Presidents Kagame, Museveni in peace meeting

Presidents Kagame, Museveni in peace meeting

Presidents Paul Kagame of Rwanda and Yoweri Museveni of Uganda are due to meet, under British mediation, on Tuesday to try ease the strained relations that have evolved between the two countries since 1999.

Formerly allies, both countries have been accusing each other of tolerating anti-government dissidents. Rwanda has accused Uganda of massing troops along the border and Uganda has accused Rwanda of harbouring anti-Museveni dissidents.

However, a week ago Uganda pulled back an army battalion from the border with Rwanda after their defence ministers met in the Ugandan border town of Kabale and agreed they would not allow their territories to be used by dissident forces. They also agreed to activate a joint military commission to monitor allegations of dissident activity. Moreover, the ministers concurred that a letter Museveni wrote British Secretary of State for International Development Clare Short describing Rwandan officials as "ideologically bankrupt" would be discussed at the London summit.

Britain, a major donor to both countries, has been trying to calm the tension. However, in a surprise move on the eve of the London meeting Uganda announced the promotion of its military chief of staff, Gen. James Kazini, to acting army commander, making him second to Museveni in the military hierarchy. BBC reported on Tuesday that Kazini was in charge of Uganda's military operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo when Ugandan and Rwandan troops clashed in the northeastern city of Kisangani in 1999.

Kazini was withdrawn before the publication of a UN report on the foreign exploitation of the DRC’s resources to finance the war.