The induction ceremony, held on September 14, 2025, was attended by Corneille Nangaa Yobeluo, leader of the coalition, and M23 commander Maj Gen Sultani Makenga.
According to AFC/M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka, the new recruits include former soldiers of the Congolese army (FARDC) as well as fighters from groups aligned with the Wazalendo coalition. He said they joined M23 after the capture of Goma and Uvira earlier this year.
In his address, Maj Gen Makenga said the recruits had been trained to “liberate their country,” accusing President Félix Tshisekedi’s government of killing civilians on ethnic grounds, destroying villages, and weakening the national army.
“He has destroyed everything. Even the army, he ruined it, turning it into a dumping ground,” Makenga said, further alleging that the Congolese army has been mixed with Wazalendo militia, the FDLR, Imbonerakure, and foreign mercenaries.
He argued that Tshisekedi values foreign forces more than his own army, adding: “A leader who disrespects the army does not respect the country, nor the Congolese people, and should not remain in power.”
Makenga urged the new fighters to maintain discipline, respect civilians, and distinguish themselves from their adversaries, insisting this would help them achieve their stated objective of liberating the country.
Earlier this month, Makenga declared that M23 aims to expand its control to other key cities, including Kalemie in Tanganyika Province, Kisangani in Tshopo, and Kindu in Maniema, saying this required continued recruitment.
Nangaa echoed the ambition, telling fighters that the movement ultimately plans to “liberate” additional cities, among them Lubumbashi in Haut-Katanga, Mbandaka in Equateur, and the capital, Kinshasa.
The AI, named Diella, meaning “sun” in Albanian, will oversee all public tenders, Prime Minister Edi Rama announced at a party assembly in Tirana on Thursday.
Diella was first introduced earlier this year as a virtual assistant on the e-Albania platform, helping citizens access government services and navigate the system. Her avatar appears as a young brunette woman dressed in traditional Albanian attire.
Since her launch, Diella has assisted in issuing over 36,600 digital documents and provided nearly 1,000 services through the platform.
“Diella is the first cabinet member who isn’t physically present but is virtually created by AI,” Rama said. “Public procurement must be transformed, and we need to gradually transfer it to AI, making Albania a country where public tenders are 100 percent free from corruption.”
Albania has long struggled with corruption, consistently ranking low on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, coming 80th out of 180 countries last year. Graft scandals have frequently erupted around public contracts, complicating the country’s bid for European Union membership, for which it was officially granted candidate status in 2014.
Recent corruption cases, including a major waste management scandal in April that saw seven former officials convicted of abuse of power, have added urgency to the government’s anti-graft agenda.
While Rama has framed Diella as a transformative tool for transparency, the move has raised questions about its legality and effectiveness. Albania’s constitution requires government ministers to be mentally competent citizens aged at least 18, leaving Diella’s official ministerial status ambiguous.
Opposition figures have criticised the appointment, with Gazmend Bardhi, parliamentary group leader of the Democrats, calling it “unconstitutional” and labelling it “buffoonery.”
Despite scepticism, some experts see potential in using AI to curb corruption.
“AI is still a new tool—but if it is programmed correctly, when you put a bid in online, you can see clearly and more closely if a company meets the conditions and the criteria,” said Dr Andi Hoxhaj of King’s College London, who specialises in the Western Balkans and corruption.
Rama has emphasised that Diella is more than a symbolic gesture. “We’re working with a brilliant team, both Albanian and international, to develop the first full AI model in public procurement,” he told the BBC. “Not only will we remove every potential influence on public bidding, but we will also make the process faster, more efficient, and totally accountable.”
Though reactions are mixed, the government hopes the move will encourage other agencies to modernise and rethink traditional ways of working.
As Albania pushes to accelerate EU accession negotiations, with a target completion by 2027, the success of Diella could set a precedent for other nations seeking innovative solutions to entrenched corruption.
The UN General Assembly, in its 79th session, adopted a resolution on UN-AU cooperation, emphasizing that strengthening the cooperation will contribute to the advancement of the principles of the UN Charter and of the Constitutive Act of the AU.
“This resolution is a strong endorsement of Africa’s leadership and of the vital partnership between the UN and AU in advancing peace, security, and sustainable development,” the AU Commission chief said in a statement issued Saturday.
