Author: Nicole Kamanzi Muteteri

Due to the refugee life, Tito and his peers spent four years unable to attend school, but eventually, they resumed their studies. He completed his secondary education and part of his university studies in Uganda before continuing his education in France.

In an interview with IGIHE, Tito Rutaremara, currently the Chairperson of the Rwanda Elders’ Advisory Forum, shared that life as a refugee was extremely difficult, with refugees receiving much worse treatment compared to the support they receive today.

“When you are a refugee, you have nothing. Back then, refugees had to fight for survival. You’d find that they were given food only for three months, and after that, people had to fend for themselves,” he said.

Rutaremara explained that refugees lacked rights and lived in extreme poverty during those times.

“When you are in a place where you have no rights, you may have studied and be hopeful to get a job, but you only find the job rejected by nationals. To be allowed to study subjects like medicine or law, you would have to lie and register as a native citizen.”

Tito Rutaremara pointed out that the issue of Rwandan refugees was neglected by the international community.

After growing up in adversity and hardship, he decided to enter politics to combat these injustices and to fight for peace for Rwandans.

“The main reason I entered politics was to fight injustice. We lived under oppression, with no country to call our own after being expelled from our homelands. Even in the host countries, we were denied freedom. Such circumstances push you into politics.

“Even if it wasn’t your initial intention, you are compelled to join when you encounter people involved in political movements,” Rutaremara explained.

He revealed that when they decided to return to Rwanda and fight for an end to oppression, they had to set a clear direction and purpose, uniting their efforts to address the challenges they faced.

{{Political legacy}}

In 1986, after being in Europe, Rutaremara decided to move to Uganda. The following year, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) in 1987 and Rutaremara participated in building the organization’s structures. Three years later, the struggle to liberate Rwanda began.

Rutaremara played a significant role in Rwanda’s history, being one of the longest-serving political figures in the country.

He is widely known for his role in the liberation struggle and his contributions after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. He was also an influential figure in the leadership of the RPF and one of its senior members who joined in 1987.

Tito Rutaremara and other members worked to unite Rwandans in exile and find ways to fight for their rights, having grown weary of living in refugee camps and under oppression.

He contributed to promoting democratic values, unity, and reconciliation—core principles of the RPF-Inkotanyi.

In 1990, when the RPF launched a military struggle to liberate Rwanda, Rutaremara was in the party’s leadership.

Though he was not a soldier on the front lines, he played a critical role in providing ideas and helping create strategies that supported the political journey alongside the military struggle.

“Fighters must have supporters. If someone goes to fight, how will they get food? How will they get medicine? And the weapons they use—don’t they require funding to restock? There’s also the sacrifice of being willing to send their own children,” Rutaremara stated.

Rutaremara was one of the leaders who encouraged Rwandans to understand the importance of the liberation struggle and the fight for the rights of every Rwandan, without discrimination or oppression.

“A struggle is not just about shooting. It extends to the elderly woman left behind, gathering small amounts of money and contributing with others so that the fighters can have weapons, medicine, food, diplomacy, and peace efforts, as well as participating in negotiations and other activities,” he noted.

Despite facing moments of doubt during the struggle, Rutaremara emphasized that they remained strong because they believed in their cause, knowing that they were fighting for truth and justice, supported by a vision of good governance.

After the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi was stopped, Tito Rutaremara was pivotal in establishing reconciliation policies, urging Rwandans to unite, work together, and build a new Rwanda based on unity and justice.

His leadership roles include serving in the Transitional National Assembly between 1994 and 2000, heading the Constitutional and Legal Commission from 2000 to 2003, and being the first Ombudsman of Rwanda from 2003 to 2011, where he worked hard to fight corruption and promote good governance.

In 2011, Rutaremara became a Senator before taking on the role of leading the Rwandan Advisory Council in 2019.

He is also known for unity and reconciliation, often speaking about the historical objectives and strategies of the RPF during the liberation struggle.

