Tshisekedi meets with Rwandan delegation on bilateral cooperation

Kinshasa

President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) received a Rwandan delegation at State House on Tuesday.

They were Vincent Biruta, Joseph Nzabamwita, Donald Kaberuka and Vincent Karega, who are Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Secretary General of Intelligence Services, Senior Official to the African Union and Rwandan Ambassador posted to Kinshasa, respectively.

According to the presidential press in Kinshasa, the four carried a "special message" from Rwandan president Paul Kagame to Tshisekedi.

But the source of the presidency indicated that the delegation from Kigali did not comment on this "personal message".

Vincent Biruta simply indicated that this message is linked to bilateral cooperation and to sub-regional and continental issues.

A few weeks before the inauguration of the Congolese presidency of the African Union, the Rwandan emissaries, according to the same source, indicated that it is good that the "neighbors exchange".

In view of the DRC's presidency of the African Union, it was also question for these personalities to consider adequate support for the imminent mandate of Tshisekedi at the head of the African Union.

The Rwandan foreign minister also said on bilateral cooperation issues, Rwanda and the DRC are "determined to work together in several areas, including political, economic and security".

Vincent Biruta indicated that "several meetings at the bilateral level are planned in the coming days". 

The visit on January 19 comes a month after the publication of the report of the UN group of experts on the DRC, which indicated the presence of the Rwandan Defense Force in the DRC.

It was even mentioned operations that would be carried out by the Rwandan army in North Kivu.

But all these allegations had been rejected by both the Congolese and Rwandan authorities.

According to Kigali, the Rwandan army is not involved in any military operation in the DRC.

It should be noted that the DRC, under Tshisekedi, wants to end the repeated quarrels with Rwanda.

Relations that have been strained for a little over 20 years are gradually normalising. In November 2020, Tshisekedi had sent emissaries to Kagame.