President Paul Kagame has extended his congratulations to Denis Sassou Nguesso following the Congolese leader’s re-election to a fifth presidential term, reaffirming Rwanda’s commitment to a partnership that has been quietly deepening for over two decades.
“Rwanda is delighted by the quality of our bilateral relations and the continuation of close cooperation, in service of our shared priorities and the prosperity of our peoples,” Kagame said in a message posted on social media.
The congratulations come days after provisional results announced by Interior Minister Raymond Mboulou on March 17 showed Sassou Nguesso winning 94.82% of the vote in elections held on March 15. The victory extends Sassou Nguesso’s rule to nearly 42 years , making him one of Africa’s longest-serving heads of state.
His closest challenger, Mabio Mavoungou Zinga, a retired customs inspector, secured just 1.48% of the vote. The main opposition parties declined to field candidates, citing a lack of transparency, while two of the country’s best-known opposition figures have remained in jail for nearly a decade.
Kagame’s message, warm and personal in tone, reflects a relationship that has been carefully built through consistent diplomatic engagement. In April 2022, the two presidents presided over the signing of eight bilateral agreements covering agriculture, mining, skills training, culture, sport, and investment protection.
That visit was followed by a return trip the following year, when Sassou Nguesso travelled to Kigali, where he and Kagame committed to moving beyond the 33 cooperation agreements already signed and delivering tangible results for their citizens.
On that visit, Sassou Nguesso was awarded Rwanda’s National Order of Honor “Agaciro” medal for his leadership and dedication to a stable and prosperous Africa.
For Rwanda, the relationship with Brazzaville is about more than goodwill. The two countries have put in place direct flights between Kigali and Brazzaville, ratified a double taxation avoidance agreement, and signed a visa waiver agreement.
Congo Republic is Africa’s third-largest oil exporter, moving between 236,000 and 252,000 barrels per day , and sits at the heart of the Congo Basin rainforest one of Africa’s most consequential ecological and economic zones.
Deepening ties with Brazzaville gives Rwanda a strategic foothold in Central Africa at a time when Kigali is navigating complex regional dynamics, particularly around the ongoing crisis in eastern DRC.
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