Rwanda reopened its land border with Uganda after a three-year closure, signaling a thaw in relations between the two East African neighbors.
The frontier had been closed since February 2019 as political tensions between Kigali and Kampala spiraled, leading to the near collapse of two-way trade.
Rwanda announced its decision to reopen the border last week as a step towards repairing ties which had been soured by various rival accusations of espionage, abductions and meddling.
This was followed by a visit to Kigali by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni’s powerful son Muhoozi Kainerugaba, where he met Rwandan President Paul Kagame.
Both governments said last week they hoped the border reopening could contribute to the normalization of ties.
Before the closure, Ugandan exports to Rwanda — predominantly cement and food — totalled more than $211 million in 2018, according to World Bank figures, while Rwanda exported $13 million worth of goods to Uganda.
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