All imports would be subject to 10 percent additional tariffs, except as otherwise provided, the executive order said. This will take effect on April 5.
Trump will impose an “individualized reciprocal higher tariff” on the countries and regions with which the United States “has the largest trade deficits,” according to a White House document. This will take effect on April 9.
Some goods will not be subject to the reciprocal tariff, including steel and aluminum, as well autos and auto parts already subject to Section 232 tariffs, copper, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and lumber, the White House noted.
For Canada and Mexico, United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) compliant goods will continue to see a 0 percent tariff, non-USMCA compliant goods will see a 25 percent tariff, and non-USMCA compliant energy and potash will see a 10 percent tariff, according to the White House.
In his speech at the White House Rose Garden, Trump presented a chart on “reciprocal tariffs.” The chart shows that different countries and regions face different tariff rates.
For example, China will face a 34-percent tariff, the European Union 20 percent, Vietnam 46 percent, Japan 24 percent, India 26 percent, South Korea 25 percent, Thailand 36 percent, Switzerland 31 percent, Indonesia 32 percent, Malaysia 24 percent, and Cambodia 49 percent.
Trump claimed that other trading partners impose “non-monetary barriers” on the United States. The chart illustrates the tariff rates “charged” by different countries or regions to the United States, including “currency manipulation” and “trade barriers.”
“There is no basis for the claimed tariff-equivalent rates imposed by other countries. This is pure invention,” Gary Clyde Hufbauer, a nonresident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, told Xinhua.
Despite Trump’s claim that higher tariffs will help bring in revenue for the government and revitalize U.S. manufacturing, economists have warned that such measures will push up prices for U.S. consumers and businesses, disrupt global trade, and hurt global economy.
“The move was a significant escalation of Mr. Trump’s trade fight and is likely to ripple through the global economy, driving up prices for American consumers and manufacturers while inciting retaliation from other nations,” The New York Times reported.
“The tariffs announced are at the extreme end of forecasts,” said Hufbauer. “Plus rabid characterization of foreign countries … Hard to see the U.S. avoiding a recession. World growth will be down 1 percent or more,” he said.
The panel will engage with all stakeholders to enhance mediation efforts and support the full implementation of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS), the AU said in a statement issued Monday.
The AU calls on all parties to uphold all the provisions of the R-ARCSS, the statement said, adding that the pan-African bloc remains actively engaged with regional and international partners, including the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the East African Community (EAC) and the United Nations, to support South Sudan’s transition to durable peace and democracy.
It said that after cordial direct talks with President Salva Kiir of South Sudan, AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf addressed the evolving political situation in South Sudan and the recent violence in Nasir County in the country’s Upper Nile State.
Dozens of people were killed, and several senior officials, including First Vice President Riek Machar, have been detained since clashes erupted in January between the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces and opposition fighters.
South Sudan, which became independent in 2011, signed a peace deal in 2018 that ended a civil war between forces loyal to Kiir and Machar. Nearly 400,000 people died in the civil war.
Relations between Kiir and Machar, who have dominated South Sudan’s politics for decades, remain strained. The clashes and latest political tensions between the two leaders have unsettled many citizens and the international community.
According to a statement from the U.S. State Department, Boulos will commence his visit on Thursday, April 3, 2025, making stops in the DRC, Rwanda, Kenya, and Uganda.
Accompanying him will be senior U.S. diplomat Corina Sanders. The delegation is set to engage with heads of state and business leaders to advance peace efforts in eastern DRC and encourage U.S. private sector investments in the region.
Boulos, a Lebanese-born American, has been appointed as a senior advisor for Africa in addition to his existing role as a senior advisor to Trump on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs.
He has close ties to the Trump family, particularly through his son, Michael Boulos, who is married to Trump’s daughter, Tiffany Trump.
The visit comes amid ongoing efforts to resolve the conflict in eastern DRC, which in recent months has seen M23 rebels seize large swaths of territory, including the cities of Goma and Bukavu.
Significant developments in peace negotiations have been reported, with the DRC government and M23 rebels expected to hold direct talks in Doha, Qatar, on April 9, according to sources.
