Tshisekedi moves to secure trade with EAC

PUBLISHED ON April 3rd, 2019

Tshisekedi moves to secure trade with EAC

The Democratic Republic of Congo has emerged as a crucial export destination for the East African Community, accounting for around six per cent of EAC total exports from the region.

President Felix Tshisekedi, who announced that his country’s economic recovery is paramount in his first term, has already visited Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda within the first three months of his presidency, as he moves to secure trade ties.

In his visit to Rwanda last week, he highlighted the need for security in the EAC and urged both Rwanda and Uganda not to escalate the political tensions that have affected free movement of people and goods.

“I will not go into the details of what we discussed with both President Yoweri Museveni and President Paul Kagame, but I have listened to both presidents and I don’t believe there will be an escalation of violence between them,” he said at the Africa CEO Forum in Kigali.

Violent past

President Kagame and President Tshisekedi also agreed to put behind them the violent past of their countries, and cooperate on ending armed violence perpetrated by armed rebel groups based in eastern DRC.

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