NTV Uganda and Spark TV went off air in the early hours of Sunday after security personnel carried out an overnight operation at the Nation Media Group (NMG) Uganda offices in Namuwongo, Kampala.
The developments followed several posts by Gen. Muhoozi announcing that the media houses would be closed, amid what he described as increasingly critical coverage from the outlets.
In one of the posts, President Yoweri Museveni’s son wrote: “Mzee has approved my plan to close both NTV and Monitor. We are moving immediately!”
This picture, taken on June 28, 2026, shows a television screen displaying NTV Uganda and Spark TV channels on DSTV after the stations were taken off air by security operatives in Kampala.
Gen. Muhoozi also stated that media coverage concerning Uganda would henceforth require clearance from his office, saying: “From now on ALL bad stories about Uganda have to be cleared by my office!”
He further wrote that he does not believe in a free press and added that “the press should be guided by cadres of the revolution.”
In another post, the CDF asserted that he has had the authority to shut down any media house in Uganda since 2017, attributing that authority to President Yoweri Museveni.
“I have the power in Uganda to shut down ANY media house I want to. I have had this power since 2017. This power was given to me by my great father President @KagutaMuseveni. NTV and Daily Monitor are learning about it today,” he posted.
In a separate post, Gen. Muhoozi said that NTV Uganda and Daily Monitor would remain closed until he authorises their reopening.
“Both NTV and Monitor will not re-open without my permission,” he wrote.
Nation Media Group Uganda operates several media outlets, including NTV Uganda, Daily Monitor, The EastAfrican, Dembe FM and Spark TV.
The latest developments recall events in May 2013, when security agencies raided the Daily Monitor’s offices following the publication of a letter attributed to then Coordinator of Intelligence Services Gen. David Sejusa. The government at the time said the operation formed part of investigations into the leaked document, while the newspaper’s premises, along with KFM and Dembe FM, were temporarily closed.
As of Sunday morning, there had been no official communication from Nation Media Group Uganda regarding when the affected media outlets would resume normal operations.
VIDEO: Armed soldiers are on guard outside the headquarters of Daily Monitor newspaper in Namuwongo, Kampala.
The offices remain under military siege following an order by President Museveni's son and military chief Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba to shut down Nation Media Group (NMG)… pic.twitter.com/MLIzhcocu5
The meeting took place at Urugwiro Village and brought together Daniel Libeskind, Founder and Principal Architect of Studio Libeskind; Nina Libeskind, Co-founder of Studio Libeskind; Stefan Blach, Partner at Studio Libeskind; and Holm Keller, Chairman of the kENUP Foundation.
The planned monument is expected to transform the Kigali Genocide Memorial in Gisozi, where more than 250,000 victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi are laid to rest, into a powerful space for remembrance, education, and reflection through cutting-edge technology and a deeply immersive, personal visitor experience.
Daniel Libeskind was born in 1946 in Poland to Jewish parents who survived the Holocaust, the Nazi murder of six million Jewish people during World War II. That history is inseparable from his work. Rather than designing buildings that simply house exhibitions, Libeskind engineers the architecture itself into the emotional experience: walls lean, floors tilt, spaces are left deliberately empty. The building becomes the story.
This is the philosophy coming to Gisozi. Here are 10 projects that show what that means in practice:
1. Jewish Museum Berlin (Germany)
This is the project that founded Studio Libeskind and established its global reputation. The titanium-zinc-clad building zigzags across its site, its surface cut by narrow, irregular windows that slash the facade like wounds.
Inside, a series of “Voids”, tall, unheated concrete chambers, cut through the building from basement to roof. Visitors can peer into them from bridges overhead but cannot enter. They represent the absence left by the six million people killed in the Holocaust: the conversations, children, and contributions that no longer exist. The emptiness is the exhibit.
