Foreign Affairs Minister Vincent Biruta on Tuesday, January 19, delivered a message by President Paul Kagame to his counterpart of Democratic Republic of Congo, Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Relations (MINAFFET), the message among others seeks to strengthen the already existing good relations between the two countries. “The message is related to the bilateral relations and regional problems,” reads part of the tweet by MINAFFET. Biruta’s visit to President Tshisekedi follows last years courtesy call by a delegation from the DR Congo which delivered a message from Felix Tshisekedi to his counterpart. The delegation also briefed President Kagame on the political situation in DRC and the political consultations being undertaken by President Tshisekedi. The existing good relationship between DRC and Rwanda has among others seen top anti-Rwanda rebels being killed by the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) and others arrested and handed over to Rwanda. For years, the region has witnessed violence caused by a number of armed groups including anti Rwanda militia who are remnants of the perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. According to a report by the UN Group of Experts on DR Congo, Kayumba Nyamwasa, a Rwandan fugitive residing in South Africa, is the leader of a new rebel group known as “P5”, which operates in DR Congo’s South Kivu province. Besides political cooperation between Rwanda and DR Congo, the two countries enjoy strong trade ties, but some trade arrangements have been dearailed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
