Lawsuit over border spat

Civil society organisations in Uganda have filed a lawsuit against the Governments of Uganda and Rwanda over border restrictions between the two countries. As previously reported in Legalbrief Today, Rwanda in February barred Ugandan goods from entering its territory and prevented its citizens from crossing into Uganda. The case against the two governments has been lodged at the East African Court of Justice. It claims that the closure contravenes the treaty establishing the East African Community and the regional Community Market Protocol. BBC News reports that the complainants say key border towns and villages between Uganda and Rwanda have turned into ghost towns and have affected the livelihood of traders. Both countries have traded accusations over interference in each other’s affairs and many see the border spat as being a result of the diplomatic fall-out.