Completed: 2001
Construction cost:$87 million (approx. €60 million)
2. World Trade Center Master Plan (New York City, USA)
On 11 September 2001, nearly 3,000 people were killed when terrorist attacks brought down New York’s Twin Towers. The 16-acre site became the most scrutinised piece of land on earth. After an intense international competition, Libeskind’s “Memory Foundations” plan was selected to guide the rebuilding.
Where others proposed filling the ground with new towers immediately, Libeskind kept the towers’ footprints permanently open, the space that became today’s memorial pools. He also fought successfully to preserve a stretch of original underground slurry wall that had survived the collapse, framing it as a symbol of resilience. It remains visible to visitors at the 9/11 Memorial Museum today.
Completed: 2003 (master plan selected); site construction 2006–2016
Construction cost: Total site redevelopment cost over $20 billion. One World Trade Center alone cost $3.9 billion, making it the most expensive skyscraper ever built in the United States at the time.
3. Imperial War Museum North (Greater Manchester, UK)
During World War II, the Trafford Park area of Greater Manchester, home to factories producing Lancaster bombers and Rolls-Royce aircraft engines, was targeted in the Manchester Blitz. Over two nights in December 1940, 684 people were killed. The Imperial War Museum’s northern branch was built on that same bombed waterfront.
The building is composed of three interlocking aluminium-clad shards representing war on earth, in the air, and on water, fragments of a globe shattered by conflict. Inside, floors curve subtly underfoot and walls lean at unsettling angles. There are no comfortable right angles. The disorientation is deliberate: Libeskind wanted the building itself to produce the instability of wartime before a single exhibit is read.
Completed: 2002
Construction cost: £28.5 million (approx. $40 million). Originally budgeted at £40 million, the project was completed under budget after funding shortfalls led to design economies including substituting metal for concrete in the shards.
4. Military History Museum of the Bundeswehr (Dresden, Germany)
In February 1945, British and American bombers conducted devastating raids over Dresden, creating a firestorm that killed tens of thousands of civilians. Decades later, Libeskind was asked to transform the city’s neoclassical military arsenal, originally completed in 1876, from a glorification of military power into an honest reckoning with war’s costs.
His response was to drive a massive five-storey steel-and-glass wedge straight through the centre of the old building. The contrast between nineteenth-century stone and sharp modern glass is deliberately violent: authoritarian order cracked open. The tip of the wedge points in the direction from which Allied bombers approached on those February nights, a permanent, silent gesture anchoring the building to the city’s defining wound.
Completed: 2011
Construction cost: €48 million (approx. $65 million), funded entirely by the German federal government.
5. National Holocaust Monument (Ottawa, Canada)
Canada’s national Holocaust memorial features six raw concrete volumes that, viewed from above, form a fractured Star of David, the ancient symbol of Jewish identity, broken apart. Visitors move through narrow, oppressive concrete corridors that gradually open upward to the sky: confinement giving way to hope.
The interior walls carry large monochromatic photographs by artist Edward Burtynsky, laser-etched directly into the concrete, haunting wide-angle images of European death camp landscapes. History is not displayed on a panel to be walked past. It is built into the walls themselves.
Completed: 2017
Construction cost:C$7.2 million (approx. $5.6 million USD), split between the Canadian government and private donors.
6. Reflections at Keppel Bay (Singapore)
Not every Libeskind project is a memorial. This luxury waterfront development—six curved glass towers between 24 and 41 storeys, demonstrates that the studio’s philosophy translates equally into the architecture of everyday life.
In a city defined by residential uniformity, the development was designed so that no two apartments across the entire complex share the same floor plan or view. Shifting angles, alternating orientations, and changing crown geometry give every home its own character. It is Libeskind’s argument, made in glass and steel, that people deserve to live in spaces shaped for them, not mass-produced around them.
Completed: 2011
Construction cost: Construction cost not publicly disclosed. The development sold 1,129 luxury apartments across a 750-metre waterfront site, with unit prices at the time of sale ranging from SGD $1.5 million to over SGD $10 million.
