Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu is scheduled for a two-day state visit to Rwanda from August 2, 2021.
President Suluhu’s visit follows recent high-level meetings between top officials from the two countries.
In a recent meeting July 16, Rwanda’s Minister of ICT, Paula Ingabire, met her Tanzanian counterpart, Faustine Ndugulile, to review submarine cable infrastructures in Tanzania that support communication services to Rwanda.
Tanzania’s Minister of Defence Elias Kwandikwa recently received Rwanda’s Ambassador to Tanzania, Major General Charles Karamba in Dodoma, to discuss issues of mutual interest.
Top on the agenda being the security situation in Mozambique, as Rwanda has deployed 1000 soldiers and policemen to fight insurgents in the country’s Cabo Delgado region.
Tanzania signed in November 2020, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Mozambique –
to jointly battle insurgents in Mozambique’s gas-rich Cabo Delgado Province.
Three weeks ago, Rwanda deployed troops to Mozambique for combat and security operations.
Initial reports indicated that the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) bloc expressed concerns over a non-member deploying soldiers to the region without its approval.
Suluhu’s visit affords Rwanda an opportunity to woo one of SADC’s core members (Tanzania) to its side on matters related to the instability in Mozambique.
High on the agenda for talks between Suluhu and Kagame will also be the 532km Isaka-Kigali standard gauge railway line, which has experienced delayed construction due to lack of funds.
The railway links Rwanda to Tanzania and DRC and is expected to cost $2.5 billion, with Tanzania paying $1.3 billion and Rwanda $1.2billion.
Rwanda and Tanzania have enjoyed cordial ties since 2015. Before that, both countries had a tumultuous past, at the height of which Rwanda accused Tanzanian officials of supporting rebels, while Tanzania also expelled thousands of Rwandan settlers in 2013.
They have been largely on the same page since 2015.
The most recent notable point of contention came in mid-2020 over disagreements on how to control border crossings during the coronavirus pandemic.
With her visit to Rwanda, she will have visited all members of the East African Community, except South Sudan within the first four months of her presidency.
