Author: Nicole Kamanzi Muteteri

During the meeting, the Chairperson welcomed the collaborative efforts of the EAC and SADC in de-escalating tensions in Eastern DRC and acknowledged progress towards a peace agreement.

Youssouf and Amb. Karamba also reaffirmed their commitment to advancing the implementation of the South Sudan peace agreement.

On peacekeeping on the continent, they underscored the importance of sustainable peacekeeping financing, with UNSC Resolution 2719 providing a key framework for predictable support.

Amb. Karamba expressed appreciation for the Chairperson’s early visit to Kigali and reiterated Rwanda’s continued support for his leadership.

The handover ceremony, which took place at the Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi from June 9 to 13, 2025, was presided over by Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Interior, Kipchumba Murkomen, who passed the RECSA flag and instruments of establishment to Rwanda.

Rwanda will be deputized by Tanzania in this leadership role. The high-level meeting brought together ministers and representatives from various member states, including Rwanda’s Minister of Interior, Dr. Vincent Biruta.

One of the key resolutions from the meeting was a renewed commitment to the effective implementation of all provisions of the Nairobi Protocol and harmonized binding instruments aimed at combating the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.

Additionally, member states agreed that the 17th Technical Advisory Committee and the 12th Ordinary Council of Ministers meetings will be held in Kigali in 2026 and 2027, respectively.

The meeting was attended by ministers and plenipotentiaries from Burundi, Central African Republic, Djibouti, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.

The five-day meeting concluded with a unified commitment to addressing the ongoing challenges posed by small arms proliferation and reinforcing cooperation among member states and international partners to promote sustainable peace and security.

The MDA reported two people critically injured, two moderately, four lightly-moderately, while the remaining individuals suffered light injuries or trauma-related symptoms, including panic attacks.

Following the launches, air defense sirens were activated, sending millions of residents to protected rooms and shelters for more than an hour.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Effie Defrin said that most missiles were intercepted by the air defense system or did not reach their target. He noted that the injuries reported occurred inside buildings, with several caused by shrapnel from intercepted missiles.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said following the launches that “Iran crossed red lines when it dared to fire missiles at civilian population centers in Israel.”

“We will continue to protect the citizens of Israel,” he said, warning that the country would “ensure that Tehran pays a very heavy price for its criminal actions.”

Meanwhile, the IDF denied Iranian media reports that Iran had downed an Israeli fighter jet and detained its pilot.

In a separate statement, the IDF said it had attacked earlier Friday Iranian Air Force bases in western Iran, destroying Tabriz Airbase, without providing further details.

It added that the IDF attacked and destroyed dozens of Iranian air defense targets, drones, and surface-to-surface missile launchers.

“The IDF is prepared to continue to operate as necessary,” the statement read. “The IDF is continuously conducting situational assessments and will continue to update on developments.”

The discussions underscored the growing strategic partnership between the two nations, building on the outcomes of the 2024 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

During the meeting, Wang Yi emphasized the elevation of China-Rwanda relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership, a milestone achieved during last year’s FOCAC Summit when Presidents Xi Jinping and Paul Kagame issued a joint statement to advance the three global initiatives proposed by China: the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative.

These initiatives provide a robust framework for advancing bilateral ties and aligning development goals. Wang stressed that both nations are committed to supporting each other, implementing the FOCAC outcomes, and upholding the Changsha Declaration to safeguard the interests of developing countries and promote international fairness and justice.

A key focus of the discussions was the shared vision for modernization. Wang Yi articulated that modernization does not equate to Westernization, advocating for a model that aligns with each country’s unique national conditions.

China expressed its willingness to engage in mutual learning with Rwanda on governance experiences, aiming to foster self-reliant and sustainable development paths that enhance the well-being of their people and contribute to global progress. This approach resonates with Rwanda’s Vision 2050, a national plan to transform the country into an upper-middle-income economy by 2035 and a high-income economy by 2050.

Wang Yi reaffirmed China’s support for Rwanda’s development ambitions, pledging to deepen practical cooperation across various sectors, including infrastructure, health, and education, while fostering exchanges between governments, political parties, legislatures, and local communities. This commitment builds on over five decades of friendship, during which China has contributed significantly to Rwanda’s development, particularly in areas such as road construction, electricity, and healthcare.