7. Złota 44 (Warsaw, Poland)
Warsaw was systematically destroyed by Nazi Germany during World War II, over 85% of the city razed. That it stands today, rebuilt and thriving, is one of history’s great acts of collective will. It was into this city that Libeskind returned to build his first major project in his birth country.
The 52-storey, 192-metre luxury residential tower’s sweeping glass facade curves upward in the shape of an eagle’s wing, Poland’s national emblem, representing freedom and sovereignty. Across the street, the heavy communist-era Palace of Culture looms. Złota 44 rises in direct contrast: light, fluid, and forward-looking.
Completed: 2016
Construction cost: Estimated €163 million (approx. $175 million) construction cost. The project faced severe financial difficulties; the original developer sold it midway through construction for just €50 million after significant losses.
8. Haeundae Udong Hyundai I’Park (Busan, South Korea)
Busan is South Korea’s second largest city and its largest port, a place whose identity is inseparable from the ocean. This waterfront development comprises three residential towers, the tallest reaching 72 storeys, alongside a hotel, offices, and retail.
Each tower was mathematically modelled to present a completely different silhouette depending on the angle of approach, the buildings seem to shift and breathe as you move around them. The curves draw on Korean natural tradition: ocean waves, wind-filled sails. The result is a large-scale modern complex that belongs unmistakably to the coastline it occupies.
Completed: 2011
Construction cost: Construction cost not publicly disclosed. The full 4.5-million-square-foot mixed-use development is one of the largest residential complexes in South Korea.
9. PwC Tower / CityLife Master Plan (Milan, Italy)
Part of a major regeneration of Milan’s historic fairgrounds, this 175-metre office tower, known locally as Il Curvo (The Curved One), tilts and arcs in a single clean geometric sweep from base to summit. In a skyline of vertical towers, its curve is immediately legible from across the city.
The design is a contemporary reinterpretation of the arcing forms found throughout Italian architectural history, translated into glass and steel. A building that speaks to where it stands rather than ignoring it.
Completed: 2020
Construction cost: Construction cost not publicly disclosed. The broader CityLife masterplan, encompassing three towers by Libeskind, Zaha Hadid, and Arata Isozaki, plus residential and retail, represents a total investment of over €2 billion.
10. Infinity Towers (Shanghai, China)
Currently under construction for the Lingang Group, these twin 100-metre commercial towers twist as they rise, their forms designed to evoke two dancing cranes, ancient Chinese symbols of longevity and wisdom, leaning toward each other mid-step.
The towers are connected at the 15th floor by a skybridge whose centre features a circular opening in the floor, looking directly down onto public water plazas below. It is a small gesture but a characteristic one: in a building designed to function, Libeskind finds the moment where structure, nature, and wonder briefly meet.
Completed: Under construction (expected completion not publicly confirmed)
Construction cost: Construction cost not publicly disclosed.
Other Notable Projects
Studio Libeskind has also designed the
Zhang Zhidong Museum (Wuhan, China)
Tikva Jewish Museum (Lisbon, Portugal)
Modern Art Center Vilnius (Lithuania)
Danish Jewish Museum (Denmark)
The Garden of Earthly Worries
The Wheel of Conscience Crystals at CityCenter (United States)
Bord Gáis Energy Theatre (Ireland)
Run Run Shaw Creative Media Centre (Hong Kong)
Ogden Centre at Durham University (United Kingdom)
Memoria e Luce 9/11 Memorial (Padua, Italy)
Albert Einstein Discovery Center (Ulm, Germany)
Together, these projects demonstrate Studio Libeskind’s defining conviction: that architecture is not a container for history, it is a way of making history felt. It is an approach that speaks directly to what Kigali will build at Gisozi.
Zhang Zhidong Museum.Albert Einstein Discovery Center in Ulm, Germany.
He made the remarks on Saturday at Intare Arena, where he and First Lady Jeannette Kagame joined members of Unity Club and other leaders in a dialogue on the history of the Genocide against the Tutsi and the Liberation War that ended it.