Efforts toward peace also saw DRC President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame meet in Doha on March 18. The DRC and Rwanda have been at loggerheads over the conflict, with Rwanda denying allegations that it backs M23 rebels in eastern DRC.
Rwanda insists that its primary concern is the insecurity posed by the FDLR militia, which it accuses of collaborating with the Congolese army. The militia consists of remnants of the perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, with Rwanda maintaining that the group poses a significant security threat due to its genocidal ideology.
The move, announced on Tuesday by the presidency’s spokesperson Tina Salama, spares the lives of Marcel Malanga, a Utah-born U.S. citizen, and two other Americans who had faced execution following their conviction by a Kinshasa military court in September 2024.
According to Salama, the death sentences have been commuted to life imprisonment, following an executive order from Tshisekedi.
“They will not be executed, as the death penalty is commuted,” she stated, confirming the reprieve for Malanga and his co-defendants.
The motive behind the pardon remains unclear. However, the decision comes at a time when Tshisekedi is seeking closer security cooperation with the United States. Recently, he proposed a deal offering minerals in exchange for U.S. military support to counter the M23 rebel group, which has seized large swaths of territory in eastern DRC.
The three Americans were among 37 alleged coup plotters who were sentenced to death last September for their role in a failed coup attempt.
The attack targeted the residence of then-Vice Prime Minister Vital Kamerhe before shifting to the Palais de la Nation, the seat of the Congolese presidency.
The coup was thwarted by security forces, resulting in the deaths of six people, including the plot’s leader, Christian Malanga, a former Utah-based car dealer who had returned to the DRC and was father to one of the convicted Americans, Marcel Malanga.
During their trial, Marcel Malanga and his high school friend, Tyler Thompson Jr., both 21, claimed they were coerced into participating in the coup under threat from Christian Malanga. Despite these statements, they, along with a Canadian, a British citizen, and a Belgian national, were convicted and sentenced alongside several Congolese defendants.
The U.S. State Department previously acknowledged the case, and Utah Senators Mike Lee and Mitt Romney had engaged with diplomatic channels over the matter.
Two people were trapped under the debris, and rescue teams from the Myanmar Fire Services Department and Turkey successfully pulled one survivor to safety, the information team said.
The operation at the hotel began at around 3:00 p.m. local time on Tuesday, and the man was rescued by approximately 00:30 a.m. local time on Wednesday, it said.
Efforts are ongoing to locate and rescue the remaining trapped individuals, it added.
As of Wednesday, April 2, 2025, the death toll in Myanmar had risen to 2,886, with 4,639 people injured and 373 still missing.
The TKMD facility, located in the Mwulire industrial zone in Rwamagana District, aims to meet local demand while also supplying other African nations facing syringe shortages.
Established in partnership with Gates Foundation, the World Health Organization pre-qualified facility employs over 100 people—80% of whom are women—enhancing healthcare quality and access.
Dr Nsanzimana described the factory as a game-changer for Africa, addressing a long-standing challenge of syringe shortages across the continent.
“The issue of syringe shortages was not unique to Rwanda; it was a widespread challenge due to reliance on imports and limited global production capacity. With this factory, that problem is now solved—not just for Rwanda, but for Africa as a whole,” he stated.
The first batch of syringes produced was immediately purchased by UNICEF for distribution to Ethiopia, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique, and other nations.
Currently, TKMD has a production capacity ranging from 600,000 to one million syringes per day, with plans to scale up based on market demand.
The factory had been operational for five months before its official launch, undergoing stringent quality assessments to ensure compliance with international standards.
The Rwamagana industrial zone is designed to accommodate 51 factories. At present, 19 are fully operational, four have been completed and are awaiting permits, while 11 are still under construction.
Speaking on Sanny Ntayombya’s Long Form podcast, Rwabukumba revealed that a single government bond, costing just RWF 100,000 and yielding 11% annually, offers a low-risk way to beat bank savings rates and build long-term wealth.
“It’s as easy as opening a bank account,” he told the host.
According to Rwabukumba, a government bond at RWF 100,000 pays 11% a year—far outstripping the 8-9% interest typical savings accounts provide.
