President Kiir walks out of JIA terminal as he departs to Rwanda. February 22, 2024. (Photo: PPU).

President Salva Kiir travelled to Rwanda on Thursday, kickstarting a three-nation tour aimed at engaging Kigali and its neighbors Burundi and DR Congo to accept peace, his office said.

Kiir is the current chairperson of regional trade bloc, East Africa Community (EAC).

Following his one-day working visit to Rwanda, the president will also visit other neighboring countries to engage with regional leaders to discuss ways of ending growing tensions amongst the member states.

Presidential Spokesperson Lily Adhieu Martin said the President will also proceed to Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo respectively to meet the leaders to settle their disputes amicably.

Addressing the recent African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, President Kiir appealed to East African member-state caught in conflicts and tensions to deescalate and address their disputes amicably to maintain peace in the region.

His visit now comes amid heightened tensions between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda sparked by renewed fighting in recent weeks between the Congolese military and the resurgent M23 rebels.

Kinshasa has accused Rwanda of backing the M23 rebels, an allegation backed by the United States and the United Nations investigations. Rwanda has repeatedly rejected the accusations.