Rwanda and Togo strengthen ties with visa-free travel pact

By The Inspirer.

Rwanda and Togo have signed a landmark agreement allowing citizens of both countries to travel without visas.

The deal, signed in Lomé on Friday, January 16, 2026, was finalized by Rwanda’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Ambassador Olivier Nduhungirehe, and his Togolese counterpart, Professor Robert Dussey.

The agreement applies to all passport holders and is expected to boost trade, investment, and people-to-people exchanges between the two nations.

Ambassador Nduhungirehe is in Togo attending a high-level meeting aimed at strengthening regional cooperation and promoting peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Great Lakes region.

Rwanda and Togo have long maintained strong bilateral relations. In January 2025, Presidents Paul Kagame and Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé discussed deepening cooperation in key sectors, including agriculture, trade, investment, energy, and environmental protection.

President Kagame emphasized that citizens should now take full advantage of these opportunities.

“Once we have held discussions and signed agreements, the next step is to go into business and do what we are meant to do,” he said.

During the talks, President Gnassingbé reaffirmed Togo’s commitment to strengthening ties with Rwanda. The visit follows his previous trip to Rwanda in August 2024, when he attended President Kagame’s inauguration for a new five-year term.

The visa-free agreement is expected to accelerate travel, promote business, and deepen bilateral cooperation, further cementing the longstanding partnership between the two countries.