Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye during an official visit to Kinshasa, reaffirmed his country’s support for regional and international efforts to restore lasting peace in eastern Congo.
Bujumbur’s position followed a meeting with Ndayishimiye and his Congolese counterpart, Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo.
The two leaders first held a private meeting in Kinshasa before expanding their talks to include
their respective delegations.
The talks focused on the security, political, and economic challenges facing the Great Lakes region, with particular emphasis on the persistent insecurity in eastern DRC.
During this meeting, President Ndayishimiye reaffirmed Burundi’s commitment to peace initiatives aimed at ending the violence perpetrated by armed groups active in the provinces of North Kivu,
South Kivu, and Ituri.
This statement comes as several diplomatic and security mechanisms are being mobilised to try to resolve the crisis. These include the Luanda and Nairobi processes, backed respectively by the African Union and the East African Community (EAC), as well as mediation efforts led by the African Union and international partners. More recently, the United States and Qatar have also intensified their diplomatic efforts to promote a negotiated settlement of the conflict and encourage de-escalation between the DRC and Rwanda, which Kinshasa regularly accuses of supporting the M23 rebellion.
Burundi remains an important player in regional security. In recent years, Burundian contingents have been deployed to eastern Congo under bilateral security cooperation agreements aimed at combating armed groups operating on both sides of the border.
Beyond security issues, the two leaders discussed strengthening bilateral relations through the reactivation of the Joint High Commission for Cooperation.
This commission is expected to deepen partnerships in strategic sectors such as security, trade,
infrastructure, energy, health, and education.
Reaffirming the excellent relations between Bujumbura and Kinshasa, Presidents Ndayishimiye and Tshisekedi expressed their shared commitment to continuing their efforts to promote peace, stability, and regional integration for the benefit of the people of both countries and the entire Great Lakes region.
Following the official talks, the Congolese presidential couple hosted a state dinner in honour of the Burundian presidential couple on the banks of the Congo River. In a warm and fraternal atmosphere, guests celebrated the historical ties between the two nations to the rhythm of Congolese rumba, an emblem of the DRC’s rich cultural heritage.
The gala evening provided an opportunity for diplomatic rapprochement, illustrating the desire of both heads of state to further strengthen the bonds of friendship, cooperation, and solidarity between Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo, within a regional context marked by the search for lasting solutions to the security crises.
TE/Sf/fss/as/APA