The three-month course was designed to equip participants with the skills necessary to safeguard people and their property, even under challenging situations.
The IGP Namuhoranye highlighted the remarkable transformation made by the trainees during the course, noting improvements in both their technical abilities and their overall professionalism and attitude.
“You now graduate not just with new skills, but with the responsibility and capacity to carry out critical missions under pressure — with discipline, professionalism, and respect for human rights, both at home and abroad,” said IGP Namuhoranye.
He further urged them to maintain the commitment, discipline, and resilience that defined their training as they move into operational duties.
“Let the dedication and professionalism you demonstrated during training continue to guide you in your daily work, wherever your mission may take you.”
The SWAT course is part of the Rwanda National Police (RNP) broader strategy to build a highly skilled, professional, and adaptable police force capable of responding to modern security threats both domestically and in international peacekeeping or in crisis response operations.
A ceremony was held near the dam in the northwestern Benishangul-Gumuz region to celebrate the project’s official completion.
It was attended by senior Ethiopian officials, African leaders and representatives from the African Union and other international organizations, including African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Kenyan President William Ruto, Djiboutian President Ismail Omar Guelleh and South Sudanese President Salva Kiir.
Construction of the 5,150-megawatt hydropower project began in 2011 on the Blue Nile River near the Sudanese border.
Addressing the event, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed highlighted the dam’s potential to strengthen the national economy by providing stable energy for industry, improving livelihoods and advancing regional energy integration.
“Congratulations to all Ethiopians, both at home and abroad, as well as to our friends around the world, on the historic inauguration of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam,” he said.
The project, with a designed total water storage capacity of 74 billion cubic meters, has long been a source of tension among the three Nile-bound countries of Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan. While Cairo and Khartoum fear the dam will reduce their water share, Addis Ababa maintains that the project will not harm downstream countries.
“We are firm believers in collective advancement,” Abiy said, reaffirming Ethiopia’s commitment to pursuing growth without undermining its neighbors’ interests.
The Blue Nile, known as the Abay River in Ethiopia, originates from Lake Tana about 570 km north of Addis Ababa and is one of the Nile River’s two main tributaries.
Responding to questions in the National Assembly on Tuesday afternoon, Ramaphosa told lawmakers that South African government representatives are currently in the United States for further formal negotiations.
“Our people, who are in the United States, now are fully fired up with this type of approach,” he said, adding that ministers of trade and industry and international relations will join them to advance the discussions.
“They are meeting a number of stakeholders, including representatives in the administration, legislators, business people, and others,” he added.
The president said that the objective of the continued engagement with the United States is to secure a mutually beneficial trade and investment deal, noting that the government has chosen the route of engagement after consultations with exporters, importers, trade unions, and the private sector.
“Our option is informed by what we want to gain. And what we want to gain is to continue exporting to the United States as much as possible, and to enable companies also to invest in the United States, but to also get U.S. companies to invest in us,” Ramaphosa said.
Meanwhile, the president stressed that South Africa entered talks with significant leverage, pointing to the country’s mineral wealth and processing capacity.
“The discussions that we are having now with the United States also revolve around that the critical minerals that South Africa has, and the capacity that we have to process those minerals … something that we take to the table and use as leverage,” he said
Ramaphosa acknowledged that the U.S. administration can at times be “unpredictable” and “retaliatory,” but said he was confident that the strategy of engagement would deliver positive outcomes.
“It is a strategy that we have opted for, a strategy of engagement, and a strategy which we believe will yield results, notwithstanding the fact that we are obviously dealing with the United States administration that at times is unpredictable and that at times just retaliates — without being supplicants, without going on bended knee, which we have never done and which we will never do,” Ramaphosa said.
“We have said we will not be bullied. We will stand as a sovereign country and negotiate and get the best deal for South Africa. That’s precisely what we do,” he noted.
Citing an airport source, the Polish Press Agency (PAP) said that the airspace over Warsaw Chopin Airport has reopened.
“Due to the restrictions and closure of airspace, disruptions and delays that may last all day should be expected,” Warsaw Airport said. It added that passengers should check the current flight status on the airport website and obtain detailed information directly from the carriers.
According to local media RMF24, the airspace over the airports in Modlin and Rzeszow has also reopened, but remains closed over Lublin.
LOT Polish Airlines spokesman Krzysztof Moczulski announced this morning on platform X that due to the temporary closure of airspace, some LOT flights were redirected to other airports in Poland.
Polish military shot down drones over Poland after Polish airspace was repeatedly violated overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, according to a statement from Polish Armed Forces Operational Command.
