The announcement by Rwanda’s Minister of Health, Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana, follows 42 consecutive days without any new confirmed cases, as required by World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. The last confirmed patient was discharged from the hospital on November 8, 2024.
Rwanda announced the Marburg virus outbreak on September 27, 2024. By the time the outbreak was declared over, the country had recorded 66 illnesses and 15 deaths.
Addressing a press conference on Friday, Dr. Nsanzimana acknowledged the progress made in containing the outbreak while expressing condolences for the lives lost.
“This is an important milestone for Rwanda’s public health system. While we mourn the lives lost, we are encouraged by the progress made. We have reached this point because of the dedication of our healthcare workers, the government, and our partners whose seamless collaboration and swift, coordinated action made it possible to contain the outbreak effectively,” the minister stated.
The Ministry of Health had earlier confirmed that the outbreak originated from a mining cave inhabited by fruit bats, a known reservoir of the Marburg virus.
Dr. Nsanzimana noted that the government will continue to strengthen surveillance systems to avert future outbreaks.
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From the onset of the outbreak, Rwanda’s government, healthcare workers, and international partners activated a robust response. A 24/7 command post was established to coordinate surveillance, testing, case management, vaccination, risk communication, and community engagement.
The country’s extensive network of nearly 60,000 community health workers was also instrumental in active case finding and monitoring contacts of infected individuals during the mandatory observation period.
Molly Phee, the United States Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of African Affairs, confirmed this during a recent media briefing regarding President Joe Biden’s visit to Angola earlier this month.
During the presser on Wednesday, December 18, 2024, Phee stated that Kenyatta had committed to organizing talks between M23 and the DRC. The East African Community (EAC) endorsed this initiative, transferring the responsibility for resolving the armed group crisis in eastern DRC to the African Union (AU).
“President Kenyatta has agreed to help broker talks between M23 and the DRC. The EAC supported moving that mandate to deal with the armed groups in eastern DRC to the African Union. President Kenyatta was, in fact, in Luanda this past weekend,” Phee stated while commenting on conflict resolution efforts in the region.
Her remarks come in the wake of the postponement of talks intended to bring together Presidents Paul Kagame (Rwanda), Félix Tshisekedi (DRC), and João Lourenço (Angola) in Luanda on December 15, 2024. The talks were delayed due to the DRC government’s refusal to negotiate with M23.
On the scheduled meeting day, President Lourenço, Tshisekedi, and Kenyatta met in Luanda to discuss ways to restore lasting peace and security in eastern DRC.
One of the key issues discussed was the resumption of talks between the DRC government and armed groups operating in the eastern part of the country, including the possibility of involving M23.
President Biden had earlier tasked Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines with using U.S. intelligence resources to hold the DRC and Rwanda accountable for commitments they made to de-escalate tensions in eastern DRC in support of the Luanda mediation process.
M23 previously participated in the Nairobi talks in April 2022 but was expelled by an envoy of President Tshisekedi, who accused the group of instigating violence. M23 denied the allegations.
The DRC government continues to face pressure to reengage in dialogue with the group to address the security issues plaguing eastern DRC collaboratively.
Rwanda maintains that meaningful peace efforts in the region require the inclusion of M23, as the group remains one of the key players in the ongoing conflict in eastern DRC.
The Rwandan government has also called on the DRC to take ‘serious’ action against the FDLR, which poses a security threat to Rwanda. The FDLR comprises remnants of the perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
RIB spokesperson Dr. Murangira B. Thierry emphasized this message in a recent interview with IGIHE.
The warning follows a disturbing incident where a student was severely assaulted after days of harassment at a house party in Kicukiro District.
RIB’s investigation revealed that the assault took place in a house rented by the perpetrators. Authorities arrested several individuals aged between 19 and 24 in connection with the crime.
Dr. Murangira warned that such events often lead to criminal activities, including child abuse, drug use, assault, theft, and public disturbance. He urged property owners to be vigilant and avoid renting their properties for “House Parties” to prevent the escalation of such incidents.
Landlords who fail to heed this warning may face legal consequences for aiding and abetting criminal activities.
Trump told Fox News he was “totally against” a proposed government funding bill, putting the stopgap measure, which would keep the government open until mid-March, in danger.
Congress has until Friday night to prevent a funding gap, as lawmakers passed a continuing resolution in September to extend government funding through December 20.
The new package, unveiled on Tuesday, mainly allows the government to maintain its current spending levels for the next three months, providing lawmakers with additional time to negotiate new spending bills.
