The agreements were formalised during a signing ceremony in Paris. Rwanda was represented by its Ambassador to France, François Nkulikiyimfura, while the French delegation was led by Ambassador to Rwanda, Aurélie Royet-Gounin, alongside Laurent Touvet, the Director General for Foreigners at the French Ministry of the Interior.
The newly signed MoUs are expected to deepen bilateral ties, enhance administrative efficiency, and foster closer cooperation between Kigali and Paris.
The diplomatic milestone closely follows the historic inauguration on June 2, 2026, of “L’Archive”, a permanent memorial in Paris dedicated to the victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
The unveiling of the monument on the Habib-Bourguiba Esplanade was presided over by President Paul Kagame and First Lady Jeannette Kagame, alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, who described the memorial as a significant milestone in the ongoing reconciliation between the two countries.
Rwanda and France sign MoUs on migration and employment of diplomatic dependents.The newly signed MoUs are expected to deepen bilateral ties, enhance administrative efficiency, and foster closer cooperation between Kigali and Paris.Rwanda and France have signed two Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) aimed at streamlining migration management and easing employment restrictions for families of diplomatic staff serving in both nations.
At the center of the case is a decision by the Kennedy Center’s board to add Trump’s name to the building’s facade and official branding after he assumed a leadership role within the institution. The move was quickly challenged in court, with critics arguing that the change violated the original congressional mandate establishing the center as a memorial to President John F. Kennedy.
A federal judge ultimately ruled that the addition of Trump’s name was not legally valid. The court emphasized that the Kennedy Center was created by Congress in 1964 with a specific naming purpose, and any alteration to that designation would require congressional approval rather than a board-level decision. As a result, the judge ordered that Trump’s name be removed from the building and related branding materials. In his ruling, he stated: “Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it.”
Beyond the naming issue, the ruling also scrutinized the broader decision-making process within the institution. The court found that the board had not fully considered the operational and legal implications of its recent restructuring and renovation plans, including a controversial proposal to temporarily close the center for major upgrades. While the judge did not immediately block all renovation efforts, the decision signaled that future actions could face stricter review if proper procedures and documentation were not followed.
The case emerged amid growing tensions within the Kennedy Center’s leadership, where shifts in governance have coincided with political controversy and internal restructuring. Supporters of the board’s decisions argued that changes were necessary to modernize the facility and secure funding for long-delayed repairs. Critics, however, viewed the actions as politicizing a historically nonpartisan cultural institution.
Following the ruling, representatives for the Kennedy Center indicated that they would appeal the decision, maintaining that the board acted within its authority. They also reaffirmed their commitment to continuing renovation plans, though likely under closer legal scrutiny moving forward.
The court’s decision does not permanently resolve the dispute but instead sets new boundaries for how far institutional leadership can go in reshaping the Kennedy Center’s identity. As legal proceedings continue, the case highlights broader questions about governance, cultural heritage, and the limits of executive influence over national institutions.
A view of Donald Trump’s name added to the Kennedy Center in Washington DC.
According to a family statement, Bryson passed away on Tuesday evening “surrounded by the love of his family and those closest to him.” He had recently suffered a stroke and was hospitalised earlier in May 2026. The singer also previously survived a heart attack in 2019.
Born Robert Peapo Bryson in 1951 in Greenville, South Carolina, he began performing professionally as a teenager, first singing backup for local acts before launching a solo career in the mid-1970s. His smooth tenor voice and emotional delivery quickly made him a standout in R&B music.
Bryson rose to prominence with hits such as “Reaching for the Sky,” “Feel the Fire,” and “Can You Stop the Rain,” becoming a regular presence on R&B radio and earning a reputation for romantic ballads and powerful duets.
He became especially well known for his collaborations with female vocalists. Among his most celebrated partnerships was with Roberta Flack, producing hits including “Tonight, I Celebrate My Love,” which became one of his signature songs.
Bryson later achieved global fame through his contributions to Disney soundtracks. His duet with Céline Dion on “Beauty and the Beast,” from Beauty and the Beast, became a worldwide hit and won a Grammy Award. The song also won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.
He went on to record another iconic duet, “A Whole New World,” with Regina Belle for Aladdin. The song became a defining moment in Disney music history and also earned Grammy recognition, cementing Bryson’s status as one of the most recognisable voices in film soundtracks.
Over his career, Bryson released around 20 studio albums and received multiple Grammy nominations. His voice became synonymous with romantic storytelling in both R&B and cinematic music.
In a statement, his family said they were deeply moved by the global outpouring of love, adding that while they are grieving, they find comfort in the legacy he leaves behind. “His voice and his generous spirit touched countless lives,” the statement read.
Bryson is survived by his wife, Tanya Boniface, and his children. His music, especially his Disney classics, is expected to continue resonating with audiences for generations.
