Uganda president Yoweri Museveni and Rwanda President Paul Kagame (R) back in 2014. COURTESY PHOTO.
Christian leaders in Uganda will next year host the annual Born-Again Conference which has for a while drawn Pastors from various parts of Africa.
The possibility of Rwandan Pastors attending this conference hangs in balance due to the long simmering rivalry between the two African countries.
As you may recall, on March 5, 2019, Rwandan foreign minister, Richard Sezibera accused Uganda of arresting Rwandans, disrupting regional trade and of providing support and space for anti-Rwanda groups.
Uganda denied all the allegations, however, till this day, free movement of people and goods to and fro Rwanda has been difficult.
This week, Pastors in Uganda addressed a press conference in Kabale town where they requested authorities in Rwanda to allow a team of evangelists cross to Uganda for the annual Born-Again conference.
The head of Lift Up Jesus global ministries, Apostle Aloysius Kiiza while speaking on behalf of evangelists, said in June and July, Rwandan pastors were blocked from coming to Uganda.
Apostle Kiiza stated that it would be the biggest new year gift if the Rwandan borders could be opened as soon as possible to allow free movement.
“As Born-Again Christians, we appeal to President Museveni to talk peace with his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame to have the border re-opened and Rwandans allowed to cross into Uganda.” he said.
“The closure of Gatuna border has not only affected the business sector but the religious sector as Rwandan preachers and evangelists are not allowed to cross into Uganda,” Apostle Kiiza added.
In August, President Yoweri Museveni left for Angola where he met his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame for a summit aimed at finding a lasting solution to the differences between the two countries.
A State House statement issued said the meeting was hosted by Angolan leader Joao Manuel Lourenco, and President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) graced the occasion.
Museveni and Kagame signed a memorandum on resolving the tension but the ad hoc committee that was formed to implement the resolutions of the memorandum of understanding failed to reach an amicable resolution to the deadlock when they met this month [December], a news daily reported.
Founder of Revival Outreach Ministers in Kabale district Apostle Johnson Bakashaba told the Daily Monitor on December 27 2019 that several Ugandans going for spiritual prayers at Kibeho, a re-known miracle and spiritual center in Rwanda have on several occasions been denied entry into Rwanda.
“I appeal to the Rwandan authorities to allow that Ugandan Christians going to Kibeho miracle and spiritual center in Rwanda because you never know that through their prayers the current tension between the two countries can end by a miracle from God,” Apostle Bakashaba said.
In all this, The Rwandan ambassador to Uganda Maj Gen Frank Mugambage told the News Paper that its false claims that Ugandan pilgrims are denied entry into Rwanda.
Recently a group of Ugandan pilgrims crossed into Rwanda and came back,” Maj Gen Frank Mugambage said.
