Tshisekedi Joins Regional Leaders Ahead of Museveni Swearing-In

DR Congo President Félix Tshisekedi was among several regional leaders who arrived in Uganda ahead of President Yoweri Museveni’s swearing-in ceremony on Tuesday, May 12, 2026.

Tshisekedi arrived at Entebbe International Airport as Uganda prepared to host visiting heads of state and senior representatives for the inauguration ceremony in Kampala.

According to the Nile Post report, other leaders who arrived included South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit, Somalia’s Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Ethiopia’s Taye Atske Selassie, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic leader Brahim Ghali, and Togolese President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé.

Zimbabwe’s Vice President Constantino Chiwenga and Equatorial Guinea’s Prime Minister Manuel Osa Nsue Nsua were also listed among the foreign dignitaries in Uganda for the ceremony.

Museveni’s swearing-in was scheduled for May 12 at Kololo Independence Ceremonial Grounds, with Ugandan officials previously saying dozens of heads of state were expected to attend the event, according to Daily Monitor.

Tshisekedi’s presence also comes during a period of active Uganda-DRC engagement. The two countries recently held the 9th Uganda-DRC Joint Permanent Commission in Kampala, with discussions focused on security cooperation, trade, infrastructure, energy, and regional stability, according to SoftPower News.

Security remains a major part of the bilateral relationship. Uganda and the DRC continue to cooperate through Operation Shujaa, a joint UPDF-FARDC military operation launched in November 2021 against ADF elements in eastern Congo, according to the UPDF.

The latest arrivals place Museveni’s inauguration within a broader regional diplomatic moment, with Uganda hosting leaders from the Great Lakes, the Horn of Africa, and other parts of the continent.