The President of South Sudan and the Head of the East African Community (EAC), Salva Kiir Mayardit, arrived in Rwanda for a one-day working visit.
Upon his arrival at Kigali International Airport in Kanombe on Thursday, February 22, Salva Kiir was welcomed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Rwanda, Dr. Vincent Biruta.
The South Sudan presidency announced that during this brief visit, he is scheduled to engage in discussions with his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, regarding the security challenges in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and potential solutions. Lily Adhieu Martin, the Spokesperson of the South Sudan Presidency, disclosed that as the Head of the East African Community, Salva Kiir’s itinerary includes visits to other countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi, where he will meet with key figures.
According to reports from Eyeradio.org, following the 37th regular African Union meeting in Ethiopia, Salva Kiir’s visits to these EAC countries aim to address the conflict in the eastern DRC through diplomacy and collaboration among regional nations.
Salva Kiir’s visit is intended to ease tensions between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, particularly in light of Rwanda’s denial of supporting the M23 group and allegations of the DRC collaborating with the FDLR group, linked to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
The visit seeks to dispel misunderstandings through ongoing dialogues and diplomatic efforts, despite the lack of significant progress from previous initiatives like the Luanda and Nairobi talks.