According to PAP, the Polish Armed Forces Operational Command has activated all necessary procedures. Polish and allied aircraft are operating in Polish airspace, and ground-based air defense and radar reconnaissance systems have reached the highest level of readiness.
Poland on Tuesday night closed four airports, including its largest Chopin Airport in Warsaw, due to “unplanned military activity related to ensuring state security,” according to notices posted on the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s website.
The closure of key Polish airports came after Warsaw claimed that “drone-type objects” had violated its airspace from neighboring Ukraine.
Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said on Wednesday that the country’s air force has used weapons against hostile objects that have entered Polish airspace.
Their arrest came as a shock, as they maintain that they are ordinary citizens engaged in private activities with no links to Rwanda’s security services. However, the Burundian prosecution insisted that the women had travelled to Bujumbura with intentions to undermine the country’s security.
In an interview with IGIHE, Nizeyimana explained that she and Nyirahabineza had entered Burundi through the Kobero border with Tanzania. They presented their documents, were asked about their purpose of travel, and explained that they were going to attend a wedding in Bujumbura, even showing an official invitation.
“We boarded a public vehicle, a Probox, and travelled. When we reached Gitega, the driver made a mistake. He was stopped by police but refused to halt when signalled,” she said.
According to her, when the vehicle was later stopped by other police officers, the driver was asked for his documents, and all passengers were ordered to step out. They were accused of being on a mission to destabilise Burundi.
“Nearby, there was a police station. They took us there, searched us, confiscated our phones, but found nothing suspicious. We thought the matter was over and waited to be released. Around 5 p.m., an officer came to interrogate us. We explained everything and hoped to be freed since there was no wrongdoing on our part.”
Instead, Nizeyimana, Nyirahabineza, and the driver were detained overnight. The police told them they were only waiting for fuel to transfer them back to the Rwandan border. The following day, however, an officer returned their luggage except for one item: a wristwatch belonging to Nyirahabineza.
“When we asked about the watch, the officer became angry and accused us of insulting him. He then reported us to his superiors, leading to a decision to keep us detained again.”
Although the watch was later returned, the situation escalated. On the following Sunday, the Prosecutor General came to take their statements. They expected release afterwards but were instead transferred to Gitega Central Prison, where they were held for months without trial.
With the intervention of a human rights organisation, the women were eventually brought before the court in June, facing charges of espionage. The prosecution demanded life imprisonment, but they maintained their innocence.
On August 22, the court acquitted them, but they were not released immediately as the prosecution was given time to appeal. By August 29, with no appeal filed, the Ministry of Justice ordered their release. However, their travel documents, including passports, remained withheld.
Thanks to support from the Embassy of Rwanda in Bujumbura, their documents were returned on September 3, and the following day, they flew back to Rwanda.
Nizeyimana recalled: “On September 4, we went to Bujumbura, where the Embassy bought us flight tickets, and we returned home.”
She also described prison conditions in Gitega, where inmates are provided with raw food such as beans and flour but must buy charcoal to cook.
“It’s not sustainable. If they give you beans and flour but no charcoal, you must buy it yourself. Otherwise, the food they give you cannot last until the next distribution.”
Because mobile phone access inside Gitega Prison is relatively easy, relatives were able to send them money to supplement their diet.
“Overall, we were not treated badly. The country has faced challenges, but friends and family supported us as much as they could.”
She credited their acquittal to divine intervention: “It was God who helped us win the case. On our own, we could never have managed.”
Nizeyimana added that in Gitega Central Prison, there is another young Rwandan man who has been imprisoned since 2021, although she was unable to speak to him in detail about his case.
They made the call during the Second Africa Climate Summit, held in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa from Monday to Wednesday under the theme “Accelerating Global Climate Solutions: Financing for Africa’s Resilient and Green Development.”
Charting Africa’s common climate future, African leaders at the summit highlighted the potential of African-led solutions in renewable energy, climate adaptation, green growth, and nature-based resilience.
Proposing the launch of the African Climate Innovation Compact, a continent-wide partnership uniting research institutions, leadership, startups, rural communities, and innovators, to African leaders at the summit, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed emphasized that, with the right partnership and investments, Africa can take the lead in solving the global climate crisis.
He said the continent is endowed with unique assets, including a burgeoning young population bursting with creativity and innovation, vast arable land capable of feeding a growing continent and beyond, as well as the fastest-growing solar belt on earth.
“Africa did not cause this crisis, yet Africa can lead in solving it. We have the solutions to restore degraded lands, to capture carbon, and to produce green and clean power. We know what needs to be done,” Abiy said, highlighting the East African country’s own climate action records, including the Green Legacy Initiative that saw 48 billion trees planted since its launch in 2019, as well as critical green infrastructure development initiatives.