“Buy ten bonds for 1 million RWF, and every six months, you’d get about RWF 55,000 —totaling RWF 110,000 yearly,” he explained.
“After three years, you get your 1 million back,” he added.
Reinvesting the interest allows the magic of compounding to kick in, with the CEO disclosing that RWF 1 million doubles to 2 million in roughly six years and climbs toward 3 million in a decade.
For a young Rwandan making RWF 200,000 a month, Rwabukumba suggested setting aside RWF 50,000 regularly. That habit alone could accumulate to RWF 6 million in ten years.
“It’s not about the size of the savings,” he emphasized, “but the discipline behind it.”
While private bonds might tempt with 14% returns, he prefers the government variety for their safety.
“Sure, a government could go broke,” he acknowledged with a shrug, “but a nation keeps going—and Rwanda’s track record is solid.”
{{A Market Hungry for More
}}
Under Rwabukumba’s leadership, the Rwanda Stock Exchange has demonstrated robust demand. He highlighted that every initial public offering since the exchange’s inception in 2011 has been oversubscribed by at least threefold, citing examples like Bank of Kigali’s $100 million raise and Bralirwa’s RWF 17 billion listing.
“We’ve never seen an undersubscription,” he stated, underscoring the market’s strength.
However, secondary market activity remains subdued, with investors holding onto bonds and shares. This year’s trading volume reached RWF 100 billion, a significant increase from periods of near-zero activity in prior years, though liquidity remains a challenge.
Rwabukumba also noted the $500 million in annual remittances from Rwanda’s diaspora as a potential catalyst.
“That’s capital from our own citizens,” he explained, suggesting it could finance infrastructure projects like roads or the Bugesera Airport, reducing reliance on foreign aid.
He views this as a critical move toward economic self-sufficiency, driven by retail investor participation.
Rwabukumba outlined a streamlined process for investing in RWF 100,000 bond. The first step, he explained, is deciding to prioritize saving over spending—a foundational shift in financial behavior.
Next, investors must open a Central Securities Depository (CSD) account through one of the six active stockbrokers listed on rse.rw. The process is cost-free, requiring only an ID and two passport photos, and is accessible remotely, including for diaspora members.
The final step involves transferring RWF 100,000 to the broker’s client account during a Central Bank bond issuance, yielding RWF 5,500 semi-annually.
“The system is online and straightforward, with no in-person requirement,” he affirmed.
Retail investors benefit from priority access in Rwanda’s oversubscribed primary market, ahead of institutional buyers. Rwabukumba added that mobile-based transactions via USSD codes are in development, signaling further accessibility improvements.
Despite the opportunity, participation remains limited. Rwabukumba identified inadequate public awareness as a primary obstacle.
“The lack of effective communication means many don’t understand what’s available,” he observed.
He noted that spending patterns—such as high consumption in the last week of each month—or investments in non-liquid assets like undeveloped land divert capital from the market. By comparison, he praised savings cultures in other regions, where individuals allocate half their income to investment before discretionary spending.
With only 100,000 active investors against a population of 13 million, he warned that low engagement undermines wealth creation potential.
“Without market participation, financial growth will stall,” he remarked.
Rwabukumba emphasized that bonds are just the beginning. He explained that each bond purchase supports infrastructure development while generating returns, aligning individual and national interests.
The RSE is preparing to launch Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) to enable ownership in high-value properties like Kigali Towers, alongside Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) and Sharia-compliant instruments to attract Middle Eastern capital.
Dr. Francis Habumugisha, the company’s CEO, expressed his delight at receiving the prestigious accolade.
“This is a moment of great joy for us as a company. Our commitment to providing high-quality services and top-tier products is built on my 20 years of experience in the food supplements industry,” he said.
He attributed the award to the company’s dedication to customer satisfaction.
“Customers are our top priority. We ensure they receive high-quality, effective products that meet their needs,” he added.
Dr. Habumugisha emphasised that respecting customers means delivering exactly what is promised on product labels—whether it’s a remedy for a specific health concern or essential vitamins.
He also highlighted some of the company’s bestselling products that contributed to its recognition. These include Best Man Prime, which helps prevent prostate cancer in men, and Best Lady Care, which supports hormonal balance, uterine health, and libido enhancement in women.
