Rwanda reopened the Gatuna/Katuna border with Uganda on January 31, allowing movements to resume for the first time in three years after it was closed amid diplomatic tensions between Kigali and Kampala.

However, citizens who intended to cross were no allowed on either side as officials indicate that there is need to first work out modalities of managing movement of people in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Both countries health, customs and immigration officials held a closed-door meeting at the border before ruling out that only cargo will be allowed to cross pending drawing of common protocols to facilitate travel of humans.

The reopening of Gatuna/Katuna follows series of meetings between President Yoweri Museveni’s envoys to his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame a few weeks ago in a bid to resolve the differences.

Kigali accused Kampala of mistreating Rwandans and supporting groups seeking to overthrow the regime in Rwanda.

Gatuna/Katuna was, until its closure in February 2019, the busiest trade corridor linking both countries and the region to the port of Mombasa.