closed the borders. (https://duckysonline.com/)
Jack
Tukesiga, a money changer at Katuna border, said they are happy that the two
leaders had finally accepted to resolve their differences and signed an
agreement. He said his prayer however was
seeing the border open for business to resume.
However,
insiders reveal that Rwanda still accuses the Ugandan government of having in
detention several Rwandan nationals and
before they are released the borders are not likely to be opened soon.
Simpson
Muhangi, a businessman at Chanika border told our reporter on phone that they
still doubt the agreement until Kagame opens the border.
He
said although the agreement wasn’t meant
to take immediate effect there is no slight indicator that the border which was
closed in February 27, 2019, is likely to be opened.
So
far, several people have been shot dead as they tried to sneak from Rwanda into
Uganda.
For
instance, n May 2019, Rwandan soldiers shot dead John Batista Kyerengye, a
resident of Nkoma cell in Ntarabwe parish, Nyagatare District at Kiruhura
village in Kashekye parish, Kamwezi sub county, Rukiga district while
attempting to cross with second hand clothes to Rwanda.
Later
Alex Nyesiga Atuheire, a resident of Nyakabungo village in Kamwezi Sub County
in Rukiga district in Uganda was also shot dead while trying to stop Rwandan
security officials from arresting Kyerengye.
Then
on May 3, 2019, Rwandan soldiers shot Innocent Ndahimana, a beans trader and
resident of Nyakabungo Village in Chumbe in Gicumbi District Northern Province
in Rwanda while smuggling beans to Uganda through Katuna border in Kabale. But
the Rwandan forces RPF have since denied
the allegations in all cases.
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