South African President Cyril Ramaphosa arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo to participate this Thursday in the 12th session of the bi-national commission between the two countries. After a face-to-face meeting with his counterpart Félix Tshisekedi at the “Palais de la Nation”, the two heads of state are expected to attend the work of an economic forum.
While South Africa remains a strong partner for the DRC in terms of imports, exports, and investments, relations between the two presidents are cordial, but far from being as close as those which united their predecessors, Jacob Zuma and Joseph Kabila.
Cyril Ramaphosa and Félix Tshisekedi consistently engage in regular exchanges, exemplified by their participation in the recent Mining Indaba held in Cape Town earlier this year. Notably, approximately thirty bilateral agreements are already in place, solidifying the bond between their respective nations. South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor, however, suggests that there is potential to expand these efforts even further, emphasizing the need to capitalize on the opportunities presented by Zlecaf.
The discussions between the two Heads of State should go beyond the strictly economic framework and also concern the security situation in the east of the DRC, while South Africa is among the countries of the continent which provide the most troops to the Monusco.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC), of which Pretoria and Kinshasa are part, should also deploy troops, although it already participates in Monusco through the intervention brigade. All this while President Félix Tshisekedi expressed his dissatisfaction with the force of the Community of East African States (EAC) already deployed.