KINSHASA, DR Congo
Kenya has signed crucial agreements on transport, security and trade with the Democratic Republic of Congo, signaling a push to improve low figures of business between them.
After
a bilateral meeting between Presidents Uhuru Kenyatta and his host Felix Tshisekedi,
the two sides on Wednesday signed a new deal to handle cargo from the port of
Mombasa that grants the DRC certain privileges for using Kenyan facilities.
Kenya
also offered to open diplomatic outposts in Goma and Lubumbashi in eastern DRC
in what President Kenyatta said would ease consular services for traders.
The
Agreement on Maritime Freight Management, revised from earlier arrangements,
will be the basic legal framework in handling all freight cargo coming through
Mombasa destined for the DRC.
President
Kenyatta told a joint press conference that Nairobi is seeking to bring the
region “closer so that we can fight our common problems together.”
When
fully implemented, the deal will address delays on DRC imports by dedicating
clearing channels for the goods headed for the DR Congo market. No further
details were revealed but officials had suggested the arrangement may include
specialised yards for goods from Congo and the country’s officials being deployed
at Kenyan ports to speed up clearing of goods.
The
move came as Kenya indicated wish to improve its trade with DRC from last
year’s Sh1.8 billion, 70 per cent of which were goods sold to eastern DRC.
And,
despite the country relying on eastern Africa sea ports for imports, Mombasa
handles less than 15 per cent of the share of goods sent to DRC, with Dar es
Salaam in Tanzania and Beira in Mozambique getting the bulk.
President
Kenyatta said: “I believe that our commonality gives us a very good opportunity
for us to deepen our relations further as we work together to achieve these
objectives for the people of our respective countries. One thing I’d like our
two [technical] teams to work on is to ensure that we ease the problem of our
people being able to travel between our two countries.”
Having
a proper cargo handling framework will also mean that both sides harmonise the
fees charged on goods imported on their territories. Kenyan drivers had
complained recently of abrupt charges while delivering goods to the DRC.
The
two countries have a Bilateral Air Service Agreement and, although they had
prior arrangement on transportation of freight cargo, players often complained
of stiff non-tariff barriers. The new deal, officials say, should address the
anomalies.
“As
we move towards deeper integration not only of our region but continent, we
should be able to ease the restrictions in terms of visas and other issues and
I look forward to engaging with you so that we can make it easier,” the
President, who is on a three-day state visit to the DRC, said.
The
Head of State also witnessed the signing of a defence cooperation agreement
that covers policing, war on terrorism, maritime and aviation security and
immigration. This will also handle future issues on customs, especially before
the DRC joins the EAC.
The
deal should see structured cooperation on counter-terrorism, weapon smuggling,
regularised immigration, customs control and cybersecurity.
Kenya
has traditionally supported peace bids in DRC, which has endured perennial
wars. In 2013, Kenya hosted Congolese parties as they signed a peace accord
with the rebel group M23.
Nairobi
sees DRC’s fledgling stability as good ground to expand business opportunities.
The
General Cooperation Agreement between the two, a statement from State House,
said, will provide “a framework through which the parties will promote
economic, technical, scientific and socio-cultural cooperation on the basis of
the principles of sovereign equality and mutual benefit.”
Trade,
agriculture, livestock development and fisheries, finance, environmental
conservation, education and mining were listed.
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