President Paul Kagame and First Lady Jeannette Kagame arrived in Cotonou, Benin, for a two-day state visit, on Saturday, April 15. In Cotonou, Kagame, among others, held a tête-à-tête with host President Patrice Talon. During the meeting, both Heads of State exchanged on the friendly relations between the two nations and the common aspiration to transform the lives of citizens through intra-African cooperation.
Following the meeting, President Kagame and host President Talon graced the signing of several bilateral cooperation agreements, before addressing a joint press conference at Le Palais de la Marina - Benin’s Presidency.
From Benin, President Kagame headed to Guinea-Bissau, on Monday, April 17, for a one-day working visit. He held a tête-à-tête with his host President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, followed by bilateral discussions with their respective delegations, and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on mutual visas requirements exemption.
At the end of his working visit to Guinea-Bissau, Kagame on Tuesday, April 18, begun his two day working visit to the Republic of Guinea, or Guinea-Conakry, where he was received by President of the Transition, Colonel Mamadi Doumbouya.
Here, below, we present you the President’s visit to the three West African countries in pictures:
BENIN
President Patrice Talon of Benin welcomed President Kagame at Le Palais de la Marina where he began a two-day State Visit that saw a series of agreements signed to increase bilateral cooperation in sectors of ICT, trade and investment, and agriculture.
President Kagame and President Talon held a tête-à-tête meeting to exchange on the friendly relations between the two nations and the common aspiration to transform the lives of citizens through intra-African cooperation.
President Kagame and his host President Patrice Talon of Benin addressed members of the press following their tête-à-tête and bilateral talks with their respective delegations.
Later, in the afternoon, President Kagame interacted with 100 young entrepreneurs at Sèmè City, a flagship project by Benin Government dedicated to meeting the skills needs of young Africans through training, research, and innovation.
At Les Jardins de Mathieu in Cotonou, President Kagame and First Lady Jeannette Kagame paid tribute to Benin’s fallen heroes including the brave men and women who have paid the ultimate price in the ongoing fight against terrorism. The President and First Lady also toured the Esplanade de l’Amazone square, home to a 30-metre-high statue of a warrior woman, La Statue de l’Amazone, symbolizing the courage, bravery, and patriotism of Beninese women past and present.
In the evening, at La Paillote des Hôtes in Cotonou, President Kagame and First Lady Jeannette Kagame attended a State Banquet hosted in their honour by President Patrice Talon and First Lady Claudine Talon.
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GUINEA-BISSAU
President Kagame arrives at the Presidential Palace in Guinea-Bissau, where he was welcomed by Umaro Sissoco Embaló, the President of Guinea-Bissau. The two Heads of State held a closed-door meeting before proceeding to bilateral discussions with members of both delegations.
In Bissau, President Kagame and President Embaló held a tête-à-tête and exchanged on various topics including potential areas of bilateral cooperation as well as the regional situation in ECOWAS.
His host President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, conferred the Amílcar Cabral Medal on President Kagame, the highest distinction in Guinea-Bissau.
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GUINEA-CONAKRY
President Kagame arrives in Guinea-Conakry for a working visit and is received by President of the Transition, Colonel Mamadi Doumbouya.
"Every country on our continent has challenges. In Rwanda, we have our own challenges. In Guinea there are challenges. Working together there is no challenge we can’t address.”- President Kagame said, during his working visit to the Republic of Guinea.
President Paul Kagame on April 18, joined Guinea-Conakry’s President of the Transition, Col Mamadi Doumbouya at the Prytanée Militaire of Guinea where they met with students from across the country’s 33 districts and 5 provinces training to be the next generation of leaders that will transform key sectors in Guinea. (Photo: Urugwiro Village)