According to Rwanda’s Office of the President, President Kagame also hosted the Emir at his farm in Kibugabuga, Bugesera District where the two leaders held a private tête-à-tête meeting.
The two leaders had last met early November 2025 in Doha, on the sidelines of the World Summit for Social Development.
During that meeting, they discussed ways of strengthening bilateral relations and cooperation between both countries.
Ali bin Hamad Al Aida, the Charge d’Affaires at the Qatari Embassy in Rwanda, has noted that the visit comes at a time of significant global changes, both regionally and internationally.
He also emphasized that the visit underscores Qatar’s vision of deepening its cooperation with the African continent, focusing on security, safety, and sustainable development.
Al Aida further remarked that Rwanda is a trusted partner of the Qatari government, highlighting that this visit would be an opportunity to further strengthen the existing cooperation between the two countries, based on mutual trust, respect, and shared interests.
New partnership agreements between Rwanda and Qatar are expected to be signed during the visit.
Rwanda’s Ambassador to Qatar, Igor Marara Kayinamura, said that there are numerous sectors in which the two countries are already collaborating, including a key project such as the construction of Bugesera International Airport.
He also mentioned new projects that could benefit from the cooperation, including the ‘Kigali Innovation City,’ which aims to make Rwanda a hub for technology in Africa.
Rwanda and Qatar enjoy strong bilateral relations across various sectors, including investment, tourism, and transport. The two countries also collaborate in the aviation sector, with Qatar Airways expected to acquire a 49% stake in RwandAir.
Beyond RwandAir, Qatar holds a 60% stake in the Bugesera Airport project.
The Emir of Qatar last visited Rwanda in July 2022, when he was a special guest at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), which was held in Kigali.
The agreement, signed in Kigali and witnessed by the Minister in Charge of Emergency Management on Wednesday, November 18, marks the official start of the “Refugee Socio-Economic Graduation & Livelihood Opportunities in Rwanda” project.
The three-year initiative will support 3,200 refugee families and 800 families from surrounding host communities, providing targeted solutions to enhance their economic autonomy and improve their ability to meet basic needs independently.
The project represents a major step in implementing Rwanda’s Refugee Sustainable Graduation Strategy (2025–2030), which seeks to enable half of all refugee households in the country to graduate from reliance on aid by the end of the decade.
Speaking at the ceremony, Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Albert Murasira, Minister in Charge of Emergency Management, said the partnership illustrates the effectiveness of collaboration in driving long-term change.
“This project marks an important milestone in creating meaningful pathways to self-reliance for refugees in Rwanda,” he said. “By supporting 4,000 refugee and host community households to graduate into sustainable livelihoods, we are demonstrating the power of strong partnerships to drive tangible, lasting change and strengthen the resilience of communities.”
European Union Deputy Director-General for International Partnerships, Martin Seychell, noted that the initiative reinforces EU support to Rwanda’s efforts to shift refugee assistance towards economic empowerment.
“The programme we sign today is a concrete demonstration of the European Union’s support to the ambitions of the Government of Rwanda to enable refugee households to move from aid dependence to self-reliance,” he said.
“Thanks to EU support through this and other projects, close to 20% of refugee households should advance towards economic inclusion. This new initiative further strengthens our longstanding engagement in the Great Lakes region and reflects our broader commitment
to the humanitarian–development–peace nexus, which is more essential than ever in a
context of increasing pressure on limited resources.”
The project will provide a sequenced package of interventions including targeted cash assistance, physical toolkits, and training programmes focused on entrepreneurship, climate-smart agriculture, and other livelihood skills.
Support will also be channelled into Village Savings and Loan Associations to strengthen long-term financial inclusion and resilience for participating households across five refugee camps and surrounding communities.
Andrea Bagnoli, WFP Country Director and Representative, said the initiative reflects a new era in how refugee support is approached in Rwanda.
“Today, we are starting a new chapter where refugees are seen not as beneficiaries but as entrepreneurs and active contributors to the community and Rwandan economy,” he said. “By working hand in hand with MINEMA and our partners, we are turning promise into practice.”
Rwanda currently hosts more than 136,000 refugees, largely from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi, many of whom have depended on humanitarian support for years. By aligning this initiative with national development frameworks and facilitating access to markets and financial systems, partners hope to offer a sustainable and scalable model for future refugee assistance.
UNHCR Representative in Rwanda, Ritu Shroff, said the agreement reflects a shared belief in the potential of refugees and the communities that host them.
“We reaffirm something fundamental: that refugees and host communities alike deserve the opportunity to live dignified, productive, and independent lives and that with the right support, they absolutely can,” she said.
