11 Aug 2024

His Excellency President Dr Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi’s attendance alongside other international and regional guests in Kigali, Rwanda yesterday during the inauguration of Rwanda President, Mr Paul Kagame for a new term as the leader of the East African state, shows how relations between the two states continue to flourish.

Botswana’s High Commissioner to Kenya, Ambassador Andrew Sesinyi, stated in an interview that Botswana, Africa’s oldest continuous multiparty democracy, and Rwanda, widely acknowledged as a post-conflict development success story, have much to benefit from their symbiotic relationship.

Speaking ahead of the inauguration where over 20 African heads of state and government converged at the Amahoro National Stadium in Kigali, Ambassador Sesinyi said President Masisi’s attendance was symbolic of the relationship between the two states.

“This is part the continued bond of friendship between Botswana and Rwanda. We have much to compare and learn from each other. For example, Botswana has succeeded in governance issues, building a peaceful democratic state since independence. Rwanda has recently reduced their single electoral cycle presidential term from seven years to five, something we have been doing all along. We cannot say it was directly because of our influence, but we continue to gently share our values with our regional friends,” Ambassador Sesinyi said.

He added that like other nation states across the world, Botswana and Rwanda conducted their business differently in some areas and were better placed to improve each other if they allowed mutually beneficial cooperation to flourish.

“When we establish and strengthen ties with other countries, it is not just because of our similarity, or potential economic or trade benefit. But we also share our values of governance and democracy, and to influence each other positively towards a multilateral world and economic progress. There are areas we feel we could learn from Rwanda, they are known for their clean environment, rapid development, agricultural production, tourism marketing among other fields,” Ambassador Sesinyi said.

He stressed that President Masisi’s presence would further fortify ties between the two countries, two decades after Botswana and Rwanda first established diplomatic relations in September 2004, with bilateral relations becoming more pronounced through a Joint Permanent Commission on Cooperation in 2022.

Ambassador Sesinyi said Botswana currently had 16 citizens, mostly students, who resided in Rwanda, including those in post-graduate studies, with others in business or gainful employment, among them former Botswana Stock Exchange head Mr Thapelo Tsheole, who was recently appointed the Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Capital Markets Authority. Ends