During the meeting, President Kagame was accompanied by Francis Gatare, his Special Advisor, and Murangwa Yusuf, the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning.
The World Bank, established in 1944, is an international institution responsible for providing loans and grants to support development projects in emerging economies.
Over time, the Government of Rwanda and the World Bank have signed several development agreements, including a Frw355billion deal signed in December 2024 to support environmentally sustainable private-sector investments.
Between March 14 and September 9, 2025, government and the World Bank will collaborate on six projects focusing on environmental protection, urban transportation services, refugee assistance, and disaster response.
For these initiatives, the World Bank plans to provide Rwanda with USD 531.81 million (over Frw763billion) to support project implementation, pending approval by the Bank’s Board of Directors.
Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang confirmed that Lt. Gen. Yeiy Dak fled to Jonglei State, specifically the Lou Nuer area. He explained that some members of the SPLA-IO, who were integrated during the unification of forces, became fearful and fled Juba.
Lul urged them to return to the capital and resume their duties. He made these remarks during a press conference in Juba, Monday, March 10, 2025.
“Some components of the SPLA-IO, which were integrated into the system during the unification of the second level of command, began to fear, especially those who had been fueling and funding the conflict in Nasir,” Lul stated.
“Those who felt they had contributed to the unrest in Nasir through mobilization and funding took off. Some went into hiding here, while others fled to the nearest SPLA-IO cantonment areas in Central Equatoria, Terekeka, and some even as far as Lou Nuer areas,” he said.
“As we speak, we have the Deputy Director General for National Security ISB, Lt. Gen. Yeiy Dak, who was in charge of operations, having fled to the Lou Nuer area,” he added.
“We are appealing to them, including those who went as far as Lou Nuer, to return, and for those still nearby, to come back and resume their normal duties.”
Last week, the SPLM-IO claimed that several of its members, including Deputy Chief of Defense Forces Gen. Duop Lam and Petroleum Minister Puot Kang, had been “arbitrarily arrested.”
Last week, Information Minister Michael Makuei confirmed that the officials were arrested for violating the law.
The delegation led by the Speaker of the National Assembly of Zambia and President of PF-ICGLR, Rt. Hon. Nelly Mutti Butete will also meet President Yoweri Museveni.
Welcoming the delegation to Uganda, Speaker, Anita Among on Monday, 10 March 2025 at Parliament commended them for their commitment to regional peace and reaffirmed Uganda’s support for African-led solutions to the continent’s challenges.
“As Africans, we have always agreed that African problems can only be solved locally. This pursuit that you are doing, moving from one country to another, meeting heads of state to find the best way to achieve peace, is a very good initiative and I applaud you and your team for that,” she said.
Among also reiterated Uganda’s commitment to regional peace, stating that peace in the DRC is crucial for stability in the Great Lakes Region.
“Problem-solving is why they are here. We want to see how best peace can be created in the DRC and that peace can only be achieved with our heads of state and with us as Africans. It begins with us,” she said.
Among also highlighted Uganda’s active participation in the forum, noting that the country remains up to date on its financial obligations.
Butete outlined the objectives of the visit, emphasizing the importance of regional leadership in resolving conflicts.
“This is the fourth phase on issues relating to peace and security in the Eastern DRC,” she said adding that, ’without peace, we cannot interact, and even regional integration cannot prosper. Peace is a precursor to development.
She underscored the need for African nations to take charge of their security concerns, avoiding external intervention where possible.
“We don’t want to invite strangers to come and intervene in our affairs when we have responsible leaders in our presence who can take charge and guide citizens to ensure peace and stability in the region,” Butete stated.
The delegation’s findings will be presented to the PF-ICGLR plenary in April before being escalated to higher levels for further discussion.
Butete, who is concluding her term as President of the forum, emphasized the importance of tangible progress before the leadership transition in Angola.
Uganda remains a key player in regional peace and security efforts, advocating for home-grown solutions to Africa’s challenges.