Born Robert Peapo Bryson in 1951 in Greenville, South Carolina, he began performing professionally as a teenager, first singing backup for local acts before launching a solo career in the mid-1970s.
Officials say the city requires about 210,000 cubic metres of water daily, while current production stands at around 145,000 cubic metres. The resulting shortfall has sustained intermittent water distribution in several parts of the capital.
Residents in areas including Kanombe, Busanza and Karembure say water shortages have recently become more noticeable, even before the onset of the dry season.
In some neighbourhoods, water sold at public standpipes has become increasingly expensive, with vendors reportedly purchasing a jerrycan at the regulated price of 20 Rwandan francs and reselling it for between 300 francs and above, depending on demand.
WASAC Group CEO Dr Asaph Kabaasha told IGIHE that the price increases by some vendors are linked to ongoing rationing caused by insufficient supply across the city.
He said several short-term and long-term infrastructure projects are underway to eliminate the shortages and ensure uninterrupted water supply.
“There are very short-term projects in Kigali that we aim to complete by September. For example, we are upgrading the Nzove water treatment plant, and we plan to add 20,000 cubic metres by September. The preparations are at an advanced stage, and we have already signed agreements with the contractor,” he said.
Dr Kabaasha also pointed to a major long-term expansion plan expected to add 400,000 cubic metres of water per day, aimed at meeting demand up to 2035. The project will draw water from the Nyabarongo II dam, which will also generate electricity alongside water supply.
In addition, he said the Karenge water treatment plant is being expanded from its current capacity of 12,000 cubic metres to 48,000 cubic metres, with 36,000 cubic metres expected to be supplied to Kigali.
“These developments mean that in the near future, water rationing will be a thing of the past in Kigali City,” he said.
Dr Kabaasha urged residents to use water responsibly, avoid wastage, protect water infrastructure, and report theft or vandalism, while assuring the public that efforts are ongoing to ensure universal access to clean water.
The Water and Sanitation Corporation (WASAC Group) has said it is implementing a range of ongoing projects aimed at resolving water rationing in the City of Kigali, as demand continues to outstrip supply by an estimated 65,000 cubic metres per day.WASAC Group CEO Dr Asaph Kabaasha told IGIHE that the price increases by some vendors are linked to ongoing rationing caused by insufficient supply across the city.
The dinner followed the inauguration of the memorial dedicated to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, known as “Les Archives.”
The event forms part of President Macron’s broader efforts since taking office to rebuild and strengthen bilateral relations between Rwanda and France. In 2021, he visited Rwanda, where he joined Rwandans in commemorating the Genocide against the Tutsi and acknowledged France’s role in the events that led to the genocide, issuing an apology for the country’s past failures.
The dinner was attended by several high-profile figures, including Louise Mushikiwabo, Secretary General of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), and former French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Also present was Yonathan Arfi, President of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France.
The dinner followed the inauguration of the memorial dedicated to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, known as “Les Archives.”President Kagame as he was received by his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron.The dinner was attended by several high-profile figures.Louise Mushikiwabo, Secretary General of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF, attended the dinner.Yonathan Arfi, President of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France, as he arrived at the Élysée Palace to attend the ceremony.
The decision comes as governments across the region tighten health screening and entry requirements for travellers arriving from affected areas, in efforts to contain the spread of the disease.
KLM Country Manager Rukia Otema said the carrier had suspended flights to Entebbe for two weeks due to Ebola-related restrictions affecting airline crew movements. She explained that the rules could lead to extended isolation periods for pilots and other staff.
“We are suspending flights for two weeks to Entebbe because it’s mentioned among the countries with Ebola cases. If our pilots happen to fly to Uganda, they will be isolated for 21 days,” she said.
In a statement issued on May 29, KLM confirmed it had cancelled flights scheduled for May 30 and June 1, 2026. Flight tracking data showed two Amsterdam–Entebbe services, which operate via Kigali, were among those affected.
The airline said passengers impacted by the cancellations would be contacted directly regarding rebooking or refunds and advised travellers to check their flight status before departure.
KLM noted that Entebbe is not currently classified as an active Ebola risk zone, but said entry restrictions introduced by some countries for travellers who have recently been in Uganda were also applying to airline crews.
The carrier added that it was monitoring developments and assessing how the evolving measures could affect future operations.
The suspension follows similar action by Uganda Airlines, which on May 23 halted flights between Entebbe and Kinshasa over Ebola-related containment measures.
Brussels Airlines has also warned that restrictions could affect crew deployment, while Emirates has advised passengers to check health requirements before travel.
KLM Country Manager Rukia Otema said the carrier had suspended flights to Entebbe for two weeks due to Ebola-related restrictions affecting airline crew movements.