Other popular supplements include Best Kids Brain Gummies, formulated to aid children’s growth and cognitive development. The company also offers Best Fish Oil, Best Fit & Detox Tea, Best X Power Coffee, and Best Brain Booster, all designed to promote overall well-being.
Reaffirming the company’s commitment to quality and reliability, Dr. Habumugisha announced plans to establish a manufacturing plant in Rwanda to produce supplements locally.
He also encouraged business owners interested in partnering with Mega Global Market to reach out, underscoring the company’s mission to provide premium products at affordable prices.
The team, consisting of Kalisa Ineza Giovanni, 18, and Bisizi Muhire Ighor, 19—both graduates of Rwanda Coding Academy—along with Iradukunda Moustapha, 19, a student at SOS Technical High School in Kigali, impressed judges with their ingenious AI-powered solution designed to bridge the communication gap between people with hearing disabilities and those with speech impairments.
Their innovation, Signal AI, is an application primarily aimed at schools, promoting an inclusive environment by converting sound and text into sign language in Kinyarwanda and vice versa.
“With this application, teachers will no longer struggle to teach students who are deaf or have speech impairments. They simply speak, and the application translates everything into sign language using a 3D model,” Giovanni explained.
“It can also translate sign language for someone who doesn’t understand it, converting it into text or sound for the other person,” he added.
Giovanni noted that the technology is scalable and can be applied in various real-life situations, including assisting traffic officers and accident victims in communicating during emergencies.
The team’s lead developer described the hackathon as an incredible experience that allowed them to apply their skills in a real-world setting and expressed excitement about their victory in the highly competitive event.
“This has been an incredible experience. We utilised both our skills and the resources provided to us, which helped us address the challenges faced by those who feel excluded due to hearing or speech impairments,” Giovanni said.
The team plans to use part of their RWF 5 million award—sponsored by AI and open data company Digital Umuganda—to further develop their solution.
Held at the Irembo campus in Nyarutarama from Friday, March 28 to Sunday, March 30, the 48-hour hackathon was hosted in partnership with Irembo, the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR), and several other institutions that sponsored the awards. Twenty teams participated, competing for innovation glory.
{{Other Winners
}}
The second-place winners, who took home RWF 3 million, developed ScholarSphere, an AI-powered platform designed to help users upload content and receive personalised career or subject paths based on their submissions. Once users upload content, the platform generates a summarised graph outlining a clear learning or career trajectory.
The third-place award went to a team of two developers for their project, Maitress, an AI-powered educational tutor assistant. This virtual “teacher” speaks multiple languages and utilises computer vision. By pointing a camera at a question, Maitress can interpret what it sees. Users can either speak to it or show it something, and it will analyse the input. When asked a question, it processes the query and delivers a step-by-step solution.
Libériste Clarence and his teammate, Ndizihiwe Regis, won RWF 2 million for their project. This marks Clarence’s second podium finish, having previously [won the first edition of the hackathon with Cedric Izabayo->https://en.igihe.com/science-technology/article/21-year-old-duo-wins-frw-5m-prize-in-irembo-s-inaugural-ai-hackathon] for their AI-powered chatbot, Bwenge.
Speaking about his victory, Clarence couldn’t hide his excitement, sharing his determination to turn his ideas into reality.
“This is just the beginning,” he said. “I’m eager to push these impactful ideas forward so that they can start providing value to society.”
The second and third-place prizes of RWF 3 million and RWF 2 million were sponsored by Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB) and Proto, respectively.
Peter Charles Djomga, Director of Software Engineering at Irembo, termed the second edition of the hackathon a big success, revealing that the teams presented even more impactful projects than in the previous edition.
“The candidates delivered amazing solutions, including voice AI, translation tools, contextual education platforms, and even a farming solution to identify plant diseases. We saw a wide range of impressive projects, and it was really tough to pick a single winner,” Djomga remarked.
In developing practical AI solutions, the participants leveraged large language models (LLMs) and locally built technologies. Teams also had the opportunity to access IremboPay APIs to integrate cutting-edge digital payment solutions into their projects. Pindo, a partner of the event, provided access to its latest speech-to-text and text-to-speech AI models for voice-enabled applications.