“The first goal was to fight oppression. Once we defeated it, we could begin working towards transforming the country and building the Rwanda we have today. Now, we continue to work on development and progress,” he stated.

{{Advice for the youth}}

Tito Rutaremara highlighted the significant opportunities that Rwandan youth have, particularly in having young leaders who understand their needs and are able to relate to them.

“They have leaders who understand them—leaders who were once young themselves and recognize the importance of youth. These leaders can relate to the challenges and aspirations of young people because they have been in their shoes and believe in their potential to achieve great things,” he noted.

Rutaremara also revealed that the youth in Rwanda have been given opportunities to study and make the most of these opportunities, with programs designed to help them become future leaders.

He emphasized that Rwanda offers youth opportunities to take on leadership roles and participate actively in decision-making processes.

“They have opportunities that many other countries don’t, where youth begin to lead early and work with others from the grassroots to the parliament.”

Rutaremara urged the youth to seize these opportunities, emphasizing that they should not be squandered, as previous generations including those who were refugees or affected by the Genocide against the Tutsi, did not have such chances.

The celebration of these achievements took place on Monday, December 23, 2024, following the games held in Mombasa, Kenya.

Among the highlights was a Bronze Medal won by Deputy Mukabalisa Germaine in the 800-meter race, along with a Volleyball trophy for men and other various medals.

The Speaker of the Rwandan Parliament, Lower House, Kazarwa Gertrude, commended the participants for making the country proud.

She assured that equipment challenges would be addressed next time, and that preparations would be enhanced.

Deputy Mukabalisa Germaine, who won the Bronze Medal in the 800-meter race, shared that the next goal is to secure Gold Medals.

“The leaders have assured us that the equipment challenges will be resolved, so we are confident things will improve. The aim of these games is to promote unity and cooperation among all Parliaments, and we have achieved that,” she said.

The next edition of the games is scheduled to take place in Burundi in December 2025.

In a joint communique, the organizations praised progress made in 2024, including a sustained ceasefire and steps toward electoral and constitutional planning.

However, they voiced concerns over delays in implementing key transitional tasks, which led to the extension of the transitional period in September.

The statement urged the government to capitalize on this extension—the final one, as assured by President Salva Kiir Mayardit—to accelerate the deployment of unified forces, strengthen transitional security arrangements, and ensure inclusivity in the peace process.

The missions also emphasized the need for expanded civic education to engage political parties, civil society, and the media in addressing implementation challenges.

With elections set for December 2026, the communique highlighted the importance of beginning detailed planning early in 2025 and maintaining global trust by demonstrating commitment to peace and stability.

The AUMISS, IGAD, and UNMISS reaffirmed their support for South Sudan and stressed that the year ahead offers a critical opportunity to solidify peace and lay the groundwork for credible elections.

Ms. Hammarskjöld succeeds Miguel de Serpa Soares of Portugal, who has been commended for his dedicated service to the Organization.

Until Ms. Hammarskjöld assumes her new role, Stephen Mathias, the Assistant Secretary-General for Legal Affairs, will continue as Acting Under-Secretary-General.

Bringing over three decades of experience, Ms. Hammarskjöld currently serves as Director-General for Legal Affairs at the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where she heads the Legal Department.

Her extensive career includes expertise in security policy, international law, human rights, and treaty law.

Throughout her 10 years in senior management, she has held notable positions such as Director-General for Political Affairs, Ambassador of Sweden to Israel, and Deputy Director in the Department for European Security Policy.

Additionally, she represented Sweden at the Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York.

Ms. Hammarskjöld holds a Master of Laws degree in international law from both the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom and the University of Uppsala in Sweden.

She has also pursued studies in peace-and-conflict research, French, and literature.
Fluent in English and Swedish, she is also proficient in French and Spanish, enhancing her ability to navigate the multilingual demands of her new role.

