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Viewing cable 06KIGALI990, RWANDA-UGANDA JOINT PERMANENT COMMISSION MEETING A

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
06KIGALI990 2006-10-16 14:37 2011-08-24 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Kigali
VZCZCXYZ0023
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLGB #0990 2891437
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 161437Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY KIGALI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3353
INFO RUEHJB/AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA 1565
RUEHDR/AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM 0763
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 1467
RUEHKI/AMEMBASSY KINSHASA 0131
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 0631
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0151
UNCLAS KIGALI 000990 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL ETRD RW
SUBJECT: RWANDA-UGANDA JOINT PERMANENT COMMISSION MEETING A 
SUCCESS 
 
 
1.  (U) Summary. Ugandan and Rwandan officials held the 
seventh Joint Permanent Commission sessions in Kigali October 
12-13.  A communique pledged cooperation on a hosts of 
issues, including consular relations, defense, education and 
justice issues, crop and animal diseases, cross-border 
transport fees, and border immunization efforts. The two 
sides also signed separate MOUs on police cooperation, 
wildlife management and metrology.  Various senior Rwandan 
officials publicly lauded the sessions and expressed the wish 
that Rwandan-Ugandan relations continue to improve.  Ghana 
pledged to support Rwanda's East African Community (EAC) 
candidacy.  End summary. 
 
2.  (U)  Over the course of two days, the Permanent Joint 
Commission attendees (including senior ministers from both 
sides) examined a host of bilateral issues, from defense and 
justice to education, gender and refugee matters, including 
the sensitive issue of alleged detention of nationals by the 
neighboring nation's security forces.  In that regard, the 
two sides reaffirmed the principle of consular access to 
their respective nationals should they be detained.  The 
governments also signed separate agreements governing 
cross-border police cooperation, wildlife management, and 
metrology (the science of standards and measurements).  In 
his opening statement, Ugandan Foreign Minister Kutesa 
pledged support for Rwanda's EAC application. 
 
3.  (SBU)  The two-day sessions included a courtesy call 
October 13 on President Kagame by Ugandan Foreign Minister 
Sam Kutesa and others in the GOU delegation.  The jovial 
public face to this courtesy call matched the boisterous 
atmosphere of the Uganda National Day reception at the 
Ugandan Embassy the evening of October 12 (Note: Uganda 
National Day is October 9; the Ugandan Embassy delayed the 
celebration to accommodate the arrival of the GOU delegation 
from Kampala for the Commission sessions).  At the National 
Day reception, Foreign Minister Kutesa teasingly (and perhaps 
inadvertently) referred to President Kagame as "President of 
Uganda," a mark of distinction returned in kind by Rwandan 
Foreign Minister Charles Murigande, who called President 
Museveni "President of....," hesitating to complete the 
official designation, to great laughter from the crowd. 
 
4. (SBU)  This seventh session of the Permanent Joint 
Commission comes on the heels of President Kagame's journey 
to Uganda to attend the September 30 golden jubilee 
celebrations at the Ntare School in the Mbare district of 
Uganda, a school attended by both Kagame and Museveni.   With 
President Museveni in attendance, President Kagame praised 
the important role the school in particular and Ugandan 
society in general played in nurturing a generation of 
Rwandan refugees, including himself, and called for closer 
ties with Uganda. 
 
5.  (SBU)  Comment.  While presidential and foreign ministry 
officials have told us that the holding of the Joint 
Commission sessions two weeks after Kagame's trip to the 
Ntare School was pure coincidence, the timing has been 
fortuitous.  It appears a bit of a charm offensive is 
underway by the GOR, as Rwanda strives for a positive vote on 
its request to join the East African Community, and for a 
general relaxation of regional tensions, particularly with 
the DRC and Uganda.  End Comment. 
THURSTON