Author: Wycliffe Nyamasege

The colourful ceremony, held at Kigali Marriott Hotel, brought together government officials, diplomats, business leaders, and distinguished guests to commemorate the UAE’s formation under the theme “United.”

The celebration marks a significant milestone for the UAE, reflecting on the vision of its founding fathers, particularly Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who united the seven Emirates under one flag on December 2, 1971. The historic day not only heralded the birth of the United Arab Emirates but also laid the foundation for its commitment to international cooperation and responsible governance, with the first Council of Ministers formed just a week later and the UAE joining the United Nations.

In his keynote speech, Mohammed AlKaabi, Chargé d’Affaires of the UAE Embassy in Kigali, highlighted the nation’s remarkable progress over the past five decades.

“From infrastructure, aviation, and renewable energy to space exploration and artificial intelligence, the UAE has chosen to shape the future rather than wait for it,” he noted.

He also emphasised the UAE’s global initiatives, including Expo 2020 Dubai and COP28, underscoring the country’s commitment to sustainable development, innovation, and climate action.

The 2025 Union Day celebrations also coincide with the UAE’s designation of the year as the “Year of the Community,” a reflection of the nation’s focus on social cohesion and inclusivity. With over 200 nationalities residing in the UAE, the initiative highlights the importance of diversity, mutual respect, and shared development.

Rwanda’s presence at the event was led by the Guest of Honour, Virgile Rwanyagatare, Director General for Asia, Middle East & Pacific Affairs at Rwanda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation.

In his address, Rwanyagatare extended Rwanda’s heartfelt congratulations to the UAE on its 54th Union Day. He emphasised the strong bilateral ties that have grown steadily over the years, particularly in trade, investment, aviation, hospitality, education, and infrastructure.

“Over the past thirty years, Rwanda has undergone rapid transformation across multiple sectors with the support and investment of partners like the UAE,” Rwanyagatare said.

He highlighted that the UAE has emerged as Rwanda’s top export market, with bilateral trade surpassing USD 1.5 billion in the last year, reflecting the complementary strengths of both economies and the confidence businesses place in each other.

Economic cooperation has been bolstered by projects such as DP World’s Kigali Logistics Platform and the new Rubavu Logistics Hub, which strengthen Rwanda’s role as a regional trade and logistics hub connecting the country to regional seaports and global supply chains. The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) has also supported Rwanda through initiatives like the expansion of the Karenge Water Treatment Plant, enhancing water security and service delivery for communities and businesses.

Beyond economics, the UAE and Rwanda have deepened collaboration in capacity building and governance through the Government Experience Exchange Program, as well as in security and defence, contributing to regional stability. Both countries continue to share values centred on human capital development, innovation, sustainable development, and climate action.

The evening’s program featured a blend of cultural and diplomatic engagements, including UAE and Rwandan national anthems, a traditional UAE folk dance ‘Al Harbiah’, Rwandan traditional dance performances by students from the Islamic Secondary School for Sciences, a self-service buffet featuring UAE dishes, and the ceremonial cutting of the Union Day cake. Guests were also presented with symbolic gifts, marking the significance of the occasion.

Since the opening of the UAE Embassy in Kigali in March 2018, this marks the eighth time Union Day has been celebrated in Rwanda. The event provided an opportunity to reflect on the UAE’s achievements over more than five decades while reaffirming the shared commitment of both nations to further strengthen their partnership for peace, prosperity, and mutual growth.

As the celebrations concluded, both AlKaabi and Rwanyagatare toasted to the continued friendship between Rwanda and the UAE, reaffirming that the ties between the two nations are poised to grow even stronger in the years to come.

According to the Office of the President, President Kagame hosted a dinner with Members of Congress, including Senator Mike Rounds, Chairman Rep. Brian Mast, Senator Kevin Cramer, Senator Pete Ricketts, Rep. Ronny Jackson, and Rep. Trent Kelly. Discussions focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation through key initiatives that contribute to lasting stability and prosperity.

Earlier in the evening, President Kagame met separately with Senator Lindsey Graham. Their conversation centred on expanding Rwanda–U.S. collaboration in strategic areas such as conservation, security and economic partnerships.

President Kagame arrived in Washington earlier on Wednesday and is expected to meet with President Donald Trump before joining the signing of the Washington Accord alongside his Congolese counterpart, President Félix Tshisekedi.

The accord, brokered by the United States and scheduled for signing later on Thursday, seeks to end years of conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. It follows months of intensive diplomatic negotiations led by President Trump, building on an initial framework agreed upon in June.

In addition to the peace agreement, Kagame and Tshisekedi are also expected to ratify a Regional Economic Integration Framework, finalised last month, which outlines mechanisms to boost cross-border trade and cooperation.

The Washington Agreement includes provisions for the neutralisation of the FDLR and the lifting of Rwanda’s defensive border measures.

The upcoming signing is being closely watched as a significant step toward stabilising eastern Congo and advancing regional cooperation across the Great Lakes region.

The UNCTAD’s Trade and Development Report 2025 shows that shifts in financial markets affect global trade almost as strongly as real economic activity, influencing development prospects worldwide, said the UN trade body.

The report said that despite potential gains from new technologies like artificial intelligence, global growth is projected to remain subdued in 2026, at 2.6 percent.

UNCTAD said that its projection was based on a global growth aggregate using market exchange rate (MER) weights rather than purchasing power parity (PPP) weights used by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), with the latter leading to a higher global growth forecast. The OECD on the same day predicted that global GDP growth will slow from 3.2 percent in 2025 to 2.9 percent in 2026.

UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan said the findings show how financial conditions increasingly determine the direction of global trade. “Trade is not just a chain of suppliers. It is also a chain of credit lines, payment systems, currency markets, and capital flows,” she said.

The report said developing economies are forecast to grow by 4.3 percent in 2025, significantly faster than advanced economies.

However, factors such as higher financing costs, greater exposure to sudden shifts in capital flows, and rising climate-related financial risks limit the fiscal and investment space that developing economies need to sustain growth.

The report noted that many developing economies with small domestic financial markets rely on external borrowing at significantly higher rates of 7 to 11 percent, compared with 1 to 4 percent in major advanced economies.

In addition, climate vulnerability adds to financial pressures, with countries repeatedly exposed to extreme weather paying an estimated 20 billion U.S. dollars more each year in interest.

UNCTAD called for a set of reforms to reduce financial vulnerability, improve predictability, and strengthen alignment among trade, finance, and development.

These measures include trade rule updates, policies to narrow data caps, international monetary system reforms, and the development of capital markets.

The leaders are set to finalise the Washington Accord, a US-brokered peace deal aimed at ending years of conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The signing ceremony, scheduled for December 4, follows months of intensive diplomatic efforts led by President Trump and comes after the initial agreement was reached in June. In addition to the peace accord, the two leaders are expected to ratify a Regional Economic Integration Framework that was negotiated last month.

Relations between Rwanda and the DRC have been strained for years. Kinshasa has accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebel group, which controls key eastern cities, including Goma and Bukavu. Rwanda has consistently denied these allegations, instead accusing the DRC of harbouring the FDLR, a militia group linked to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, and urging the DRC to resolve its internal security issues independently.

The Washington Agreement outlines the neutralisation of the FDLR and the lifting of Rwanda’s defensive border measures.

President Kagame recently emphasised that lasting peace will require commitment from all parties involved.

“Some of these processes will not work not just because we are meeting in Washington or the powerful United States is involved, but until those people concerned directly are committed to achieving end results,” he said.

The upcoming signing in Washington is being closely watched as a crucial step toward stabilising eastern Congo and strengthening regional cooperation in the Great Lakes region.