“UNHCR remains committed to working side by side with MINEMA, the European Union, WFP, and all partners to ensure that this project delivers meaningful, lasting impact.”
The 37-month contract, managed by the Rwanda Cooperation Initiative (RCI), covers system design, deployment, and long-term technical support.
RCI CEO Patricie Uwase hailed the partnership as a milestone in South-South cooperation, highlighting Rwanda’s growing role in exporting digital governance solutions.
“This collaboration represents a significant milestone, not only in digitalising justice systems but also in demonstrating how African-led innovation can address global challenges,” she said.
Chief Justice Bryan Sykes described the system as a transformative step for Jamaica’s courts, noting it will reduce processing delays, cut litigation costs, and make court services more accessible to citizens. Law enforcement officers will also benefit, as case files can now be submitted digitally from any parish office.
The collaboration stems from a 2022 benchmarking mission, when Jamaican officials visited Rwanda to study its digitalised justice systems. Interest in Rwanda’s IECMS is reportedly growing, with other countries exploring similar partnerships.
Rwanda has already exported digital solutions to several African nations, including Chad, Eswatini, and Guinea, enhancing public financial management, tax compliance, and procurement transparency.
Implementation in Jamaica will begin in early 2026 with a three-month needs assessment, followed by system deployment and 20 months of maintenance and technical support to ensure sustainability.
Following the ceremony, President Nausėda and Amb. Dushimimana engaged in discussions focused on enhancing both bilateral and multilateral ties, with particular emphasis on trade and investment opportunities between the two nations.
Amb. Dushimimana also represents Rwanda to other countries including The Netherlands and Latvia.
Lithuania, a Baltic state located in Northern Europe, lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea.
Covering an area of approximately 65,300 square kilometers, it shares borders with Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, Poland to the south, and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad Oblast to the southwest.
The country boasts a diverse and rapidly growing economy, with notable strengths in the IT, manufacturing, and services sectors.
As a member of both the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Lithuania maintains strong regional and global connections, fostering continued economic growth and political stability.
Citing local officials, the report said that the vessel departed the port of Bena Dibele in Sankuru Province on November 13, bound for the capital, Kinshasa, more than 800 km away.
The boat capsized after encountering “whirlpools”, according to the report. It was carrying about 120 people, of whom only around 50 have been rescued so far, while the others remain missing. Search and rescue operations are underway.
Waterways remain a key mode of transport in the DRC, where boat accidents are common due to overloading and poor vessel conditions.
Trump’s statement came just one day after the U.S. House voted overwhelmingly to approve the bill. On Tuesday night, just a few hours after the House passage, the upper chamber unanimously agreed to immediately pass the bill once it was sent from the House. The Senate passed the bill on Wednesday.
The bill was introduced in the House in mid-July, but Republican leaders, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, delayed the process for months.
Democratic Representative Ro Khanna and Republican Representative Thomas Massie have led a discharge petition, which would force a vote once the petition reaches the 218-signature threshold. On November 12, the day the House reconvened for the first time after a 54-day recess, the petition secured the final signature it needed.
The bill, known as the Epstein Files Transparency Act, requires the DOJ to publish all unclassified records, documents, communications and investigative materials in its possession related to the investigation and prosecution of Epstein.
This includes materials that relate to Ghislaine Maxwell, who conspired with Epstein to sexually exploit underage girls, flight logs and travel records, and individuals named or referenced in connection with the investigation and prosecution of Epstein.
The DOJ may withhold certain information, such as personally identifiable information of victims and materials that could jeopardize an active federal investigation.
Epstein had close connections with many prominent American political and business figures. After being arrested on sexual offense charges, he died in prison in August 2019, in what was officially ruled a suicide.
During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump promised that, if elected, he would release documents related to the Epstein case. On July 7, however, the Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation issued a memorandum stating that there is no “incriminating client list,” no evidence that Epstein’s death was a murder, and that no further Epstein-related documents would be released.
Last week, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released Epstein-related documents involving Trump. Republicans on the committee then released a far larger tranche of files as a countermeasure, accusing the Democrats of cherry-picking.
Trump then directed the DOJ to investigate high-profile Democrats connected to Epstein, including former President Bill Clinton, former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, who is a major Democratic donor. U.S. media view the move as an attempt to counter the impact of the Epstein-related documents involving Trump that Democrats recently released.
“Democrats have used the ‘Epstein’ issue, which affects them far more than the Republican Party, in order to try and distract from our AMAZING Victories,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday night as he announced he had signed the bill.
On Tuesday night, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer lashed out at Trump on the issue, saying that the president “has tried to cover up for Jeffrey Epstein long enough.”
