This appeal was made following a meeting held in Rwanda at Saint Joseph in Ngoma District. They conference addressed social welfare, strategies for restoring peace in the Great Lakes Region, and efforts to strengthen the Catholic faith.
The gathering was attended by bishops and other senior leaders of the Catholic Church from both nations. They underscored that prolonged border closures have had adverse effects on citizens and trade between the two countries.
Burundi closed its borders, citing demands for the extradition of individuals allegedly involved in the 2015 coup attempt. Rwanda, however, maintains that international law prohibits the repatriation of refugees who have sought asylum.
The bishops expressed their support for ongoing diplomatic discussions between Rwanda and Burundi, emphasizing that ‘border closures have significant economic and social repercussions.’ They urged leaders to act prudently to restore normalcy and strengthen unity between the two nations.
The discussions also addressed security concerns in eastern DR Congo, with the bishops advocating for sustained dialogue among conflicting parties to resolve tensions. They also condemned the use of hate speech by the DRC government, which they believe has exacerbated violence and unrest.
Regarding education, the bishops highlighted the need to improve educational standards in both countries. They also raised concerns about the increasing violence against young people and stressed the urgency of addressing this issue.
These insights were shared at the first National Symposium on Conservation Agriculture, held on March 28, 2025 at RICA campus in Bugesera.
The event was organized by the Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture (RICA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI), Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), and the World Food Programme (WFP).
Dr. Ndambe Nzaramba Magnifique, the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Extension and Applied Research at RICA, shared the foundational principles of conservation agriculture, which include minimal tillage or no-till practices.
He emphasized that practices such as plowing, cutting stubble, or clearing the land are discouraged as they can reduce yields and degrade soil health.
“We do not encourage plowing, cutting stubble, or clearing the land as these practices harm the soil,” he said.
Conservation agriculture practices aim to enhance soil biodiversity, preserve soil integrity, store water for longer periods, and reduce erosion.
All this refers to the first principle: {{Minimizing Soil Disturbance. }} This includes using no-till or minimum-till methods to plant and control weeds without plowing the soil. Keeping the soil undisturbed helps increase soil organic matter, preserves soil structure, improves water retention, and reduces soil erosion.
The second principle is {{Permanent Soil Cover}}. This includes planting cover crops to cover the soil between seasons, leaving leftover residues like leaves and stalks in the field after harvesting, and putting down mulch where available. Covering the soil increases soil organic matter, limits erosion and nutrient run-off, and helps the soil retain moisture, which enables farmers to be more resilient in times of drought.
The third principle is {{Crop Diversification}}. This may include using crop rotation, or planting different crops in alternating seasons, or intercropping, which involves planting multiple crops in an orderly manner in the same field during the same season. Crop diversification benefits soil fertility and soil structure and is linked to higher yields. It can also help stop the spread of pests and diseases.
Dr. Ndambe highlighted that crop rotation also helps combat pests and diseases, reducing the need for chemical pesticides.
“When you continue to plant the same crops in one field, pests and diseases accumulate, but rotating crops or intercropping minimizes this risk,” he said, emphasizing that farmers using these methods benefit from higher yields without the worry of pest infestations.
The symposium was attended by government officials, academic experts, private sector representatives, development partners, and farmers’ organizations involved in agriculture.
Dr. Karangwa Patrick, Director General of Agriculture Modernization at the Ministry of Agriculture, stated that conservation agriculture is a critical pillar for building sustainable farming in Rwanda.
He revealed that currently, 1,000 hectares of land are being cultivated using conservation agriculture techniques but expressed a desire to see this number grow. The goal, as outlined in the country’s five-year agriculture development program (PSTA 5), is to expand the practice to at least 100,000 hectares.
“Our goal is to reach at least 100,000 hectares in the PSTA5 plan. We want to increase the land area using conservation methods because we view it as a crucial aspect of agricultural development,” Dr. Karangwa said.
Thomas Habanabakize, the Food and Security Coordinator at Mennonite Central Committee Rwanda (MCC), explained that MCC has dedicated resources to support and promote conservation agriculture.
One of their key programs, the “Farm Field School,” has been implemented across the country. Each farm school brings together 30 farmers for training, where they apply their learning to their own farms and train five others in their community.
“We train farmer representatives, who in turn train others. In the last 10 years, this method has yielded great results,” Habanabakize noted.
The initiative is currently active in nine districts, including Nyaruguru, Nyamagabe, Karongi, and Rutsiro, with plans to expand to Kayonza, Ruhango, Burera, and other regions. Many farmers who have participated in this program have reported increased yields due to the adoption of conservation agriculture practices.
Like other stakeholders in conservation agriculture, the World Food Programme (WFP) has recognized the importance of these farming methods in helping communities withstand natural disasters and improve crop yields.
