A bill to formalise co-operation between the Central African Republic and Rwanda in a number of key areas is with CAR President Faustin-Archange Tuadera, awaiting his signature for ratification.

This was revealed to Rwanda Today in an exclusive interview with Anne-Marie Goumba, a member of the National Assembly of the Central African Republic.

Ms Goumba was in Kigali recently as part of a visiting group of CAR women parliamentarians on a study mission. Upon ratification the Bill will offer Rwanda and the country’s private sector unprecedented opportunities in CAR.

According to Ms Goumba, who represents her country’s capital Bangui’s Fifth District, the two countries will co-operate in key areas such as construction security and defence, commerce, education and agriculture.

The parliamentarian said the Bill was passed by CAR’s National Assembly where it got “near unanimous” approval. She attributes its easy passage to “the sheer goodwill citizens of Central African Republic have for Rwanda.”

Reports

Media reports in 2014 described how it was Rwandan peacekeepers who often escorted vital aid convoys along the Cameroonian border to Bangui — fighting off Anti-Balaka and Seleka fighters in equal measure along the way.

“It is not a coincidence that the country with the most knowledge of genocide is also among the most aggressive in stopping another,” said a May 1, 2014 report in the US journal The New Republic. Ms Goumba said that many Central Africans came to appreciate the work of the Rwandan peacekeeping force, “their neutrality and professionalism, which earned them the respect, admiration and gratitude of the people.”

Rwanda currently maintains a force as well as running a hospital as part of the UN peacekeeping mission — the Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission to the Central African Republic.

Rwandan forces are also charged with providing security for high-ranking personalities and guarding key government installations.

The new areas of co-operation that the Bill offers will be in addition to an air transport agreement, which sees Rwandair flying to Bangui, via Brazzaville three times a week.

For those that already are familiar with the business environment in the CAR, “any new avenues for opportunities will be eagerly grasped,” said Deus Kayitakirwa, director of advocacy at the Rwanda Private Sector Federation.

The official said initially it was medium-size traders, rather than the really big players who exported Rwandan goods to Bangui.

However, high transportation costs and lack of infrastructure such as cold rooms resulted in huge losses and a number of pioneer Rwandan exporters to Bangui began pulling out, according to the federation.

The federation lobbied Rwandair to lower cargo transportation costs from $3 per kilogram to less than $1.

Next, it set up a liaison office in Brazzaville to identify potential opportunities for Rwandan businesses; identify and handle problems when they arose; and to advice on exchange rates, acquisition of hard currencies among other issues. Mr Kayitakirwa said construction of storage facilities in Bangui had started and this would also increase business.