Rwanda’s relations with Uganda worsen in January. The two countries have been on the rocks recently. This month, there was a controversial deportation of two MTN workers. The Minister of State in charge of the East African Community, Olivier Nduhungirehe, is calling for an end to the harassment of Rwandese beyond the country’s borders. In the recent past, several Rwandese have been illegally detained and held incommunicado in Uganda, while some others have allegedly been killed in Burundi. Since 2017, close to 10 Rwandese business operators have allegedly been kidnapped by operatives attached to Uganda’s Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence, before they were dropped at the border after enduring torture for several days and handed to Rwandese authorities.
The question that should be addressed is whether the East African Community will be affected by the actions of its member countries and likely implications on economy. At the moment, Burundi is in a political crisis with most of its citizens fleeing to Rwanda. At the same time, diplomatic relations between Burundi and Rwanda continue to deteriorate. The East African Community, should therefore tackle this issue especially now that there is an upcoming EAC summit in February 2019.
