The visit followed ministerial-level discussions held on Tuesday, led by Rwanda’s Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in charge of Cooperation and Regional Integration, Gen. (Rtd) James Kabarebe, alongside Mozambique’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Amb. Maria Manuela dos Santos Lucas. The talks focused on reviewing the ongoing cooperation between the two countries and identifying new avenues to further strengthen bilateral relations.

The visit underscores the commitment of Rwanda and Mozambique to deepen ties across various sectors, particularly in regional security cooperation. This collaboration began in July 2021 when Mozambique requested Rwanda’s assistance in countering the Ansar al-Sunna (Ahlu Sunna Wal Jammah) terrorist group, which had controlled large parts of Cabo Delgado province for four years.

Rwanda deployed over 1,000 troops, quickly clearing the group from their strongholds. Following the stabilization of the area, some 800,000 displaced people began returning home, and development activities resumed.

Rwanda and Mozambique continue to cooperate in eliminating remaining pockets of terrorism and maintaining long-term peace. The importance of this partnership was highlighted by Mozambique’s Minister of Defense, Maj. Gen. Cristóvão Artur Chume, who led a three-day military delegation to Kigali and visited key Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) bases.

President Chapo’s visit also aims to expand cooperation in trade and investment, as well as to finalize new bilateral agreements across multiple sectors, building on the strong foundation of security and regional stability achieved by both countries.