Author: Nicole Kamanzi Muteteri

The leaders convened in Arusha, Tanzania on Thursday March 13, for a two-day Strategic Dialogue for Heads of Public Service and Ministers, where they discussed critical barriers hindering the EAC’s integration.

Key challenges identified included fragmented national policies, weak engagement frameworks, and inadequate financial and human resources, all of which have slowed the implementation of regional commitments.

To address these issues, the meeting emphasized the need for a robust monitoring mechanism to ensure national policies align with regional objectives. Leaders also called for stronger policy coordination, sustained collaboration, and reinforced accountability to accelerate integration efforts.

Beatrice Askul Moe, Chairperson of the EAC Council of Ministers and Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for EAC Affairs, urged Heads of Public Service to ensure compliance with regional commitments.

“We must acknowledge that the pace of implementing regional protocols has sometimes fallen short. Your oversight can help identify bottlenecks, address implementation challenges and hold relevant agencies accountable for their regional obligations,” she stated.

Kenya’s Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service, Mr. Felix Koskei, emphasized the importance of financial commitments from Partner States, calling for the timely implementation of directives made by EAC Heads of State.

Similarly, Uganda’s Minister for EAC Affairs and First Deputy Prime Minister, Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga, stressed the need for regional leaders to fully familiarize themselves with EAC laws and ensure their enforcement.

EAC Secretary General, Veronica Nduva, highlighted the risks posed by competing national interests, resource constraints, and delays in financial disbursements.

She underscored that a lack of coordinated governance has led to persistent Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs), negatively impacting regional trade. She called for greater alignment and accountability from EAC Organs, Coordinating Ministries, and Heads of Public Service.

Dr. Peter Kiuluku, Director General of the Eastern and Southern African Management Institute (ESAMI), urged EAC Partner States to embrace a technology-driven economy, value creation, and strategic collaboration to enhance regional competitiveness.

The dialogue, supported by ESAMI and GIZ, reaffirmed the EAC’s commitment to long-term economic transformation and global competitiveness.

Among those in attendance were Permanent Secretaries, Ambassadors, representatives from government institutions, and academia members, all contributing to the discourse on a stronger, more unified East African Community.

The programme will be held under the theme: “Rwanda Citizens with the Defence and Security Organs Celebrate Kwibohora 31 and 25 Years of Partnership with RNP.”

This initiative reflects the constitutional mandate of both the RDF and RNP to contribute to Rwanda’s socio-economic development.

It emphasizes the collaborative efforts that have defined the relationship between Rwanda’s security forces and its citizens over the past decades.

The nationwide programme, which spans three months, will mark Rwanda’s 31st anniversary of Liberation, while also celebrating 25 years of partnership between the Rwanda National Police and the citizens of Rwanda.

As part of the outreach, RDF and RNP will engage in various community development activities across the country.

These initiatives are set to focus on key sectors that impact the daily lives of citizens, including health, environmental protection, public infrastructure, utilities, and the construction of homes for disadvantaged families.

In addition to these activities, the programme will strengthen the bonds between the security forces and the community, providing a platform for citizens to engage directly with their national protectors in practical, meaningful ways.

This year’s initiative follows the success of similar efforts in 2024, where over 10,000 citizens benefited from health services, and a large nuber of families had their homes built or upgraded.

The RDF and RNP also provided 800 livestock to improve livelihoods, as well as distributed water, electricity, and built new infrastructure.

The ongoing collaboration between the security forces and communities continues to ensure that citizens receive tangible benefits from these outreach programs.

The Defence and Security Citizen Outreach Programme is an important step toward enhancing human security and fostering closer ties between the security organs and the public.

Through the programme, RDF and RNP aim to build upon the trust and support they have received from the people of Rwanda in their efforts to strengthen the country’s security and drive its development forward.

The outreach will also serve as a reflection of the country’s commitment to not only defending its borders but also ensuring the well-being of its citizens in all spheres of life.

The MoU, aimed at enhancing military collaboration, was signed on March 13, 2025, during General Muganga’s official visit to Ethiopia.

During the visit, General Muganga and his delegation toured the headquarters of the Ethiopian military, where the agreement was formally signed.

