Rwanda, Kenya working to end Horn of Africa conflicts
The presidents of Kenya and Rwanda have pledged to work together to end conflicts and promote dialogue in the restive Horn of Africa region.
This announcement
was made when President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya met his Rwandan counterpart Paul
Kagame at State House, Nairobi Thursday.
The two
leaders committed to working together to find lasting solutions to conflicts
facing Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan and Somalia, saying Kenya and Rwanda will continue
to play a leading role in promoting dialogue and peace amongst the warring
parties.
Kagame was in the country on a working visit. They also discussed a wide range of areas of cooperation between the two countries including trade, transport and emerging issues concerning the region and the continent.
On trade,
President Kenyatta said Rwanda’s strategic position in the region makes it an
important trading partner to Kenya especially as a gateway to the Eastern
Democratic Republic of Congo and the wider Great Lakes Region market.
He welcomed
Rwanda’s move to re-open its Gatuna border with Uganda, saying it will ease the
movement of goods and people between the two neighboring countries.
To enhance
the bilateral trade between the two countries, President Kenyatta called on
Rwanda to diversify its imports from Kenya and continue taking advantage of the
improved services at the Port of Mombasa to facilitate the movement of goods.
The Kenyan
leader assured his Rwandan counterpart of Kenya’s commitment to ensuring the
two countries collaborate in championing the ideals of the East African
Community for the benefit of the people of the region.
