Kigali and Dar seem determined to bury the hatchet and embark on regional integration initiatives together after almost two years of diplomatic tensions between the two countries which broke out in May 2013.

Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete was among the regional leaders who attended the 9th Northern Corridor Integration Projects summit in Kigali on Saturday during which the heads of states pledged to fast track different projects to link their countries to enhance trade and free movement of people.

Anxiety gripped the East African Community following President Kikwete taking over the chairmanship from Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta, particularly regarding how the Tanzanian leader would handle matters given the tensions between Dar and Kigali.

READ: Defining moment for Kikwete as he takes over from Uhuru

However Rwanda and Tanzania seem to have put their differences aside in the interest of region integration, with President Kikwete particularly thanking President Paul Kagame for the invitation and ‘wonderful hospitality’.

During the meeting, Kagame also emphasised the importance of Kikwete’s presence and what it means for the fast tracking of different integration projects, raising hopes that EAC partner states are finally putting aside their differences to move together.

“Let me particularly thank President Kikwete, the chair of the East African Community, for finding time to be here with us,” President Kagame said amid applause from a seemingly relieved audience.

“Let me quickly add that this raises prospects for many projects along different corridors of the East African geographical space to materialise with the speed that the East Africans want to see,” the Rwandan leader said.

Kigali and Dar have had a strained relationship since May 2013, following Kikwete’s remarks that Rwanda should find ways of talking to the DR Congo-based Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) for peace to return in eastern DRC.

READ: Dar, Kigali face off over Congo conflict... again

Since then, the exchanges between the leaders and diplomats from either side led to tensions simmering between Kigali and Dar, threatening to affect regional integration processes. There have not been any high profile visits by officials from either country.

With the tensions high, Rwanda joined the Coalition of the Willing (CoW) consisting of Uganda and Kenya, abandoning most projects it was pursuing with Dar.

Signs of unity

But with Kikwete taking the mantle from his Kenyan counterpart, signs have emerged to show that the bloc’s five partner states could be getting back on track to move together on integration.

During the meeting, Burundi’s Vice President Gervais Rufyikiri announced that his country has abandoned the ‘observer status’ in the Northern Corridor to become a member and join the different infrastructure programmes underway.

Need for speed

The Rwandan leader who hosted the meeting said that it was aimed at finding ways of how the countries can speed up the different integration programmes that will transform the lives of the community’s citizens ‘as fast as possible’.

“We are all encouraged to be more involved and to stay the course and focus on the desired outcomes. With political will and prompt follow through, we can achieve the tangible results the people of our region need and deserve,” President Kagame said.

President Kenyatta said that there has been a lot of progress since the 1st Northern Corridor Summit because of commitment at the head of states level.

“The spirit of commitment has enabled us to make tremendous progress towards integration of our region. Our sole purpose and motivation is to see how through greater connectivity we can pull our people together to make the region prosperous,” he said.

He also underscored the importance of President Kikwete’s presence, which he said gave the countries an opportunity to discuss the contribution of the central corridor which is equally vital for the region to other countries including South Sudan and Ethiopia.

“We need to create a region that is not only economically strong but also a region that will be able to move towards becoming a middle income region in the shortest possible time.

“There are many areas where we can gain from each other’s strengths. Surplus energy that Tanzania is producing is much needed in Kenya and in Rwanda, there are clear areas also where food surpluses are much needed in other parts of the region.

“If we are able to have this interconnectivity amongst ourselves, there is no reason why Kenya should be importing from countries from outside the region when there are surpluses within our region,” President Kenyatta said.

President Museveni also emphasised the need for the countries to fast track infrastructure projects linking regional countries for the people to benefit from the larger market, where Ugandan farmers can be able to transport their produce to South Sudan where it is needed, without any problem.

The heads of states summit and earlier ministerial sessions focussed on the implementation of projects which include the need to build an oil refinery in Uganda as well as oil and gas pipelines and the construction of a regional railway that will connect the EAC countries.

READ: Infrastructure projects to top agenda at EAC leaders’ summit

The Northern Corridor brings together countries that are mainly served by the Port of Mombasa in Kenya. These are Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and South Sudan. Tanzania, Burundi, and Ethiopia also take part as observers.

During a closed session, the head of states were expected to discuss key challenges along the way, especially financing of the mega infrastructure projects which require billions of dollars.

No hope of South Sudan

During the meeting in Kigali, the South Sudan President Salva Kiir expressed concerns that the peace deal reached between the government and the rebels in Arusha is on the verge of collapsing because Riek Machar’s side have violated the terms.

READ: Juba talks could collapse as donors opt for sanctions

President Kiir said that his government continues to observe the agreement, even though the other side continued to violate the peace agreement and the deadline for all sides to fulfil their part of the deal has passed.

He called up regional leaders to continue with their efforts to bring to an end what he described as a ‘useless and meaningless’ conflict.

He said that at the moment South Sudan cannot contribute much to the Northern Corridor initiatives because it does not produce anything but added that if there is peace and the connectivity needed, his country provides a huge market for East African countries.