Minister Nduhungirehe echoed these sentiments, noting the positive outcomes of the long-standing partnership. He highlighted the tangible benefits of the elevated bilateral relationship following the 2024 FOCAC Summit, particularly for the Rwandan people.

Nduhungirehe reaffirmed Rwanda’s steadfast commitment to the one-China principle and expressed enthusiasm for implementing the ten partnership actions outlined at the Summit, which aim to drive modernization through independent and self-reliant means. Rwanda also voiced strong support for China’s three global initiatives, recognizing their potential to foster a peaceful and prosperous world.

The meeting also addressed regional peace and security, with a focus on the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Nduhungirehe commended China’s active role in promoting dialogue and political solutions to the conflict in the region. Wang Yi reiterated China’s commitment to playing a constructive role in fostering peace in eastern DRC, emphasizing diplomacy and collaboration.

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1971, Rwanda and China have forged a strong relationship grounded in mutual respect and a shared vision for development. In recent years, this bond has grown through increased partnerships and political understanding.

During his stay in China Nduhungrehe attended the Ministerial Meeting of Coordinators on the Implementation of the Follow-up Actions of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held in Changsha, where he commended the broader China–Africa cooperation framework and its impact across multiple sectors.

He also met with members of the Rwandan Community in Changsha and surrounding cities and presided over the Rwanda-China Investment Promotion forum.

Troy Fitrell, made the disclosure during an online conference this week that technical teams are actively working to move the peace process forward.

Ambassador Fitrell explained that next week, technical teams will help the parties involved transition to the next phase, ultimately leading to the peace agreement, with Qatar also set to provide assistance.

“This coming week, we do have technical teams here to try to get to the next stage,” Fitrell said. “We’ve done these principles. Now we have been arguing about putting these principles into action. We are still shooting for a June or July peace agreement.”

“There is no sense fooling around on this. If we are going to do it, we do it now,” he added, emphasizing Washington’s push to accelerate negotiations.

Following Rwanda and the DRC’s agreement on the guiding principles, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed confidence that both nations would reach a peace agreement, and that neighboring countries would also benefit from the peace process.

Ambassador Fitrell reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to ensuring this goal is achieved without delay.

In a press statement, the members of the Security Council recalled Resolution 2736 of 2024, which demands that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) halt the siege of El Fasher.

The council members strongly condemned the attack on June 2 near al Koma in North Darfur on a joint World Food Programme (WFP) and UN Children’s Fund humanitarian convoy, which killed five humanitarian workers, injured several people, damaged life-saving humanitarian supplies and burned multiple trucks.

They reiterated UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ call for an urgent investigation and for the perpetrators to be held to account.

The council members also condemned repeated shelling by the RSF on May 29 that damaged a WFP facility in El Fasher.

They reminded the parties to the conflict to ensure the safety and security of UN and humanitarian personnel and their premises and assets. They reiterated that deliberate attacks against humanitarian personnel, their premises and assets may constitute war crimes.

‘This comes in light of the UAE’s wise leadership’s interest and significant support for equipping young Arab talent with advanced tools and skills in storytelling related to humanitarian and development work, enhancing community solidarity, and shedding light on pioneering humanitarian efforts and significant development contributions that positively impact the lives of millions of people across the world.

His remarks came on the occasion of the launch of the “Impact Makers” initiative by the International Humanitarian Affairs Council, under the directives of Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in cooperation with the New Media Academy. The initiative includes several educational programs and training workshops specializing in digital media related to various humanitarian and development fields.

He stressed the need to empower individuals to create positive and impactful humanitarian content that addresses various humanitarian issues, and to raise community awareness of these issues through the use of storytelling skills and appropriate media strategies to support institutional and community efforts with multiple humanitarian dimensions.

This is particularly true for humanitarian projects, initiatives, and programs targeting communities in need and the most affected and needy populations. These projects aim to provide access to basic education and health services, as vital priorities of paramount importance in achieving development and prosperity and ensuring security and stability.

