DRC-Rwanda: Tshisekedi and Kagame to regulate illegal exploitation in gold sector and establish peace
The two-day exchanges between Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame resulted in the signing of three bilateral trade agreements. According to the presidency of the Democratic Republic of Congo, one of the agreements concerns traceability in the exploitation of gold.
With this in mind, the Congolese presidency, in a press release, announced that Sakima SA (Société aurifère du Kivu et du Maniema) and the Rwandan company Dither Ltd have signed a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in order to deprive armed groups of income from illicit gold mining.
Speaking to Agence France Presse (AFP), President Tshisekedi’s communication unit declared: “that there will be complementarity between the two companies which will therefore control the value chain from the extraction by the company. Congolese Sakima and refining by the Rwandan firm Dither SA ”. “Armed groups that derive income to finance the war with gold will no longer be able to afford to mine or resell to buyers in international markets. “
In the same vein, indicates the Congolese presidency, the second agreement concerns a convention in order to “avoid double taxation and prevent tax evasion in matters of taxes and income”, and the last concerns “the promotion and protection investments “.
Relations between the DRC and Rwanda have not been in good shape for 25 years. With a view to imposing peace, the agreements signed between the two presidents aim to establish constructive diplomatic relations and to turn the page on the tensions between the two countries which have lasted since 1996, the start of the first Congo war.
In this sense, according to Félix Tshisekedi “we have wasted so many years watching without acting. We are only at the beginning, we will continue to expand our actions ”. It was during a press conference alongside his Rwandan counterpart.
“Rwanda is committed to making efforts, in collaboration with the DRC, while respecting its sovereignty,” said President Kagame of his country’s commitment to restore peace, mainly in the province. Congolese from North Kivu.
Félix Tshisekedi and Paul Kagame maintain good relations. In front of the local and international press at the Serena Hotel in Goma Paul Kagame presented his compassion to the Congolese people for the victims of the recent eruption of the Nyiragongo volcano and the earthquakes that followed. He estimated that the state of siege established for almost two months by his counterpart will be able to resolve the problems of insecurity and instability which persist in eastern DRC and which have prevented economic development for years.
He assured that Rwanda is ready to provide the DRC with assistance of any kind within the limits of its means. Paul Kagame refused to reveal the nature of the media assistance, but he promised to work with Félix Tshisekedi to bring mutual solutions between the two countries and encourage people to live together.
Finally, Paul Kagame urged the citizens of both countries to forget what affected them in the past and focus on what is good to move forward on a new basis.
