Burundian city erects Billboards of African leaders ahead of COMESA Summit

Starting this Monday, a photo of President Kagame appeared on a billboard in the heart of Bujumbura, the capital city of Burundi, sparking widespread discussion across social media in the East African region. The billboard bears a message welcoming him to Burundi, a gesture that has raised eyebrows, particularly given the recent tensions between the two neighboring countries.

In his speeches, Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye has previously taken a critical stance toward Rwanda, so the sight of President Kagame’s image prominently displayed in Bujumbura fueled speculation that he might be planning a visit. However, the reality is somewhat different.

Burundi is currently preparing to host the 23rd Summit of Heads of State of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), scheduled to take place this Thursday, October 31, 2024. Sources close to IGIHE indicate that, in a welcoming gesture to member states participating in this year’s COMESA summit, Bujumbura has displayed photos of various heads of state from the regional bloc across the city. This means that citizens and visitors are likely to see billboards of leaders from multiple COMESA nations, not only Rwanda.

It’s a standard COMESA protocol for such summits and doesn’t necessarily indicate that every leader whose image appears will be attending. Rwanda, for instance, will be represented at the summit by the Minister of Trade and Industry, Sebahizi Prudence, rather than President Kagame himself.

This year’s COMESA summit aims to foster deeper integration among its 21 member states, with a particular focus on advancing trade and economic collaboration.

Relations between Rwanda and Burundi took a downturn in late 2023, when Burundi closed its borders, accusing Rwanda of supporting groups seeking to destabilize it—allegations that Rwanda has strongly denied. In July this year, both countries committed to resolving these issues through dialogue, with an agreement that talks should take place before the end of the year. According to IGIHE, plans for these discussions are still on track, though a specific date has yet to be set.
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