Today’s article is about the official visit of the President of the Republic of Burundi, Evariste Ndayishimiye, to Kinshasa. This two-day trip is an opportunity for the Burundian leader to meet his Congolese counterpart, Felix Tshisekedi.
According to available information, the two heads of state will have a tete-a-tete at the Palais de la Nation followed by the signing of a military agreement between the DRC and Burundi. This agreement follows the deployment of Burundian troops in the DRC last March, in accordance with decisions taken at a summit of the East African Community (EAC). The purpose of this deployment was to deal with the threat of M23 and other armed groups in the region, as well as to strengthen security along the common border.
Since the arrival of Felix Tshisekedi to the presidency, relations between the DRC and Burundi have improved considerably. During President Ndayishimiye’s official visit to Kinshasa in 2021, the two leaders signed agreements aimed in particular at building a railway linking Bujumbura to Kindu, passing through Bukavu and Kamituga. This project will help strengthen economic and trade ties between the two countries.
On the security level, the DRC and Burundi have expressed their desire to pacify their borders and to collaborate in the fight against the armed groups that are rampant in the region. President Ndayishimiye has even called on Burundian armed groups operating in eastern DRC to return to the country, as part of a regional deployment aimed at restoring stability in the region.
This two-day official visit between President Ndayishimiye and President Tshisekedi is therefore an opportunity to strengthen ties between the two countries and continue to work together for peace and stability in the Great Lakes region