End of the visit of President Tshisekedi received with pomp in Burundi

The President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Félix Tshisekedi, (L) greeted by Brundi's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation, Albert Nshingiro (R) at Bujumbura International Airport, May 21, 2022. AFP - TCHANDROU NITANGA

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Third and last day, this Monday, May 23, of the official visit of the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Félix Tshisekedi, to Burundi.

The stay took place between the economic capital of Burundi, Bujumbura, in the west, and the political capital Gitega, in the center of the country.

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As a sign of the importance that Burundi attaches to this trip, after a last whirlwind visit dating back three years, the Burundian authorities did not skimp: crowds at the airport, 21 cannon shots and a large banquet in the honor of the Congolese host.

Welcomed with enthusiasm by a strong delegation of the Congolese community of Burundi, the presidential couple of the DRC then went to the Burundian presidential palace where the two heads of state had a head-to-head of nearly 2 hours.

pic.twitter.com/K2wH3vMPiB

- DRC Presidency 🇨🇩 (@Presidence_RDC) May 21, 2022

Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye pulled out all the stops to welcome his Congolese guest, but it wasn't all pomp.

Many topics of common interest were discussed during several one-to-one meetings between the two heads of state.

The two parties have so far remained very discreet about what has been said in terms of security, while clashes between the Burundian rebel group RED-Tabara and more than a thousand Burundian soldiers, launched at their pursuit, have been reported for months in eastern DRC.

President #Ndayishimiye called for a consolidation of friendship and good neighborly relations.

He praised President Tshisekedi's efforts to safeguard peace, in particular the dialogue initiated with armed groups to establish peace throughout the #DRC.

pic.twitter.com/UyNQH6O8Ll

— Ntare Rushatsi House (@NtareHouse) May 23, 2022

According to the declarations of Tina Salama, deputy spokesperson for Felix Tshisekedi, on a Congolese radio, the two personalities insisted on the fact that "

 " and that " 

 " between them on this subject, but nothing has transpired on the secret military agreement that would bind the two countries.

Another subject at the heart of the discussions, that of the national construction of a railway which should link the town of Kindu to the port of Dar es Salaam, via Burundi, and which should make it possible to open up South Kivu and Maniema, in eastern DRC.

" 

 ," said Felix Tshisekedi, upon his arrival in Burundi.

Read also: Agreements and understanding between the DRC and Burundi

Finally, the Congolese president notably visited civilian and military agricultural cooperatives, a model he said he was ready to “ 

 ” in his country.

Committed to the development of the strategic agri-food sector in their countries, the Heads of State of #Burundi and the #DRC visited the Regional Institute for Agronomic & Zootechnical Research, IRAZ.

They also exchanged with members of agricultural cooperatives pic.twitter.com/bcta1o6fhf

— Ntare Rushatsi House (@NtareHouse) May 22, 2022

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• ground floor

• Burundi

• Felix Tshisekedi

• Evariste Ndayishimiye