Rwanda's military operations in Mozambique and the Central African Republic "appear to reflect" a "foreign policy strategy aimed at securing" the country's "long-term interests," the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) said in a statement Monday..

"To diversify its economy and increase its self-sufficiency, Rwanda is mobilizing its key assets - military professionalism, political stability, and the "Rwanda brand" - to benefit its foreign policy," stresses Paul-Simon Handy, senior regional advisor at ISS, who signs the analysis note.

"Both the Central African Republic (CAR) and Mozambique deployments should be seen as military diplomacy in support of the economic ambitions that fuel the country's 'soft power,'" the analyst says.

These two military deployments show, according to ISS, that Rwanda has the capacity to operate in countries with which it does not share borders - in the case of Mozambique, Handy regards the military support as "a masterpiece of speed and effectiveness" - and that Kigali "has the diplomatic capacity to broker transactional agreements with African countries."

For ISS, the explanation for Rwanda's involvement in Mozambique has another basis. Mozambique shares a border with Tanzania, and Rwanda receives many of its imports from the port of Dar es Salaam.

"A destabilization of Tanzania could impact Rwanda's economy. Regional and continental economic integration is a fundamental principle of Kigali's foreign policy and one of the strategic options adopted to mitigate the country's geographical disadvantages," Paul-Simon Handy maintains.

Lusa Agency