“This isn’t about Democrats versus Republicans or about Congress versus the president,” Schumer said. “This is about giving the American people the transparency they’ve been crying for. This is about holding accountable all the people in Jeffrey Epstein’s circle who raped, groomed, targeted, and enabled the abuse of hundreds of girls for years and years.”
The concert, which featured Grammy-nominated artist Somi Kakoma (born in the United States to Rwandan and Ugandan parents), honored Makeba’s contributions to music and social justice, blending jazz and African musical traditions in a performance that highlighted the iconic singer’s political activism.
Somi, known for her long-standing work bridging African and American cultures, performed a heartfelt tribute to Miriam Makeba, an artist whose international influence transcended music.
Somi’s performance was a blend of jazz and African musical traditions, underscoring Makeba’s pioneering role in using music as a platform for political activism.
The evening, enriched by Somi’s distinctive voice and the talented musicians accompanying her, transformed into both a musical experience and a commemorative act.
The concert highlighted the role of music as a tool for remembrance, emancipation, and the amplification of political causes—values that Makeba passionately championed throughout her life.
The HKW where the event was hosted, is a renowned multidisciplinary institution in Berlin dedicated to fostering global dialogue through the arts.
It is known for its commitment to showcasing diverse cultural expressions, including visual arts, performing arts, and literary practices, alongside scientific and cultural discourse.
The HKW’s inclusive space, free from discrimination, provided an ideal setting for this tribute to Makeba, reinforcing the institution’s mission of cultivating unity and hospitality among global cultures.
Jeanne Ndatirwa, in her remarks, emphasized that the tribute to Miriam Makeba was a pan-African gesture recognizing the significant contribution of African women to human rights.
She expressed pride in the diaspora’s heritage and the importance of such events in strengthening cultural ties and mutual respect between nations.
Dr. Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung, Director and Chief Curator of HKW, reflected on Makeba’s profound impact, stating, “The concert honors a great artist and political icon who not only brought Africa to the world’s music stages but also placed social justice firmly on the global political agenda.”
The evening’s events also highlighted the HKW’s dedication to promoting inclusivity, emphasizing that the institution does not tolerate any form of hate or discrimination, including homophobic, racist, antisemitic, and xenophobic actions or speech.
“Their discussions highlighted the strong partnership between Rwanda and the World Bank across key sectors that contribute to Rwanda’s development priorities,” the Office of the President said.
The World Bank has been a major partner in financing multi-million-dollar projects in Rwanda, supporting initiatives that enhance disaster resilience, urban mobility, and other critical sectors.
Last month, the World Bank approved $141 million (approximately Frw 205 billion) to strengthen Rwanda’s disaster response capabilities. The funding aims to support national efforts in managing disasters and building resilience, ensuring quicker access to emergency resources, and bridging gaps in funding for affected communities.
Authorities highlighted that such support is vital, given that disasters like floods, landslides, and earthquakes cost the country about $145 million annually and have historically reduced Rwanda’s GDP by up to 1.75 percent over the last decade.
In July 2025, Kigali also received a $100 million boost from the World Bank to transform its urban transport system through the Rwanda Urban Mobility Improvement (RUMI) Project.
The initiative focuses on creating a greener, safer, and more inclusive public transport network, including the development of the Nyabugogo multimodal transit hub, dedicated bus lanes, expanded sidewalks and cycling paths, and the deployment of electric buses. The project is expected to improve access to jobs and services, particularly for women and youth, while promoting climate resilience in the capital.
Through scuh partnerships, the World Bank has played a pivotal role in advancing Rwanda’s Vision 2050 and National Strategy for Transformation 2 (NST2), supporting projects that contribute to the country’s sustainable growth and long-term development.
Upon election, he promised to work closely with those who have entrusted him with the position to address issues such as antimicrobial resistance in diseases and to protect the dignity and pride of the pharmacy profession.
The event took place on November 14, 2025, during the 13th annual general assembly of pharmacy professionals, which aimed to assess the achievements made by its members, review their professional direction, and set new strategies to improve the profession.
Over 700 members attended the assembly, which also presented a five-year study aligned with Rwanda’s Vision 2050, meant to accelerate the country’s development in various sectors, including healthcare.
The outgoing chairperson, DCG (Rtd) Stanley Nsabimana, said that the event was an opportunity to reflect on progress, while reminding everyone that professionalism requires constant effort and commitment.
“Today, we meet not just to fulfill legal obligations but to celebrate our achievements, reaffirm our values, and continue our commitment to public health through professional integrity and competence,” he said.
Dr. Jean Baptiste Ntihumbya, the Director General of Health Quality Services Standards and Regulation at the Ministry of Health, praised the pharmacists’ association for its significant role in improving healthcare services and protecting public health.