According to reports, the suspect, Collins Leitich, alias Chepkulei, a resident of Asis Village in Ndugulu location, took it upon himself to establish a police patrol base at a building, and went as far as painting the structure in official police colors, creating the impression of a legitimate security post.
The discovery of the unauthorized base was made by local authorities, who promptly commenced investigations.
Officers from Kamuyu Police Post, under Kondoo Police Station, were alerted and recorded the incident under OB04/08/03/2025.
Residents expressed shock at the revelation. “We were surprised to learn that the police patrol base was not official. Many of us thought it was a genuine initiative to improve security in the area,” said one of the residents.
Authorities have yet to establish the suspect’s motive for setting up the unauthorized patrol base. Police have assured residents that appropriate action will be taken as they continue with their investigations.
According to reports given by most Kenyans, the man did this due to lack of jobs. Taking to his different social media platforms to speak on this, the former Governor of Nairobi, Honorable Mike Sonko stated that nothing is impossible in Kenya.
According to media reports, the capture of Nyabiondo came after intense fighting with the APCLS militia, which is aligned with the DRC government forces. The clashes began on the morning of March 9, 2025.
Kipanda Biiri, a local leader from the Osso-Banyungu Sector where Nyabiondo is located, told Reuters, that M23 took Nyabiondo at around 3 p.m. after the fighting.
Many residents of Nyabiondo fled the violence, seeking refuge in safer areas in the western part of the province, including Kashebere.
Nyabiondo, located at the entrance of the Walikale Territory, is a strategic area and has been a stronghold for armed groups allied with the DRC government, including NDC-R led by Guidon Shimiray Mwissa.
In recent weeks, countries such as Canada, Belgium, and Germany have imposed sanctions on Rwanda, accusing it of supporting the M23 rebel group and fueling insecurity in eastern DRC. Rwanda refutes the claims, and instead blame DRC for collaboration with FDLR terrorist group to threaten the country’s security. These countries claim that Rwanda is exploiting the conflict for access to the DRC’s mineral wealth.
In a message shared on Monday, March 10, 2025, Amb. Rwamucyo pointed out that despite its vast natural resources, the DRC remains one of the poorest countries in the world.
“DR Congo is a development paradox. Although it boasts being endowed with vast natural resources, it is the poorest nation on earth. The UN Human Development Index [HDI] ranks DRC 180th out of the 193 countries listed,” he posted on X.
Amb. Rwamucyo argued that the real beneficiaries of the DRC’s mineral wealth are foreign interests and corrupt Congolese officials.
“Talk of who exploits DRC’s mineral wealth: The corrupt GoDRC and powerful political elites have for decades mortgaged the country’s mineral resources to any powerful exploiter who will line their pockets. Perpetuating the narrative that illegal exploitation of mineral resources is the root cause of conflict in DRC is cynical, hypocritical and disingenuous. The painful fact is that this narrative is perpetuated by corrupt DRC officials and the very culprit exploiters,” he stated.
He emphasized that blaming Rwanda for the DRC’s problems is a distraction from the real issue—endemic corruption and bad governance.
According to him, Rwanda’s main security concern is the DRC’s preservation and support to the genocidal FDLR which is responsible for the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi and is a security threat to Rwanda; and the ethnic cleansing and persecution of Congolese Tutsi.
Amb. Rwamucyo also highlighted that major western european actors deliberately perpetuate the narrative of illegal exploitation of mineral resources to cover-up their brute and greedy decades of exploitation of DRC.
“Kamituga is a large gold mining town. Gold was first discovered in the 1920s. These are the cheapest to mine high quality alluvial gold deposits in Lualaba, Mobale, Kahushimira, Kamakundu, and Idoka rivers. Belgium Company Miniere des Grands Lacs Africain (MGL) – Greatlakes Mining Company owned and started commercial mining of Gold in Kamituga in the 1930s until 1997,” he explained.
“That is 67 years of plundering cheap high quality gold with no benefits to congolese citizens. In 1997, MGL sold the Gold mine concession to Banro, a Canadian company. Banro owns the mines to this day. Belgians still maintain a key stake,” added Amb. Rwamucyo.
