About 600 women traders operating between Uganda and Rwanda have sued the two governments, seeking compensation for losses they have incurred since the border was closed in February.

The suit was filed in the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) in Arusha, Tanzania on June 21 by a consortium of three civil society organisations (CSOs) on behalf of the affected women traders.

The CSOs are East African Sub-Regional Initiative for Advancement of Women (EASSI), Southern and Eastern African Trade Information and Negotiations Institute (SEATINI) and Centre for Food and Adequate Living Rights (CEFROTH).

The women want the court to order the immediate opening of the border, arguing that the reasons for closure are not trade-related.

The petitioners argue that the two countries are EAC members who subscribe to the regional Common Market Protocol which should not be violated by political disagreements.

“Applicants respectively request court, pursuant of Articles 27 (1), 30 (1) and 38 of the (EAC) Treaty to declare that the act of closing border posts and denying the accessibility of traders and citizens from either state infringed the East African Treaty and violated the provisions of the Treaty and Protocol on the Establishment of the East African Community Common Market,” the suit reads in part.

They are also asking the regional court to order a permanent injunction against both countries never to close their border posts and to violate the economic rights of women.