Rwanda and Uganda have swapped prisoners ahead of the meeting Friday between the two countries’ presidents to resolve a diplomatic row that has led to the closure of their shared border. Some 20 Ugandan nationals detained in Rwanda were released on Wednesday, a day after Uganda released 13 Rwandan nationals it had detained on charges of espionage and other security-related offences. A row between the two neighboring countries has been simmering for the past two years but escalated when Rwanda closed its borders last year. According to the latest World Bank Data, Rwanda was Uganda’s fifth-biggest export market, selling about $180m worth of goods. Rwanda meanwhile exported $10m worth to Uganda.

Source: The North Africa Journal February 20, 2020 17:48 UTC