Despite its mineral wealth, Kamituga remains underdeveloped, with its residents living in extreme poverty and lacking basic infrastructure such as roads.
Amb. Rwamucyo argued that Western nations do not support the DRC out of goodwill, democracy, or human rights concerns but rather to protect their economic interests in the region.
“When Belgium and Canada and their neo-colonial european allies, who are at the historical root of this conflict, side with DRC, ganging against Rwanda and refuse to condemn DRC’s ethnic cleansing and persecution of Congolese; they are consumed by protection of brute and greedy national mining and economic interests in places like desolate and sleepy Kamituga and the rest of DRC. It is an action aimed at appeasing desperate DRC elites. This is not about values of good governance, democracy or human rights. It is about protecting greed and brutal national interests,” he said.
Amb. Rwamucyo’s remarks come just days after President Paul Kagame reiterated that Rwanda’s primary concern is its own security, not the mineral wealth of the DRC, as some have falsely claimed.
Jacquemot claimed that the Tutsi population in eastern DRC was not indigenous to the area but was relocated there from various regions in the 1930s while Rwanda was under German and Belgian colonial rule. Nduhungirehe categorically dismissed this assertion as false.
Speaking to Radio France Internationale (RFI), Jacquemot alleged that the majority of people living in eastern Congo were Tutsi, who had supposedly been moved there during the 1930s.
In response, Nduhungirehe, writing on X (formerly Twitter), refuted the claim, clarifying that by 1930, Germany had long ceased its colonial rule over Rwanda and Burundi, having lost control after its defeat in World War I. He emphasized that Rwanda and Burundi were placed under Belgian administration in 1920.
He further emphasized that the Tutsi people in the DRC were not brought from various regions in the 1930s, as Jacquemot suggested, but were native to the land they had inhabited long before that time.
The minister explained that the Tutsi in the DRC are indigenous to the territory that was taken from Rwanda in 1910 during a meeting between Belgium, Germany, and Britain, which drew borders and decided the fate of the region.
He pointed out that the people in the eastern DRC share the Kinyarwanda language, culture, and traditions, with many place names, mountains, and rivers also bearing Kinyarwanda names. The native people in the area have long been connected to Rwanda through history, he added.
Amb. Nduhungirehe noted that while some Rwandans were forcibly taken by Belgian colonists between 1920 and 1950 for labor in the mining sector, it did not change the fact that there were many indigenous Rwandans living in the DRC who were deeply connected to their ancestral lands.
The minister also addressed another falsehood spread by Jacquemot, who claimed that the M23 group was seeking to control the coltan mines in Rubaya, a region in the DRC that reportedly produces 20% of the world’s coltan. Jacquemot alleged that the minerals are processed in Rwanda before being exported to Asia, Europe, and North America with different labels.
Nduhungirehe countered these claims, referencing research by Bojana Coulibaly, who found that the mines in Rubaya were still being worked with traditional methods, with no roads connecting the area to Goma. He questioned how the mines could possibly produce 20% of the world’s coltan without the use of modern mining technology.
He reaffirmed that the coltan mining in Rubaya is conducted by local communities who speak Kinyarwanda, and while the area was once controlled by militia including, no such military presence currently reported there.
Turning to Rwanda’s own mining sector, Nduhungirehe noted that Rwanda has been rich in precious minerals for decades, a fact uncovered during colonial times and continued after independence. Research conducted during both colonial and post-colonial periods has revealed that 52 areas in Rwanda contain valuable minerals, with mining already underway in some of these regions.
The minister stated that Rwanda is one of the world’s leading producers of coltan, with the country accounting for 22.4% of global sales in 2024, second only to the DRC, which contributed 40.2%. Rwanda’s mining industry follows both national and international laws, ensuring that minerals meet the required standards for international trade.
Nduhungirehe further pointed out that there are currently 136 licenses issued to 99 mining companies in Rwanda, as well as licenses for 18 companies engaged in mineral research and 76 companies involved in trading and processing. The minister stressed that Rwanda’s mining sector operates within the boundaries of the law, with proper documentation and traceability for international markets.
