Author: John Mbaraga

The visit aims at strengthening bilateral ties between both countries.

Arriving at Kigali International Airport, Nyusi was welcomed by the Head of State along other senior government officials.

As part of the visit, Nyusi will tour Kigali Special Economic Zone before being hosted to a state banquet.

Nyusi will also visit Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre in Gisozi to pay tribute to the victims of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi laid to rest there.

He will also visit King’s Palace Museum in Nyanza District of Southern Province and ‘La Corniche One Stop Border Post’ in Rubavu District of Western Province.

President Nyusi will conclude his three-day visit on 21st .

Rwanda will, in the same week, receive President Xi Jinping of China on July 22nd and 23rd.

Ngirente was speaking yesterday in Lusaka, Zambia at the opening of the 20th COMESA Heads of State and Government Summit.

The summit was organized under the theme ‘Towards Digital Economic Integration’.

He said that the Government of Rwanda values the role of COMESA in expanding market integration for its members, and remains committed to organisation’s vision.

Ngirente said that the summit’s discussions and recommendations will contribute to achieving the organisation’s mission of providing technical services and to facilitate the region’s sustained development through economic integration.

“To make COMESA’s digital economic integration achievable and meaningful to our people, additional efforts, resources and closer collaboration are needed. Rwanda stands ready to play our part, working together with member states, to make this dream of COMESA digital economy a reality,” he noted.

He said that through Rwanda’s National Strategy for Transformation 2017/2024, Digital Economic Integration is one of the top priorities.

According to Ngirente, Rwanda is working to apply digital solutions to improving service delivery in both public and private sectors.

The Head of Government insisted that integrating digital technologies will add value to ongoing efforts of COMESA member states to grow and diversify their economies, enhance business climate and attract more trade and investment.

According to Mozambican media, Nyusi’s visit was approved by Mozambican parliament.

The visit starting from July 19th to 21st is aimed at advancing bilateral ties, increasing political mutual trust and expanding substantial cooperation.

Nyusi’s visit follows that of President Paul Kagame in Mozambique in October 2016.

During the visit in 2016, the two Heads of States held bilateral talks and signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the areas of political consultations between the two countries.

In Mozambique, Kagame also visited the National Assembly of Mozambique where he held courtesy talks with Veronica Macamo Blhovo, the assembly President.

He also visited the Mozambique Memorial Heroes square dedicated to the heroic figures of the Mozambican War of Independence.

In a statement from the Ministry of Defence, Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Nyamvumba was promoted and appointed the department head.

“Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Nyamvumba has been promoted to the rank of Colonel and appointed the Chief of Defence Intelligence,” a statement reads.

Nyamvumba had been the Head of Strategy and Policy in the Office of the President.

In October 2016, BRD and the Ministry of Education signed a Memorandum of Understanding allowing the bank to pay tuition and living allowances to university students, recovering the same beneficiaries graduate and get employment.

Speaking to the media yesterday in Kigali, BRD Chief Executive Officer, Eric Rutabana much as there is a big amount of money which is yet to be recovered, efforts have been invested in the recovery process.

The bank says that a total of Rwf80 billion has been distributed through scholarship programme and benefited over 70,000 students.

However, BRD took over the responsibilities after Rwf12 billion had been recovered.

“From 2016 to todate, we have recovered Rwf5.1 billion. Of the Rwf80 billion which was disbursed, a total of Rwf17 billion was recovered,” he explained.

He said that BRD faces challenges of graduates who do not get employment and delay recovering process.

Beneficiaries pay 8 percent of monthly salary.

BRD’s Head of Recovery Unit, Claudine Matata said that they have got the list of beneficiaries and are still tracking where they work from.

She encouraged beneficiaries who have got employment to start paying before they face legal fines.

“They should also come forward and facilitate us during the recovering process, if they ought to reimburse certain amount of money, they should start doing so. If they don’t, fines will be applied as determined by the law,” she added.

Currently, BRD pay scholarship fees for 28,500 students studying in the country and 365 studying abroad.

The Envoy was speaking yesterday in Kigali ahead of the president’s two-day state visit to Rwanda.

“As the Chinese Ambassador to Rwanda, I firmly believe President Xi’s upcoming visit will be of historic significance and will bring China-Rwanda relationship into a new era,” he said.

{{Deepening political trust}}

“Adhering to the principles of sincerity, practical results, affinity and good faith, and upholding the values of friendship, justice and shared interests, China will work with Rwanda and all other friendly African nations, carry out more exchanges on governance and guidelines of development, so as to pave a broader and more solid road of mutual benefit and common development for China and Africa,” Hongwei said.

He noted that the visit will increase programmatic cooperation where Jinping and President Paul Kagame are expected to witness the signing of a number of Memorandum of Understandings and agreements.

“These will enable China and Rwanda to further match our development strategies and seek to harvest more fruits across multiple areas, including the Belt and Road Initiative, public health, human resource training, mining and law enforcement cooperation among others,” he said.

The envoy said that the visit will broaden regional cooperation. He said that it remains a cornerstone of China’s foreign policy to consolidate China’s relations with Rwanda and other African nations.

“China values the important contribution to the solidarity and development of Africa that President Kagame has made after assuming the rotating chairman of the African Union and coordinator of the AU reform. China and Rwanda will further enhance collaboration in regional and international arena and uphold the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries,” he added.

China is the World’s second largest economy, largest industrial producer, largest trader in goods, and largest holder of foreign exchange reserves. Over the past four decades, thanks to the policies of reform and opening up, China’s economy has been growing an average annual rate of 9.5% and its foreign trade at 14.5%.

In recent years, China’s contribution to global growth has been exceeding 30%.

Jinping will start his visit to Rwanda from July 22nd to July 23rd 2018.

Mushikiwabo met the ambassadors at a luncheon yesterday in Paris, France.

According to official twitter of Mushikiwabo’s campaign at OIF also known as La Francophonie, at the meeting, she got opportunity to present her priorities to the ambassadors.

“Today, in Paris, Mushikiwabo met ambassadors to the OIF. A meeting rich in exchanges and the opportunity for the candidate to present herself, give an overview of her priorities and priority topics,” a tweet reads.

The group of ambassadors emphasized that Mushikiwabo presented her priorities and received many questions from the ambassadors.

Mushikiwabo recently in Antananarivo, Madagascar submitted her candidature to President Hery Rajaonarimampianina who is the sitting president of La Francophonie currently.

OIF Secretary General Elections will take place during the the organisation’s summit scheduled for October 11th -12th in Erevan, Armenia.