In a refreshing twist from boots and batons, the Uganda Peoples' Defence Forces (UPDF) and the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) are lacing up sneakers for a different kind of battle—a football match.
On Saturday, May 31, the UPDF Second Infantry Division will host the RDF 5 Fifth Infantry Division at Kyamate Playground in Ntungamo Municipality, kicking off the first-ever sports exchange between the two formations.
No guns, no salvos, no shouting—just goals, tackles, and plenty of camaraderie.
“The RDF delegation will be officially received in Uganda by Maj Gen Paul Muhanguzi, Commander of the UPDF 2 Infantry Division, alongside other senior military officials,” said Maj Kiconco Tabaro, the Second Division’s public information officer.
But this isn’t just about which team bags the bragging rights. The event forms part of a broader civil-military outreach aimed at deepening cooperation along the Uganda-Rwanda border.
In addition to football, troops will plant trees, donate blood, and join a symbolic route march through Ntungamo Town.
Tabaro called it “a collaboration with local leaders” that seeks to “encourage public participation in community-focused initiatives.”
After years marked by tense headlines over cross-border relations, it’s a different image entirely—soldiers passing the ball instead of blame.
The match follows a series of engagements between the two divisions, held on both sides of the border. These Proximity Commanders’ initiatives—joint patrols, cross-border operations, coordinated trainings—aim to foster trust and improve the daily lives of civilians in border communities who’ve long lived with the burdens of suspicion and conflict.
With the new push, even sport becomes strategic. Football is acting as both the metaphor and the method: a visible symbol of cooperation and a practical platform for building rapport.
If all goes well, there’ll be more where this came from, with both forces pledging regular interactions, both on and off the pitch.
So on Saturday, expect not war cries but whistles; not boots stomping in aggression but studs gliding through grass.
It’s a moment where border tensions make way for centre-circle tosses, and where the region sees the power of play.
The UPDF has extended an open invitation to civilians to witness the match. With pride on the line but peace in the air, Ntungamo may just be where regional friendship scores big.