Chapo, representing the ruling party Frelimo, secured 65.17% of the votes, a slight decrease from the 70.67% initially announced by the National Electoral Commission (CNE) in October.

His main rival, Venancio Mondlane of the extra-parliamentary Podemos party, garnered 24.19%, while Renamo’s Ossufo Momade and Lutero Simango of the MDM captured 6.62% and 4.02%, respectively.

Lucia Ribeiro, President of the CC, acknowledged irregularities during the election but noted they were insufficient to nullify the results.

In parliamentary elections, Frelimo retained its dominance, winning 171 of the 250 seats.

Podemos followed with 43 seats, Renamo secured 28, and the MDM claimed 8.

Post-election violence has cast a shadow over the results, with local reports indicating over 100 civilian deaths and hundreds injured.

Despite the unrest, Chapo is set to succeed outgoing President Filipe Nyusi, continuing Frelimo’s long-standing leadership.

The car, unveiled by President Paul Kagame and Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) in Kigali, has sparked pride and ambitious aspirations among the students involved.

Speaking to RBA, some team members highlighted the importance of their milestone, describing it as proof of Africa’s potential in innovative engineering.

Clemence Iradukunda, one of the students, shared, “Being part of this project, creating a racing car for the first time in Africa, has inspired me to further refine my skills and contribute to Rwanda’s development.”

Félix Ndayizeye, a student who assisted in supervising the project and welding components, emphasized the transformative power of vocational training.

“My responsibilities included welding and supporting our engineer from FIA. After working together, we assembled the required parts. This shows that Rwanda’s vocational training programs have immense potential. We’ve proven that Rwanda can achieve great things, and we’re confident about future projects,” he said.

Marc Sibomana, an instructor at IPRC-Kigali, lauded the team’s dedication and resilience.

“We learned to work within deadlines and realized that nothing is impossible if we strive to achieve our goals,” he noted.

Dr. Alice Ikuzwe, Deputy Principal in charge of Academics and Training at IPRC-Kigali, encouraged the students to use this accomplishment as a springboard for tackling local challenges.

“Students now understand their capability. They should start identifying and addressing development projects that meet societal needs while creating jobs for others,” she explained.

The car is the first in the world to be built using blueprints provided by the FIA to its Member Clubs as part of the Affordable Cross Car project.

Remarkably, the students completed the vehicle in just one month, working alongside an FIA technician to meet international standards.

This achievement placed Rwanda firmly on the motorsport map and set a powerful example for future innovations by young African engineers.

This prestigious event is one that Rwanda has recently shown interest in hosting, with discussions on the matter progressing, as highlighted by President Paul Kagame on December 13, 2024.

Hosting a Formula One Grand Prix would require significant investment, including building the race track and maintaining it.

The costs involved cover the construction of the racing circuit, roads for the race, and ongoing repairs to potential damages. Seats for spectators, barriers, and fencing also add to the total expense.

Generally, the cost to build a new Formula One venue ranges between $270 million and $1.5 billion. The Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi currently holds the record, costing $1.34 billion.

Nowadays, new races come with a 10-year contract, costing almost $48.9 million annually (amounting to about $396.2 million over ten years) and an additional $575 million for race preparation, totaling nearly $1 billion, or roughly 1.3 trillion Rwandan francs.

{{What could Rwanda gain?}}

It has been six months since Visit Rwanda partnered with major European teams and various other competitions, which has boosted the country’s tourism sector.

The growing awareness has been evident, with a rise in the number of visitors. Rwanda’s sports investments have also been aimed at promoting its natural beauty and attracting international events, not just for tourism but also for business opportunities related to sports.

The tourism sector is expected to generate $660 million for Rwanda in 2024, up from $620 million in 2023.

The potential hosting of the Formula One Grand Prix has attracted global attention, and if it materializes, it would significantly boost Rwanda’s visibility, especially since the last African Formula One race took place in 1993 at Kyalami, South Africa.

In other countries, such races have proven to generate substantial returns, primarily from ticket sales because money from sponsorships often goes to the organizing company, Liberty Media.

