Author: Wycliffe Nyamasege

On the sidelines of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) Kigali 2025, the Head of State met with Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and executives from Airtel, Axian Telecom, Ethio Telecom, MTN, and Orange, members of the G6 group, an alliance of Africa’s leading mobile network operators working with the GSMA to accelerate digital transformation.

According to the Office of the President, the meetings focused on policy reforms, infrastructure investment, and environmental sustainability, aiming to bridge Africa’s digital divide and promote inclusive growth in the continent’s rapidly expanding digital economy.

Speaking earlier at the MWC Kigali 2025 opening ceremony, President Kagame called for a “bold, connected, and competitive” Africa. He urged global leaders, innovators, and policymakers to harness technology to narrow the continent’s connectivity gap and unlock its potential.

“Innovation does not belong to one part of the world alone,” Kagame said. “It can emerge anywhere from anyone given the chance.” He highlighted Africa’s rapid shift from limited connectivity to a mobile-driven economy, citing mobile money as a global model of financial inclusion empowering small businesses, women entrepreneurs, and rural communities.

President Kagame emphasised Rwanda’s vision of building a knowledge-based economy, integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into planning, research, and public service delivery to boost productivity and inclusivity. He called for harmonised policies across governments, private sectors, and partners like the African Union and Smart Africa, aiming to create a single digital market enabling secure data and payment systems across the continent.

Echoing Kagame’s vision, ICT Minister Paula Ingabire highlighted Rwanda’s digital achievements, noting that active mobile users surged from 500,000 in 2023 to 5 million 4G users by June 2025, driven by public-private partnerships and reforms to lower costs and expand infrastructure. She also showcased Rwanda’s 5G launch via MTN Rwanda, connectivity for nearly 1,000 health facilities and 4,000 schools, and training of 4.5 million citizens in digital literacy.

“The future of digital innovation in Africa will be defined by collaboration,” Minister Ingabire said, urging the development of African-designed solutions scalable globally to position the continent as a hub of digital excellence.

Vivek Badrinath, Director General of the GSMA, praised Rwanda’s leadership, noting that mobile operators now cover 99% of the country, enabling nearly 13 million connections. He highlighted the role of mobile technology in advancing education, healthcare, and financial services, while calling for urgent action on handset affordability, inclusive AI models, and energy resilience to ensure universal digital access.

The three-day event, themed “Converge, Connect and Create”, has drawn over 4,000 delegates from 109 countries. Its thought leadership programme focuses on building a connected continent, exploring AI for economic growth, advancing fintech, and showcasing Africa’s digital frontier through innovations in health, education, and entertainment.

According to French daily Le Parisien, the criminals gained access through the façade of the museum facing the Seine River, where construction work is underway. Using a construction ladder and a freight elevator, they reached the Galerie d’Apollon, home to the French Crown Jewels, before breaking through windows and seizing nine pieces from the historic collection.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez described the incident as a “major robbery” that lasted just seven minutes. “It was manifestly a team that had done scouting,” he said, noting that the thieves used small chainsaws and a disc cutter to cut through panes of glass before fleeing on scooters.

Culture Minister Rachida Dati confirmed the theft in a post on X, saying a “robbery” had occurred at the museum as it opened to the public. “No injuries have been reported,” she added, assuring that investigations were underway. The Louvre subsequently announced its closure for “exceptional reasons,” and police evacuated visitors from the premises as nearby streets were cordoned off.

Authorities later recovered one of the stolen jewellery pieces near the museum, but the rest remain missing.

The targeted Galerie d’Apollon holds some of France’s most valuable treasures, including the Crown Jewels and ornate objects associated with the country’s imperial past. The stolen pieces, part of the Napoleonic collection, are considered “priceless” by officials due to their historical significance.

The audacious theft has reignited concerns about museum security across Europe, following a string of high-profile art crimes in recent years. In 2019, thieves broke into Dresden’s Green Vault in Germany, escaping with royal jewels worth hundreds of millions of euros. Two years earlier, burglars at Berlin’s Bode Museum made off with a 100-kilogram gold coin, while in 2010 a lone intruder at Paris’s Museum of Modern Art slipped away with five masterpieces, including a Picasso.

