Burundi president in DRC for a three-day state visit

Kinshasa

Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye arrived Monday in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for a three-day state visit where he was welcomed by Prime Minister Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde.

He is expected to have a meeting today with President Félix Tshisekedi which comes almost 2 weeks after the meeting in Goma between the Congolese President and the Burundian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Mr. Albert Shingiro.

Beyond the good neighbourly relationship that both heads of state intend to strengthen between their countries, security and economic issues will be addressed during the meeting.

President Tshisekedi has recently signed agreements between DRC and Uganda on the construction of infrastructure and between DRC and Rwanda on the exploitation of gold.

Agreements to be signed during the meeting could include the construction of the railway between Gitega (Burundi) and Kindu (DRC), on a line that will allow the evacuation of products to Uvinza in Tanzania.

This issue had already been raised in June 2019 between Félix Tshisekedi and President Pierre Nkurunziza, former Burundian head of state, who died in June 2020.

Congolese traders from South Kivu have requested President Félix Tshisekedi to help in the facilitation of trade between the two nations.