DR Congo’s President Tshisekedi Heads to Uganda for Strategic Summit with Museveni

This Wednesday, the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Félix Antoine Tshisekedi, is scheduled to meet with Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni in Entebbe for a high-stakes summit focused on security and the fight against rebel groups active in eastern DRC.

The meeting, taking place at Entebbe International Airport, marks a significant step in strengthening bilateral relations, with a primary focus on joint security initiatives.

Upon arrival, President Tshisekedi will be greeted with a formal welcome led by Uganda’s Defense Minister Jacob Oboth-Oboth, before proceeding to a strategic one-on-one discussion with President Museveni at the Entebbe presidential residence.

Central to their agenda will be the joint “Shujaa” military operations targeting the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an armed group operating in eastern DRC with ties to international terror networks.

These operations, launched by the DRC Armed Forces (FARDC) and the Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF), symbolize an ongoing, active military collaboration between the two countries.

Earlier this month, a strategic review of Operation Shujaa was held in Kinshasa from October 10 to 11, led by Lieutenant General Kayanja Muhanga for Uganda and attended by DRC Chief of Staff General Christian Tshiwewe.

The review highlighted significant progress against the ADF while emphasizing the need to strengthen efforts to ensure sustainable peace in the region.

In addition to security, the two leaders are set to discuss the implementation of commitments made in previous summits, including the recent Fort Portal summit in September, where they reaffirmed their joint commitment to tackling regional threats.

The Entebbe meeting provides an opportunity to assess these advancements and define further actions to enhance bilateral cooperation.

President Tshisekedi’s visit also includes an agenda for expanding economic ties with Uganda, aiming to reinforce diplomatic and economic cooperation. Strengthening these relations is seen as a move toward new avenues of development for the DRC and a stabilizing force for the broader Great Lakes region.

Gilbert FOTSO