The discussions focused on the events that led to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, the role of those who planned and executed it, and the Liberation War that stopped the genocide and restored the country, paving the way for national recovery and renewed unity among Rwandans.
President Kagame said the history of a country such as Rwanda is often contested because people interpret it through different perspectives shaped by their involvement, interests, or connection to past events.
He noted that historical accounts are sometimes distorted or selectively interpreted, adding that such disagreements are partly understandable given the differing roles and experiences of those involved, as well as interests that may have influenced past actions.
“History of a country like ours and what we went through involves many things that people even distort and turn into something it is not or should not be. There are many debates, which is understandable, and they are justified because how one person understands things is not how another understands them, depending on the role people played or had in them, depending on the interests that may have been involved earlier, even when it later becomes clear that those were not the right interests to guide actions in history.”
President Kagame made the remarks on Saturday at Intare Arena, where he and First Lady Jeannette Kagame joined members of Unity Club and other leaders in a dialogue on the history of the Genocide against the Tutsi and the Liberation War that ended it.
President Kagame said that discussions about history are often complicated by factors such as denial, discomfort, or reluctance to acknowledge responsibility.
“There are many things involved. There is shame as people feel uncomfortable with the role they played or their connection to it, and they do not want to revisit it. That is understandable. But what is more important is trying to go beyond that and work towards gathering everything so it becomes a truth we can base other actions on,” he noted.
The Head of State emphasized that some truths are supported by clear evidence or testimonies, including from individuals acknowledging their own involvement.
“There is also truth that cannot be reversed or reinterpreted because of evidence. Or even evidence where some people admit: ‘This is what happened! What I said about myself is true.’”
President Kagame said that when individuals acknowledge their role, continued debate becomes unnecessary, and attention should shift to lessons that support positive change.
“If the person themselves tells you that, what more debate is there? Instead of arguing, you should take the lesson and use it to achieve what we want. Many of these debates often come from those who, instead of saying ‘What has been said about me is true, and I am ready to start from there and change to become a better person,’ they instead resist it.”
He further noted that some individuals remain resistant to accepted accounts of history and attempt to reshape or reinterpret events, but stressed that the country cannot be held hostage by such positions.
“Many remain stubborn for the reasons I mentioned, which is understandable. But the country cannot be held hostage. Even when a country allows certain things and gives space for people to better understand what they previously misunderstood, that space is given, and it should be given, but it must have limits,” he remarked.
“The country cannot be held hostage by people who want history to be as they wish or to be understood in a way that is not how it truly is. All those debates should have space, research should happen, many things should take place in the search for truth, and they should be given adequate time,” he added.
President Kagame noted that historical accounts are sometimes distorted or selectively interpreted.
President Kagame said Rwanda has already provided sufficient space for discussion, research, and the pursuit of historical truth, but cautioned that such space should not be misused to distort facts or mislead the public.
“And I think over the years that space has been provided or has been available, except if we misuse it. But again, as human beings, we know people have issues.”
He observed that resistance to truth is sometimes driven not by lack of knowledge, but by personal or emotional connections to individuals implicated in historical events, whether through family, friendship, ideology, or shared interests.
“In normal life, a person may say in their heart: ‘They are talking about someone who has a problem, who did bad things,’ but because it is their relative or friend, even when there is evidence, they try to protect that person and deny the truth, and even tell others it is not true.”
President Kagame and First Lady Jeannette Kagame joined members of Unity Club and other leaders in a dialogue on the history of the Genocide against the Tutsi and the Liberation War that ended it.
President Kagame added that in some cases, opposition to truth is motivated by fear that acknowledging certain crimes may have wider implications for those connected to them.
“Some do so because if that crime is acknowledged, even if it comes from testimony, it may eventually circle back to them. So they try to prevent it early. In other words, I have a connection with person X, who is accused of certain things. That connection is not only blood-related; it can also be ideological or based on shared beliefs.”
He further explained that in such situations, individuals may attempt to defend or protect others from accountability in order to avoid broader scrutiny.
