Rwandan President Paul Kagame will receive this Friday 25 June 2021 in Gisenyi, on Rwanda’s side of the border, Félix Tshisekedi. On Saturday, the two men are expected to be in Goma for a press conference. The two heads of state had not seen each other from Paris and Paul Kagame’s words humiliated the survey report and the siege. But according to the Congolese presidency, this side has been reversed. Now it’s time for cooperation.
On May 17 in Paris, Félix Tshisekedi had received Paul Kagame as President of the African Union to prepare for the summit on the financing of African economies, which would open the next day. The same day, the Rwandan head of state had denied RFI and France 24 the crimes committed, especially by his troops, in Congo, humiliated the UN survey report, Dr. Denis Mukwege and even the siege, which had caused a stir in the DRC.
Three days later, President Tshisekedi said he refused to respond to the media and promised to talk to him about it. We do not know if this exchange took place, but the following week the Rwandan head of state tempered his comments and this time acknowledged the existence of crimes committed in the Congo, while welcoming Dr Mukwege’s work against raped women.
But that is no longer an issue today, assures the Congolese Presidency, which praises good relations. On Friday, according to Rwanda’s official press, it will be a state visit in one day. The two men should assess the damage through the eruption of Nyiragongo and see each other face to face. They can deal with security issues.
They must also sign a whole series of trade and investment agreements, in particular to prepare for Congo’s accession to the East African Community. The EAC has sent a delegation that is currently in the DRC to assess this candidacy.
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