Rwanda, Uganda sign four cooperation agreements

Rwanda and Uganda on Friday signed four memoranda of understanding to facilitate cooperation in different fields.

The cooperation deals were signed by Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Vincent Biruta and his Ugandan counterpart Jeje Odongo in Rwanda’s capital city Kigali, during a meeting of the 11th Joint Permanent Commission between Rwanda and Uganda which concluded Friday.

The agreements are in the fields of justice and constitutionalism, mutual legal assistance, diplomatic and political consultations, and migration matters, according to the Rwandan Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“These agreements are a testament to our commitment to strengthening our ties and enhancing cooperation between our two countries,” Biruta said during the event.

“We have a unique opportunity to set a new course for our two countries, one that is based on mutual respect, cooperation, and a shared vision for the future,” he said.

Odongo said the agreements laid the foundation for cooperation in addressing common challenges facing the two countries, including security issues posed by Uganda’s Allied Democratic Front (ADF) rebels, and Rwanda’s FDLR rebels based in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Rwanda reopened its border with Uganda in 2022 which had been closed in February 2019 after political differences spiraled between the two East African neighbors. The commission was revived in September 2022, during a meeting between Ugandan and Rwandan senior government officials.