Rwanda, Central African Republic eye strong relations in politics, Business, Security and Culture
Central African Republic’s Foreign Affairs Minister Sylvie Baïpo Temon has said her country is ready to learn from Rwanda’s experience as one of the ways to overcome its current insecurity.
Sylvie Baïpo Temon’s visit to Rwanda follows a visit by Rwanda’s Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Vincent Biruta to the country on January 8, 2021 and a meeting with Central African President Faustin-Archange Touadéra.
It has also been six days since RwandAir launched its flights to Central Africa where it will fly twice a week.
The two foreign Affairs ministers held a joint press conference, which focused on the relationship and cooperation between Rwanda and Central Africa.
Rwanda has troops in Central African Republic on UN peacekeeping missions, Minusca, and other troops were sent late last year through cooperation agreements, and they have been tasked to maintain security during the presidential election of December 27, 2020 and the security of other existing Rwandan soldiers.
It is an election that ended with President Faustin-Archange Touadéra re-elected as CAR President.
Central African Republic Foreign Affairs Minister Sylvie Baïpo Temon, in a press conference, said her country was pleased with the role of the Rwandan Armed Forces in the election.
“In terms of security during the election and it was successful because as you said in the elections held on December 27, 2020, the people are making their choices [….] If you hear the news, the rebels have declared attacks aimed at disrupting us,the journey to democracy, the people are entitled to it. ”
“In that sense, it is possible Rwanda and its allies are working together to find security and to help the people live in peace in line with Minusca’s mission of peacekeeping.”
Minister Sylvie said that restoring security in the country is the key to achieving development and attracting investors, including Rwandans, who are starting to enjoy equal opportunities.
“We have taken steps to ensure security, we have done something today, we have investors who have arrived in Bangui, and Central Africa can show them where to invest today and we hope it will work out,” she said. At the President’s meetings, we decided to help investors to do their job, and we opened up a way to help them operate freely. “
She added that a center would be set up to collect all the information, with a view to ensuring that there is no delay in the implementation of various projects. She also said that her country is ready to help investors who have projects that benefit the people.
“If the project is good and beneficial to the people, Central Africa is ready to help investors as they go about their business,” she said.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Rwanda, Dr Vincent Biruta, said that Central Africa is a friendly country that has gone through difficult times to this day where it is not yet over which is why Rwanda has sent troops there.
“Today we are still working with the Central African Government to restore peace and security in the country so that the authorities can go there and work on other programs that are of national importance,” he said.
Dr Biruta went on to say that the history of Rwanda, which is made of part of the Genocide against the Tutsi, could be a great lesson for Central Africa, which has also been in turmoil for some time.
“The country is different because history is different, culture is different,” he said. “But at least some of the things we’ve been through have some similarities so that they can learn about reconciliation at home and leave behind this history of conflict and divisions, and then build a safer country.”
During her visit to Rwanda, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Central African Republic visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial, paid homage to the innocent lives killed during the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi.
