Ministers from Rwanda are expected to meet with their Congolese and Burundian counterparts separately to discuss diplomatic tensions between their countries which have threatened the security of the East African Community (EAC).
This was agreed on Monday, July 8, in Zanzibar, Tanzania, where ministers from the EAC met for a three-day retreat to discuss regional peace and security issues.
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The meeting was attended by Rwanda's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Olivier Nduhungirehe, Minister of State in charge of Regional Cooperation James Kabarebe, DR Congo's Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Gracia Yamba Kazadi and Burundi's Minister of Foreign Affairs Albert Shingiro, as well as their EAC counterparts.
"The ministers of the republic of Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo agreed to meet at the earliest in the framework of the Luanda process," according to the final statement from the meeting that was concluded on Monday.
It was not clarified when and where the meeting would take place.
The meeting also resolved that the ministers of Rwanda and Burundi will meet by October 31, 2024 to "discuss outstanding issues affecting their bilateral relations."
ALSO READ: Ministers Nduhungirehe, Kabarebe attend EAC retreat on regional security
Since mid-2022, Rwanda's relations with DR Congo have been affected by the war between the Congolese army and the M23 rebels. The Congolese government accuses Rwanda of supporting the rebels, allegations Rwanda dismisses.
The Rwandan government also accuses the Congolese army of collaborating with the FDLR, a UN-sanctioned militia linked to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, which threatens Rwanda's security.
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"The ministers took note of the state of interstate relations and the adverse impact on the integration agenda and encouraged the partner states to use existing frameworks provided for in the treaty for the establishment of the East African Community to address interstate disputes," the statement said.
It is not for the first time Rwandan leaders will be meeting with their Congolese counterparts over the diplomatic tensions. Presidential and ministerial delegations have previously met through the African Union-backed Luanda Process, which is mediated by Angola.
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However, it will be the first time that the Rwandan leaders meet with Burundians over the diplomatic tensions that surfaced after Burundi accused Rwanda of being behind a December 2023 terrorist attack that was claimed by RED-Tabara, a Burundian armed group based in eastern DR Congo.
Burundi unilaterally closed its border with Rwanda, although the Rwandan government had denied any links with the Burundian armed group.
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The bilateral relations further deteriorated after Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye echoed regime change intentions by DR Congo's Felix Tshisekedi, who has threatened to attack Rwanda.
Burundi has since sent troops to fight alongside the Congolese government coalition, which includes the FDLR, a fact that further affected the diplomatic tensions.
The Burundian Foreign Minister described the Zanzibar meeting as a "diplomatic window" and a "powerful tool" to solve the tensions between states.
