On Monday, March 17, Ambassador Olivier Rugina Kayumba presented his Letters of Credence to President Faustin-Archange Touadéra of the Central African Republic (CAR), officially assuming his role as Rwanda’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to CAR, with residence in Bangui.
Ambassador Rugina is the first Rwandan Ambassador to the Central African Republic.
Rwanda and the Central African Republic have maintained strong bilateral relations for many years, particularly in defense cooperation.
Rwandan troops were first deployed to CAR in January 2014, and Rwanda now has more than 2,000 soldiers serving under the UN peacekeeping mission.
These troops play a crucial role in protecting civilians, high-ranking officials—including President Touadéra—UN personnel and equipment, as well as strategic national facilities such as M’Poko International Airport.
In addition to its UN peacekeeping presence, Rwanda has deployed more than 1,000 soldiers to CAR under a bilateral agreement.
Relations between the two countries are further reinforced by several memoranda of understanding (MoUs) that have already been signed.
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In 2019, Rwanda and CAR signed bilateral agreements in the investment and security sectors, with Rwanda subsequently ratifying them.
Once these agreements are fully operationalized, they are expected to enhance interactions between the two nations and boost economic cooperation.
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