Since the group took control of Goma late January, the operating hours of the La Corniche border post had already been extended, running from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
However, the Governor of North Kivu Province appointed by AFC/M23, Bahati Musanga Erasto, announced that starting from Friday, September 19, 2025, the crossing will operate from 6:00 a.m. until midnight.
“All residents of North Kivu, particularly those in Goma, are informed that beginning Friday, September 19, 2025, the main border post will be open daily from 6:00 a.m. to midnight.”
Governor Bahati also instructed border service providers to comply with this new directive.
In July, authorities in Rubavu District noted that traffic across both the main and smaller border posts had significantly increased since M23 took control of Goma. Between 2020 and 2024, an average of 20,000 people crossed the border daily.
In 2025, that figure rose to 43,000 excluding those crossing through Kabuhanga, according to Rubavu District Mayor Prosper Mulindwa.
Users of the main and small border include traders, buyers, workers, visitors, and tourists traveling between the two sides.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said the party intends to bring back the plan during a recent interview with GB News, where he responded to questions about the scheme’s effectiveness.
Asked how many migrants had been sent to Rwanda while Conservatives were last in government, Philp noted that none were removed due to a protracted legal battle that delayed the process, except for four who moved voluntarily.
Philp added that preparations were completed and the government was ready to begin removals in July 2024. However, the plan was halted two weeks before its scheduled launch by Keir Starmer and the Labour Party.
“And the reason no one ended up going to Rwanda is that the scheme was cancelled by Keir Starmer and Labour, two weeks before it was due to start.”
The next UK general election is scheduled for 2029, and Philp indicated that if the Conservatives return to power, the Rwanda migration scheme could be reinstated.
“We’re definitely going to bring that back,” he added.
The UK’s Labour government formally scrapped the plan last year to remove migrants who enter the UK illegally for further processing, citing legal and ethical concerns. Since then, it has faced mounting pressure for not offering a credible alternative to manage irregular migration.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s administration remains under scrutiny domestically for the absence of a replacement policy.
Meanwhile, the European Union is reportedly warming up to a similar scheme, and the United States has also signed an agreement with Rwanda to address its own migration challenges.
A first group of seven migrants from the US arrived in Rwanda in mid-August under a bilateral agreement to resettle up to 250 migrants. The Rwandan government has stated that all individuals will receive support, including accommodation, healthcare, and workforce training, to help them integrate into Rwandan society or potentially relocate to other countries.
On August 6, U.S. Border Chief Tom Homan defended the agreement while openly criticising Britain’s failure to follow through on its own arrangement with Rwanda.
“They’re not the United States of America. They don’t have President Trump running the show,” Homan said, blaming what he described as weak leadership in London for the UK plan’s collapse.
The agreement was concluded in Beijing during a meeting between Rwanda’s Minister of Defence, Juvenal Marizamunda, and Admiral Dong Jun, China’s Minister of National Defence, on the sidelines of the 12th Beijing Xiangshan Forum.
The 12th Beijing Xiangshan Forum, China’s leading annual security and defence dialogue, is held at the Beijing International Convention Center from September 17 to 19.
This year’s theme is “Safeguarding the International Order and Promoting Peaceful Development Together.”
The forum brings together more than 1,800 participants, including government officials, military representatives, scholars, and observers from over 100 countries and international organizations.
Its programme features plenary and parallel sessions, high-level dialogues, youth seminars, closed-door academic meetings, exhibitions, and cultural exchanges designed to foster mutual understanding.
Discussions focus on safeguarding the legacy of the World Anti-Fascist War, defending the post-war international order, and exploring effective approaches to conflict resolution.
Speaking at the opening, Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun reaffirmed China’s commitment to world peace and welcomed all participants.
He emphasized the importance of dialogue, consultation, and consensus-building in safeguarding the international order and advancing global development.
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Rwanda and China share 76 years of diplomatic relations, characterized by close collaboration in various sectors. Economically, trade between the two nations reached a record US$670 million in 2024, with China maintaining its role as Rwanda’s leading source of foreign direct investment.
Military cooperation has also grown steadily. In August 2024, Rwanda hosted a Chinese delegation led by Lt Gen Huang Xucong, Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff of the PLA Central Theater Command.