The initiative targets journalists, camera crews, and content creators specializing in humanitarian affairs, who possess a passion for creating digital content about humanitarian, development, and charitable initiatives and programs. The initiative aims to enhance their ability to understand, write, and distribute press releases that reflect humanitarian efforts, as well as various storytelling methods and audio and visual translation techniques, to suit various journalistic formats and publishing media.

The initiative aims to attract digital content creators from the UAE, across the Arab world, and friendly countries around the world to join several specialized digital media training programs, enabling them to acquire the skills and tools necessary to produce creative content on humanitarian, developmental, and charitable initiatives and programs worldwide.

It also attracts official spokespersons representing humanitarian donor institutions and charitable organizations in the UAE to train them on corporate reputation strategies and media crisis management.

It’s worth noting that the educational programs and training courses develop the skills of diverse influencers, enabling them to deliver meaningful humanitarian content using advanced methods that contribute to delivering a humanitarian media message to a wide audience.

The New Media Academy continues to support content creators and social media influencers, enabling them to deliver their messages in a professional manner that contributes to the development, advancement, and growth of societies. Among these programs is the “Impact Makers” initiative, which will enrich the content creators’ content and meet the aspirations of their followers to benefit from what they provide.

The Impact Makers Initiative includes five training programs, starting with the “Skills of Official Spokesperson, Media Appearance, and Crisis Management” program, the “Humanitarian Impact Journalism” program, the “Humanitarian Impact Content Makers” program, in both Arabic and English versions, and the “Humanitarian Impact Content Makers – in partnership with the Arab Youth Center” program.

{{Speech by Prof. Dirk Vansina on behalf of the City of Leuven}}

Leuven has long maintained close ties with Rwanda. Rwandan students have studied at KU Leuven, professors have taught there, priests and nuns from our region have worked in Rwanda, and today a Rwandan community resides in Leuven.

We have just heard powerful testimonies. We are gathered here to remember one of the darkest chapters in recent history: the genocide committed against the Tutsi in Rwanda, now 31 years ago. In just one hundred days, between April and July 1994, more than a million people were brutally murdered simply because they existed.

This atrocity was the result of a colonial policy of division, the belief that some groups are superior to others, and the dangerous illusion that all human beings are not equal. But this genocide did not begin with machetes. It began with words — with hate speech and division.

What makes this tragedy even more painful is that the world looked away. The international community failed in its duty, and that failure echoes louder than ever today. Even now, groups are dehumanized. People are deliberately turned into enemies. As was the case then, we hear cries of “This must stop!” And, as then, the responses are too weak, too late, too hesitant.

That is exactly why it is essential to continue commemorating and learning from the past. That is why an organization like IBUKA is so important. IBUKA means “Remember,” and you do not let us forget. You give a voice to those who were silenced. You support survivors. You show us that remembering is not about looking back — it’s about looking forward.
Earlier, young women gave testimonies.

They recalled what happened, but they also embodied strength, hope, and life. They are giving birth to a new future, a future better than the past. As a local authority, we also have a responsibility: to provide space for moments of remembrance like this one. Not as a symbolic gesture, but as a true commitment.

I heard the request made by the President regarding the installation of a memorial stone in Leuven. I commit to discussing this proposal with conviction with the mayor and my colleagues. Remembering is essential, but it is not enough. We have a moral obligation to turn memory into action: through education, public policy, vigilance, and dialogue.

Today, you are our guests here in Leuven — a city that chooses dialogue, tolerance, and peace. A city that knows commemoration is not only about the past, but also about facing the future and taking action. A city that takes seriously the signs of racism, hatred, or dehumanization before it is too late.

With education, with concrete projects that bring citizens together, and with support for refugees and newcomers. Peace begins with small things: with children learning to resolve conflict without violence, with youth standing up against hate speech and injustice, with societies refusing to reduce the “other” to a caricature, and with communities that leave no one behind.

Leuven wants to be a city that leaves no one behind. A city where everyone has a place and can thrive as they are.

Kwibuka. Let us remember. Let us keep speaking. For those who are no longer with us. For those yet to come. With the duty to do good and to make the world better.
And let it begin with us.

{{Leuven: Selected photos from the commemoration ceremony of the victims of the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, 1994.}}

karirima@igihe.com