ALGIERS — Algeria and Rwanda maintain strong historical relations founded on mutual respect, coordinated positions, solidarity and joint advocacy for African causes.
These relations have gained new momentum and upward trajectory in recent years, driven by the strong will and shared determination of both countries’ leaders, the President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, and his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, to further strengthen these ties.
This official visit by Rwanda’s President to Algeria, which began Tuesday at the invitation of President Tebboune, is part of this framework and serves as an opportunity to strengthen cooperation across all sectors while deepening political consultation on regional, continental and international issues of mutual interest.
Bilateral relations between the two countries continue to grow stronger, as demonstrated by the numerous meetings and visits exchanged between Algerian officials and their Rwandan counterparts, particularly following President Tebboune’s decision to open an Algerian embassy in Kigali in 2021.
As part of joint efforts to promote bilateral relations, the President of the Republic met his Rwandan counterpart last December in Nouakchott, Mauritania, on the sidelines of his participation in the Continental Conference on Education, Youth and Employability, having previously sent him a message of solidarity on the occasion of his country’s commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the genocide committed in 1994.
The Minister of State, Minister of Foreign Affairs, National Community Abroad and African Affairs, Ahmed Attaf, participated as President Tebboune’s personal representative in the commemorative ceremony of this painful period in Rwanda’s history, during which he held several meetings with Rwandan officials.
In October 2021, on the occasion of holding the 2nd AU-EU joint ministerial meeting in Rwanda, the President of the Republic sent a message to his Rwandan counterpart, who in turn expressed his will to strengthen consultation with Algeria.
Last August, the Speaker of the People’s National Assembly (Parliament’s lower house), Brahim Boughali, took part as President Tebboune’s representative in the investiture ceremony of the President of the Republic of Rwanda.
Also as part of boosting relations between the two countries, the Delegate Minister to the Minister of National Defense, Chief of Staff of the People’s National Army, General Saïd Chanegriha, conducted an official visit to Rwanda in February 2024.
This visit “mirrors the will of the two countries’ high authorities to breathe new dynamics into the military cooperation mechanism between the two Armies with a view to addressing the security challenges facing the African continent,” General Saïd Chanegriha said at the time.
For his part, the Chief of Staff of Defense of the Republic of Rwanda, General Mubarakh Muganga, carried out a working visit to Algeria last April, leading a high-level military delegation, during which he reviewed bilateral military cooperation opportunities with General Saïd Chanegriha, as well as ways to strengthen coordination on questions of common interest.
In this respect, the two parties discussed global security challenges, particularly in Africa.
Parliamentary relations between the two countries have also experienced a qualitative leap, marked by the establishment in March 2023 of the Algeria-Rwanda parliamentary friendship group, a new achievement for both countries and a framework for exchanging ideas, proposals and expertise.
The two countries also share convergent points of view on continental, regional and international questions, as demonstrated by their common stances, notably regarding the defense of just causes worldwide and support for the right of peoples to self-determination.