He highlighted the importance of the association’s work in combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR), stressing that it requires professionalism and attention to patient safety.
The Ministry of Health assured pharmacists that it would continue supporting their work with knowledge and financial assistance to enhance the association’s operations in technology and capacity building.
In response to the issue of antimicrobial resistance, the government has implemented a ‘one health’ program, focusing on human, animal, and environmental health, recognizing their interconnectedness in combating AMR.
Other new leaders elected during the assembly include Ntirenganya Remy Pacifique, who was elected vice chairperson, Uwase Marie Ange as secretary, and Byomuhangi Evariste as treasurer, all elected for a three-year term.
The council has the responsibility of upholding the integrity of their profession, ensuring dedication in their work, and ensuring that all members comply with relevant laws and regulations.
Held for the first time in the country, the session marks a historic moment for Rwanda, which has been a member of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) since its founding in 1970.
The meeting takes place under the theme “Thirty Years After Beijing: The Role of Women in the Francophone World,” coinciding with the thirtieth anniversary of the 1995 Beijing World Conference on Women, whose Action Plan continues to shape global standards for women’s rights and gender equality.
In her opening remarks, Chief Justice Domitilla Mukantaganzwa, representing the Government of Rwanda, expressed “the pride of Rwanda in hosting for the first time one of the high governing bodies of La Francophonie.”
She highlighted the significance of this year’s theme, noting that the Beijing Platform for Action, adopted in 1995, continues to stand, thirty years on, as the most forward-looking global framework for promoting women’s rights and gender equality.
Highlighting global challenges such as ongoing conflicts, the climate crisis, socio-economic inequalities, and gender-based violence, she stressed the need for strong political will to safeguard hard-won progress and to build more inclusive societies.
She pointed to Rwanda’s own experience, noting that after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, the country chose to rebuild by placing women at the heart of its transformation.
Mukantaganzwa noted that women have since played a decisive role in the justice sector.
“Nearly half of all judges are women. In the Gacaca courts, they played a determining role in truth-seeking and reconciliation, and today they represent half of the community mediators and community workers active across the country,” she emphasised.
France’s Delegate Minister for Francophonie, Éléonore Caroit, praised Rwanda’s leadership and stated that the Francophonie, bound by a shared language, embodies values of openness and practical cooperation.
She noted that this format often proves more effective for building bridges than many mechanisms currently at a standstill. Caroit expressed confidence that the two days of discussions would produce tangible outcomes and commended Rwanda’s engagement.
In her address, Secretary-General of La Francophonie Louise Mushikiwabo underscored the central theme of the conference, questioning whether societies have fully recognised “the fundamental role women must play in social cohesion and peaceful coexistence.”
She noted that the world still struggles to “clearly and fully recognise the rights and value of half its population,” adding with humour that this half may well be “the better half.”
Mushikiwabo also addressed the state of global governance, describing the multilateral system as “a model that is running out of steam,” increasingly unable to respond to international crises and “disconnected from realities on the ground.” She said this context would guide ministers’ closed-door discussions on the question: “What ambitions for the OIF in the reshaping of the international landscape?”
Reviewing progress since the 2024 CMF in Paris, Mushikiwabo noted the Organisation’s support to member States through electoral assistance missions and its “high-impact campaigns” against disinformation in Lebanon, Moldova and the Central African Republic.
She also emphasised efforts to support Francophone candidates for leadership positions in international bodies including the African Union, the African Development Bank and UNESCO.
She highlighted programmatic achievements such as the mobility initiative for French teachers, which brought a third cohort of 50 educators from 15 countries to Kigali to exchange expertise with Rwandan counterparts.
Recent deployments to Ghana and Seychelles were noted, with Cambodia next. Mushikiwabo also pointed to the strengthening of the Francophonie économique, citing successful missions like the one to Benin, which resulted in several contracts, including one worth €30 million.
Reaffirming the OIF’s commitment to gender equality, she called for increased support to the “Francophonie With Women” fund and invited member States to join a new initiative focused on training and integrating girls and women in emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence.
She paid tribute to Rwanda’s progress, noting that women hold 61 percent of parliamentary seats, the highest rate in the world and far above the global average of 26.4%.
She also highlighted that five of Rwanda’s seven major banks are headed by women, many of them young. Mushikiwabo added that other regions in the Francophone world are also advancing, citing Vietnam where “98 percent of girls complete primary school and 87 percent complete secondary school.”
Delegations will conduct field visits on Thursday and Friday to observe key OIF programmes, including teacher training, peacekeeping preparation for military personnel and women’s economic empowerment projects under the “Francophonie With Women” fund.
