This archive report was first published on 28 December 2019.
East Africa's economic and political differences have long been simmering beneath the surface, but in recent years, tensions have escalated into a 'cold war' between Rwanda and Uganda, and Rwanda and Burundi.
At the heart of the conflict is Rwanda, which has accused Uganda of supporting rebels seeking regime change in Kigali, sabotaging shared infrastructure projects, and torturing Rwandan citizens who travel to Uganda.
Uganda has denied all the allegations, but the border closure enforced in March 2019 has disrupted the social and economic lives of communities living around the border, as well as travel and national trade between the two countries.
The relations between Rwanda and Uganda have deteriorated since the 1990s proxy wars in DR Congo, when both countries supported different groups. The situation worsened in 2019, with diplomatic talks ending in a deadlock a fortnight ago, with each side accusing the other for the impasse.
Meanwhile, Rwanda's relations with Burundi have also been strained, with Kigali accusing Burundi of supporting rebel attacks in Nyamagabe district in December 2018. Tensions have remained high between the two countries since the foiled military coup of 2015 in Burundi.
However, Rwanda's relations with DR Congo have improved significantly, with the administration of President Felix Tshisekedi targeting militias based in eastern DR Congo that pose a security threat to Rwanda. The move has led to an improvement in the movement of goods and people at border posts with DR Congo, and the national carrier, RwandAir, is now making six flights a week to Kinshasa.
