By PATRICK ILUNGA

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Kinshasa

President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) received a Rwandan delegation at State House on Tuesday for talks on bilateral cooperation.

They were Vincent Biruta, Joseph Nzabamwita, Donald Kaberuka and Vincent Karega, who are Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Secretary General of Intelligence Services, Senior Official to the African Union and Rwandan Ambassador posted to Kinshasa, respectively.

According to the presidential press in Kinshasa, the four carried a “special message” from Rwandan president Paul Kagame to Tshisekedi.

But the source of the presidency indicated that the delegation from Kigali did not comment on this “personal message”.

Vincent Biruta simply indicated that this message is linked to bilateral cooperation and to sub-regional and continental issues.

He said Rwanda and the DRC are “determined to work together in several areas, including political, economic and security.”

More meetings are planned in the coming days, Mr Biruta added.

The visit on January 19 comes a month after the publication of a report by UN group of experts on the DRC, which indicated the presence of the Rwandan Defense Force in Congo and their military operations in the country.

However, both DR Congo and Rwanda denied these allegations.

Kigali says the Rwandan army is not involved in any military operation in the DRC.

The DRC, under President Tshisekedi, wants to end the long-running disputes with Rwanda.

Relations that have been strained for years are gradually normalising. In November 2020, Tshisekedi sent emissaries to Kagame.