Ambassador Vincent Karega on Thursday presented his credentials to President Felix Tshisekedi in a ceremony held in Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The presentation of the credentials marks the beginning of Karega’s tour as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Rwanda in DR Congo.

According to Karega, the two countries are committed to taking to new heights their bilateral relations by ensuring peace, security, trade and cooperation and partner in advancing the regional integration and the African Agenda.

Regarding peace and security, since President Tshisekedi assumed office, the Congolese armed forces have intensified operations against armed groups many of them Rwandan who had made the eastern part of DR Congo where they have been operating for over two decades.

Following the intensified offensive against the groups mid last year, thousands of them have been killed while others in even more numbers were captured and have since been repatriated to Rwanda.

On the economic front, the two countries have since renewed their economic ties, underpinned by among other milestones the commencement of direct flights to Kinshasa by the national carrier, RwandAir, which made its maiden flight to the Congolese capital on April 17 2019.

Karega was appointed ambassador to DR Congo in July 2019 and prior to that, he was Rwanda’s High Commissioner to South Africa.

Before his appointment as High Commissioner to South Africa, Karega served in different cabinet posts, including as Minister of Infrastructure, prior to which he had worked as state minister in different ministries including Trade and Industry, Public Service and Environment and Natural Resources.