While there have been instances where Formula One races incurred losses, such as in India and South Korea, where the Grand Prix failed to continue after heavy financial losses amounting to $24 million and $37 million respectively in 2012 and 2013, there are numerous successful examples.

For instance, Las Vegas invested $500 million for its 2023 Grand Prix, which generated an impressive $1.2 billion in tourism revenue. Similarly, between 2008 and 2018, Singapore’s Grand Prix contributed about $1.4 billion to its economy by drawing in 450,000 more tourists.

In Mexico, the Formula One Grand Prix boosted the country’s economy by 12%, largely through spending on luxury hotels and other services, where each Formula One attendee spends an average of $1,730 over the race weekend.

Research shows that between 2012 and 2015, hosting the event in Austin, Texas, generated $2.8 billion.

Formula One races are watched by over 1.54 billion viewers worldwide, with each race attracting an average audience of 70 million people.

With races broadcast in over 200 countries and spanning 635 hours of television coverage annually, the global reach is vast. About 53% of viewers are international, with tourists and teams spending significant amounts in the host country.

In addition to promoting the country, hosting such an event also creates job opportunities for local residents.

For example, the Formula One Grand Prix in Canada creates 640 jobs, while in Austin, Texas, it supports 9,100 jobs and generates $306 million annually.

If Rwanda was to host the Formula One Grand Prix, it could see a significant boost in its economy, both from tourism and the creation of job opportunities for locals.

The East African Community (EAC) had previously urged inclusive negotiations with all armed groups in the DRC after M23 resumed hostilities in late 2022. The plan sought to reintegrate domestic militias into civilian life and disarm foreign-based groups, repatriating their members.

However, momentum quickly faded. While M23 initially participated, subsequent talks focused primarily on groups allied with the Congolese army (FARDC), excluding M23.

During a discussion on RBA’s Inkuru mu Makuru, lawyer Jean Baptiste Gasominari described the Nairobi talks as a political maneuver.

“I avoided calling it theater because theater entertains and conveys purpose. This was purely political—a move by the DRC to appear cooperative,” he stated.

Senator Uwizeyimana agreed, calling the Nairobi talks “an illusion.”

“The DRC claims all issues related to armed groups are being addressed, asserting that foreign groups should return to their countries. Yet, it refuses to treat M23 differently, grouping them with others,” he explained.

The DRC government has consistently labeled M23 a terrorist organization and vowed not to engage with them.

“The government once negotiated with M23 and even signed agreements, which it later violated,” Uwizeyimana said. “Tshisekedi has at times admitted M23 are Congolese citizens, only to deny it later. This inconsistency reflects the chaos in their approach.”

Uwizeyimana emphasized that peace talks cannot succeed without addressing M23, which lies at the heart of tensions between Rwanda and the DRC.

“You cannot exclude M23 from the Luanda discussions, as they are central to resolving Rwanda-DRC conflicts. Ignoring them undermines the entire dialogue,” he asserted.

The Luanda talks, involving Rwanda, Angola, and the DRC, stalled after seven days when the DRC rejected direct talks with M23 despite the mediator’s request.

Rwanda maintained its stance, arguing that excluding M23 rendered any agreements meaningless.

Speaking on Sunday, Putin promised “many times more destruction” in retaliation, Russian news agency RIA Novosti has reported.

“Whoever attempts to destroy something in our country will face many times greater destruction on his own,” Putin said, emphasizing Russia’s resolve to not only repair the damage but to “move forward even faster.”

The attacks on Saturday involved eight drones, six of which targeted residential buildings, causing widespread concern.

According to reports, a drone attack on Kazan, 1,000 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, caused school evacuations and flight suspensions.

Of the eight drones, six hit luxury apartments, one struck an industrial site, and one was shot down, according to officials.

Ukrainian drone strikes aim to weaken Russia’s military and industrial capabilities to support its war effort.