Articles
Egyptian-Rwandan relations: a strategic partnership and political ambition
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Prepared by: Asmaa Hassan
Assistant Researcher at the African Affairs Unit
Egyptian-Rwandan relations are one of the most prominent aspects of mutual political engagement on the African continent, and they also have special geopolitical importance; as Egypt is one of the two downstream countries, while Rwanda, located on the tropical plateau, is the second source of the Nile River. In recent decades, the two countries have made efforts to deepen their relations in various diplomatic, economic, and finally health fields. This strategic partnership between the two countries enhances mutual interests and common challenges The availability of political will to continuously develop and grow these relations reflects Cairo’s policies, which are directed towards strengthening its presence in the Great Lakes region and consolidating its geopolitical presence in East Africa. From the Rwandan perspective, Kigali is moving towards diversifying its African partnerships and achieving regional integration, which will bring it renaissance and stability at all levels.
The historical roots of Egyptian-Rwandan relations
Egypt and Rwanda have historical ties that extend back to the post-independence period in the 1960s. Egypt was one of the first countries to recognize Rwanda’s independence from the Belgian occupation in 1962. It opened its embassy in Kigali in 1967 and continued to operate and provide services during the civil war that broke out in 1994. It is the only country that did not close the doors of its embassy or withdraw its diplomatic mission throughout the war This is in addition to their common regional and international interests.
They have participated in their membership in several regional organizations and initiatives, including: COMESA, the NEPAD Initiative, the African Union, the Nile Basin Initiative, in addition to the East African Water Partnership, a free trade area between African countries. Egypt has also contributed to consolidating the foundations of security and stability within the Great Lakes, as Cairo hosted the Great Lakes Summit in November 1995, which resulted in the decision to achieve national reconciliation, end the civil war, and emphasize achieving stability The statement issued by the summit was the basis for reaching power-sharing agreements in Rwanda and Burundi and seriously moving to eliminate the causes of civil war.
The Egyptian-Rwandan Joint Committee was established in September 1989 as an institutional framework to enhance bilateral cooperation between the two countries. This came in the context of activating Egyptian economic and development diplomacy towards the countries of the African continent. The second session of the committee was held in Cairo during the period from September 7 to 10, 2009, headed by the foreign ministers of the two countries, in a step that reflected a common political will to expand areas of strategic cooperation. This round witnessed the signing of ten agreements and memoranda of understanding covering economic sectors Industrial development, agriculture, petroleum and mineral resources, education, health, youth, customs, culture, scientific research and technology. These agreements embodied a trend towards building a comprehensive, multidimensional partnership.[1]
Political and diplomatic relations
Relations between Egypt and Rwanda have witnessed remarkable development in recent years, embodied in the intensification of mutual visits and contacts, both at the presidential and official levels. This reflects the political will of both sides to strengthen the strategic partnership and expand cooperation in various fields:
President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi received his Rwandan counterpart at the Ittihadiya Palace, as part of his official visit to the Arab Republic of Egypt, as the visit comes within the framework of the two countries’ efforts to strengthen bilateral relations and open new horizons for cooperation in various fields of common interest.
Rwandan President Paul Kagame received a phone call on April 17 of this year from President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. The call discussed mechanisms for strengthening the bilateral strategic partnership between Egypt and Rwanda, with a focus on economic and development cooperation and activating joint projects with a regional dimension in various sectors.
President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi received Rwandan President Paul Kagame in Cairo on March 26, 2022. The meeting discussed regional developments of common interest, most notably the Renaissance Dam issue, and intensified coordination between the two countries on this issue. The Egyptian President stressed the need to reach a binding legal agreement on filling and operating the Renaissance Dam within an appropriate time frame The two presidents also witnessed the signing ceremony of a number of memorandums of understanding between the two brotherly countries in the fields of diplomatic training, youth, sports support, museums, information technology and postal services.
On August 15, 2017, the Egyptian President visited Rwanda, where he was received by President Paul Kogami. The meeting discussed bilateral relations between the two countries and ways to enhance cooperation in various fields. The Egyptian President also visited the memorial to the victims of the Rwandan genocide and inspected the museum attached to the memorial, which documents the massacres that took place in Rwanda in the 1990s.
On December 7, 2017, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi received the Rwandan President on the sidelines of the Africa Forum 2017. Paul Kagame expressed his deep appreciation for his participation in the forum, stressing that it represents a good opportunity to attract international investments to the African continent and maximize the benefit from the human and economic potential offered by the countries of the continent For his part, the Egyptian President stressed Egypt’s keenness to strengthen its distinguished relations with Rwanda and advance aspects of joint cooperation in various fields.
This is in addition to several presidential visits dating back to November 2009, which was the first presidential visit at the bilateral level, carried out by President Paul Kogami, as well as high-level visits between officials of the two countries.[2]
Economic relations
Rwanda constitutes a major trade link between East and Central African countries, and represents a model for emerging African economies that have achieved remarkable development in growth and development indicators, as it ranks seventh globally in terms of governance efficiency and the state’s ability to combat corruption and provide a more attractive investment environment for regional and international investors. Economic relations between Egypt and Rwanda have developed significantly in recent years Within the framework of Egypt’s policy of openness to East African countries and strengthening its presence on the continent, in order to restore its regional role.
During President Paul Kagame’s last visit to Cairo last September, several agreements were signed covering water resources, infrastructure, trade and investment protection as the two countries move to strengthen bilateral relations. The visit focused on enhancing cooperation between the two countries, especially in the fields of economy and development, and confronting challenges that hinder ways to achieve development.
According to a report issued by the Department of African States and Organizations and the COMESA Unit, there is a significant increase in the volume of trade exchange between Egypt and Rwanda, reaching about $32 million in 2018, compared to $16.093 million in 2017. According to the report, Egyptian exports to Rwanda increased to reach $32 million in 2018, compared to $16.093 million in 2017 While Rwandan imports from Egypt amounted to about $381,000 in 2018, compared to $126,000 in 2017, the trade balance recorded a surplus in favor of Egypt worth $22.6 million in 2018, compared to $16,008 million the previous year.
Commercial goods vary between the two countries, as Cairo exports petroleum products, textiles, leather, furniture, paint materials and preserved foods. Egyptian products are also popular in the Rwandan market, given that Rwanda is a member state of COMESA, which applies a 100% customs exemption, which has contributed to the flow of Egyptian goods into the Rwandan market, especially with the organization of trade fairs in Rwanda for products manufactured in Egypt, such as the “Egypt and the Middle East” fair Which represents a vital economic center for deepening investment partnerships between the two countries.[3]
Infrastructure cooperation:
Transportation and Communications
The transportation sector is one of the most important and prominent axes of cooperation between Egypt and Rwanda, especially since Rwanda is a landlocked country, constantly searching for various outlets to ensure its connection to the outside world. It also depends on the ports of neighboring countries for its foreign trade. On the other hand, Egypt aims to strengthen its ties with East African countries, within the framework of its policies that aim to open up to all African countries In this context, the two countries seek to enhance cooperation in the fields of sea, land and river transport. They have agreed to activate training programmes and build technical capacities, in addition to sending an Egyptian engineering mission to Rwanda to prepare a plan to develop and maintain roads and bridges. Work is also underway to operate a direct flight line between Kigali and Cairo, in addition to working on a project to connect Lake Victoria to the Mediterranean Sea.[4]
Irrigation and water resources management