It also includes 100 billion U.S. dollars in disaster relief for recovery from major hurricanes and the collapse of Baltimore’s Key Bridge, a one-year extension of the farm bill with an extra 10 billion dollars in aid for farmers.
With some hardliners opposing the stopgap measure and a slim House majority, Republicans will once again need Democrats’ support to approve government funding.
“We should pass a streamlined spending bill that doesn’t give the Democrats everything they want,” Vice President-elect and Senator JD Vance said in a joint statement with Trump.
“The only way to do that is with a temporary funding bill without Democrat giveaways combined with an increase in the debt ceiling,” said the statement, pressuring the Democrats to cooperate on a debt ceiling increase now.
The latest statement drew criticism from Democrats, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
“House Republicans have been ordered to shut down the government. And hurt the working class Americans they claim to support. You break the bipartisan agreement, you own the consequences that follow,” he said on social media platform X.
Airtel Rwanda Managing Director, Emmanuel Hamez, announced the milestone during a press briefing at the company headquarters in Remera on Wednesday, December 18, 2024.
The company has already registered 1.5 million smartphones enjoying voice over 4G services, with 30% of Voice 3G traffic now switched to the new technology.
The VoLTE service, launched on November 19, offers customers HD-quality voice calls, faster call setups, and the ability to browse data while on a call, without additional charges.
Hamez noted that 4G technology has revolutionized the traditional voice call model by converting voice calls into data, making them more affordable.
“The concept of minutes or duration is no longer valid. Now, voice calls, like sending a photo, consume data, not minutes or seconds. For instance, a one-hour non-stop call equates to 15 megabytes of data. This is a significant shift in the charging model. We’re no longer selling minutes, but data,” the MD explained.
The company expects to reach two million subscribers early next year.
Currently, Airtel Rwanda is working with phone manufacturers like Samsung, Infinix, and Tecno to ensure broader compatibility with the new technology. Hamez expressed optimism about ongoing discussions and expects more smartphones to be supported in the coming months.
To enhance network accessibility, the company has invested $63 million in infrastructure, adding 200 new transmission stations to its network, bringing the total number of stations to over 1,000. This expansion now covers 95% of the Rwandan population.
Airtel Rwanda is the first telco to introduce VoLTE technology in Rwanda. The move aims to improve customer experience and increase market share, which currently stands at 38.1% with 5.5 million subscribers.
With the growing adoption of 4G voice calls, the company plans to phase out 3G technology by the end of 2025 and 2G by the end of 2026, aligning with the government’s National Broadband policy.
The cost of smartphones remains a key challenge during the transition, but Hamez noted that the company would continue to work with other partners to increase access to affordable smartphones in rural and underserved populations.
In October last year, Airtel Africa collaborated with the Rwandan government to introduce the country’s most affordable 4G smartphone as part of the ConnectRwanda initiative.
Priced at 20,000 Rwandan Francs, the budget smartphone comes with a monthly plan of 1,000 Rwandan Francs that includes 1GB of data and unlimited calls daily.
In a series of posts on the X platform, General Muhoozi claimed he would “capture Khartoum” with the support of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, prompting Sudan to issue an official demand for a public apology.
In a strongly-worded statement, Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the remarks as “reckless and irresponsible.” The ministry described the comments as an unprecedented violation of diplomatic norms, international law, and the principles of mutual respect between sovereign nations.
“The threat of war, the violation of state sovereignty, and the defiance of the United Nations Charter and African Union regulations are too dangerous to be treated lightly or used as tools for personal publicity,” the statement emphasized.
The Sudanese government, which has faced instability due to ongoing civil war, urged the African Union and other international bodies to denounce Muhoozi’s statements, which it said undermine regional stability and insult African nations.
Although the posts were deleted shortly after being published, their impact was significant. Sudanese social media users continued to express widespread anger, urging authorities to pursue accountability measures against Uganda.
Similarly, the army chief’s remarks about the crashing “white machineries” in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have provoked tensions with the Congolese government. This led to the summoning of Uganda’s Acting Chargé d’Affaires, Matata Twaha Magara, by DRC’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, on Wednesday.
The son of President Yoweri Museveni had declared: “This is my final warning to all white mercenaries operating in eastern DRC. Starting January 2, 2025, we will launch operations against all white mercenaries in our zones. In the name of Jesus Christ, the God of all Bachwezi, no mercenary will remain in the DRC next year.”
The remarks were interpreted as a direct reference to foreign operatives from groups like Agemira and RALF, which have reportedly supported the Congolese national army (FARDC) against the M23 rebellion since 2022.