To sustain its activities, the FDLR, whose operations commander, Gustave Kubwayo, commonly known as Colonel Sirkoof, was on Tuesday sanctioned by the United States of America (USA), has relied on a network of revenue-generating activities in eastern DRC, including illegal mining, agriculture, cannabis cultivation and trafficking, and the charcoal trade. The proceeds have enabled the group to purchase weapons, maintain its operations, and recruit new fighters.
The FDLR armed group was formed by remnants of the former Rwandan Armed Forces and extremist militias that fled Rwanda after committing the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
Over the years, FDLR has strengthened its presence by recruiting from Rwandan communities that have remained in the DRC and by establishing strongholds in territories such as Rutshuru and Walikale. Despite facing repeated military setbacks, the group has managed to adapt and survive.
The group’s anti-Tutsi ideology has not only targeted Rwandans but also Congolese Tutsis. In areas where it has operated, FDLR has been accused of killings, looting, and the displacement of local communities, forcing many residents to flee to neighbouring countries.
Rise of local resistance
As FDLR expanded its influence, local communities increasingly organised armed groups to defend themselves.
In 2005, residents of South Kivu, including Pastor Jean Musumbu, established the Mai Mai Raia Mutomboki militia to resist FDLR attacks.
A year later, former Congolese army officers led by Gen. Laurent Nkunda formed the National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP), citing the need to protect Congolese Tutsis from persecution by FDLR, particularly in North Kivu.
The emergence of CNDP highlighted growing frustration among communities that felt abandoned by both the Congolese state and the international community.
In 2008, members of the Nyanga community in Walikale created Nduma Défense du Congo (NDC) under Ntabo Ntaberi Sheka to counter FDLR violence and protect local populations.
Although NDC initially weakened FDLR’s influence in parts of North Kivu, internal divisions later led to the creation of NDC-R under Guidon Shimiray Mwisa, reducing pressure on armed group.
To sustain its activities, the FDLR has relied on a network of revenue-generating activities in eastern DRC, including illegal mining, agriculture, cannabis cultivation and trafficking, and the charcoal trade.
Joint military operations
In December 2008, Rwanda and the DRC launched a joint military offensive against FDLR known as Operation Umoja Wetu, followed by Operation Kimia II.
The operations dealt significant blows to the group, killing senior commanders and hundreds of fighters while encouraging others to return voluntarily to Rwanda.
During the 35-day Umoja Wetu operation in early 2009, 153 FDLR combatants were killed, including Lt. Col. Anaclet Hitimana, commonly known as Gasasira Kabuyoya. Thirteen fighters were wounded, 37 captured, and 103 repatriated to Rwanda.
Creation of proxy forces
Facing increasing military pressure, FDLR adopted a new strategy aimed at ensuring its survival.
According to retired Col. Augustin Nshimiyimana, widely known as Bora Manassé and a former FDLR operations commander, the group began organising and training Congolese armed groups composed mainly of Kinyarwanda-speaking Congolese Hutu communities.
The militias, collectively known as Nyatura, were established as local allies that would share FDLR’s ideology and help shield the organisation from military offensives.
“I was sent to establish Nyatura on the orders of Gen. Omega, the commander of FOCA,” Bora said in testimony about the group’s strategy. He explained that FDLR sought to recruit young people from Masisi and Rutshuru after suffering losses during confrontations with Raia Mutomboki fighters.
Training of the newly formed Nyatura groups reportedly began around 2010 and was conducted largely by FDLR’s elite CRAP unit under Guillaume Rurakabije.
Over time, multiple Nyatura factions emerged, including Nyatura-Domi, Nyatura John Love, Nyatura Kasongo, Nyatura Jean-Marie, Nyatura Kigingi, Nyatura Gatuza, Nyatura Abazungu, Nyatura Kalume, and Nyatura Karume.
According to former FDLR members, these groups operated in close coordination with FDLR and shared the same anti-Tutsi ideology.
Alliance with APCLS
FDLR also developed close ties with the Alliance of Patriots for a Free and Sovereign Congo (APCLS), a Hunde militia formed in 2010 under Janvier Karairi.
The two groups found common ground in their opposition to Congolese Tutsi communities and later cooperated in military operations.
APCLS traces its origins to PARECO-Hunde and previously fought alongside Congolese government forces against the M23 rebellion during earlier phases of the conflict in North Kivu.
Former fighters and regional analysts say FDLR, Nyatura factions, and APCLS often operate together, making it difficult to distinguish between members of the various groups on the battlefield.
FDLR fighters have also reportedly adopted tactics designed to avoid detection, including frequently changing names, rotating between units, and blending into local communities.
The Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) continues to pursue its long-standing objective of destabilising Rwanda.
Ongoing debate over FDLR’s future
The dismantling of FDLR has remained a key issue in regional diplomacy.
Since 2025, discussions involving Rwanda, the DRC, and the United States have increasingly focused on neutralising the group as part of broader efforts to restore stability in eastern DRC.