The four-day visit included discussions with Minister Marizamunda and RDF Chief of Defence Staff, Gen MK Mubarakh, on ways to further strengthen ties between the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
At the celebration of the 98th anniversary of the PLA on July 11, 2025, Maj Gen Alex Kagame, Chief of Staff of the Rwanda Reserve Force, praised China’s contribution to RDF’s professionalization and capacity building.
“I wish to reiterate that Rwanda’s commitment deepens our cooperation and promotes mutual understanding. With that in mind, the upcoming signing of an MOU on defence cooperation will further strengthen our defence capabilities,” he said.
Over the past decade, more than 300 RDF officers have graduated from Chinese military institutions, with many more currently pursuing training in China.
The meeting brings together military commanders deployed along the shared border to address key security challenges and enhance cross-border cooperation.
The RDF delegation is led by Brigadier General Justus Majyambere, Commander of the RDF 5th Infantry Division, while the TPDF delegation is headed by Brigadier General Gabriel Elias Kwiligwa, Commander of the TPDF 202 Infantry Brigade.
The first day of the meeting included field visits to key border areas to assess the security challenges facing communities on both sides. The delegations jointly visited the Mitako–Rusumo area in Ngara District, which borders Nyamugali Sector in Kirehe District, Rwanda.
They also visited a tri-border point shared by Rwanda, Tanzania, and Burundi; locations known as hotspots for smuggling and other illicit cross-border activities.
In addition, the commanders visited the Akagera River, which forms a natural boundary between Rwanda and Tanzania.
They observed the need for urgent action to protect the wetland from unsustainable farming practices that threaten the river’s ecosystem.
Nexstar Media Group, Inc. announced in a statement that the company’s owned and partner television stations affiliated with the ABC Television Network will preempt “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” for the foreseeable future beginning with Wednesday night’s show.
Nexstar owns America’s largest local television broadcasting group comprising top network affiliates, with more than 200 owned or partner stations reaching 220 million people, according to its website.
“Nexstar strongly objects to recent comments made by Mr. Kimmel concerning the killing of Charlie Kirk and will replace the show with other programming in its ABC-affiliated markets,” the statement read.
“Mr. Kimmel’s comments about the death of Mr. Kirk are offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse, and we do not believe they reflect the spectrum of opinions, views, or values of the local communities in which we are located,” said Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar’s broadcasting division.
Shortly after the release of the statement, NBC News quoted an ABC spokesman as saying that “‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ will be pre-empted indefinitely.”
In Monday night’s monologue, Kimmel suggested that Tyler Robinson, the suspect in Kirk’s killing, could have been a pro-Trump Republican.
“The MAGA Gang (is) desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said.
U.S. President Donald Trump and senior administration officials have accused the “radical left” of being responsible for the death of Kirk, while rejecting the Democrats’ argument that political violence has been a problem from both sides.
In an interview with conservative commentator Benny Johnson earlier Wednesday, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr threatened to take action against Disney and its subsidiary ABC over the comments, noting that the FCC could consider revoking licenses of ABC affiliate stations as a penalty.
Criticizing the FCC chair on the social platform X, FCC commissioner Anna Gomez, the only Democrat on the panel, said, “An inexcusable act of political violence by one disturbed individual must never be exploited as justification for broader censorship and control.”
“This Administration is increasingly using the weight of government power to suppress lawful expression,” said Gomez.
“Jimmy Kimmel Live” is one of the several nationally recognized late-night talk shows in the country.
He will also visit their fellow force stationed in Torit, Eastern Equatoria State, South Sudan on 18 September 2025.
Upon arrival, the Force Commander was received by the Rwanbatt-1 Contingent Commander, Lt Col Paul Ndushabandi who briefly took him through on major operations conducted including protection of civilians and provision of force protection to humanitarian assistance.
While interacting with troops, the Force Commander commended their efforts to the UNMISS mandate and their role in fostering peace and stability in the area of responsibility.
He further encouraged them to continue being exemplary ambassadors, a professional and disciplined army, and role models to the community of South Sudan.
“Always be great Ambassadors of your great country, your great Army. Let everybody learn from you, how you rebuild your nation after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi to the current condition,” he said.
The Force Commander’s visit concluded with the symbolic planting of a tree.
The three had previously been remanded in custody by the Nyarugenge Primary Court, which cited serious grounds to suspect them of the alleged crimes.
Prof. Munyaneza faced charges of abuse of authority for personal gain, making decisions influenced by favouritism, nepotism or hatred, and unlawfully receiving or granting payments beyond the legal limit.