General Muhoozi has a history of making controversial statements. He previously threatened to invade Kenya while serving as commander of the land forces, a remark that led to his dismissal from that post before he was appointed commander of the Ugandan People’s Defence Forces.
Officials and local residents confirmed the tragedy, highlighting ongoing safety challenges in river transportation.
The vessel, which departed from the town of Inongo, northeast of Kinshasa, was believed to be carrying over 100 passengers.
The accident occurred just a few hundred meters into its journey. In addition to passengers, the boat was heavily loaded with goods, according to local accounts.
David Kalemba, Inongo’s river commissioner, attributed the disaster to overloading, particularly on the boat’s roof. He reported that 25 bodies had been recovered by Tuesday evening, but fears remain that the death toll will rise as the search for survivors continues.
“Among the dead are children, but it’s difficult to determine the exact number as the boat carried many passengers,” said Alex Mbumba, a resident in the area.
This tragedy is the fourth boat accident in Maï-Ndombe province this year. The region, surrounded by rivers, relies heavily on water transport due to a lack of roads. However, safety measures are often neglected, and overloading is a persistent issue. Many residents, unable to afford other means of transport, have no choice but to rely on overcrowded vessels.
Deadly boat accidents are common in the DRC. In October, at least 78 people drowned when an overloaded boat sank on Lake Kivu in the east. Earlier in June, 80 lives were lost when a similar accident occurred on the Kwa River near Kinshasa.
The latest incident has prompted renewed calls for government action. Residents and officials have urged authorities to equip river transport services with safety measures such as flotation devices and to enforce stricter regulations.
“The government must act to improve safety on the waters of our province because navigation conditions are dangerous,” said Mbumba.
Andrey Kaprin, General Director of the Radiology Medical Research Center under the Russian Ministry of Health, made the revelations on Radio Rossiya, as reported by the Russian news agency TASS.
Alexander Gintsburg, Director of the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, disclosed that the mRNA-based vaccine had shown positive results in pre-clinical trials, suppressing tumour growth and the potential for metastases.
Gintsburg also highlighted the role of artificial intelligence in expediting the development of personalized cancer vaccines.
He noted that neural networks could reduce the time required to compute personalized mRNA vaccines from a lengthy process to just 30 minutes to an hour.
“Now it takes quite long to build [personalized vaccines] because computing how a vaccine, or customized mRNA, should look like uses matrix methods, in mathematical terms. We have involved the Ivannikov Institute which will rely on Al in doing this math, namely neural network computing where these procedures should take about half an hour to an hour,” Russia’s vaccine chief said.
Details such as the vaccine’s name, the types of cancer it targets, and specifics of the clinical trials have not yet been disclosed.
Russia’s announcement comes amid global efforts to advance cancer vaccine technology.
For instance, the UK government has partnered with German company BioNTech to develop personalized cancer treatments, aiming to reach 10,000 patients by 2030.
Similarly, pharmaceutical companies Moderna and Merck & Co are working on an experimental cancer vaccine for melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. Preliminary results from a mid-stage study revealed the vaccine reduced the risk of recurrence or death by half after three years of treatment.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had earlier hinted at the progress during a February 2024 forum on future technologies in Moscow.
“We have come very close to creating so-called cancer vaccines and immunomodulatory drugs of a new generation,” Putin said, expressing hope for their use in individual therapy soon.
Globally, vaccines against human papillomavirus (HPV) and hepatitis B (HBV) have already demonstrated success in preventing cancers like cervical and liver cancer, respectively.
Russia’s efforts represent a new addition to ongoing developments in mRNA-based cancer vaccines.
Russia’s previous vaccine projects include the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine, which was distributed internationally during the pandemic. However, Sputnik V faced challenges domestically due to vaccine hesitancy.
The suspects were among eight individuals paraded before the media on Tuesday, December 17, 2024, at RIB headquarters in Kimihurura.
Addressing the press, RIB Spokesperson Dr. Thierry Murangira revealed that the arrests followed investigations into three other land fraud suspects earlier this month.
Among those accused is a 54-year-old man and a woman posing as his wife. The land in question belongs to the man and his legal wife, who currently resides abroad. Unable to sell the property alone, the man allegedly conspired with another woman to forge his wife’s national ID by replacing her photograph with that of the impersonator.
The fraudulent scheme was exposed when the prospective buyer became suspicious and reported the matter to RIB. By that time, the buyer had already paid part of the purchase amount. The agreed price was RWF 24 million, of which RWF 9.8 million has been recovered.
The two suspects face charges of using forged documents, fraudulently managing marital property, and obtaining someone else’s property through deception.
