President Paul Kagame of Rwanda was this Sunday hosted to a birthday dinner at State House Entebbe, for the first son and Commander Land Forces, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
Kagame touched ground in Uganda for the first time in four years since 2018. The last time President Yoweri Museveni and Kagame met after several years of tension was in April 21, 2022 in Kenya to witness the signing of a treaty of Accession by the Democratic Republic of Congo to the East African Community.
The two leaders and other heads of State of the East African region agreed to accelerate the establishment of a regional force to help contain and where necessary, fight the negative forces in the Congo.
President Yoweri Museveni this time extended a private invitation to his colleague, where a number of issues were deliberated, including the ongoing conflict in the DRC.
They agreed to push for regional peace and stability by working collectively as the East African block to resolve the conflict .
President Museveni hinted on a collective approach from all regional members to resolve the situation in the newest East African State.
“This time we must insist on working together because these people have suffered a lot. I told President Kenyatta that if we don’t come in as a region, Congo may become like Sudan,” said Museveni in a press release by the state House,.
Kagame agreed that all leaders and parties involved must talk to solve the crisis. He says they need to talk without leaving anyone behind.
Congo has been at war for decades with different militia fighting to control territories in Congo hence killing and displacing millions.
Recently, Uganda teamed up with DRC forces to flash out the rebel Allied Democratic Front-ADF from Kivu Province of Eastern Congo while M23, another rebel group has been blamed for numerous attacks on civilians and government forces.
Menwhile, first son Kainerugaba has played a key role in repairing long hostile relations with Kigali, including holding talks with Kagame that led to a reopening of the land border in January after three years of closure.
The two countries later fell out over mutual accusations of espionage, abductions and support for rebels.
The Uganda-Rwanda border was abruptly closed in 2019 as tensions spiralled, but was reopened in January this year.
