Sam Kutesa's speech during the opening of Rwanda- Uganda talks in Kigali

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00:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]

00:03 [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

00:04 [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

00:07 [INAUDIBLE]

00:09 with the Rwanda delegation and our host,

00:14 honorable ministers from Rwanda, colleagues,

00:20 ministers from Uganda, your excellency,

00:24 honorable Gilbert Kankonde Malamba,

00:29 deputy prime minister and minister

00:32 of interior security and customer affairs

00:35 for the Democratic Republic of Congo,

00:39 the honorable Emmanuel Ndomengo Sagusto,

00:44 minister of external relations of Angola,

00:49 heads of security agencies, your excellency, ambassadors

00:53 and high commissioners, ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon.

01:02 I want to thank the government of Rwanda

01:05 for inviting me and my delegation

01:09 and for the facilities placed at our disposal for this meeting.

01:14 I wish to reiterate the appreciation of government

01:18 of Uganda to their excellency, the presidents of Angola

01:23 and the Democratic Republic of Congo

01:26 and their representatives here for their efforts

01:31 in assisting normalized relations between our two

01:35 brotherly countries, Uganda and Rwanda.

01:40 My delegation looks forward to fruitful discussions today

01:44 and working with the Rwanda delegation

01:47 on practical steps to normalize our relations

01:49 for the benefit of our two peoples

01:52 and the region as a whole.

01:55 Our discussions today should be anchored

01:57 on the two previous discussions of the commission

02:01 in Kigali and Kampala.

02:03 Uganda remains positive and with the expectation

02:08 that discussions here today will lead to concrete results.

02:14 Uganda's commitment to implementation of the Rwanda

02:18 Memorandum of Understanding of the 21st of August, 2019

02:24 and the Rwanda Communique of 2nd February, 2020

02:32 has remained firm as before.

02:36 Our approach and outlook in implementation

02:39 is comprehensive because we consider

02:41 all elements of these undertakings equally important.

02:46 On our part, since the Rwanda process began last year,

02:51 we have consistently demonstrated our best

02:54 intentions by the practical steps which we have taken

02:58 and the proposals we have made to implement

03:02 what has been agreed.

03:05 These steps, however, have not been always reciprocated.

03:11 On the list of Rwandans allegedly detained in Uganda,

03:15 I wish to recall that at our first meeting here in Kigali,

03:20 Rwanda was supposed to provide the list for verification,

03:23 but regrettably, that was never done.

03:26 Nevertheless, we carried on with--

03:30 we carried on and we have information

03:33 on the names and persons allegedly

03:35 detained on the basis of each diplomatic note received

03:39 from Rwanda.

03:42 In line with the Rwanda MOU and in the context

03:46 of normalization relations between the two countries,

03:49 as a gesture of goodwill, Uganda withdrew charges

03:53 against nine Rwandans that were undergoing prosecution

03:57 for various offenses, including, among others,

04:01 unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.

04:05 On the 8th of January, 2020, the nine individuals

04:09 were handed over to immigration authorities

04:12 in the presence of the Rwandan High Commissioner to Uganda

04:16 for repatriation back to Rwanda.

04:18 I urge Rwanda to demonstrate the same spirit

04:25 and raise the concerns regarding the over 50 Ugandans

04:28 detainees in Rwanda.

04:30 The list of Ugandans known to be in detention

04:33 have been provided to Rwanda government.

04:37 On the issue of deportations, I wish

04:40 to reiterate that deportations from Uganda

04:44 are done in compliance with the law.

04:47 At our last meeting, I dispelled the myth

04:50 that Rwandans are just dumped at the border,

04:54 but because I elaborated the process

05:00 from the time of deportation request is made,

05:03 signed and deportees handed over.

05:06 I also expressed our readiness to share the evidence

05:11 to confirm the deportees that had been fully received

05:16 by Rwandan officials.

05:18 On unsubstantiated allegations of destabilization,

05:23 we have been repeatedly made by Rwanda.

05:26 Uganda has made a concrete proposal

05:29 of joint verification to address what

05:32 we consider severe allegations.

05:36 Joint verifications helps establish facts, build trust

05:40 and confidence on both sides.

05:42 I wish to underscore that the absence of joint mechanism

05:49 to verify allegations renders falsehoods persist

05:52 and makes follow-up implementation difficult.

05:57 On the extradition treaty, Uganda

06:00 made proposals on a ratified extradition treaty of 2005

06:06 between our countries.

06:08 We received counter-proposals from Rwanda

06:11 and have responded accordingly.

06:14 We propose that two Athenian generals meet

06:17 with a view to generating consensus on the issues pending

06:23 the signature of the same at an agreed date.

06:28 In the media, Uganda knows too well the role of the media.

06:34 The role the media has to play in creating

06:38 conducive environment for relations

06:41 between our two countries.

06:44 Uganda to this day has restrained its officials

06:49 and media from propagating hostile stories against Rwanda.

06:54 Regrettably, the media in Rwanda has

06:56 been relentless in hostile campaign against our country,

07:00 our government, and its leadership.

07:04 On the issue of free movement of persons and goods

07:07 and services, I wish to restate that consistent

07:12 with the Rwanda MOU and regional and other international

07:15 frameworks, Uganda's border has remained open to people, goods,

07:21 and services.

07:23 However, since the 28th of February, 2019,

07:28 Rwanda's border remains closed and the trade embargo

07:31 against Uganda remains in place to this date.

07:35 On protecting and respecting human rights of Rwandans

07:40 for Uganda, this has never been an issue.

07:44 The human rights of Rwandans are protected

07:46 like those of any other people in Uganda.

07:49 The facts speak for themselves.

07:51 The fact that Rwandans continue to travel to Uganda

07:54 day by day as before relies the narrative

07:59 that Rwandans are not safe in Uganda.

08:02 Rwandans feel free to run to Uganda as refugees.

08:06 Even Rwandans who get shot by Rwandan security services,

08:12 such as one that was shot in November, 2019,

08:15 feel safe to take refuge in Uganda.

08:18 Regrettably, Rwanda security personnel

08:22 have continued to kill Ugandans along the common border.

08:27 The latest incident was less than a month ago,

08:30 18th of January, 2020, when a Ugandan was shot dead

08:35 by Rwandan security personnel.

08:39 These actions do not only deny the individual the right

08:42 to life, but they negate the very spirit and efforts

08:47 for closer integration in the subregion

08:50 at normalizing bilateral relations.

08:54 We hope-- the hope and expectations of my delegation

09:02 is that this meeting reflects a new spirit

09:05 and achieve tangible outcomes.

09:08 We also hope that Uganda's concerns will

09:11 be understood and appreciated, and reciprocal action taken

09:14 by Rwanda.

09:16 Let me say that our heads of state

09:19 continue to talk through envoys and diplomatic channels,

09:25 and that we have reached a stage where

09:27 we must put a number of decisions into action.

09:33 The fourth Quadripartite Summit on the 21st of February, 2020

09:38 will be the culmination of the three meetings

09:41 of the ad hoc commission, which we have held.

09:45 I'm glad that our two advanced teams set up

09:50 to jointly prepare for the summit in Katuna, Gatuna,

09:54 have worked together well and are in good spirit.

09:58 The Ugandan delegation hopes the climax of the summit

10:03 will be the endorsement of tangible outcomes

10:06 from this meeting.

10:08 I want to thank you for your kind attention.

10:11 (dramatic music)

Transcript

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