The Louvre itself is no stranger to daring robberies. The most famous case occurred in 1911 when Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa was stolen by an Italian handyman who hid inside the museum overnight and walked out with the painting under his coat. It was recovered two years later in Florence, an episode that helped turn the portrait into the world’s most recognised artwork.

Louvre is home to more than 33,000 works ranging from ancient artefacts to European masterpieces and draws up to 30,000 visitors a day.

In a message shared on X, President Faye said his visit “concludes under the banner of fraternity and cooperation,” expressing gratitude to President Paul Kagame, his government, and the Rwandan people for the warm hospitality extended to him and his delegation.

“Rwanda stands as an inspiring example of resilience and transformation in the service of development, one that we salute with respect and admiration,” he wrote. “Our two nations are moving forward together toward a sovereign and innovative Africa.”

Earlier on Sunday, President Faye joined President Kagame for the monthly Car Free Day, a popular initiative promoting physical fitness and environmental sustainability. The two Heads of State took part in a 5-kilometre walk through Kigali, a gesture symbolising health, social cohesion, and shared commitment to protecting the environment.

The visit also saw the signing of five new bilateral agreements on Saturday, aimed at deepening cooperation and advancing shared development goals across key sectors. The accords, witnessed by both presidents, cover visa facilitation, agriculture, health, correctional services, and collaboration within Rwanda’s long-term development framework, Vision 2050.

Speaking during the signing ceremony, President Kagame welcomed his Senegalese counterpart, describing the visit as a reflection of the “long-standing and productive relationship” between the two nations.

“Rwanda and Senegal are guided by the same values, putting people first, delivering results, and pursuing a bold, transformative vision,” Kagame said. “Our discussions today reaffirmed our commitment to act on these principles. We also share the vision of a self-reliant, united continent guided by accountable governance and inclusive development.”

He further emphasised the central role of Africa’s youth in shaping the continent’s future, urging continued efforts to create opportunities for them to thrive.

“Their talent and resilience are undeniable. Our responsibility is to make sure they have the opportunity to meet their full potential,” Kagame noted.

President Faye, in his remarks, commended Rwanda’s remarkable transformation journey under Kagame’s leadership and paid tribute to the victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

“Rwanda’s resilience and the progress it has made on the path to development since 1994 are remarkable,” he said. “Our political and diplomatic relations are excellent, but there remains untapped potential in economic and trade cooperation.”

He expressed optimism about the future of bilateral relations, proposing the establishment of a Joint Cooperation Commission to evaluate the current partnership and identify new avenues for collaboration in sectors such as agriculture, education, health, the digital economy, air transport, infrastructure, culture, and sports.

According to South African publication the Sunday Times, the warning was delivered during Tshisekedi’s visit to South Africa last month as part of efforts to mediate between the two warring Congolese leaders, just two weeks before Kabila was sentenced to death in absentia for war crimes and treason.

Three sources familiar with the discussions said South Africa is now seeking a political solution with Tshisekedi’s government over the Kabila matter. The initiative follows an earlier request from Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa for Ramaphosa’s assistance in easing tensions in the region.

“There isn’t much substance to the charges, but it’s a typical African scenario; the presidents also control the courts, so they fight political battles through them,” said one senior official, quoted by the publication.

“Part of Tshisekedi’s problem is that Kabila is more popular than him. Kabila comes from an area where M23 operates, and that poses a threat. If someone as popular as Kabila goes to assist M23, it is a recipe for a coup.”

Cabinet spokesperson and minister in the presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, emphasised that South Africa’s priority is achieving lasting peace in the eastern DRC and the country as a whole.

“President Ramaphosa has already met with former president Kabila, and following that engagement, he’s meeting with President Tshisekedi. There will be other meetings with other role players. We hope to also engage with M23 to ensure all parties can find common ground,” Ntshavheni said.

Kabila, who ruled the DRC for almost two decades before stepping down in 2018, was tried in absentia in July for allegedly supporting the rebels who seized significant territory in the country’s east this year. He was accused of crimes against humanity, including involvement in civilian massacres, with the military’s auditor-general seeking the death penalty for multiple offences.