WFP has supported projects to encourage conservation agriculture and assist farmers in managing their harvests better.
Richard Makuza, the Climate-Smart Agriculture Expert and Programme Policy Officer at WFP Rwanda, shared that in addition to providing disaster relief during droughts and floods, WFP has helped smallholder farmers in more than 400 cooperatives across the country access markets and store their produce after harvesting.
“In addition to responding to disasters like droughts and floods, we help over 127,000 smallholder farmers in 425 cooperatives across the country get access to markets and properly manage their harvests,” Makuza said.
WFP, in collaboration with the government, has also developed initiatives to help farmers improve their resilience to climate change. These initiatives are aimed at helping farmers maintain their productivity during difficult times.
As a result, WFP has realized that promoting and encouraging conservation agriculture is a proven strategy and solution for sustainable farming.
“This is why we have gathered support for projects that promote conservation agriculture,” Makuza added. “We started with pilot projects in five districts, and we are now entering a new phase where we support programs that align with the PSTA5 objectives.”
Gakuba Jonas, a farmer from Kirehe District, who has practiced conservation agriculture for over five years, shared that the results have been impressive.
” Before we practiced conservation agriculture, our maize yields were below one ton per hectare and beans were only 800 kilograms per hectare. But now, after adopting conservation agriculture, our yields have doubled. We now receive water on time, and conservation practices have restored the fertility of our soil,” Gakuba said, emphasizing the positive impact these methods have had on his farm’s productivity.
Her statement shared on X follows a controversial discussion initiated by President Félix Tshisekedi of the DRC on March 31, 2025, regarding what he referred to as “Genocide for Economic Gains.”
Tshisekedi claimed that over 10 million Congolese have suffered over the past three decades, blaming neighboring countries like Rwanda and armed groups such as M23 for the devastation. Tshisekedi stressed that the international community should recognize this alleged genocide.
“A week before the commemoration of the Genocide against the Tutsi, so-called leaders from the DRC have openly shown what we have long known: genocide denial has deep roots in DRC’s politics,” Nyombayire remarked.
Nyombayire pointed out the DRC government’s failures, where armed groups have been entrusted with leadership roles while the country’s political elite focused on personal enrichment by plundering national resources.
She also criticized the government’s tendency to externalize blame, rather than address internal problems.
“After decades as a failed state, delegating governance to armed groups because leaders are too busy stealing the nation’s resources to buy castles in Belgium, DRC has traded in threats of ‘à la moindre escarmouche’ for a new low: Inventing a genocide to cover up the truth of their own failures,” Nyombayire explained.
“The deaths that occurred and are still occurring today are the result of the inability to govern, to look beyond personal interest, and to protect citizens,” she added.
Nyombayire reminded the public that the same government now invoking the Genocide Convention was the one that integrated the genocidal group FDLR into its military forces, all while continuing to deny basic rights to its citizens, subjecting them to violence and even death based on their identity.
Since February 2025, leaders from the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) have been working on solutions to bring peace to eastern DRC and the surrounding region.
However, Nyombayire emphasized that the DRC government continues to evade responsibility, turning victims into perpetrators and distracting from the essential work of finding a lasting solution.
Since 2017, Rwanda has moved away from importing second-hand clothing, commonly known as ‘caguwa,’ and has instead focused on promoting the production of new, locally made garments.
Many local garment factories now purchase fabric from various countries and transform it into finished products for both the domestic and international markets.
However, some Rwandans perceive these locally produced garments as expensive, with a pair of pants and a shirt labeled ‘Made in Rwanda’ often costing up to 50,000 Rwandan Francs or more.
Despite this challenge, statistics show a significant growth in the output of Rwanda’s garment and leather industries, with production increasing fivefold from 34 billion Rwandan Francs (Rwf) in 2017 to Rwf154 billion in 2024.
As he addressed the issue on March 28, during a session with Parliament, Prime Minister Dr. Edouard Ngirente highlighted the critical role these industries play in the country’s economic development and their contribution to increasing exports.
“We do not have enough locally produced clothing, and so we must work harder to ensure that the garment industries can meet the needs of all Rwandans at an affordable price,” Dr. Ngirente emphasized.
He added, “Our goal is to dress all Rwandans. We eliminated second-hand clothes so that Rwandans stop wearing outdated garments. The aim is to offer affordable clothing that people can buy without resorting to second-hand options.”
{{Strengthening local textile manufacturing}}
Dr. Ngirente further explained that during a Cabinet meeting on March 26, 2025, the government discussed strategies to enhance the local textile industry, with the objective of making fabric more accessible to tailors within the country.
He noted that UTEXRWA, which used to be the only textile factory, has been producing fabric and selling it to local and international garment manufacturers. However, many of those working in the garment industry still rely on importing fabric.