According to the Ethiopian prime minister, the proposed climate compact, structured around five pillars of innovation discovery, financing, knowledge development, policy enablement, and public engagement, aims to deliver 1,000 African climate solutions by 2030 across energy, agriculture, water, transport, and resilience by mobilizing African leadership, global partnerships, and private sector investment.
Highlighting the dwindling international climate action commitments, Kenyan President William Ruto stressed the urgent need “to secure Africa’s rightful place in the global economy,” urging African countries to remain steadfast in building a modern, green, and inclusive industrial base.
“Today, climate action risks being sidelined as national security and short-term interests. Development assistance is shrinking,” Ruto said. “It has never been more urgent for Africa to stand together and demonstrate that collaboration delivers prosperity and peace for all of us.”
The Kenyan president emphasized that realizing Africa’s vision of climate-positive growth requires dual actions. Africa must exercise its agency decisively, urgently, and coherently, while the international system must dismantle the structural barriers that continue to hold Africa back.
African leaders at the summit voiced a unified call for the reform of the global financial architecture, as well as for grant-based financial flow and investment commitments, to accelerate Africa’s resilient and green development.
African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, on his part, stressed that Africa needs “genuine cooperation for the implementation of our continent’s adaptation plans by providing financial resources, technology, and expertise.”
Calling for “fair, significant, and predictable” global climate finance, he said the continent’s vulnerability due to climate change, debt burden, and the structural inequalities of the international financial architecture must be redressed through climate justice.
As Africa’s flagship climate gathering, the summit, co-hosted by Ethiopia and the AU, brought together African heads of state and government, ministers, diplomats, experts, and heads of international partners to chart the continent’s common climate future.
Rwanda’s presence drew many visitors eager to discover this East African country, both for its cultural richness and its economic prospects.
Ambassador Lambert Dushimimana, accompanied by the embassy team, warmly welcomed the public and presented Rwanda’s history, culture, people and landscapes.
The pavilion offered a successful immersion into Rwandan identity, blending heritage, innovation and hospitality, while also highlighting business and investment opportunities.
Among the pavilion’s highlights, visitors were able to taste specialty Rwandan coffee served by Brewanda, explore travel offers from Visit Rwanda, and shop for artisanal and fashion products from the country: handbags and accessories by Sankoshi, as well as culinary specialties, snacks and spices offered by Nomadika.
These exhibitors showcased local expertise and the variety of Rwandan offerings, from tourism to handicrafts.
Beyond tastings and demonstrations, Rwanda’s participation in the Embassy Festival strengthened its cultural diplomacy, facilitating exchanges between economic actors, tourism professionals and international audiences.
The event provided an effective platform to promote Rwanda as a tourist destination and as a competitive business partner.
By acting as an ambassador for Rwandan culture and innovation, the embassy left a positive impression on visitors and consolidated its ties with the international community present in The Hague.
Israel launched an unprecedented airstrike in the Qatari capital of Doha on Tuesday, targeting a building used by senior Hamas officials in what Israeli authorities described as an attempt to assassinate leaders of the group.
In a joint statement, the military and the Shin Bet security agency confirmed responsibility, saying the strike targeted Hamas leaders “directly responsible for the Oct. 7 massacre” and used “precise munitions and intelligence” to limit civilian harm.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it “a wholly independent Israeli operation.” “Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility,” he said in a statement released by his office.
Eyewitnesses reported loud explosions and plumes of smoke rising over the Qatari capital. Qatar’s Interior Ministry confirmed an attack on a Hamas residential headquarters, saying specialized teams had secured the site and that “the situation is safe.” No casualties were initially reported.
Israeli officials believe key Hamas figures were in the building during the strike. An unnamed senior official told Israel’s Kan TV that there were “strong indications” that Khalil al-Hayya, a deputy leader in Hamas’s political bureau, and Zaher Jabarin, another senior official, were present. However, Israeli agencies were still assessing the outcome and did not officially confirm who, if anyone, was hit.
Contradicting Israel’s claims, a Hamas source told Al Jazeera that no members of the group were killed in the attack. The source stated the officials had been meeting to discuss a ceasefire proposal.
The strike drew swift condemnation from Qatar, a key mediator in the conflict that hosts Hamas’s political bureau. Its Foreign Ministry called the attack a “serious threat” to the security of citizens and residents and a violation of its sovereignty.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the strike as a “flagrant violation” of Qatar’s sovereignty. “We are just learning about the Israeli attacks in Qatar, a country that has been playing a very positive role in achieving a ceasefire and release of all hostages,” he told reporters in New York.
