The distrust between the presidents has burst into the open in recent months, with the pair trading accusations of espionage, political assassinations and meddling in each other’s backyards.
The people living on either side of the Ugandan-Rwandan border at Katuna never much considered the boundary: children crossed for school, workers moved freely and trade thrived.
The spat risks dragging in their neighbours, threatening economic integration and regional stability in an already conflict-prone swathe of the continent. “What is wrong is for Rwandan agents to try and operate behind the government of Uganda,” Museveni wrote to Kagame in March. Food prices have jumped in Rwanda, which relies heavily on imports from its larger northern neighbour. The blockade has also severed Uganda’s land access to export markets in Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi.“I have lived and worked here most of my life… business has never been this bad,” said Philemon Mugasha, a Ugandan clearing agent at Katuna, surveying the deserted streets usually buzzing day and night with money changers, food vendors, truck drivers and prostitutes.
Kagame was appointed Uganda’s military intelligence chief after his army of Rwandan exiles helped Museveni take power in 1986. Museveni later returned the favour, backing Kagame’s invasion of Rwanda that ended the 1994 genocide and secured his grip on the country. The neighbours both enjoyed robust economic growth and strong relations with the West. Rwanda is a major contributor of peacekeepers, and Ugandan soldiers are fighting terrorism in Somalia.
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