Gen Muganga was accompanied by Rwanda’s Ambassador to Ethiopia, Major General (Rtd) Charles Karamba, the Director General of International Cooperation at the Rwanda Ministry of Defense, Brigadier General Patrick Karuretwa, and other senior officials from the Rwanda Defense Forces (RDF).

Rwanda and Ethiopia have enjoyed over 20 years of military cooperation, initially focused on joint military training. The partnership has since expanded to include collaboration between the police forces of both countries.

Beyond defense and police cooperation, Rwanda and Ethiopia share strong bilateral ties in sectors such as agriculture, trade, education, and more.

Over the past seven years, the two nations have also signed agreements in air travel services, allowing for seamless cooperation between their airlines, RwandAir and Ethiopian Airlines.

The decree, issued by Sudan’s Acting Minister of Trade and Supplies, Omar Ahmed Mohamed Ali, halts imports from Kenya through all entry points, including ports, airports, and border crossings, effective immediately until further notice.

The controversy stems from a political charter signed by the RSF and its allies on February 22 in Nairobi, where they expressed plans to establish a “parallel government” in Sudan.

Sudan’s government condemned Kenya’s role in hosting the event, accusing it of supporting the RSF, which has been in conflict with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) since April 2023.

The Sudanese authorities referred to Kenya’s actions as interference in Sudan’s internal affairs and a violation of international norms.

In response, Kenya’s Foreign Ministry defended its actions, emphasizing that its role in hosting the RSF was in line with its commitment to providing a neutral platform for peace negotiations between conflicting parties.

The ongoing conflict in Sudan has led to significant loss of life, with over 29,000 reported deaths by the end of 2024, according to crisis monitoring groups.

The community’s statement, issued on March 12, 2025, argues that such punitive measures undermine African-led initiatives and instead embolden the DRC government’s pursuit of military solutions, sidelining diplomatic efforts that would address the root causes of the conflict.

The community highlights the damaging impact of the decision, noting that it shifts focus away from addressing critical regional issues and instead fuels the advocacy for Western sanctions and boycotts against Rwanda, as articulated by President Tshisekedi.

“This is evident in President Tshisekedi’s persistent advocacy for Western sanctions and boycott against Rwanda instead of engaging in African-led initiatives,” the statement reads.

The Rwandan community further urges the German government to adopt a fact-based diplomatic approach and support ongoing African-led initiatives to find lasting solutions for the DRC conflict.

In the statement, they underscore the historical roots of the crisis in Eastern DRC, which can be traced back to the 1884-1885 Berlin Conference, where Germany played a pivotal role in dividing African territories without regard to indigenous communities.

The artificial borders that were drawn during this period have left many Rwandophones on the Congolese side, leading to generational marginalization and persecution.

“The origins of the crisis in Eastern DRC can be traced back to the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885, in which Germany played a decisive role in partitioning Africa without regard for indigenous communities,” the community emphasizes.

The statement also critiques the international community’s failure to resolve the crisis, particularly after the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.

Instead of disarming genocidal militias, the international community turned a blind eye, allowing these militias to reorganize in refugee camps that later became breeding grounds for violence.

This led to the formation of the Forces Démocratiques de Libération du Rwanda (FDLR), a genocidal terrorist group responsible for continuing violence against Rwanda and Rwandophones in the DRC.

“These camps later became strongholds of genocidaires militias and defeated army that later, with the support of the then Zaire government, gave birth to the FDLR,” the statement notes.

Moreover, the Rwandan community highlights the continued persecution and genocidal rhetoric aimed at Rwandophones in Eastern DRC. This has manifested in violent pogroms against Rwandophones in 2023 and 2024, where graphic videos showed individuals being executed and burned alive in Goma and Bukavu.

“Acts of cannibalism have also been recorded,” the community asserts, condemning the Congolese government’s complicity in such atrocities.

The statement further condemns the Congolese government’s direct encouragement of genocidal violence, including the armed creation of ethnic militias like the Wazalendo, which are responsible for terrorizing populations in the Kivu region.