“They then fight the truth to protect that person, sometimes a friend or relative, from being held accountable. The aim is to prevent it from spreading and people saying, ‘So you are also involved?’ or even saying that those crimes affect everyone connected to it, and asking, ‘So what about me, do I also accept it?’”
President Kagame noted that a deeper issue arises when denial goes as far as questioning whether crimes occurred at all, or suggesting that victims somehow deserved their fate.
“If it is someone who was killed, it becomes as if you are saying: ‘They deserved to die anyway! Why should they have lived?’ These are things we Rwandans have experienced, and we must find ways and solutions to address them.”
He stressed that Rwanda’s painful history cannot be ignored or bypassed, and that Rwandans have a responsibility to confront it honestly and draw lessons that guide the country’s future.
“Especially when I speak about Rwanda, I am talking about the country I am part of, where I am a Rwandan. There are others for whom this may not mean much; they may choose to live as they are. That is possible elsewhere… But in Rwanda, our country and our history, what we say is: ‘We had a very bad history, but we cannot go around it.’”
He added that while Rwanda’s past was deeply painful, it should not be allowed to define or dictate the country’s present and future.
President Kagame said Rwanda has reached a point of clarity about its values and direction, and that citizens should be prepared to defend them, even at great cost if necessary.
“That is what we should live for, and what we would even die for if necessary,” he affirmed.
The Head of State emphasized that dialogue, explanation, and persuasion have limits, particularly when continued resistance risks dragging the country back into its violent past.
“When you see it is reaching a point where it may take another direction that could return people to the bad history we know, then no! You draw a clear line. Whoever crosses it pays the price. We are not afraid of that at all!”
President Kagame said Rwanda has reached a point of clarity about its values and direction, and that citizens should be prepared to defend them, even at great cost if necessary.
Burkina Faso’s military junta announced an immediate and total rupture of formal diplomatic ties with Paris on Friday evening. The statement, issued by the Prime Minister’s Office and communicated by Communications Minister Pingdwende Gilbert Ouédraogo, noted that the decision followed “a thorough assessment of the current state of bilateral relations.”
“The conditions essential for promoting relations based on mutual respect, reciprocal trust, respect for the principle of non-interference in internal affairs and national sovereignty are no longer in place,” the Burkinabè government declared.
The junta further accused Paris of persistent activism against Burkinabè interests, alleging “blatant neo-colonial ambitions” and active support for “subversive networks and terrorists” operating within the region.
The French Foreign Ministry responded swiftly to the announcement. Spokesperson Pascal Confavreux firmly rejected the allegations, characterizing the immediate cutoff as an unfounded decision that “illustrates the worrying drift of the Burkinabè authorities.”
Paris indicated that it is actively monitoring the safety of its remaining diplomatic personnel and expatriates, urging French citizens in the country to exercise heightened vigilance. The ministry also signaled a firm diplomatic counter-response, confirming that necessary reciprocal measures are currently under review.
Relations between Paris and several Sahelian capitals have imploded in recent years following successive military coups. Regional governments have aggressively rolled back their traditional political, military, and diplomatic reliance on the West.
France, which long maintained extensive post-colonial influence in West and Central Africa, had already withdrawn its military forces and suspended development aid to Burkina Faso in 2023.
This formal diplomatic break aligns with a broader foreign policy shift by the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), comprising Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, as they pivot away from European partnerships to diversify international cooperation and strengthen ties with alternative global powers.
Burkina Faso’s military junta, led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré, announced the immediate and complete severance of formal diplomatic ties with Paris on Friday evening.
“One of the Drones solidly hit the upper deck of a large and very expensive cargo-carrying ship,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
“Damage was done, but the ship was able to proceed on its way,” he said. “We knocked down three other drones.”
Trump said the drone attack “obviously” violated the newly signed U.S.-Iran ceasefire agreement.
He did not name the ship or specify when the strike occurred. However, the British military said Thursday that a vessel had been hit by a projectile off the coast of Oman.
