The Uganda-Rwanda Rivalry: The Dynamics of Power Politics and Regime Security

Considering the historical relations between Rwanda and Uganda, the two states have turned into rivals The underlying concern was that, faced with the prevalent tensions between the two East African countries, the government of Rwanda closed its borders with Uganda leading to an escalation of the conflict. Different mediation processes were undertaken to endless the conflict. Among these was the Agreement reached upon in Luanda the capital city of Angola called the Luanda memorandum of understanding that provided for a cease-fire and ease of tensions between the conflicting parties. The objective of the MoU was to revive peaceful relations between the two East African countries as well as to rebuild trust. This thesis examined the dynamics of power, politics and Regime security in Rwanda-Uganda rivalry. The core objective of the research sought why Rwanda and Uganda have turned rivals over time despite historical relations between the two. The research design was anchored on qualitative inquiry. The population was based on purposive sampling. Data were analyzed using the thematic and narrative analysis to ascertain the interplay between regime security, human agency and power politics as a causal factor to the rivalry between Uganda and Rwanda.