In response to Jacquemot’s misleading statements, Nduhungirehe emphasized that individuals like him who use international media to spread lies about the Great Lakes region are attempting to cover up the true beneficiaries of the valuable minerals in the DRC.
Under the new rules, any religious group applying for official status must provide a list of at least 1,000 members from the district where it intends to operate and pay a non-refundable registration fee of Frw2 million.
These requirements apply to churches, religious organizations, and affiliated institutions.
Recent inspections have already led to the closure of over 50 churches in 2024 due to non-compliance with existing regulations. Additionally, more than 900 places of worship were shut down for failing to meet legal and safety standards.
The new guidelines, issued on March 6, 2025, further emphasize compliance, making it mandatory for faith-based organizations to provide official certification from local authorities proving that their place of worship adheres to construction laws and is used exclusively for religious purposes.
Beyond financial and structural requirements, the regulations introduce stricter criteria for religious leadership. Leaders and their deputies must hold a degree in theology from a recognized institution.
If the degree was obtained abroad, an equivalency certificate must be provided. In cases where a leader holds a degree in another field, they must demonstrate completion of at least 1,200 hours of theological studies from an accredited institution.
The registration process for religious organizations has also become more rigorous. In the 2023/2024 period, 116 organizations applied for legal status, but only 19 were approved, while 97 were rejected for failing to meet requirements.
Religious groups wishing to expand by establishing new branches must now submit a formal request to the district and notify RGB, provide a notarized resolution from their governing body approving the expansion, and ensure that their activities align with the district’s development agenda.
In addition to administrative and structural requirements, the new regulations impose strict ethical standards on religious leaders.
Individuals convicted of genocide, genocide ideology, discrimination, or sectarianism are barred from holding leadership positions within faith-based organizations.
Leaders must also be at least 21 years old and have no criminal record involving imprisonment of six months or more, unless officially pardoned.
Financial transparency is another major focus of the new regulations. Religious organizations are required to conduct annual audits performed by professional experts, ensure that donor funds come from legal sources, and prevent money laundering and the financing of terrorism by identifying and reporting suspicious transactions.
All financial activities must be conducted through banks or legally recognized financial institutions.
Violations of these regulations will result in severe penalties. Unauthorized branches will face immediate closure, and the organization responsible will be fined Frw5 million.
Individuals managing multiple religious organizations without proper authorization will lose the right to represent them.
Faith-based organizations already operating in Rwanda must comply with these new regulations within 12 months.
The incident occurred at approximately 3:18 p.m. Eastern Time (2018 GMT) in the parking lot of Brethren Village in Manheim Township, just south of Lancaster Airport.
Officials stated that the plane had just taken off and was en route to Springfield, Ohio, before going down.
Emergency responders transported all five people onboard the plane to local hospitals. Fortunately, no injuries were reported among people on the ground.
The crash also resulted in significant property damage, with around a dozen vehicles in the parking lot affected. Footage from the scene showed thick black smoke rising from the wreckage as flames engulfed several cars.
Authorities have yet to determine the cause of the crash. The Federal Aviation Administration has launched an investigation into the incident.
Israeli authorities stated on Sunday that the measure is part of broader efforts to secure the release of hostages still held in Gaza. According to official figures, 59 hostages remain in captivity, with approximately 24 believed to be alive.
Officials emphasized that all available means would be used to ensure their return and to prevent Hamas from maintaining control in Gaza once the conflict ends.
Since March 2, Israel has also blocked aid shipments, including food, following the expiration of the initial 42-day ceasefire phase.
Negotiations to implement the next phase of the truce continue, with Hamas representatives engaging in talks with Egyptian and U.S. officials, while an Israeli delegation is expected to travel to Doha for further discussions.
Israel had previously cut off electricity, food, medicine, and fuel to Gaza at the start of its military campaign in October 2023, leading to what the United Nations has described as a famine and a catastrophic humanitarian crisis in the enclave.
