On Tuesday, April 15, President Paul Kagame received and held discussions with the Chief of Staff of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces, Field Marshal Birhanu Jula.
The military official and his delegation are in Rwanda for a three-day official visit.
The Office of the President shared on X (formerly Twitter) that:
“President Kagame also met with the Chief of Staff of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF), Field Marshal Birhanu Jula, and his delegation who are in Rwanda on an official visit.”
This visit follows that of Senegal’s Foreign Minister, Yassine Fall, who delivered a message to President Kagame from Senegal’s President, Bassirou Diomaye Faye.
Neither the presidency of Rwanda nor the Ethiopian delegation disclosed the content of their discussions with President Kagame.
Field Marshal Birhanu Jula arrived in Rwanda on Sunday, April 13, and is expected to conclude his visit on Wednesday, April 16.
His visit to Kigali comes after the Chief of Staff of the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF), General Mubarakh Muganga, visited Addis Ababa last month.
On Monday, April 14, the military chiefs of both countries held bilateral talks. Field Marshal Birhanu Jula also met with Rwanda’s Minister of Defence, Juvenal Marizamunda.
The RDF stated that the visit by the ENDF Chief of Staff represents “a significant opportunity to strengthen the longstanding cooperation” between the RDF and the Ethiopian military.
The RDF also noted that the discussions between Field Marshal Jula and Rwanda’s senior military officials focused on exploring new areas of military cooperation and other related sectors.
The visit further underscores the commitment of both Rwanda and Ethiopia to deepen their collaboration and promote peace and security in the region.
