According to CIPRA, João Lourenço was one of the notable attendees at Kagame's inauguration ceremony as President of the Republic of Rwanda for a new term, after winning the elections held about a month ago, on 15 July.
"In addition to the thousands of Rwandans who went to the stadium where the inauguration ceremony took place, Kigali welcomed prominent figures from African politics to the event, particularly the Presidents of Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Guinea Bissau, Congo, Ghana, Togo, Madagascar, Sudan, South Sudan, Kenya, Guinea-Bissau and the King of Etswatini", reads the CIPRA note, to which VerAngola had access.
The investiture ceremony, "in addition to the ritual and protocol specific to this type of ceremony, which highlights the oath of the inductee to the homeland and the commitment to respect and ensure respect for the country's constitution", was also marked by the "exuberant display of the essential values of Rwandan culture in areas such as music and dance".
In addition, Paul Kagame, at one point in his speech – which "focused on the need for everyone to continue working for the country's progress, highlighting the value of principles such as the unity of society" – highlighted the role of João Lourenço in bringing peace to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
"In a notable moment of his speech, Paul Kagame praised the magnificent reconciliation work done by the President of the Republic of Angola, João Lourenço, which led to the ceasefire agreement in the DRC", the note reads.
Before this public recognition, the two Presidents held a meeting in which the ceasefire in the DRC was one of the topics discussed.
According to CIPRA, João Lourenço met with his Rwandan counterpart shortly after landing in Kigali.
"A number of topics were discussed, from bilateral cooperation to current African affairs, with a particular focus on the dominant issue in the relationship between Rwanda and the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, the ceasefire in the conflict in eastern Congo," a CIPRA statement said.
It should be noted that João Lourenço visited Kigali a week after the ceasefire agreement between Rwanda and the DRC came into effect, which was "negotiated in Luanda under Angolan mediation".
After his short working day in Rwanda, the head of state is now in the country, where he returned early Sunday evening.
