Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is in Rwanda for a State visit aimed at strengthening ties between the two countries.

The aeroplane carrying President al-Sisi touched down in Kigali a few minutes after 11am. He was received by his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame before inspecting a guard of honour mounted for him.

He then visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial where he paid tribute to the victims of the 1994 massacre.

The Egyptian leader began a four-African country tour on Monday with the first stop being Tanzania.

He will also visit Chad and Gabon, the Egyptian Ambassador to Rwanda, Namira Negm, said.

“The visit comes within the framework of President al-Sisi's tours to develop, strengthen and support the Egyptian-African relationship, and clarify Egypt's situation on the outstanding issues,” Mr Negm said.

Top among the issues is the Nile Basin where there is contention over the North African country's historic share of the Nile waters.

President al-Sisi and his host Mr Kagame are expected to issue a joint statement after holding bilateral talks.

Nile waters

Mr Sisi’s visit comes ahead of plans to set up the Nile Basin Commission to enforce demands of equitable utilisation of the Nile waters.

Rwanda, Ethiopia and Tanzania are the latest countries ratify the Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA) that establishes the commission.

Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Kenya, and Burundi have signed the pact but are yet to ratify.

Egypt and Sudan are opposed to the agreement but simmering political tensions between the two countries have weakened their stand.

Cairo wants an agreement signed in 1929 to remain in place. In the pact, the British colonial government gave Egypt the lion’s share of the Nile waters.

Trade ties

Rwanda and Egypt have in recent years been strengthening ties, especially in areas of trade, defence, justice, health and technological advancement.