Umuhumuza was charged with abuse of authority for personal gain, biased decision-making, and mismanagement of public resources. Murekezi faced a charge of complicity in abuse of authority for personal gain.
After being ordered to 30 days of provisional detention by the Primary Court, the trio appealed. Their case was heard on Tuesday, September 16, 2025.
On September 17, the Intermediate Court upheld their appeal, overturning the Primary Court’s detention order and granting them provisional bail.
On Tuesday, September 16, the General Delegation for Prison Administration and Reintegration (DGAPR) of Morocco and Rwanda’s General Commissariat of Correctional Services signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Rabat.
The agreement, signed by Morocco’s General Delegate Mohamed Salah Tamek and Rwanda’s Commissioner General Evariste Murenzi, aims to enhance collaboration on prison governance, particularly in facilities housing high-risk inmates. It also establishes a framework for sharing best practices and expertise in prisoner rehabilitation and post-incarceration reintegration.
Tamek described the MoU as a key step in bilateral cooperation, emphasising that it will facilitate experience exchanges, capacity building, and technical collaboration to modernise prison systems in both countries. He highlighted training programs for staff, improvements in prison security, and enhanced management of dangerous inmates as core areas of focus.
Murenzi welcomed the initiative as part of the broader strategic partnership between Rwanda and Morocco, established in 2016. He noted that the signing reflects Rwanda’s commitment to deepening bilateral ties and promoting institutional capacity building in correctional services.
Both officials underlined that the MoU will serve as a platform for future collaboration, with the potential to expand into other areas of shared interest.
Ali made the remarks during an interview with Rwanda Broadcasting Agency (RBA), where he emphasized the need to build on the good relations between the two countries.
He explained that Rwanda and Djibouti share many commonalities, including cultural ties, which should serve as a foundation for expanding private-sector cooperation.
“We already cooperate, but we should enhance and expand our collaboration just as our governments are doing. Why shouldn’t we broaden our cooperation and develop it further?” he said.
His comments follow the 2016 partnership agreement signed between Rwanda and Djibouti’s private sectors, which aimed to foster joint initiatives and drive economic growth.
The strong bilateral relationship between the two nations has also been demonstrated through land exchanges. Rwanda has been granted 60 hectares of land at Djibouti’s ports, while Rwanda, in return, allocated 10 hectares within its industrial park to Djibouti.
The call was made during the Africa Customer Experience Leaders Forum 2025, a continental meeting hosted in Rwanda that brought together representatives of institutions dedicated to promoting excellence in customer service across Africa.
The two-day forum, organized by CX Touchpoints Rwanda Ltd, convened more than 100 participants from 21 African countries.
Discussions highlighted that delivering quality services is central to achieving sustainable growth, with Rwanda presented as a leading example in innovation, effective policy implementation, and consistent improvement in both business and government services.
Jeannette Nyinawumuntu, Country Managing Director of CX Touchpoints Rwanda, emphasized that Africa must invest more in strengthening service delivery as part of its sustainable development journey.
On the first day, the forum focused on solutions tailored to Africa’s market realities, proposing new approaches to designing customer experience strategies suited for the continent.
Another key topic was the development of robust Voice of the Customer (VoC) frameworks to ensure that customer feedback directly informs corporate decisions, allowing institutions to respond effectively to the needs and expectations of their clients.
Participants also underscored the role of governments in creating enabling environments for high-quality services, citing Rwanda as a case study of how governance policies can enhance citizens’ experience with public service delivery.
The forum included sessions on consumer behavior research in Africa, offering practical recommendations for strengthening customer loyalty and trust in both businesses and organizations.
Executive Director of The Global Trust Project, Dominic Wilhelm urged African institutions to leverage artificial intelligence, noting that the technology can position organizations at the forefront of customer service excellence.
Meanwhile, Joan Ntabadde Kyeyune, a customer experience enthusiast, called on leaders of customer-focused agencies across the continent to drive cultural change in how clients are welcomed, as a means of boosting loyalty and confidence.
On her part, Dr. Lucy Kiruthu explained how aligning budgets with projects that directly improve customer experience could yield long-term benefits for both citizens and businesses.
At the conclusion of the forum, delegates visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial at Gisozi, where they paid respects to the victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and were briefed on Rwanda’s history, how the killings were stopped, and the country’s resilience journey.
