DRC Launches Major Diplomatic Mission in Latin America

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has launched a high-level diplomatic mission to Latin America, led by Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner.

As the DRC prepares to assume the Vice-Presidency of the 80th United Nations General Assembly and a seat on the UN Security Council for the 2026–2027 term, it is seeking to strengthen South-South partnerships and deepen ties with Latin American nations.

The mission, which began on August 5, 2025, in Uruguay, is the first of its kind in over four decades. It includes planned visits to Argentina and Brazil and will continue until August 13.

“This is not simply a symbolic diplomatic rapprochement, but a major and courageous political act,” said Minister Wagner. “Latin America is not a distant continent for the DRC. It is a space of strategic opportunities with which we share strong values.”

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the DRC aims to develop cooperation in areas such as diplomacy, defense, environment, trade, culture, and new technologies.

The delegation includes key government members:

• Defense Minister Guy Kabombo Mwadiamvita

• Environment Minister Eve Bazaiba Masudi

• Foreign Trade Minister Julien Paluku Kahongya

• Culture Minister Yolande Elebe Ma Ndembo

• Senior Presidential Advisor Mbuyi Katharina Wagner

In Montevideo, the group paid tribute to Uruguayan personnel who lost their lives while serving under MONUSCO, the UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC. A moment of silence was held at the General Command of the Uruguayan Army.

“Their sacrifice for peace in the DRC is an act of courage that we will never forget,” said Minister Wagner during the ceremony.

On Wednesday, August 6, 2025, the Congolese delegation was officially received by Uruguayan President Yamandú Orsi in Montevideo.

The delegation was led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, Guy Kabombo Mwadianvita. Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, personally delivered an official letter from President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo to her Uruguayan counterpart.

President Orsi welcomed the Congolese mission and expressed strong support for the strengthening of bilateral ties, calling the signed agreements a symbol of lasting partnership rooted in mutual values.

“Uruguay is honored to strengthen its ties with the Democratic Republic of the Congo,” said President Orsi. “These agreements are not only bilateral commitments, but a shared promise of cooperation, solidarity, and a common vision for a better future.”

The diplomatic initiative is part of President Félix Tshisekedi’s broader foreign policy strategy to reposition the DRC as a regional leader and build stronger alliances across the Global South. Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka has backed the mission as a key component of Congo's diplomatic redeployment.