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DR Congo & South Africa Ink Nearly 40 Deals, Eye Security Pact

© AFP 2024 AMANUEL SILESHIPresident of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Felix Tshisekedi leaves a venue after a mini-summit on Peace and Security in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on the sidelines of the 36th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union (AU) in Addis Ababa on February 17, 2023
President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Felix Tshisekedi leaves a venue after a mini-summit on Peace and Security in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on the sidelines of the 36th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union (AU) in Addis Ababa on February 17, 2023 - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 07.07.2023
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Cyril Ramaphosa, president of South Africa, arrived in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Wednesday for a two-day official visit. During his trip, he met with DRC President Felix Tshisekedi, the leaders signed several agreements in different spheres, including investment, energy, agriculture, defense and others.
DR Congo and South Africa have signed almost 40 trade agreements, including one aimed at resurrecting a hydroelectric project in the DRC.
Currently, 38 deals covering commerce, investment, energy, agriculture, defense have been concluded between South Africa and the DRC.
For example, the Grand Inga Dam project is planned to include seven hydroelectric power plants across the Congo River.
According to reports, this will be the world's biggest structure of its kind if the construction proceeds as planned.
In addition, Tshisekedi said on Thursday that he was planning to sign a security agreement with South Africa, as militias continue to occupy swathes of territory in DR Congo's turbulent east.
An Intel employee hold up a Pentium III chip in one of the clean rooms where computer chips are manufactured at the Intel plant in Belen, Costa Rica, approximately 20 kilometers (12 miles) west of the capital of San Jose, Costa Rica, Friday, Aug. 11, 2000.  - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 05.07.2023
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Armed groups have plagued much of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for three decades. In particular, the M23 rebel group has seized swathes of land since late 2021.
In a news conference with Cyril Ramaphosa, in the capital Kinshasa, Tshisekedi explained that the accord could take the form of a mutual-defense pact.
The Congolese president pointed to the mutual defense pact of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) as a potential model, without going into details.
"We'll know more in the days or weeks to come," Tshisekedi said.
Both the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Africa are members of the 16-nation SADC.
Ramaphosa, for his part, pledged to keep helping the DRC tackle insecurity and poverty.
"We are willing, prepared and always ready to support the DRC as we have done in the past and we will continue to do so". "We are also going to strengthen that relationship by having a bilateral agreement on security and defence," the South African leader added.
According to South Africa's president, the country will always support the DRC as it works to reestablish peace in the east of the nation.
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