Paul Kagame reaches Kinshasa, Etienne Tshisekedi’s corpse awaits state funeral

Rwanda's President, Paul Kagame has reached Democratic Republic of the Congo's capital, Kinshasa. He will be meeting with Félix Tshisekedi, President of DR Congo at a tête-à-tête.

Apart from meeting with DR Congo's President, The Head of State of Rwanda, Paul Kagame will also pay homage to Etienne Tshisekedi, the former Prime Minister of DR Congo.

President Paul Kagame has arrived in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where he will begin his visit with a tête-à-tête meeting with President Félix Tshisekedi and then pay his respects to late former Prime Minister Etienne Tshisekedi.

A national mourning ceremony is taking place in Kinshasa for former Prime Minister Etienne Tshisekedi, who was the father to the current President of DR Congo. His body arrived in his home country on Thursday evening, two years after he died in Belgium at the age of 84, as reported by The New Times.

Late Tshisekedi served in different capacities, including as interior minister and prime minister under the late Mobutu Sese Seko regime. A state funeral for Late Tshisekedi is expected to take place on Saturday in the town of Nsele, east of Kinshasa.

Several African Presidents are likely to attend his state funeral, including those of Angola and the neighbouring Republic of Congo among others.

Thousands have gathered in a stadium to pay their respects to veteran opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi. He died in Belgium on February 1, 2017 but his body stayed there because of a row with former President Joseph Kabila.

The Martyrs' Stadium in Kinshasa erupted in cheers on Friday afternoon as the casket containing Etienne Tshisikedi's remains entered, says the BBC's Gaius Kowene.

Supporters of Etienne Tshisekedi screamed and blew whistles in the 80,000-capacity arena. The presidents of Rwanda and Angola were among the dignitaries present.

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