President Paul Kagame on Thursday bid farewell to President Romuald Wadagni of Benin, bringing to a close the Beninese leader’s first official visit to Rwanda since taking office in May 2026.
Wadagni arrived in Kigali on Wednesday, September 16, for a two-day official visit focused on strengthening relations between Rwanda and Benin and identifying new areas of cooperation between the two countries.
He was received by President Kagame at Urugwiro Village, where the two leaders held private talks before directing their respective delegations to further advance bilateral cooperation.
The discussions placed emphasis on strengthening existing partnerships while exploring additional areas where Rwanda and Benin can work together to translate shared priorities into concrete programmes and tangible results.
The two countries already cooperate in areas including trade and investment, agriculture, technology and digitalisation, urban development, government services and security.
Their relations have expanded significantly in recent years, with President Kagame’s 2023 visit to Benin resulting in the signing of 10 cooperation instruments, including agreements covering taxation and air services.
During his stay in Kigali, President Wadagni also visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial, where he paid tribute to victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. He laid a wreath at the memorial’s mass graves and honoured the more than 250,000 victims buried at the site.
The visit also provided an opportunity for the two presidents to experience Kigali beyond formal diplomatic engagements.
On Wednesday evening, Kagame and Wadagni joined a walk along the Nyarutarama Green Carpet, one of Kigali’s designated green corridors that provide residents with safe spaces for walking, running and other outdoor activities.
Wadagni’s visit comes only a few months after he assumed the presidency of Benin, succeeding Patrice Talon. However, his engagement with Rwanda predates his presidency.
In 2023, while serving as Benin’s Minister of Economy and Finance, Wadagni visited Kigali as a special envoy of Talon and delivered a message from the then-Beninese president to Kagame.
His latest visit therefore marked an important continuation of the relationship, this time at the level of two heads of state.
The conclusion of the visit underscores the intention of both countries to build on their existing partnership while pursuing new opportunities for cooperation.
Officials from Rwanda and Benin are expected to continue discussions aimed at turning agreements and shared priorities into practical initiatives that can deliver benefits to their respective populations.
As President Wadagni departed Kigali, the visit left the Rwanda-Benin relationship positioned for further engagement in trade, investment, technology, agriculture, transport, tourism, governance and other areas of mutual interest.