“Together, we will translate this commitment into concrete action that delivers for Africa’s people and contributes to global stability,” he added.
The resolution, among other things, emphasized that the AU’s 50-year continental development blueprint Agenda 2063 “reflects the commitment to the pan-African vision of an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the international arena.”
Youssouf reaffirmed the AU’s “unwavering commitment to working hand-in-hand with the UN” in achieving both Africa’s Agenda 2063 and the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The resolution emphasized the need to pursue ongoing measures to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of UN-AU cooperation in addressing threats to peace and security, as well as obstacles to development, and promoting human rights in Africa.
The match, held on Saturday night, September 13, 2025, at Cairo’s Hassan Mostafa Hall, saw Rwanda start strongly, taking the first set 25-20. However, Morocco responded by winning the second set 25-16.
The North African side carried their momentum into the third set, overpowering Rwanda 25-13. Rwanda bounced back in the fourth set, winning 25-21 to force a decisive fifth set. Morocco ultimately clinched the match with a 15-11 victory in the tie-break.
Rwanda will face Cameroon in their second Group B match on September 15, before closing their group stage against Kenya on September 17, 2025.
Scheduled for 22–29 November 2025 in Kigali, the festival is also expanding beyond the capital, with activities lined up in different provinces. More than 160 nominees are in the running across 23 categories, selected through the Iziwacu Cinema programme.
Festival CEO and founder Trésor Senga said the changes were designed to push the event to new heights and give more value to the individuals behind Rwanda’s fast-growing film industry.
Alongside the new car prizes for the People’s Choice categories, the festival has introduced a slot for film technicians, shining a spotlight on often-overlooked creatives. Winners in most categories will be picked by a jury, but fans will have their say through online voting, which opens on Monday, September 15. Voters will even get 20% of their money back for each vote cast.
Among the actors vying for Best Actor (People’s Choice) are familiar names such as Mugisha Emmanuel, a.k.a. Kibonge (Deceiver), Benimana Ramadhan, better known as Bamenya (Bamenya Series), and Niyitegeka Gratien, popularly known as Papa Sava. On the actresses’ side, contenders include Mumararungu Joyeuse (Micky in Igihome), Dusenge Clenia (Madedeli in Papa Sava), and Irakoze Ariane Vanessa, who fans know as Kate/Maya in Hurts Harder.
The week-long event will also feature Mashariki Market, a three-day industry forum expected to draw more than 500 film representatives from the U.S., Canada, Europe, and across Africa. For local creatives, it’s a chance to plug into international networks through platforms like Mashariki Residence and Mashariki Academy.
But the festival isn’t just about red carpets and awards. This year, film stars will tour five districts across Rwanda to connect with audiences, showcase their work, and take part in community service.
With bigger prizes, fresh categories, and wider reach, Mashariki African Film Festival 2025 promises to be its most exciting edition yet.
The session, held at the Rwanda Military Academy in Gako, was also attended by Commissioner of Police Vincent B. Sano, Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Operations.
The contingent, made up of both army and police personnel, will relieve colleagues who have served in the insurgency-hit province over the past year. The new deployment will be commanded by Maj Gen Vincent Gatama.
Maj Gen Nyakarundi conveyed a message from President Paul Kagame, Commander-in-Chief of the RDF, reminding the troops to maintain the discipline and momentum demonstrated since Rwanda first deployed forces to Mozambique in 2021. He commended the achievements of previous contingents, stressing that the same high standards must continue to guide operations.
The troops were reminded that commitment and discipline are essential to the success of operations aimed at supporting the Mozambican state authority through combat operations and security sector reform.
Commissioner of Police Sano, in his remarks, urged the troops to foster teamwork and avoid any misconduct that could damage Rwanda’s reputation abroad.
Rwandan troops were first deployed to Cabo Delgado in July 2021 at the request of the Mozambican government, following years of attacks by Islamic State-linked insurgents.
Since then, the joint operations between Rwanda Security Forces and the Mozambican army have significantly weakened the insurgency, restored security in several areas, and enabled thousands of displaced residents to return to their homes.
The latest deployment comes weeks after a visit by Mozambican President Daniel Francisco Chapo to Rwanda, during which a renewed Status of Forces Agreement on the support to fight terrorism in Mozambique was signed. The agreement extends Rwanda’s military support in Cabo Delgado province.
