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Ugandan, Rwandan Presidents Vow to Reconcile
President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and Paul Kagame of Rwanda have vowed to improve and strengthen bilateral relations between their two countries, with a view to expanding cooperation in all fields of human endeavors, Rwanda News Agency reported Saturday.
According to a press release issued after the two presidents met at Katuna in Rwanda on Friday, Museveni and Kagame agreed to establish a close working relationship in order to "harmonize their positions on issues of mutual interest, especially towards consolidation of peace and stability and work for regional economic, social and political cooperation".
On the crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Museveni and Kagame expressed their total commitment to the implementation of the Lusaka peace accord, and stressed the importance of the work and role of the Permanent Joint, a committee that was established to oversee the implementation of the accord.
Relationship between the two allies deteriorated, when their armies crashed thrice while fighting alongside two rebel groups to ouster DRC President Laurent Desire Kabila, before he was shot dead by his bodyguard in January 2001.
Asked whether dissidents living in both countries will not frustrate their good intentions, Kagame said "we have resolved to hurdle each other's enemies in the interest of our countries."
A number of army officers opposed to Kagame have recently defected and fled to Uganda, while at the same time, a handful of army officers deserted the Ugandan People's Defense Forces two weeks ago, threatening to stage a rebellion against Museveni's leadership.
Museveni extended an invitation to his counterpart to pay a return visit to Uganda which Kagame gladly accepted. No specific date was, however, given for Kagame's visit.
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