It is only four days short of a year since Rwanda closed its key crossing border point with Uganda at Katuna, the focal point of business transaction between the two countries.

The communities along the common border are kinsmen and kinswomen, who use the border-crossing for day-to-day dealings.

Closing the Katuna border meant the families would be separated and economies of the two countries adversely impacted.

Prior to the closure, Uganda and Rwanda’s relationship had been getting colder over the years.
Rwanda had accused Uganda of sheltering its dissidents, while Uganda accused Rwanda of infiltrating its security machinery.

And at the height of this slow-baking conflict, Gen Kale Kayihura was arrested in June 2018. The former IGP was accused of aiding and abetting the forced repatriation of Rwandan nationals. This would turn out to be one of the sticky issues in Uganda-Rwanda ties.

In the months that followed, President Kagame was quoted as saying: “You can attempt to destabilise our country, you can do us harm, you can shoot me with a gun and kill me. But there is one thing that is impossible: No one can bring me to my knees.”

Source: Daily Monitor

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