President Paul Kagame arrived in Maputo on Friday, October 28 for a one-day working visit. Kagame is expected to hold a tête-à-tête with host President Filipe Nyusi, followed by bilateral talks with their respective delegations, before attending a luncheon hosted in his honor. The visit comes at a time when Rwanda and Mozambique enjoy cordial bilateral relations. Just one week ago, both countries signed an agreement on the exemption from visa requirements for holders of ordinary passports, in a bid to encourage free movement and enhance collaboration. Since July 2021, a contingent of the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) and the Rwanda National Police (RNP) has been deployed in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado Province at the request of the government of Mozambique, to help fight the Islamic State-linked terrorists there, stabilize the region and restore state authority. “The Rwandan contingent works closely with Mozambique Armed Defence Forces (FADM) and forces from the Southern African Development Community (SADC),” reads a statement from the President's office. The deployment is grounded on Rwanda’s commitment to the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) doctrine and the 2015 Kigali Principles on the Protection of Civilians, the statement added.
