Rwanda’s State minister for East African Affairs Olivier Nduhungirehe yesterday insisted that Rwandans were still strongly advised not to travel to Uganda even after presidents Museveni and Paul Kagame agreed on Wednesday to end the tension.
In an interview with Daily Monitor, Mr Nduhungirehe said Rwandans should not travel to Uganda “until all Rwandans” allegedly under the arrest in Uganda are released.
“What we request is the release of all Rwandans who are illegally detained. If they are released, we shall lift the travel advisory. But for now, we still strongly advise Rwandans not travel to Uganda,” he said.
Presidents Museveni and Kagame signed a memorandum of understanding [MoU] in Angolan capital Luanda to implement seven points, including free movement of goods and persons across borders.
In February, Rwanda closed its border and blocked Ugandan cargo trucks. It also stopped its nationals from crossing into Uganda over allegations that they were being harassed and arrested illegally by Ugandan security agencies.
Uganda has dismissed the allegations and maintains that the country welcomes law abiding foreign nationals.
In July, 40 Rwandans were arrested from a church in Kibuye, a Kampala suburb, in a joint operation by the military and police.
Under the same MoU, the two leaders also agreed to respect the sovereignty of their states and of the neighbouring countries. They also agreed to stop arrest of nationals in either country.
