Rwandan President Paul Kagame on Monday held separate bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Mauritania and Côte d’Ivoire, reinforcing strategic ties on the margins of the Africa CEO Forum underway in Abidjan.
Kagame met with Mauritania’s President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani and Côte d’Ivoire’s President Alassane Ouattara for discussions aimed at deepening cooperation across a range of sectors. According to the Rwandan presidency, the talks focused on strengthening partnerships that are mutually beneficial and aligned with national development priorities.
The high-level engagements coincided with the opening day of the Africa CEO Forum, an annual summit bringing together more than 2,000 leaders from business, finance, and government across the continent and beyond. This year’s theme, “Africa in a Transactional World: Can a New Deal between State and Private Sector Deliver the Continent a Winning Hand?”, reflects growing momentum toward closer collaboration between African states and the private sector.
Rwanda’s relationship with Mauritania has grown in recent years, anchored by a 2022 bilateral cooperation agreement covering key areas such as defence and security, digital transformation, mining, agriculture, aviation, and investment facilitation. Kagame and Ghazouani reviewed the progress of these initiatives and explored ways to expand the partnership.
Meanwhile, the Rwandan leader’s meeting with President Ouattara underscored the longstanding cooperation between Kigali and Abidjan. The two countries continue to collaborate in peacebuilding, knowledge exchange, and institutional capacity development. Their dialogue in Abidjan emphasized the importance of translating these shared efforts into broader regional impact.
As Africa navigates shifting global dynamics, the meetings reflected Kagame’s ongoing diplomatic strategy to position Rwanda as a key player in fostering intra-African collaboration and innovation-driven growth.
The Africa CEO Forum runs through the week and is expected to feature high-level panels, investment discussions, and policy dialogues shaping the future of African economies.