“Thanks to this cooperation, we can see peace returning to the region,” President Chapo said, acknowledging Rwanda’s role in stabilising Cabo Delgado despite ongoing sporadic attacks.
Appearing on The Long Form podcast hosted by Sanny Ntayombya, Mugisha spoke candidly about his 2018 Supreme Court petition that sought to decriminalise adultery. He argued that sending spouses to prison for infidelity undermines the family unit.
“You probably have the breadwinner in jail. What happens to that family? You end up with complicated issues of reconciliation—how do you expect reconciliation to happen after that?” he said.
“If the state were to allocate resources to support families, it might be more effective to divert them to counselling services, psychologists, or mediators, rather than criminal prosecution and investigations, which, in my view, do not make the best use of state resources.”
He argued that he still believes the law “satisfies a vendetta” but does little for the family’s long-term well-being.
The petition sparked controversy at the time, with 48 women’s organisations opposing it, arguing it was an attempt to “legalise adultery.” Mugisha insists this was a misinterpretation, noting that most prosecutions involved two married people and that the law remains ineffective due to the difficulty of proving cases.
Although the Supreme Court rejected his arguments, he believes the debate highlighted the need for more effective approaches to family disputes.
{{Law in the age of AI
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Turning to the future, Mugisha noted that AI is revolutionising legal work, particularly research and contract drafting, but said lawyers must sharpen human-centred skills.
“AI will never close a deal. That requires negotiation, understanding clients, and convincing parties,” he said. For young lawyers, he recommended broader education—psychology, philosophy, or history—before specialising in law, to cultivate critical thinking beyond what machines can replicate.
On whether AI could replace judges, he was cautious, noting that while AI can improve efficiency and accuracy, it cannot initiate investigations or examine witnesses. He believes that human judgment will remain indispensable.
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Mugisha also discussed Rwanda’s evolving legal landscape, including his role in challenging laws that criminalised caricatures and writings deemed humiliating to government officials. While the Supreme Court upheld restrictions around depictions of the president, lawmakers later amended the law after President Kagame himself disagreed with the ruling.
“The arguments we were making before the court were that this was just endangering journalists for no good reason, because anyone could overuse the hand of the law to stifle criticism,” he stated.
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As a former president of the East African Law Society, Richard Mugisha has been a vocal advocate for enabling lawyers to practice across East African borders. He expressed frustration with regional “protectionism,” noting that while the “value” of legal integration is widely acknowledged, reluctance to open markets often stalls progress.
During his tenure, Mugisha said, he pushed for collaboration in “non-jurisdiction-specific” areas like construction, mining, and project finance, where legal expertise could be applied regionally without being hindered by local laws. He emphasised that “fear” of losing local opportunities prevents the creation of East Africa-wide law firms, forcing countries to rely on external expertise for specialised legal work.
Mugisha also shared personal stories of growing up as a refugee in Uganda during Idi Amin’s regime, where arbitrary arrests and land dispossessions fuelled his passion for justice.
After studying law in Lesotho and later completing an LLM at New York University, Mugisha returned to Rwanda in 1995, working first in government before co-founding Trust Law Chambers. The decision, he said, was inspired by a desire to contribute to national development through the private sector.
“It wasn’t a hard sell at home,” he said of leaving his government job to start a firm with limited savings. “My wife had a job, we had only one child, and we could live on little while figuring things out. But it was scary, embarking on uncharted territory.”
Beyond his legal work, Mugisha serves as Lithuania’s Honorary Consul in Rwanda, a role he took on in 2019. Though voluntary, he views it as an opportunity to foster business and cultural ties, as well as to support Lithuanian nationals in Rwanda.
“I’ve enjoyed connecting people and solving problems,” he said.
The court’s ruling follows submissions from lawyers representing the DRC government, who informed judges that new witnesses had come forward to testify against Kabila.
Me Richard Bondo, one of the seven government lawyers, told the court that the witnesses would provide evidence on how Kabila allegedly transferred funds to the AFC/M23 rebel coalition and would describe his role as “a foreigner who led the DRC for 18 years.”
The court granted the lawyers’ request, setting the new start date for the trial on September 19, 2025.
Kabila’s trial initially began on July 25, 2025, in his absence. The prosecution charged him with treason, leading an unauthorised armed group, rape, and torture, asserting that the acts were committed in his capacity as a leader of AFC/M23.
