President Paul Kagame on Thursday, August 28, 2025, bid farewell to his Mozambican counterpart Daniel Francisco Chapo at Kigali International Airport, marking the end of a two-day state visit that reaffirmed the growing partnership between Rwanda and Mozambique.
The visit, Chapo’s first to Rwanda since his election in October 2024, was described by Village Urugwiro as a demonstration of the two nations’ “shared commitment to further strengthen the existing fruitful bilateral collaboration for the benefit of the people of Rwanda and Mozambique.”
During his stay, President Chapo held private talks with President Kagame at Village Urugwiro, where the leaders oversaw the signing of renewed agreements on investment cooperation and counterterrorism.
The defence pact updates the Status of Forces Agreement, cementing Rwanda’s continued role in supporting Mozambique’s battle against insurgents in Cabo Delgado Province.
Since July 2021, Rwandan security forces have been deployed alongside Mozambican troops in the region, helping restore stability against the Ansar al-Sunnah insurgency.
In parallel, the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and Mozambique’s Investment and Export Promotion Agency renewed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at boosting trade and investment.
RDB CEO Jean-Guy Afrika said the agreement creates a joint working group to ensure commitments quickly translate into practical results, with agriculture, logistics, construction, and energy flagged as key areas of cooperation.
Speaking at a high-level roundtable with Rwandan business leaders, President Chapo urged the private sector to seize the opportunities created by peace in Mozambique. He highlighted the country’s vast fertile land, rich energy potential, and extensive coastal resources as sectors where Rwandan investors could thrive.
“Together, we can build complementary partnerships: Rwanda as a hub of innovation and services, and Mozambique as a hub of energy and natural resources,” he said.
Chapo also underscored the urgency of improving regional air connectivity, revealing that he had to transit through Addis Ababa before reaching Kigali.
“This is a challenge we face in connecting our countries by air travel. Yesterday, I shared with my brother President Kagame that we must establish direct flights between Maputo and Kigali without transiting elsewhere,” he remarked.
Currently, travelers between the two capitals must route through Nairobi, Addis Ababa, or Johannesburg.
The Mozambican leader stressed that establishing a direct air link would not only ease movement but also unlock stronger trade, tourism, and cultural exchanges. He framed it as a necessary step toward Africa’s broader ambition of integration and sustainable growth.
Beyond bilateral agreements, President Chapo’s itinerary reflected a deep engagement with Rwanda’s history and development journey.
He paid respects at the Kigali Genocide Memorial, where more than 250,000 victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi are laid to rest, describing Rwanda’s resilience as a lesson for the world.
He also toured the Kigali Special Economic Zone, drawing inspiration from Rwanda’s industrialization drive as a model for regional development.
In their joint discussions, Presidents Kagame and Chapo spoke of the strong foundation of friendship and cooperation that has guided relations since the two countries first established diplomatic ties in 1990, later strengthened with the creation of a Joint Cooperation Commission in 2018.
Kagame emphasized that the partnership goes beyond security to include trade, investment, and people-to-people exchanges. “I am confident that we are on the right path in strengthening our partnership, and I look forward to continuing to work with you,” Kagame said.
The visit ended with both leaders reaffirming their vision of a future where collaboration benefits their citizens and contributes to Africa’s broader transformation.
