Cover — Paul Kagame 2014

Politics - 2 December 2025

President Kagame Meets U.S. Lawmakers to Strengthen Development and Peace Partnerships

By Jean-Marc Okito2 min readFrançais

Washington, D.C. - Rwandan President Paul Kagame has held high-level meetings with members of the United States Congress to discuss partnerships for development, regional stability, and sustainable peace, as part of his official visit to the United States.

President Kagame met with several members of Congress, including Representative Brian Mast, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, alongside Representative Ronny Jackson, Representative Trent Kelly, Senator Mike Rounds, Senator Kevin Cramer, and Senator Pete Ricketts. Discussions focused on continued cooperation through key initiatives aimed at promoting peace, security, and long-term development.

Later on the evening of December 3, 2025, President Kagame also held talks with Senator Lindsey Graham, a long-serving lawmaker representing South Carolina. The meeting centered on strengthening the Rwanda-U.S. partnership in strategic areas, including environmental protection, security, and the economy.

The Rwandan Head of State is in Washington, D.C. to attend the signing ceremony of the final peace agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), scheduled for December 4, 2025. The agreement is expected to serve as a framework for bilateral cooperation in sectors such as mining, trade, infrastructure development, health, and park and environmental protection.

Several regional leaders have also arrived in the U.S. capital for the ceremony, including President Félix Tshisekedi of the DRC, President Évariste Ndayishimiye of Burundi, President William Ruto of Kenya, as well as representatives of the East African Community (EAC).

In a statement released on December 3, 2025, the Office of the President at Village Urugwiro announced that President Kagame is also scheduled to meet with his U.S. counterpart, President Donald Trump, during his visit.

The diplomatic engagements highlight renewed efforts to reinforce regional cooperation and deepen Rwanda-U.S. relations amid evolving security and development challenges in the Great Lakes region.

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