By Faith Nyasuguta
The Central African Republic and Rwanda have penned a deal to reform CAR’s security and defense sectors.
The Thursday signing took place in Kigali during a state visit by the CAR head of state Faustin-Archange Touadéra and his delegation.
The president arrived in Rwanda on Thursday for a four-day state tour.
The two nations also signed deals that will see them cooperate in both mining and economic planning.
Rwanda Development Board, which is the nation’s investment promotion agency also held a meeting with CAR private sector members.
During his address to journalists, Rwandan president Paul Kagame noted that the penning of the agreements is set to reinforce bilateral ties.
“The signing of these agreements will serve to further cement our bilateral ties and deliver on the immense potential for the social-economic transformation of our nations,” he said, following a closed-door meeting with the touring president.
The fresh agreement comes days after Rwanda deployed some 700 troops to CAR following a request by the United Nations.
On the ranks, Rwanda is the third-largest peacekeeping contributor in CAR.
Currently, over 3,000 Rwandan troops have been sent to the CAR to serve under Minusca.
According to President Touadéra, his nation has been rebuilding its defense since 2013.
He thanked Rwanda for its continued support in bringing back tranquility in the nation both under Minusca and bilateral relations.
“During the events of 2013, our army was practically ruined. We have been committed since 2016 to the reconstruction of a professional and national army,” President Touadéra said.
