Kagame receives Senegal’s foreign minister for talks on bilateral ties

Rwandan President Paul Kagame has met Senegal’s Foreign Minister, Cheikh Niang, to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation between the two countries.

The meeting took place at Village Urugwiro on Thursday, 8 October 2026, a day after officials from the two countries held talks in Kigali.

According to the Office of the President, the discussions focused on strengthening bilateral relations between Rwanda and Senegal.

The meeting followed the inaugural session of the Joint Permanent Commission on Cooperation between the two countries, held in Kigali on Wednesday.

During the session, Niang and Rwanda’s Foreign Minister, Olivier Nduhungirehe, signed 11 cooperation agreements covering areas including development, trade and bilateral relations.

The session coincided with the Rwanda-Senegal Investment Forum, which brought together business leaders and investors from both countries.

At the forum, the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and Senegal’s Agency for the Promotion of Investments and Major Projects (APIX) signed a memorandum of understanding to promote cooperation between the two institutions.

The agreement provides a framework for identifying investment opportunities and connecting businesses and investors in both countries.

The latest engagements build on efforts by Rwanda and Senegal to expand their political and economic cooperation.

In October 2025, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye visited Rwanda for three days. During the visit, he and Kagame witnessed the signing of several agreements aimed at strengthening bilateral ties.

The agreements included visa exemptions for holders of diplomatic, service and ordinary passports, as well as cooperation protocols covering agriculture and livestock, health, and the development of strategic programmes.

The two countries also signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in correctional and penitentiary services.