Dr. Murangira urged notaries to be more cautious, citing the prevalence of similar fraud cases.
“There are many schemes, as seen here, where Kayirebwa falsely claimed to be Kayiranga’s wife, bypassing the legal spouse to sell the land. Notaries must thoroughly verify all documents, particularly those provided by sellers,” he said.
He further cautioned buyers to conduct proper due diligence before finalizing land transactions.
“Money is hard to earn and should not be wasted. Buyers must ensure they are investing in legitimate and beneficial property,” Dr. Murangira emphasized.
The operation also saw the arrest of a woman accused of stealing $4,000 (approximately Frw5.6 million) and 3,300 Indian Rupees (Frw54,000) from her foreign employer. After the theft, she reportedly gave $2,900 to a man she lives with while keeping the remainder for herself.
Investigations revealed that the employer had left his wallet unsecured, allowing the woman to access the funds. Following the theft, the man reportedly advised her to flee to Ngoma District, where she was later apprehended. RIB recovered all the stolen money.
Dr. Murangira discouraged keeping large sums of cash at home, warning that it creates unnecessary risks.
“Banks are the safest place to store money. Keeping large amounts of cash at home invites temptation and theft,” he said.
The suspects face charges of theft and concealing property obtained through crime.
Additionally, RIB paraded four individuals suspected of involvement in phone theft. The bureau recovered 280 stolen phones worth Frw62.5 million. The phones have since been returned to their rightful owners, while investigations to apprehend additional suspects remain ongoing.
The event, organized by the international advocacy organization Global Citizen, will take place at Kigali’s BK Arena before moving to Lagos, Nigeria, on February 25, 2025.
Move Afrika, a pioneering music touring circuit by Global Citizen, aims to drive economic growth, job creation, and entrepreneurship across Africa through world-class entertainment events. The 2025 tour will expand from East to West Africa, with Rwanda and Nigeria serving as the host countries.
The project also aims to set a new gold standard for entertainment events, boosting demand for international and regional artists to tour Africa.
John Legend, an EGOT-winning artist and longtime Global Citizen ambassador, expressed his excitement about headlining the second edition of the event.
“I’m honoured and excited to perform in Kigali and Lagos as part of the Move Afrika tour – an initiative that not only brings unforgettable shows but also creates entrepreneurship and job opportunities, empowering young people to engage with Africa’s growing music and creative industries,” said John Legend.
“Africa has always been a global cultural powerhouse, and it’s an honour to be part of the future of live music on the continent.”
John Legend is known for a collection of hits that span various genres, blending soul, R&B, pop, and more. His most iconic song, “All of Me,” released in 2013, became a global wedding anthem. The romantic ballad, dedicated to his wife, Chrissy Teigen, topped charts worldwide and solidified his place in pop culture.
Another early hit, “Ordinary People” from his debut album Get Lifted (released in 2005), remains one of his most beloved tracks, showcasing his soulful sound and emotional depth.
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Hugh Evans, Co-Founder and CEO of Global Citizen, emphasized the initiative’s impact:
“Our goal is to inspire Africa’s dynamic young population to participate in the live music and creative industries, while building lasting infrastructure for the continent’s international touring circuit,” said Evans.
The first Move Afrika event in Rwanda was held in December 2023 at the BK Arena and was headlined by Pulitzer Prize and Grammy-winner Kendrick Lamar.
The show, one of the most successful live music events in Rwanda’s history, employed over 1,000 Rwandans and engaged 75% local crew and production staff. It also featured performances by artists such as Zuchu, Bruce Melodie, DJ TOXXYK, Sherrie Silver, Ariel Wayz, Kivumbi King, and Bruce The 1st.
Francis Gatare, CEO of the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), celebrated Move Afrika’s return, saying, “Global Citizen’s return to Rwanda in February 2025 underscores our commitment to showcasing Africa’s creative talent and leveraging the global entertainment industry to address the continent’s development priorities. Our goal is to position Rwanda as an entertainment hub that benefits all African countries, creating youth-focused employment and income opportunities.”
Move Afrika is presented in partnership with pgLang and aims to support sustainable development and economic growth, with a particular focus on strengthening Africa’s health systems.
In collaboration with campaign partners, Global Citizen will advocate for increased domestic health financing, enhanced primary care, and greater investments in health resilience.
The 2025 edition of Move Afrika builds on Global Citizen’s previous events in Africa, including the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 in Johannesburg (2018), Global Citizen Live: Lagos (2021), and Global Citizen Festival: Accra (2022).