Saudi Arabia also criticized what it called continued Israeli violations in the region, citing recent strikes in Syria’s Homs and Latakia governorates as breaches of international law and the 1974 Disengagement Agreement. Riyadh voiced support for Syria’s sovereignty and stability.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei denounced the Doha strike as “extremely dangerous, criminal and in violation of the UN Charter,” saying it was part of Israel’s “continued crimes” against international law.
Other countries and organizations, including Jordan, Türkiye, and the Arab League, also rushed to condemn the Israeli attacks.
The strike is believed to be the first carried out by Israel in Qatar. It came a day after Hamas’s armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, claimed responsibility for a shooting in Jerusalem that killed at least six people, calling it retaliation for Israel’s ongoing actions.
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The fiery exchange, sparked by accusations from DRC’s Minister of Human Rights, Samuel Mbemba Kabuya Tanda, highlighted continued tensions between the two nations and raised questions about the credibility of UN reporting on the ongoing conflict.
The session, presided over by Human Rights Council President Jürg Lauber, saw Amb. Bakuramutsa demand clarification on the DRC’s claims, calling them a “red line” for Rwanda.
“Did the Minister of Human Rights from the DRC government accuse my delegation and my country of being genocidal in their territory?” she asked, emphasizing that such grave allegations must adhere to international legal standards.
“There’s no mechanism that has called for that, and I will not allow for that to be mentioned here in the UN premises and accept that this happens under your watch.”
Bakuramutsa’s remarks followed a point of order, which she noted was ignored by the Council President, who suggested resolving the issue bilaterally with the DRC delegation. The ambassador insisted on addressing the accusation publicly, arguing that accountability must be based on “objective, verified results” rather than selective reporting that prejudges member states like Rwanda.
The controversy stems from a recent United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) report, which Rwanda has dismissed as “sensational” and baseless.
Issued on August 11, 2025, Rwanda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation criticized the OHCHR for alleging, without evidence, that the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) aided in the killing of civilians on farms in eastern DRC between July 9 and 21, 2025.
The report also accused the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC/M23) rebel group of similar atrocities, claims the group has similarly rejected as politically motivated.
Amb. Bakuramutsa challenged the UN report’s methodology, highlighting its reliance on “remote open-source material” and lack of access to data. She pointed out a “pre-cooked narrative” in the report, noting that M23 was mentioned 110 times, Rwanda/RDF 65 times, FARDC (DRC armed forces) 42 times, Wazalendo 43 times, FDLR only 15 times, and generic armed groups 23 times.
“This imbalance shapes a narrative and skews the reality on the ground,” she said, noting the presence of approximately 260 armed groups in eastern DRC, including private military contractors and mercenaries, which the report largely overlooks.
Rwanda has consistently denied supporting M23, asserting that its defensive measures along the DRC border aim to neutralise threats from the FDLR, a militia formed by perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
Bakuramutsa accused the DRC of equipping and enabling the FDLR, allowing it to “recruit and spread genocidal ideology” despite commitments to neutralize the group through regional peace processes like the Washington Peace Agreement, African Union, Nairobi, and Luanda initiatives.
The European Union, represented by Pierre Minard, expressed alarm at the escalating violence in eastern DRC, citing the OHCHR’s Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) report documenting widespread human rights violations, including potential war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The EU called for the prompt operationalization of a Commission of Inquiry for the DRC and urged adequate funding for the OHCHR to continue collecting evidence of abuses until the commission is active.
Bakuramutsa countered that the UN’s reporting minimizes verified hate speech and identity-based attacks against Congolese Tutsi communities, particularly around Minembwe in South Kivu.
She described these as an “early warning priority” for the Council, warning that ethnic labeling in reports risks inflaming tensions. She also criticized the UN’s MONUSCO mission, noting that despite 25 years and billions spent, it has failed to protect civilians while DRC-backed FDLR forces continue to recruit and arm.
In her concluding remarks, Ambassador Bakuramutsa presented three main demands. First, she urged the Council to pause the issuance of new mandates and initiate a UN-aligned review to streamline overlapping mechanisms, ensuring resources are redirected toward effective civilian protection.
Second, she called for a single, published evidentiary standard for all reports, with concerned states given prior notice to engage before any public condemnation. Third, she rejected all recommendations directed at Rwanda in the OHCHR report, citing a lack of evidence and expressing concern over the Council’s failure to address her point of order.
The ambassador emphasized Rwanda’s role as a UN member state contributing to peace and stability, stating, “We will not accept being continuously subjected to baseless accusations. Rigorous evidence is non-negotiable, and any breach of that standard will be challenged every single time.”