Beyond the innovative displays and prizes, the hackathon aimed to bridge the gap between concept and real-world application.
Addressing the potential commercialisation of the projects, Djomga highlighted the practical outcomes already emerging.
“Our goal isn’t just to award prizes but to create a space where ideas can grow into viable solutions. Take last year’s event, for instance. The previous winner joined our team and is already accelerating our internal services,” Djomga stated, referring to Cedric, who recently joined the company.
He further encouraged participants to leverage their ideas, networks, and experience gained to launch startups.
Patrick Ndjientcheu, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Irembo, echoed this optimism, emphasising the hackathon’s role in showcasing Rwanda’s digital potential.
“What I saw made me think, ‘If these people keep doing what they’re doing, Rwanda will be on the world map for digital innovation,’” Ndjientcheu said.
He praised the participants for transforming ideas into working solutions in just 48 hours, noting that the event provided the right tools and energy to unlock their problem-solving skills.
The Rwanda Information Society Authority (RISA) was also represented at the closing ceremony. Odilo Rugamba, a software architect at RISA, praised the projects presented, noting their potential to revolutionise public services and beyond, aligning with the government’s National Strategy for Transformation goal of training one million developers by 2030.
“What we saw today was spectacular,” Rugamba remarked. “The projects they completed in just 48 hours were truly remarkable. We’re thrilled to see the talent and technical capabilities on display and hope this momentum continues to grow into the future.”
The hackathon came just days before Rwanda hosts Africa’s inaugural two-day summit on Artificial Intelligence (AI), scheduled for 3–4 April.
The Global AI Summit on Africa will convene world leaders from governments, businesses, academia, and civil society to accelerate AI innovation, mobilise investment, and promote strategic policy alignment to bolster Africa’s AI capabilities for competitiveness and inclusive growth.
Addressing the press on Monday, March 31, 2025, David Amuor Majur, the President’s Press Secretary, termed the reports as unfounded.
Teny, a key political figure in South Sudan, was reportedly detained alongside her husband, Machar, who has been under house arrest following a deadly attack in the Upper Nile region.
Majur called the rumors “misleading” and urged the public to rely on official statements rather than unverified reports.
“This claim is false and does not accurately reflect the situation. The government of South Sudan respectfully refutes the assertion that Minister Angelina Teny is under house arrest,” Majur said.
Machar’s detention is related to ongoing investigations into the attack on March 7 that resulted in the deaths of General Majur Dak and several other individuals.
The South Sudanese government has faced significant scrutiny after Machar was placed under house arrest in the wake of the Nasir incident. The attack targeted a group attempting to board a United Nations helicopter for evacuation, prompting authorities to initiate investigations into potential militia involvement linked to Machar’s supporters.
During the Monday press briefing, the President’s Press Secretary also accused Kenya’s Special Envoy to South Sudan, Raila Odinga, of misrepresenting some facts following his recent visit to Juba.
Majur strongly refuted the claim that the South Sudanese government directed Raila to meet Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni after being denied a chance to meet Machar.
Majur insisted that Raila’s journey to Uganda was pre-arranged and not recommended by President Salva Kiir’s administration, as Odinga had stated during his interview upon landing back in Nairobi.
“Furthermore, the suggestion that His Excellency General Salva Kiir Mayardit, President of the Republic of South Sudan, requested the Right Honourable Raila Odinga to meet with the President of Uganda is misrepresenting diplomatic norms and principles,” Majur told the media.
“It is essential to clarify that the Right Honourable Odinga’s mission to Uganda was pre-arranged and not directly from the government of South Sudan,” he added.
The Kenyan government appointed Odinga as its special envoy to South Sudan amid rising tensions following Machar’s arrest on March 26.
Kenya’s President William Ruto, who has been actively involved in mediation efforts within the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) region, made the appointment after consulting with regional leaders, including Kiir, Museveni, and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
Ruto stated that Odinga was tasked with engaging all parties to de-escalate the conflict and provide feedback on the situation.
