KIGALI – Rwanda’s State Minister for East African Community Affairs Olivier Nduhungirehe has warned Ugandans not be overly excited over the border opening, insisting that his government will only open the border if Uganda takes measures against armed groups.
In tweet sent on Saturday, February 22, a day after Presidents Yoweri Museveni and Paul Kagame met the Gatuna/Katuna border, Mr Nduhungirehe expressed dismay that Ugandan media were reporting that the border will reopen in 15 days and ignoring the key details of the agreement.
He insisted that as per the agreement signed by the two leaders, his government will only open the border within the one-month period if Kampala.
“Yes, Uganda and Rwanda signed a deal. It was an Extradition Treaty. The border will not “open” in 15 days. It will open only if Uganda takes measures against armed groups in a one-month period,” Nduhungirehe tweeted
“The Gatuna Communiqué is another milestone towards resolving the #Uganda-#Rwanda crisis. However, before the ink was dry, some have started throwing it under the bus. They underestimate the resilience of the Rwandan people and their ability to always overcome adversity,” he added.
The Gatuna/Katuna meeting recommended that Uganda within one month verifies allegations of the Republic of Rwanda about action from its territory by forces hostile to the government. If the allegations are proved, the Ugandan government should take all measures to stop it from happening again.
The summit also resolved that once the recommendation is fulfilled and reported to the heads of state, the facilitators will convene within 15 days, a summit at Katuna for the solemn reopening of the borders and subsequent normalization of the relations between the two countries.