However, critics argue that progress remains limited.
According to Congolese researcher Dr. Alex Mvuka, FDLR has become deeply intertwined with armed groups operating under the Wazalendo umbrella, including some Nyatura factions and APCLS.
Mvuka argues that disarming FDLR without simultaneously addressing Wazalendo groups would be difficult because of their operational links and shared networks.
As of June 2026, estimates placed FDLR’s strength at between 7,000 and 10,000 fighters. The group’s military spokesperson, Lt. Col. Octavien Mutimura, has claimed that its actual numbers are higher.
Mvuka further argues that FDLR continues to draw recruits from segments of the Rwandan population that remain in the DRC, as well as from Congolese communities influenced by anti-Tutsi narratives, while cooperation with allied armed groups continues to bolster its capabilities.
The FDLR armed group was formed by remnants of the former Rwandan Armed Forces and extremist militias that fled Rwanda after committing the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
The decline came after many previously listed suspected cases were tested and ruled out, World Health Organization (WHO) spokesperson Christian Lindmeier said Tuesday.
A DRC health ministry report released on May 27 said the country had recorded 1,077 suspected Ebola cases as of May 26.
Lindmeier told reporters that during the outbreak, anyone identified through surveillance or seeking treatment at a healthcare facility with Ebola-like symptoms is initially considered a suspected case until testing confirms otherwise. After laboratory tests, many of those cases were ruled out, with some found to be malaria, meningitis or other unrelated illnesses, he said.
According to the latest DRC health ministry update, as of Monday, the country had reported more than 340 confirmed Ebola cases, including 60 deaths. A total of six patients have recovered, up by one from the previous day, while 173 suspected cases are in isolation.
The WHO declared the Ebola outbreak in the DRC a public health emergency of international concern on May 17. The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment.
Medical officers sanitise areas in Ebola-prone areas in the DRC.
In a statement issued on June 2, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced that Col Sirkoof had been designated for sanctions as the head of the FDLR’s Commando de Recherche et d’Action en Profondeur (CRAP), an intelligence and special operations unit.
According to the Treasury Department, Col Sirkoof also led an FDLR operational command structure in North Kivu’s Nyiragongo Territory that was established in 2022 after M23 offensives forced FDLR fighters to disperse geographically.
The FDLR armed group was formed by remnants of the former Rwandan Armed Forces and extremist militias that fled Rwanda after committing the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
The United States said the FDLR group has carried out ethnically motivated violence against civilians, recruited child soldiers, committed conflict-related sexual violence, and cross-border attacks that continue to threaten Rwanda’s security.
Washington said the group finances its activities through looting civilians, imposing unlawful taxes, kidnapping people for ransom, illegal logging in Virunga National Park, and other illicit activities.
The U.S. government further stated that the FDLR has received support from local militias and units of the Congolese army despite a government ban on cooperation with the group.
The FDLR was first sanctioned by the United States on January 3, 2013, for serious violations of international law involving children in armed conflict, including killings, sexual violence, abductions, and forced displacement.
The Treasury Department said Col Sirkoof was sanctioned for being a leader of the FDLR, an entity already subject to U.S. sanctions.
In the same announcement, the United States also imposed sanctions on John Imani Nzenze, the intelligence chief of the M23 rebel group. U.S. authorities said Nzenze is a senior M23 commander and a close associate of the group’s military leader, Gen Sultani Makenga.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the sanctions are part of broader efforts by the United States to support peace and stability in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
“Persistent violence by armed groups is exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis and presents a threat to U.S. interests in the region,” Bessent said. “Today’s sanctions support a peaceful resolution and end to the bloodshed.”
As a result of the sanctions, any property or interests in property belonging to the designated individuals that are within the United States or under the control of U.S. persons are blocked. U.S. persons are also generally prohibited from engaging in transactions involving them.
The United States said the FDLR group has carried out ethnically motivated violence against civilians, recruited child soldiers, committed conflict-related sexual violence, and cross-border attacks that continue to threaten Rwanda’s security.
According to the Ministry of Health, 12 patients are currently undergoing treatment, while two have recovered and been discharged from hospital. One person has died from the disease.
Health officials said 668 people identified as contacts of confirmed cases are being closely monitored for possible infection.
The outbreak was traced to a Congolese national who travelled to Uganda from Ituri Province in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The patient subsequently transmitted the virus to several other people, including healthcare workers involved in their care.
Meanwhile, the DRC Ministry of Health reported that the country’s Ebola caseload had reached 231 as of May 31, 2026, including 48 fatalities.
The outbreak in the DRC remains concentrated in Ituri Province, particularly in the areas of Mongbwalu, Rwampara and Bunia, although a limited number of cases have also been reported in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces.
The Ebola outbreak in Uganda was traced to a Congolese national who travelled to Uganda from Ituri Province in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
