Kagame, Museveni agree to talks over growing tensions

The presidents of Rwanda and Uganda on Friday pledged at a summit in Angola to seek to resolve tensions that have erupted between their two countries in recent months.

Rwanda’s Paul Kagame and Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni, once close allies, have exchanged public accusations of spying on each other’s territory and political interference.

Trade has been severely disrupted since late February when Rwanda abruptly closed the border with its northern neighbour, severing a major economic land route.

READ: Uganda, Rwanda, sued over border closure

Apart from a brief interlude in June the frontier has remained shut, damaging the economies of both countries reliant on cross-border trade.

In May, Ugandan police accused Rwandan soldiers of entering the country and killing two men, drawing an angry denial from Rwanda.

Angola’s President Joao Lourenco hosted Kagame, Museveni and DR Congo President Felix Tshisekedi at a regional security conference in Luanda.

The statement after the meeting said that “the summit welcomed the political will of (Rwanda and Uganda) to continue dialogue with a view to finding a solution to existing problems.”

Analysts say the spat between Kagame and Museveni could threaten stability in the strife-prone region.