{"id":1457,"date":"2012-01-02T06:25:44","date_gmt":"2012-01-02T06:25:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/rwanda-improves-diplomatic-relations-2011\/"},"modified":"2012-01-02T07:31:53","modified_gmt":"2012-01-02T07:31:53","slug":"rwanda-improves-diplomatic-relations-2011","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/rwanda-improves-diplomatic-relations-2011\/","title":{"rendered":"Rwanda Improves Diplomatic Relations 2011"},"content":{"rendered":"

{{The outgoing year 2011 seems to have come with most solutions in the Rwanda\u2019s political arena.}}<\/p>\n

Memories of president Paul Kagame appointing Louise Mushikiwabo as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, progressive diplomatic ties begun to have another face.<\/p>\n

The most celebrated one was the renewal of diplomatic relations between Rwanda and Uganda that saw warm reciprocal visits.<\/p>\n

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From the time the two countries clashed in the DR Congo war, the bilateral relationship begun to sour almost every each minute intense security alert was raised on both countries borders.<\/p>\n

The neighbors begun to totally treat each other like strangers despite the shared history which included inter-marriages.<\/p>\n

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This year\u2019s Christmas, President Paul Kagame, his wife Jannette Kagame and their children Ange, Brian and Ian celebrated the eve in Uganda at President Yoweri Museveni\u2019s home in Rwakitura.<\/p>\n

In July Uganda\u2019s President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and his wife Mrs Janet Museveni were also given a warm reception to an official state banquet held in honor of their visit to Rwanda.<\/p>\n

The banquet held at the model village in Kayonza where President Kagame and First Lady Jeannette Kagame received their guest at their country home.<\/p>\n

As they entered a room filled with Rwandan and Ugandan officials, the sense of union that President Kagame carried was palpable.<\/p>\n

President Kagame began his toast by warmly welcoming his counterpart President Museveni and his wife Mrs Janet Museveni. <\/p>\n

This reminded everyone present of Rwanda and Uganda\u2019s historical, cultural and political bonds.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe sense of fraternity between our people which was evident gained strength during the visit,\u201d Kagame said then.<\/p>\n

President Museveni\u2019s speech was an equally powerful testament to the depth of the relationship between both nations.<\/p>\n

Museveni expressed his gratitude to Rwandans for their role in the Ugandan liberation struggle. <\/p>\n

\u201cI salute Rwandans that participated in our (Uganda’s) liberation struggle. President Kagame was among those that helped us liberate our country,\u201dMuseveni also noted that time.<\/p>\n

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Prior to the official banquet, President Kagame accompanied and gave out 10 long horned cattle commonly known as \u2018Inyambo\u2019 to President Museveni.<\/p>\n

In Rwandan culture, a cow is the best, expensive and valuable gift a person can give to a close friend as well as in the tribe of Banyankore\/Bahima of which Museveni and his wife belong.<\/p>\n

President Museveni had also a day before joined the residents of Kanombe, Kicukiro District for the monthly communal service {\u2018Umuganda\u2019} where he laid a foundation stone to a Nine Year Basic Education of Camp Kanombe.<\/p>\n

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Renewal agreements were also signed between the two countries and now both countries are enjoying secure and trusted exchange of activities of their citizens.<\/p>\n

This simply showcases that the year 2011 has been a year to fortify bilateral ties between something that is set to boost and harmonize economic, political and security relations between Rwanda\u2019s allies.<\/p>\n

{{Official quotes}} <\/p>\n

\u201cWe must remain focused as two neighbours living together in peace. So, irrespective of what has happened in the past, misunderstandings and their causes, we have to focus on the importance of living as neighbours in peace and work towards getting rid of the causes of the problems between Uganda and us,\u201d Kagame said.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe sour blood between Rwanda and Uganda is no more as the two countries continue to get along,\u201d Kagame said while cementing the renewed relationship.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are good neighbours with Rwanda,\u201d Museveni said recently on a visit to Ndorwa at the Uganda-Rwanda border during the inauguration of Kigali-Gatuna to Mbarara highway. <\/p>\n

In addition President Museveni added, \u201cRwanda is now a stable country and you should take this chance to do business there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOur governments are linked by close historical ties of common values. Rwanda and Uganda share a colonial heritage, including issues of dictatorship and liberation struggles,\u201d Mushikiwabo said.<\/p>\n

{{Two states historical alliances}} <\/p>\n

Both countries have governments born out of revolutions that swept away dictatorship and restored stability, rule of law and democracy.<\/p>\n

Their armies also have a common history and made significant contributions in shaping the destinies of the neighboring nations.<\/p>\n

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Many Ugandans and Rwandans have parents, relatives and friends on either side of the border. President Kagame and President Museveni are also old students of Ntare School in western Uganda.<\/p>\n

On top of that, the historical bond between the two countries seems to have been strengthened by Rwandans huge involvement in the Uganda\u2019s liberation war and as well Uganda\u2019s involvement in the Rwanda\u2019s liberation war in 1990s that stopped the 1994 Tutsi Genocide.<\/p>\n

{{Relationship Restoration}}<\/p>\n

Efforts to mend ties between the two countries began in 2002 through to 2003. In 2006, Rwanda and Uganda decided to revive mechanisms intended to normalize their relationship, political stability, security and economic interests.<\/p>\n

Political leaders held meetings in both countries and in Europe to pave way for amendments of the torn apart relationship. <\/p>\n

At a lower level, the military chiefs of both countries held quarterly joint meetings to discuss their contribution to fast-tracking the normalization of relations between the two countries.<\/p>\n

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Other relations earned included restoring France\u2019s diplomatic ties and winning others like Australia and Sri-lanka among others on international scene.<\/p>\n

Nigeria\u2019s president Goodluck Jonathan also visited Rwanda on a mission to have a health bilateral relationships between the two countries.<\/p>\n

This was followed by President Denis Sasou-Nguesso of Congo Brazaville who also cemented diplomacy of two countries not forgetting Ivory Coast. <\/p>\n

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{{ENDS}}<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

{{The outgoing year 2011 seems to have come with most solutions in the Rwanda\u2019s political arena.}} Memories of president Paul Kagame appointing Louise Mushikiwabo as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, progressive diplomatic ties begun to have another face. The most celebrated one was the renewal of diplomatic relations between Rwanda and Uganda that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[75],"byline":[158],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-1457","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-homenews","byline-b_igi_adm1n"],"bylines":[{"id":158,"name":"b_igi_adm1n","slug":"b_igi_adm1n","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":1}],"contributors":[{"id":158,"name":"b_igi_adm1n","slug":"b_igi_adm1n","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":1}],"featured_image":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1457","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1457"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1457\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1457"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1457"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1457"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=1457"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=1457"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}