Rwanda & Mozambique
Mozambique and Rwanda deepen cooperation

afrol News, 28 October - Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano today ended a three-day State Visit to Rwanda. The two countries agreed on deepened cooperation and to promote each other. Rwanda is to promote a Mozambican candidacy to head the WHO and Mozambique is to work for Rwandan membership in the influential Southern African Development Community (SADC). 

President Chissano had visited Rwanda, primarily to learn from the country's experiences in reconstruction and reconciliation after the 1994 genocide, which killed close to one million Rwandans. Rwanda has since that embarked on a controlled democratisation process and has experienced substantial economic growth - not unlike Mozambique after the end of the civil war ten years ago. 

The Mozambican President therefore was received as a Guest of Honour at the Rwandan National Summit on Unity and Reconciliation. Here, Mr Chissano commended Rwanda's achievements, saying "the Mozambican people admire the people of Rwanda for their success as they strive to foster national unity and reconciliation."

The important results of the visit of President Chissano and his large following were however produced in meetings with Rwanda's President Paul Kagame. In a joint communiqué, the two leaders "committed themselves to fostering closer cooperation in the fields of politics, diplomacy, culture, economics, science, technology, tourism, agriculture and investment." A new General Cooperation Agreement between Rwanda and Mozambique would be "concluded in the near future." 

President Kagame confirmed that Rwanda was "keen to join the SADC family of nations." Rwanda's eastern and western neighbours (Tanzania and Congo Kinshasa) are both SADC members, as are all the parties to the Congolese war opposing Rwanda (Angola, Namibia and Zimbabwe). The political and economic cooperation within SADC has been intensified significantly over the last years. 

According to Rwandan government sources, President Chissano had "assured President Kagame that his government would support Rwanda's application to join SADC" during a meeting between the two presidents in Kigali yesterday.

The two leaders also endorsed the Mozambican government efforts to have its Prime Minister, Dr. Pascoal Mocumbi, assigned to the post of Director General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), which soon will be vacated. President Kagame had taken note of this submission and "assured President Chissano of Rwanda's full support." 

The two Heads of State also had long discussions surrounding the security situation in the Great Lakes region. President Chissano had "expressed appreciation to the government of Rwanda" for withdrawing its troops from Congo Kinshasa (DRC). The two leaders, however, "expressed concern with recent developments in the East of the DRC and called upon the other parties to respect their engagements." 

Kinshasa-supported rebels are currently on an offensive, pushing back Rwandan-backed rebels. The joint statement therefore indirectly means a Mozambican critique of the Kinshasa government.

According to the official protocol and the joint communiqué, the most upheated current issue in the Great Lakes conflict was not discussed; the alleged illegal resource exploitation in the Congo by Rwandan and other troops, documented by a UN expert panel but rejected by Rwanda. This omission however might reflect a difference in opinion between the two Heads of State.

Sources: Based on Rwandan Presidency and afrol archives

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