The International Maritime Organization, a UN agency, said Thursday in a statement that it had suspended efforts to evacuate ships stranded in the crucial global energy waterway in the wake of the drone attack.
On June 18, Iran and the United States signed the MoU to end the war in the region on all fronts, including Lebanon.
Under the MoU, the two countries agreed to 60 days of negotiations, which are already underway, toward a final agreement mainly on Iran’s nuclear program and the removal of sanctions against the country.
Trump said the drone attack “obviously” violated the newly signed U.S.-Iran ceasefire agreement.
The Lions of Teranga produced a clinical attacking display after the break, with Pape Gueye scoring twice in spectacular fashion, while Habib Diarra, Ismaila Sarr and Iliman Ndiaye also got on the scoresheet.
Senegal made a fast start, taking the lead in the fourth minute when Habib Diarra got the final touch on Abdoulaye Seck’s header to put his side ahead while both teams were still at full strength.
Iraq’s task became significantly harder shortly after. In the 13th minute, defender Rebin Sulaka was initially shown a yellow card for pulling back Sadio Mané as he broke through on goal. However, referee Anthony Taylor reviewed the incident on the pitchside monitor and upgraded the decision to a red card for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity.
Despite their numerical advantage, Senegal were unable to extend their lead before halftime, going into the break 1-0 up after a frustrating remainder of the first half.
After the restart, however, the game shifted decisively in Senegal’s favour.
Lamine Camara sparked the second-half surge in the 56th minute, forcing a turnover inside the Iraq penalty area before driving to the byline and cutting the ball back for Ismaila Sarr, who tapped into an empty net to score his third goal of the tournament.
Pape Gueye, introduced shortly after, made an immediate impact. In the 59th minute, he collected a pass near the edge of the box, shifted onto his left foot and curled a superb effort into the top corner beyond goalkeeper Ahmed Basil.
He struck again in the 71st minute, reacting quickest to Iliman Ndiaye’s bouncing delivery and unleashing a powerful half-volley that gave Basil no chance.
Ndiaye then added the fifth in the 82nd minute, finishing from distance to complete a comprehensive victory.
The result saw Senegal finish third in Group I with three points and a goal difference of +2, keeping their hopes alive in the race for the best third-placed finishers.
They were later confirmed among the top eight third-placed teams and progressed to the round of 32, where they are set to face England, depending on final group outcomes.
For Iraq, it was a disappointing end to their campaign. They lost all three group matches and were eliminated from their second World Cup appearance and first since 1986.
Pape Gueye came off the bench to score twice for Senegal.Pape Gueye celebrates with his teammates after scoring against Iraq.
Ismaila Sarr scored his third goal of the tournament.Iraq’s Rebin Sulaka grabbed Senegal’s Sadio Mané, resulting in him being sent off with a red card. Senegal delivered a dominant second-half performance to overwhelm 10-man Iraq 5-0 at Toronto Stadium on Friday.
The decision was announced on Friday evening, June 26, 2026, in a statement read on national television by the military government of Captain Ibrahim Traoré, who has led the country since September 2022.
“The government of Burkina Faso hereby informs the national and international community that it has decided to sever diplomatic relations with France with effect from today, June 26, 2026,” Communications Minister Pingdwende Gilbert Ouédraogo stated.
Ouédraogo said the move followed a thorough review of bilateral relations, concluding that the “essential conditions for promoting relations based on mutual respect, reciprocal trust, respect for the principle of non-interference in internal affairs and national sovereignty are not in place.”
The junta went on to accuse Paris of persistent activism against Burkinabè interests, accusing it of “blatant neo-colonial ambitions” and active support for “subversive networks and terrorists” operating within the region.
Paris responds
France responded swiftly to the announcement through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, firmly rejecting the accusations and condemning the move.
French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux denounced the immediate cutoff as a “hostile and unfounded decision.” In an official statement, Paris noted that the development “illustrates the worrying drift of the Burkinabè authorities.”