The Rwandan community also draws attention to the DRC’s failure to address its internal governance issues, instead using Rwanda as a scapegoat for its ongoing ethnic violence.

“Instead of addressing internal governance failures, the DRC government has consistently shifted blame onto Rwanda, accusing it of aggression while continuing to fuel ethnic violence and harbor genocidal militias,” reads the statement.

In light of these concerns, the Rwandan community calls on the German government to reconsider its decision and engage more constructively in the region.

They urge the German government to hold the DRC accountable for its actions, particularly its failure to disarm genocidal militias like the FDLR, and for its failure to protect Rwandophones, who have been subjected to violence and persecution for decades.

The Rwandan community also underscores the security concerns that Rwanda faces from the DRC. The continued presence of the FDLR, which still operates freely in Eastern Congo, remains a serious threat to Rwanda’s security.

The statement highlights the joint military collaboration between FARDC (the Congolese army) and FDLR fighters, which poses a direct threat to Rwanda.

“Rwanda has repeatedly warned the international community about security threats emanating from the DRC, including the direct collaboration between FARDC and the FDLR,” the community notes.

“We urge the German government to reconsider its position and adopt a balanced, constructive role in ensuring peace and stability in the region,” the community concludes, affirming endorsement for Rwanda’s decision to ensure the security of its borders and maintaining the security measures established to contain the threat from eastern DRC.

This project, funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB), aims to enhance agricultural productivity and sustainability across East Africa.

ENSURE seeks to improve long-term agricultural sustainability by expanding access to robust extension services and strengthening Partner States’ capacity to deliver effective training and responsive services.

It will focus on three primary areas: creating a harmonized regional policy for extension and inputs, deploying a regional pluralistic extension approach (involving public, private, and NGO sectors), and building capacity to address trans-boundary pests like the fall armyworm and desert locusts.

Over 5 million people, including 50% women, are expected to benefit from improved agricultural extension systems, and the project is expected to create at least 1 million jobs, with half of those benefiting women.

Speaking during the launch of the project on Tuesday, the EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Infrastructure, Productive, Social and Political Sectors, Andrea Aguer Ariik Malueth, said that the project begins at a pivotal moment as the EAC aims to transform its agricultural sector through various initiatives, including the Agricultural Inputs System Development Programme and the EAC Regional Agriculture Investment Plan (RAIP).

The DSG underscored the importance of the project in promoting a regional approach to strengthening agricultural extension, enhancing the role of extension in transforming agriculture, facilitating farmers access to advice and information, and supporting the adoption of climate-smart technologies and building the resilience of farming communities.

“I ask everyone to concentrate on how our efforts will contribute to the project’s broader goals, while also emphasizing value for money. Our citizens are the true stakeholders in this process, and it is our responsibility to ensure that the outcomes of this project lead to meaningful improvements in the agricultural sector of the Partner States.”

Ariik further emphasised the critical role of agriculture in the region’s economic landscape, adding that the agricultural sector remains the backbone of EAC economies in addition to employing over 60% of the population.

On his part, the AfDB Chief Agricultural Technologies Officer – Agricultural Research, Production and Sustainability, Dr. Innocent Musyabimana, highlighted the importance of investment in agriculture for fostering regional development.

“The African Development Bank is committed to financing projects that enhance agricultural resilience and productivity. We are proud to support the ENSURE Project, as it aligns with our mission to improve food security and reduce poverty across the continent,” said Dr. Nusyabimana.

Dr. Musyabimana said the project seeks to address the main challenges faced by farmers in the region including: limited access to extension services and training, limited access to new climate-smart technologies and inputs, and limited knowledge and skills to use these inputs effectively.

“With the use of digital extension technologies (internet, podcasts, videos, social media platforms), the project will seek to bridge the gap in access to extension information between men, women, and youth by promoting more equitable access among these different beneficiaries,” he said.

The three-year project is expected to meaningfully support the improvement of women and men’s access to agricultural technology and knowledge to support the implementation of its Gender Policy and place the institution as a leader in this sector.

The project will concentrate on advancing agricultural innovations that can attract youth to participate in agricultural activities as well as reduce the workload for women and boost their productivity and raise their income.