High-level delegations from Rwanda and Burundi met on Tuesday and agreed to start talks to end tensions between the neighboring countries, reported Anadolu Agency.
Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Vincent Biruta met Burundi’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation Ambassador Albert Shingiro at the Nemba-Gasenyi border point as part of efforts to resolve outstanding bilateral issues.
Fidele Munyeshyaka, Rwanda’s ambassador to Burundi, Shakilla umutoni, Director General of Africa at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Maj Gen Nzabamwita, the Secretary-General of the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) also accompanied Biruta for the meeting.
Lynder Nkuranga, Rwanda’s Assistant Commissioner of Police, and Richard Mutabazi, the head of External Intelligence and Bugesera District mayor were also part of Rwanda’s delegation.
Relations between the two countries have been at odds since 2015, when Burundi accused Rwanda of hosting and supporting perpetrators of the 2015 coup plot against then Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza.
The two foreign ministers stressed the need to revitalize the historical relations between the two countries.
“This meeting is part of a shared desire to assess the state of bilateral relations between the two neighboring countries and to agree on the modalities of their normalization,” the diplomats said in a joint statement.
The two diplomats said that their respective governments have agreed to continue with the ongoing dialogue and normalize relations.
“Burundi supports all efforts to normalize relations between the two countries. Restoring good neighborly relations between Burundi and Rwanda is a matter which does not require a mediator,” Shingiro said before the meeting.
He said his government is hopeful that the meetings between the two countries will improve the relations as soon as possible.
The meeting follows another meeting between the two country’s military intelligence chief, which was held in August in the Eastern Province during which they discussed security issues that have soured the two neighbors.