Confavreux added that France is actively monitoring the safety of its diplomatic personnel and French citizens remaining in the country, urging expatriates to exercise heightened vigilance. Furthermore, the ministry signaled a firm diplomatic counter-response, stating that “necessary reciprocal measures are currently under review.”
People-to-people ties preserved
In its initial statement, the Burkinabè government emphasised that the complete break concerns only the formal institutional framework between the two states.
“This decision exclusively concerns diplomatic relations between the two states and does not call into question the historical, human, cultural and social ties between the people of Burkina Faso and France,” the communiqué read.
Ouagadougou added that French nationals residing in Burkina Faso would continue to be protected in accordance with national laws, calling on citizens to show responsibility, restraint, and civic-mindedness toward expatriates.
Burkina Faso has been battered by a grueling security crisis for more than a decade, with armed extremist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State operating across its territory and the wider Sahel region. The ongoing conflict has caused thousands of deaths and displaced millions of people.
Relations between Paris and several Sahelian capitals have imploded in recent years. Following successive military coups, regional governments have aggressively reassessed their traditional political, military, and diplomatic reliance on the West.
France, which long maintained extensive post-colonial influence in West and Central Africa, already withdrew its military forces and suspended development aid to Burkina Faso in 2023.
This formal diplomatic break aligns with a broader foreign policy shift by the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), comprising Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, as they pivot away from traditional European partnerships to diversify international cooperation and strengthen ties with emerging global powers.
Burkina Faso has announced the immediate severance of diplomatic relations with France, marking a definitive rupture in the relationship between the West African country and its former colonial ruler.
Addressing a Congolese audience alongside President Félix Tshisekedi, Ndayishimiye declared: “You must have confidence that you have a common enemy. When you have a common enemy, to fight it, unity is required.”
There is little doubt that this message is directed against Tutsi communities, particularly the Banyamulenge and other Congolese Tutsi populations who have long faced discrimination, exclusion, and violence in eastern DRC.
The context only reinforces this interpretation: Burundian forces are currently operating alongside a coalition that includes the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC), the FDLR genocidal group, Wazalendo militias, and foreign mercenaries.
Ndayishimiye’s remarks are neither a message of reconciliation nor de-escalation. On the contrary, they directly undermine diplomatic efforts led by the United States, Qatar, and the African Union.
The Washington peace agreement between Kigali and Kinshasa, as well as ongoing discussions between the Congolese government and the AFC/M23, are centered on peaceful conflict resolution and political dialogue, not military confrontation. Yet Ndayishimiye’s intent is to stir conflict and incite further violence against Congolese Tutsi communities.
Ndayishimiye’s remarks are neither a message of reconciliation nor de-escalation.
Shortly after his meeting with Tshisekedi, Ndayishimiye recommitted to sending several hundred additional Burundian troops to the DRC. This development coincides with reports that the FARDC-FDLR-Burundian coalition is reorganizing following recent battlefield setbacks. Military units are reportedly being reassembled around Minembwe, Kamanyola, and the Rusizi Plain, potentially in preparation for renewed large-scale operations.
Ndayishimiye has increasingly positioned himself as a central actor in policies and military actions that contribute to the marginalization and displacement of Tutsi communities in eastern DRC. Burundi has already deployed more than 20,000 troops, operating primarily in South Kivu, including Fizi, Mwenga, and areas surrounding Minembwe.
Concerns regarding Ndayishimiye’s stance toward the Congolese Tutsi, or Banyamulenge, are not new. In previous statements, he questioned the existence of the Banyamulenge as a distinct ethnic community, arguing that they lack a traditional chieftaincy, a claim that is historically inaccurate and politically significant, as it challenges the identity and legitimacy of a community that has lived in the region for centuries.