Insiders said South Africa was puzzled by the timing of the execution order, noting that Tshisekedi had previously agreed with Ramaphosa that such a move could undermine regional peace efforts. Kabila has long enjoyed a positive relationship with South Africa, where he had been living in exile until his visit this year to the eastern region controlled by the M23 rebels.

South Africa and other SADC members withdrew their troops from the DRC earlier this year to allow for a political solution following deadly clashes that led to the fall of Goma to M23.

The decision was endorsed during the party’s annual conference on Saturday in the eastern city of Mutare. Delegates instructed the government to start drafting legislation to amend the Constitution, according to Justice Minister and ZANU-PF legal secretary Ziyambi Ziyambi.

President Mnangagwa, 83, is constitutionally scheduled to leave office in 2028 after completing two elected terms. Any extension would require a constitutional amendment and could involve a public referendum, legal experts say.

Delegates at the conference welcomed the motion with strong support, reflecting the party’s focus on continuity in leadership. While Mnangagwa did not comment on the extension during his closing remarks, party officials have indicated that the process will move forward through formal legislative channels.

The initiative comes amid discussions within ZANU-PF on leadership continuity and national development priorities. While supporters emphasise stability and long-term planning, opposition figures have indicated that any constitutional changes would face scrutiny and potential legal challenges in court.

Municipalities across Gaza have mobilized their limited resources to clear streets and set up temporary shelters for thousands of displaced families, as two years of Israeli attacks have devastated much of the enclave’s infrastructure.

“There is not a street, neighborhood, or alley in the Gaza Strip that has not been partially or completely destroyed by the Israeli war machine,” said Asem al-Nabih, spokesman for the Gaza Municipality.

He added that the conflict has left behind an estimated 55 to 70 million tonnes of rubble, while about 90 percent of Gaza’s infrastructure, including roads, water, sewage, and electricity networks, has been destroyed or severely damaged.

“From the first day of the ceasefire, we began mobilizing our limited bulldozers and equipment to clear rubble and reopen main roads. Most of our machinery was damaged or destroyed during the war, but we are doing what we can with what remains,” he added.

According to Hosni Mohana, the municipality’s public relations officer, these operations aim not only to restore transportation routes but also to prepare sites for temporary camps to shelter displaced residents before winter sets in.

“We are working under extremely difficult conditions due to severe shortages of machinery, fuel, and equipment, as well as a lack of manpower,” Mohana told Xinhua. He noted that even when equipment is available, the lack of fuel to operate it will remain a major obstacle.

He emphasized that Gaza urgently needs “broad Arab and international cooperation to supply heavy machinery, fuel, labor, and financial support to accelerate the reconstruction effort.”

In response, several international and regional partners have joined the reconstruction effort. Shortly after the ceasefire was announced, the Egyptian Relief Committee for the People of Gaza, working alongside local authorities and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), began operations in multiple areas of Gaza City and the northern Gaza Strip.

Mohammed Mansour, spokesman for the Egyptian Committee, said the team’s work is focused on clearing rubble in the hardest-hit northern areas.

“The cleared areas will be used to establish camps for displaced families who lost their homes,” Mansour said. “We are also digging wells, reopening bakeries, and supplying water to affected neighborhoods.”

Meanwhile, the committee’s field teams in Gaza are coordinating closely with their headquarters in Cairo and the Egyptian Red Crescent to ensure the efficient delivery of relief materials.

Abdullah Hamada, a Palestinian working with the Egyptian Committee, said workers are “racing against time to establish large shelters in the Al-Tawam area, north of Gaza City, and to ensure they have access to clean water before winter begins.”

Ahmed Qasim, a displaced Gaza resident who lost his home in an Israeli airstrike, said his family has been forced to flee several times during the war.

“We have no permanent shelter and must carry water from afar because the sanitation and water networks were destroyed,” he said. “We need new infrastructure before the rains begin.”

Alongside Arab and local efforts, the UNDP has been involved in debris management and infrastructure assessment to speed up reconstruction planning.

Mohammed Maziad, UNDP’s senior technical specialist for debris management, told Xinhua that “the program’s volunteers have contributed both on the ground and online, producing an accurate work plan, detailed rubble assessments, and interactive dashboards for donors.”

According to Maziad, the cooperation between the Egyptian Committee, UNDP, and local municipalities has established a more organized framework for rubble removal and coordination of relief efforts.