Guinea junta says inspired by Rwanda
Guinea's military government said Tuesday it is inspired by the Rwandan "model", during a visit by President Paul Kagame, one of the first by a foreign leader since a 2021 coup.
"From the 1994 genocide against Tutsi to the reunification of the country, Rwanda has been able to recover and rebuild, before asserting itself as an African benchmark," a statment issued by the Guinean presidency said.
"This is why the Rwandan model fascinates Colonel President (Mamady) Doumbouya.”
Kagame arrived Monday evening in Guinea's capital Conakry for the third leg of a West African tour, after stops in Benin and Guinea-Bissau.
The two leaders said they wanted to strengthen bilateral relations and create a "bridge" between Conakry and Kigali, Rwanda's capital.
Doumbouya, who was sworn in as transition president following a military coup in September 2021, has bowed to international pressure and pledged to return power to an elected government by the end of 2024.
The government has pledged to carry out far-reaching reforms before handing back power.
"Profoundly rebuilding Guinea while inscribing it on the path of national reconciliation, autonomy and emergence - such is the real challenge," the statement said.
Kagame said he was willing to work with Guinea and hoped to welcome Doumbouya "very soon" to Rwanda, the statement said.
The Guinean opposition cautioned that Kagame's visit should not legitimize the junta regime.
It has called for a rapid return to civilian rule, as well as a "credible" dialogue and the release of political prisoners.
Kagame and Doumbouya met for a discussion exploring ways to collaborate in areas of mutual interest. The two Heads of State also witnessed the signing of a Joint Cooperation Agreement and Agreement on ICT Cooperation, according to the Rwandan presidency.