The Burundian president has also argued that the Banyamulenge issue emerged only after Rwanda’s intervention in Zaire in 1996. Historians and regional experts dispute this characterization, noting that disputes over the citizenship, identity, and political status of the Banyamulenge long predate the wars of the mid-1990s. The roots of these tensions stretch back decades and are deeply intertwined with colonial-era policies, questions of nationality, and local power struggles.
Ndayishimiye’s reference to a “common enemy” carries significant weight. In a region where ethnic tensions have repeatedly fuelled cycles of violence, such language cannot be interpreted as a simple call for unity. Instead, it reinforces narratives that portray entire communities as threats, inciting ethnic violence at a moment when political dialogue and reconciliation are urgently needed.
As peace initiatives continue to gain international support, the key question remains: will regional leaders pressure the Ndayishimiye-Tshisekedi alliance to embrace inclusive political solutions, or will they stand by as military escalations continue and eventually spiral out of control?
Shortly after his meeting with Tshisekedi, Ndayishimiye recommitted to sending several hundred additional Burundian troops to the DRC. This development coincides with reports that the FARDC-FDLR-Burundian coalition is reorganizing following recent battlefield setbacks.
The discussions focused on the ongoing work towards the East African Political Confederation, with particular attention to progress on drafting its Constitution and the next steps in advancing the regional integration agenda.
The meeting comes as the EAC continues region-wide consultations on the proposed Political Confederation, a transitional arrangement adopted by Heads of State in 2017 as a pathway towards the eventual Political Federation of East African States.
In Rwanda, the consultations were launched on June 15 and were conducted across different parts of the country, including Kigali, Rubavu, Huye and Nyagatare. The two-week exercise, which concludes on June 27, is aimed at gathering citizens’ and stakeholders’ views to inform the drafting of the Constitution of the Political Confederation.
The consultations have brought together participants from government institutions, Parliament, the judiciary, academia, civil society, the private sector, youth and women’s groups, faith-based organisations, persons with disabilities, political parties and the media.
According to the EAC Secretariat, the views collected across Partner States will inform the development of the governance framework of the Political Confederation and help define institutional structures for the next phase of regional integration.
EAC officials describe the process as a key milestone in the broader integration agenda, which also includes the Customs Union, Common Market, and ongoing implementation of the Monetary Union Protocol, as Partner States work towards deeper economic and political integration.
Speaking during earlier phases of the consultations, EAC officials emphasized the importance of citizen participation in shaping the integration framework.
“This is not merely an exercise. The Treaty is very clear that the Community is people-centred, and therefore, citizens must be consulted when major decisions about our integration are being made,” said EAC Secretary General Ambassador Stephen Mbundi.
President Paul Kagame hosted the EAC delegation at Urugwiro Village.The discussions focused on the ongoing work towards the East African Political Confederation, with particular attention to progress on drafting its Constitution and the next steps in advancing the regional integration agenda.
Hall, who has built a global following through viral, high-intensity fitness routines, recently teased the trip on his social media platforms.
In a series of clips showing him racing against cars and aircraft, the influencer repeatedly exclaimed “Africa,” signaling his forthcoming visit to the continent. He also shared a sequence of national flags outlining his planned itinerary, confirming that the tour will begin on June 28, 2026.
As part of the tour, Hall is expected to visit a series of African countries, including Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Uganda, and South Africa, among others.
The 30-year-old influencer is known for his disciplined daily fitness regimen, typically carried out in the early morning hours. He says he has maintained this routine consistently for the past 15 years.
His upcoming African tour follows previous international visits to countries such as Germany, Puerto Rico, India, and the United Arab Emirates, where he has often collaborated with local creators and fitness enthusiasts.
In Rwanda, social media personality Kagarara has been among those inspired by Hall’s style of content creation. He began producing similar content after meeting American streamer IShowSpeed, who previously visited Rwanda.
Hall, who has built a global following through viral, high-intensity fitness routines, teased the trip on his social media platforms.The 30-year-old influencer is known for his disciplined daily fitness regimen, typically carried out in the early morning hours. He says he has maintained this routine consistently for the past 15 years.
