Prosecution of 17 Ugandans cancelled

KIGALI: Rwanda has terminated the prosecution of 17 Ugandan citizens who were arrested in the country, says the Rwandan ministry of foreign affairs in a statement.

The move comes barely a day after the release of 13 Rwandans who were detained in Uganda, after the Ugandan government released nine Rwandan citizens last month.

“The government of Rwanda, through its high commission in Kampala, welcomes the release of 13 Rwandan nationals and the deportation of two terrorist suspects who were involved in October 2019 Kinigi attacks,” said the statement, issued on Wednesday.

“The government of Rwanda recalls that it has already terminated the prosecution of 17 Ugandan citizens and released three who have completed their sentences.”

The development by the two countries follows the third meeting of the Ad Hoc Commission on the implementation of the Luanda Memorandum of Understanding between Uganda and Rwanda held in Kigali, capital of Rwanda, last Friday.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame and his Ugandan counterpart, Yoweri Museveni, are expected to meet tomorrow at Gatuna at the border between Uganda and Rwanda under the Quadripartite Heads of State Summit, which also includes the leaders of Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The meeting is expected to come up with tangible solutions to the current bilateral standoff between Rwanda and Uganda, according to the Rwandan ministry of foreign affairs. It says the government of Rwanda remains fully committed to meet its obligations in the implementation of Luanda MOU.

The release came in the wake of negotiations by the two neighbouring countries to end close to a year of misunderstandings.

Last year, Rwanda closed its common border with Uganda alleging that the latter was incarcerating its citizens. Uganda denied the allegations.