“Most garment manufacturers rely on imported fabric. During our recent government meeting, we explored ways to support local textile industries. This includes providing additional resources to businesses already in operation and supporting new entrants into the sector so that we can start producing fabric here in Rwanda,” Dr. Ngirente stated.
He confirmed that this initiative would soon be rolled out, enabling local tailors to source fabric domestically. The government also plans to help industry investors secure markets, further integrating Rwanda’s garment sector into the country’s broader economic development plans.
In addition, plans are underway to establish a factory in Musanze that will produce essential materials for the metal industry. Meanwhile, a leather processing factory is being set up in Bugesera. This facility will not only produce leather goods, including shoes, bags, and belts, but is also expected to generate $430 million annually for the country.
Employed by Ocean Heights Aviation Training Centre, an aviation school based in Entebbe, the pilots had been sent to South Kivu to evacuate personnel of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to Kampala.
According to Daily Monitor, the pilots were flying aboard an American-registered Cessna Caravan aircraft. As they approached Kavumu Airport in Bukavu at dusk, unknown assailants opened fire on the aircraft.
Despite the attack, the pilots managed to land the plane but were subsequently captured and taken to an undisclosed location.
The kidnappers later contacted the pilots’ handlers in Kampala, demanding an undisclosed ransom for their release.
Reports indicate that one of the pilots, a South Sudanese national, succumbed to his gunshot wounds over the weekend, while the Ugandan pilot sustained injuries but was successfully repatriated for treatment.
On March 31, Colonel Chris Magezi, the acting spokesperson for the Ugandan military, clarified that the pilots were civilians, refuting the earlier claims that suggested they were soldiers.
“These are civilians operating commercial charter services. The government of Uganda is following up on this matter through relevant diplomatic channels but the UPDF is not involved at all. However, we are concerned that our fellow citiens have been harmed in some place and we will do eveyrthing required if we are asked to provide any assistance,” he noted.
The two leaders held an “open and cordial” discussion about the state of bilateral ties and the tensions that have accumulated in recent months, and reiterated their willingness to resume the fruitful dialogue established in August 2022, read a statement published by the Algerian Presidency on Facebook.
They agreed on the need for returning to an equal dialogue between the two countries, and for “the immediate resumption of cooperation on migration in a credible, smooth and effective manner,” read the statement.
“The Joint Commission of Historians will resume its work immediately and will meet soon in France,” with the outputs of its work and concrete proposals expected by this summer, read the statement.
The joint commission is what the two countries agreed to establish in 2022 in order to settle “the memory issue,” which refers to the French colonial rule starting from 1830 before Algeria won the eight-year independence war in 1962.
Bilateral judicial cooperation will also be resumed, with French Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin expected to visit Algeria in the near future, read the statement.
The two leaders stressed the importance of developing bilateral economic cooperation in future fields, read the statement, noting that Macron confirmed France’s support for revising the Algeria-EU partnership agreement, which Algiers has long criticized as unbalanced and serving primarily European interests.
During the call, Macron again urged Tebboune “to grant pardon” to jailed French-Algerian writer, Boualem Sansal, an 80-year-old who is sentenced to 5 years in prison on charges of “undermining national unity,” citing his age and health.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot will visit Algiers on April 6 to solidify progress, read the statement, adding that the two presidents agreed in principle to hold an in-person meeting in the near future.
The phone conversation came as the diplomatic rift between Algiers and Paris has deepened in recent months due to disagreements over immigration issues and policies, historical grievances, and France’s backing of Morocco in disputes over Western Sahara, among others.
Algeria has been urging the French government to recognize crimes conducted during the 132-year French colonial rule, a step seen by Algiers as essential for both nations to move beyond past grievances and establish stable and constructive ties.
On March 23, Algeria’s parliament established a commission to draft a law criminalizing the French colonial rule, a move deemed “historical” and backed by local lawmakers, historians, and legal experts.
These talks aim to resolve ongoing conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the broader Great Lakes region.
The decision to merge the Luanda and Nairobi talks was made during a meeting chaired by the Presidents of Kenya and Zimbabwe, bringing together the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
The Luanda talks initially aimed to mediate tensions between the DRC and Rwanda, while the Nairobi talks focused on addressing internal Congolese conflicts.
However, both processes stalled due to a lack of commitment from the Kinshasa government. By merging these efforts, regional leaders hope to achieve lasting peace and stability in eastern DRC and the surrounding region.
To facilitate the process, five prominent mediators have been appointed: Olusegun Obasanjo, Uhuru Kenyatta, Catherine Samba Panza, Sahle-Work Zewde, and Kgalema Motlanthe. Their expertise is expected to be instrumental in guiding the talks toward a peaceful resolution.
On March 24, 2025, the Heads of State instructed EAC Chairperson President Dr. William Samoei Ruto and SADC’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa to engage with these mediators within a week before the talks officially begin.
