Squabbles will make the East Africa dream a stillbirth

Presidents Yoweri Museveni and Paul Kagame need to sit down in a room and not depart until they solve their differences. There can be no vibrant East African Community (EAC) as long as the cold war between Rwanda and Uganda lingers. The presidents of Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi and South Sudan should join them in that room since East Africa will either rise together or sink together.

EAC’s future and integration lies in border points like Gatuna on the Uganda – Rwanda boundery; Namanga on the Kenya – Tanzania’s; Akanyaru on the Rwanda – Burundi border; Elegu on the Uganda – South Sudan border and Busia on the Kenya – Uganda border. When social and political differences cause governments to either shut down these border points or slow down operations there, millions of people suffer directly and indirectly.