Members of Parliament have raised concern over continued closure of the Uganda- Rwanda border and the continued killings of Ugandans, calling on government to issue a travel advisory urging Ugandans not to cross into Rwanda.
The issue was raised in a plenary session on Tuesday by Kira Municipality MP Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, saying something must be done to stop the continued killing of Ugandans inside Rwanda.
At least Four Ugandans were reportedly killed by Rwandan security agents inside Rwanda last week. Similar incidents have happened before amidst strained diplomatic relations stretching to a period of two years now.
The Government Chief Whip, Hon Ruth Nankabirwa however, said there are ongoing efforts to resolve the border dispute and that the Minister for Foreign Affairs will brief the House once progress is made.
“Uganda has no problem with Rwanda and we have been living harmoniously with our neighbors. We want to solve this problem amicably” Nankabirwa said.
A travel advisory is issued by government departments to citizens, warning them of insecurity, crime, instability, disease or harsh weather likely to be encountered in a given destination. In diplomacy, travel advisories signal escalation of diplomatic misunderstandings, and are issued to protest against a hostile position of a country.
Several legislators including Speaker Rebecca Kadaga expressed concerns over the matter and demanded for response from government.
Uganda and Rwanda has in the past two years battled mistrust and diplomatic problems, which escalated into closure of the Katuna-Gatuna border, though negotiations have been going on to resolve the matter between the two neighbors.
In March last year, Rwanda issued a travel advisory to its citizens urging them to desist from travelling to Uganda citing safety concerns. It is not clear whether this advisory was withdrawn.