Lawyers representing the DRC government argued that Kabila should not face treason charges on the grounds that he is not Congolese, but rather should be prosecuted for espionage on behalf of a foreign country.
The prosecution had sought the death penalty, while the government lawyers requested that Kabila’s assets be seized and that he be fined USD 24 billion. A ruling on the requests was expected on September 12.
Meanwhile, Kabila publicly rejected the proceedings on September 2, asserting that the trial was politically motivated and designed to shield the government from accountability for crimes, including the misappropriation of state funds.
“These politically motivated charges were orchestrated by a government that lost credibility to evade its responsibilities. No concrete evidence has been presented to support these allegations,” he stated.
The Head of State is in the Qatari capital ahead of a scheduled meeting with His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Amir of Qatar, later on Friday.
Further details on the outcomes of the meeting are expected to be shared following discussions between the two leaders.
President Kagame and the Qatari Amir last met on March 18, 2025, during a trilateral meeting that also included President Félix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as part of efforts to de-escalate the situation in eastern DRC.
The latest meeting comes a day after Rwanda condemned Israel’s deadly strike in Doha, which targeted Hamas leaders during a meeting on a US-proposed Gaza ceasefire.
At least seven people were killed in the attack, including two Qatari security officers, according to Doha authorities.
In an official statement on Thursday, Rwanda expressed its condolences to the State of Qatar and the families of the deceased.
The government called the attack a “wanton trampling of foundational norms of interstate relations” and warned that such actions risk creating a “no-rules-based order” with no contemporary precedent.
Through the Office of the Government Spokesperson, Kigali sharply criticised the international community for what it termed as inaction in the face of escalating violence.
“The continued escalation is senseless, and yet the international community seems content to let it continue unchecked. The hypocrisy and complacency evident in such circumstances, especially from the most powerful, leaves the world vulnerable to growing chaos and uncertainty,” the statement reads in part.
Recognising Qatar’s mediation role in the Great Lakes region and beyond, Rwanda emphasised that such efforts merit “universal appreciation and gratitude” rather than violence. The government also urged “a principled, pragmatic, and swift resolution to the ongoing conflict in the region.”
“The Government of Rwanda stands with the State of Qatar in this difficult time and calls for a principled, pragmatic, and swift resolution to the ongoing conflict in the region,” the statement reads.
Rwanda’s Health Minister, Dr Sabin Nsanzimana, who coauthored the report, announced its release in a post on X.
“One year later, our @NEJM study (out today) reports how science-guided detection and rapid action stopped Rwanda’s first Marburg outbreak in weeks, achieving the lowest recorded fatality,” he wrote on September 11.
The outbreak, declared on September 27, 2024, began in two major hospitals in Kigali after a cluster of viral hemorrhagic fever cases was identified. Within a week, more than 20 health care workers had been infected.
A total of 6,340 suspected cases were tested, of which 66 were laboratory-confirmed, including 51 health workers. The outbreak’s case fatality rate was 23%, significantly lower than previous MVD outbreaks in Africa, which have ranged from 83% to 90%.
Epidemiological investigations traced the index patient to a 27-year-old miner exposed to Egyptian fruit bats, indicating a zoonotic origin. Subsequent transmission occurred primarily among health care workers and family members. Rigorous contact tracing, surveillance, and hospital protocols helped limit the spread.
Clinical management combined advanced supportive care with investigational therapies. Fifty-two patients received remdesivir, with only three fatalities, while ten patients received the monoclonal antibody MBP091. No immediate adverse effects from either treatment were reported.
Rwanda also deployed the ChAd3-MARV vaccine within 13 days of the outbreak declaration, prioritising frontline health workers and high-risk contacts. By the end of October, 1,710 individuals had been vaccinated under emergency use authorisation and a concurrent phase 2 clinical trial.
The study emphasises the role of early detection, aggressive clinical care, investigational treatments, and emergency vaccination in reducing mortality. It also highlights the importance of infection prevention in health care settings, particularly given that 77% of cases occurred through nosocomial transmission.
The authors note that Rwanda’s experience provides a model for responding to filovirus outbreaks in urban settings, showing that rapid, coordinated, science-driven interventions can save lives and prevent widespread transmission.
Rwanda, with its partners, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), declared the end of the Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) outbreak on December 20, 2024. The declaration followed 42 consecutive days without new cases.
