Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente on June 29 received his Central African Republic (CAR) counterpart Félix Moloua. Their discussions focused on strengthening the existing cooperation between the two countries.
Moloua and his delegation are on a three-day visit during which they are expected to visit various places and meet different stakeholders. Maxime Balalou, CAR’s Minister of Communication and Media and Government Spokesperson, stated, "We are here to enhance the cooperation between our two countries.
"In the economic sector, we already have a special relationship with Rwanda and we cooperate well in the security sector. We have come to further develop that cooperation.”
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"We believe that this model of cooperation between our countries will serve as an example for Africa. Developing cooperation like this fosters fraternity and unity among African people and it is in this spirit that the prime minister has come here,” he added.
Balalou also highlighted that there are various sectors they aim to strengthen, such as infrastructure, mining, health, and security.
"We are working on important projects for the development of our people. We are assured, and I think that this cooperation is a model for CAR. We will benefit from Rwanda’s experience in resilience and overcoming difficult situations. Both Rwanda and CAR have faced challenging situations, and we are learning from Rwanda’s experience.”
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Amb. Olivier Nduhungirehe, the minister of foreign affairs, said both countries have strong bilateral relations based on various sectors. "We have sent our army to CAR in line with the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission and through cooperation between our two countries. This helps them regain security. We also cooperate in sectors such as infrastructure, health, security, and mining.”
He said that the visiting CAR delegation will meet with private sector representatives and various infrastructure projects in Rwanda such as Amahoro Stadium, and Dubai Port, among others.
"This visit benefits both countries, and we believe that our bilateral relationship will continue to thrive,” Nduhungirehe stated.
Looking ahead, Nduhungirehe pointed out that as the delegation meets with Private Sector Federation (PSF) and Rwanda Development Board (RDB) officials, there is a possibility of signing agreements to further enhance cooperation and investment in both countries.
Prime Minister Moloua visists Rwanda just over two weeks after the Chief of General Staff (CGS) of the Central African Republic Armed Forces, Maj Gen Zépherin Mamadou, visited the Rwanda Defence Force headquarters in Kigali, on June 10. Earlier, in April, 283 law enforcement officers from Rwanda and Central African Republic completed the &039;Police Basic Special Forces' course at the Counter Terrorism Training Centre (CTTC) Mayange in Bugesera District.
Last year, Central African Republic President Faustin-Archange Touadéra said that the bilateral cooperation arrangement with Rwanda is fruitful, having helped to restore peace and security in his country.
In December 2020, Rwanda’s special forces were critical in blocking the advance – on Bangui – of the Coalition of Patriots for Change (CPC) rebel alliance led by former president François Bozize.
At the time, Rwanda quickly deployed special forces under a bilateral arrangement on defence to bolster the Central African Republic’s armed forces.