President Félix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo received his Burundian counterpart, Évariste Ndayishimiye, as the two leaders presided over the signing of new agreements between their countries in the area of agriculture.
This visit took place on Sunday, November 16, 2025, when President Félix Tshisekedi welcomed Ndayishimiye to his office following the 9th Summit of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR).
According to the Office of the President of the DRC, the two Heads of State “first held bilateral talks for about half an hour,” which was followed by broader discussions on cooperation.
The DRC Presidency says, “Through these discussions, the two Heads of State exchanged views on bilateral and regional issues.”
The Office of the President also states that “both sides agreed to enhance cooperation in the field of agriculture.”
Furthermore, the two Presidents presided over the signing of agricultural cooperation agreements, signed by some members of both countries’ governments responsible for this sector.
The agreements include areas such as agricultural research, training programs and exchange of experts, prevention and management of crop diseases, and the development of agro-processing industries.
Besides agriculture, the Heads of State also discussed joint projects, including cross-border trade between the two countries.
These agricultural agreements come two years after the Heads of State signed other cooperation agreements in the military sector, which were signed in 2023.
Those agreements led to Burundi deploying troops to the Democratic Republic of Congo to support FARDC in the fight against the AFC/M23 coalition made up of Congolese fighters advocating for their rights, especially Congolese Kinyarwanda-speaking Tutsis who have long been denied their rights.
Reports indicate that Burundi currently has more than ten thousand soldiers in the DRC, mainly in North Kivu Province. They are also reported to be working alongside FARDC and other groups such as FDLR and Wazalendo, and are accused of continuing abuses against Congolese Kinyarwanda-speakers, particularly members of the Banyamulenge community who are currently under heavy threat.
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