KAMPALA, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Senior diplomats from Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo met in Kampala on Friday to settle a border dispute in an area where there is potential for crude oil discoveries.

"All the ministers are here, the meeting has started. We expect them to issue a communique around five o'clock (1400 GMT)," James Mugume, a senior foreign ministry official, told Reuters by telephone.

A string of shootouts between the two former enemies on Lake Albert since August has a number of civilians, including a British contractor doing a seismic survey for Heritage Oil Corp <HOC.TO>.

Congolese Foreign Minister Mbusa Nyamwisi and his Ugandan counterpart Sam Kutesa are leading the talks, which will focus on the border dispute, fishing rights on the lake and reviewing a 1990 oil exploration agreement.

Besides Heritage, Tullow Oil <TLW.L> is also drilling in blocks in the Albertine basin dividing the two nations, which fought a 1998-2003 war that sucked in five other African countries. (Reporting by Tim Cocks, Editing by Matthew Jones)

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