According to local media in Zimbabwe, Prof. Murwira confirmed on March 30 that preparations were well advanced, and the meeting between Dr. Ruto, Mnangagwa, and the mediators was expected within the set timeframe.
He expressed confidence that the high-level meeting could take place at any time, noting that the agenda had been finalized by March 28, and official letters had been sent to the mediators.
The only step remaining was for the regional leaders to deliver their opening remarks.
Ambassador Albert Chimbindi, Zimbabwean Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary, also assured that efforts were being made to ensure that the Luanda-Nairobi talks commence as soon as possible.
While the exact date of the meeting had not been finalized, he acknowledged the ongoing commitment to making the talks a success.
Having spent three decades immersed in the region, Peeters shares his personal experiences, emotions, and observations that inspired him to write this deeply moving and thought-provoking book.
Through vivid portraits and heartfelt testimony, he seeks to preserve the memory of the victims and shed light on the untold truths surrounding the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
In an exclusive interview with IGIHE, Peeters discusses the motivations behind his writing, the emotional toll of bearing witness, and his unwavering commitment to honoring the truth.
{{Excerpts:}}
{{IGIHE: Jean-Pierre Peeters, you recently published a booklet titled “30 Years Later: Still the Same Questions.” What inspired you to write this book?}}
{{Jean-Pierre Peeters:}} The 30 years later correspond somewhat to the time I spent there, and I wanted, through writing, to be a witness to what I saw, what I felt, and everything I understood. I wanted to provide, in a few portraits, the testimony of someone sincere. I am not a politician. I am not someone who deals with history. I just wanted to be a witness to what I saw.
{{IGIHE: In your book, you refer to the “scoundrels of history.” Could you explain what you mean by that?}}
{{Jean-Pierre Peeters: }} Thank you for the question, because, in fact, the scoundrels of history is indeed a whole chapter of the book; it is the heart of the book. The other chapters are there only to explain events that culminated to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
The core of the story, my true outcry, is precisely to denounce these scoundrels of history who want to impose their narrative in place of those who lived it and who still live it today on the ground, that is to say, in Rwanda.
So, denouncing the crimes is one thing, but we must also point out those who allowed this crime to occur, those who enabled the deaths of over a million people simply because we no longer wanted them on this earth.
{{IGIHE: Could you elaborate on how writing helped you confront and process those haunting memories?}}
{{Jean-Pierre Peeters:}} At first, I wanted to take refuge in writing, a bit like an outlet for an internal pain that was indescribable for years. What I saw, what I experienced was not only in Rwanda, because, in fact, my story begins in Burundi. I lived through the events in Ntega and Marangara in 1988 and everything that followed.
I experienced that as a true wound. But what really pushed me to write was what happened in Rwanda, because the crime of crimes was pushed to its peak, and what happened in Rwanda is something that is difficult to explain. It is hard for people to understand that the genocidaires went to work. They themselves said it like this: they left in the morning for work; they went to kill, and for three months, during those days, they killed between 10,000 and 12,000 people a day.
Why write? Everything I saw deeply marked me, and it took me no less than fifteen years before I could find sleep at night. I was incapable of having a peaceful day; it was a haunting. And I say this: I did not lose anyone from my family; I only witnessed friends and acquaintances die.
I did not lose anyone from my home, but the inner anger was something I could not overcome. I truly thought that writing the book, which took me nearly three and a half years, would serve as an outlet where I could try to absorb this pain and confine it somewhere in my little head so that I could live normally. When you witness this, you can no longer live normally.
What I wanted to convey is that it is essential to maintain memory. And I say this at the beginning of the book; I dedicate this book not only as an individual but also to the memory of all those who will not be able to read it but who are my profound inspiration.
The UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic stated that peacekeepers were attacked by an “unidentified armed group” during a long-range patrol in Tabane village, Haut-Mbomou Prefecture, on Friday morning.
In a press statement, the Security Council expressed their deepest condolences and sympathies to the victim’s family, as well as to Kenya and the United Nations.
The council reiterated that attacks against peacekeepers may constitute war crimes and reminded all parties of their obligations under international humanitarian law.
On Saturday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the attack, urging the Central African Republic authorities to “spare no effort in identifying the perpetrators of this tragedy so that they can be brought to justice swiftly.”
Elly Mate, the spokesperson for the Uganda Police Force in the Kigezi region, reported that the accident occurred at the Kyanamira trading center along the Mbarara-Kabale highway.
Muhire was driving a Sinotruk truck from Mbarara to Kabale when he lost control of the vehicle at Kyanamira, causing it to veer off the road on Saturday.
According to Mate, the accident was caused by brake failure, which led to the truck overturning. Muhire died instantly at the scene.
His body was taken to Kabale Regional Referral Hospital for a post-mortem examination before being repatriated to Rwanda.
