The DRC remains one of the countries most affected by food insecurity, with the situation particularly severe in the east, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, at a daily briefing.
According to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification analysis, the number is projected to rise to nearly 27 million people in the first half of 2026, he said.
Dujarric said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) remains deeply concerned about continued attacks against civilians in Beni and Lubero territories in North Kivu and also in Ituri province, with more than 1,000 people reportedly killed in the two provinces since the beginning of this year.
The impact on health services has been devastating, with at least six facilities attacked since the beginning of 2025 and a total of at least 28 health sites affected by armed attacks since 2024, said the spokesperson.
He said OCHA reiterated its call on all parties to respect international humanitarian law and ensure the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure.
Since January, the security situation in eastern DRC has worsened sharply amid renewed fighting involving the March 23 Movement rebel group, which seized several key towns, including Goma and Bukavu.
Humanitarian agencies say the escalating violence has displaced hundreds of thousands of civilians, deepening an already dire crisis.
While most attention has focused on the railway linking Rwanda and Tanzania, plans also exist for connections with Kenya, Uganda, and South Sudan under the Northern Corridor initiatives.
The project, expected to facilitate trade and travel, is particularly significant for Rwanda, a landlocked country heavily reliant on regional transport routes.
The planned route from Rusumo to Kigali will pass through the Dubai Ports area in Kicukiro and extend 18 kilometres further to the new Kigali International Airport in Bugesera.
Signed in March 2018, the 532-kilometre railway agreement has seen construction advance on the Tanzanian side. However, work on the Rwandan section remains on hold pending finalisation of cross-border agreements.
Emmanuel Nuwamanya, acting Head of Policy and Planning at the Ministry of Infrastructure, told discussions organised by the African Development Bank on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, that Rwanda’s feasibility studies are complete.
“The studies will guide the construction process. Now, it is a matter of seeing neighbouring countries begin their sections,” he said.
Rwanda plans to invest over $1.5 billion in its segment, while Tanzania, which hosts the larger portion, is expected to contribute more than $2.5 billion.
Officials note the railway could reduce transport costs by up to 40%, easing the movement of goods in and out of Rwanda. For traders, the project is especially significant, as 70% of Rwanda’s imports and exports pass through the port of Dar es Salaam.
The project, long anticipated for over 20 years, is expected to strengthen regional trade links and integrate Rwanda more fully into East Africa’s transport network.
These include Ghada Waly, Director General of UNOV; Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Gerd Müller, Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO); and Dr. Robert Floyd, Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO).
On November 11, 2025, during her meeting with Director General Waly, Amb. Bakuramutsa commended UNOV’s role as a coordination platform for Vienna-based UN entities and emphasized Rwanda’s collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in areas such as anti-corruption and crime prevention.
At the IAEA, discussions focused on strengthening cooperation in nuclear science and technology, underscoring its potential to drive socio-economic development in Rwanda.
Amb. Bakuramutsa emphasized Rwanda’s continued collaboration through the IAEA’s Technical Cooperation Programme and other IAEA flagship initiatives.
Amb. Bakuramutsa also paid a courtesy call to Dr. Driss El Hadani, Deputy Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), where discussions focused on enhancing cooperation in space science to support sustainable development.
On November 12, 2025, at UNIDO, Amb. Bakuramutsa met with Director General Gerd Müller.
The two officials discussed industrial cooperation for sustainable economic development and signed the project “Strengthening Rwanda’s capacities to respond to industrial and natural hazards,” implemented by UNIDO in cooperation with the Ministry of Interior and the Fire and Rescue Brigade of the Rwanda National Police.
Also present during the ceremony was Ambassador Marek Szczygieł, Permanent Representative of Poland to UNIDO. The project is funded by Poland.
Amb. Bakuramutsa also presented her Letters of Credence to Dr. Robert Floyd, Executive Secretary of the CTBTO. Discussions focused on the role of the CTBTO in fostering global peace and security, and the scientific and research benefits of CTBTO data centers.
In addition to the credentials presentation, Amb. Bakuramutsa held several side meetings with senior IAEA officials to discuss ongoing technical cooperation and strategic partnerships.
These included exchanges with Dongxin Feng, Director of the FAO-IAEA Joint Center for Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture; Peri Lynne Johnson, IAEA Assistant Director General and Legal Advisor; Hua Liu, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Technical Cooperation Department; and Najat Mokhtar, IAEA Deputy Director General for Nuclear Sciences and Applications.
She also met with Victor C. Diwandja Djemba, Chief, UNIDO Regional Bureau for Africa, and engaged with representatives of the Rwandan community living in Austria.
The announcement was made on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, during a meeting between the multilateral development finance institution, the Government of Rwanda, and other development partners.
The meeting, held annually, serves as a platform to review all AfDB-funded projects in Rwanda, evaluating progress, identifying challenges, and discussing ways to improve implementation in future initiatives.
AfDB management revealed that over the past two years, the bank has invested $2.5 billion in 28 projects, mainly in infrastructure sectors such as water and sanitation, transport, and energy.
Aïssa Touré Sarr, AfDB’s Country Manager for Rwanda, said that 85% of these 28 projects have been successfully implemented.
“Of the projects we support, 34% are in water and sanitation, 30% in energy, and 16% in transport,” she stated.
Touré attributed these achievements to strong collaboration and partnership with the Government of Rwanda, which has enabled the bank to make a tangible contribution to the country’s development.
She added that the annual review meetings are a valuable opportunity to assess progress and strengthen implementation.
“These discussions allow us to evaluate the progress made in implementing our projects and to identify challenges so that we can continue contributing effectively to Rwanda’s development,” she said.
Touré further noted that in the past two years, the number of AfDB-supported projects in Rwanda increased from 26 to 28, while total investment rose from $1.5 billion to $2.5 billion.
She explained that one of the priority areas for upcoming investment is agriculture, following the Government of Rwanda’s request to focus on agro-processing and irrigation.
“Following the government’s request for increased investment in agriculture, we have earmarked $300 million to support irrigation and other agricultural development projects,” she said.
Emmanuel Nuwamanya, acting Head of Policy and Planning at the Ministry of Infrastructure, commended AfDB’s continued contribution to Rwanda’s development through its support for various projects.
“We appreciate AfDB’s ongoing partnership with the Government of Rwanda in implementing projects related to water and sanitation, transport, and energy, which are helping to improve the lives of citizens and drive national development,” Nuwamanya said.
AfDB began its operations in Rwanda in 1974. While most of its funding has traditionally been directed towards infrastructure, the bank has now announced its intention to increase investment in agriculture to further stimulate growth in the sector.
Speaking before the Fourth Committee on Special Political and Decolonisation, Rwanda’s Military Advisor Col. Deo Mutabazi expressed concern that peacekeeping missions are being forced to “achieve less with less” as the UN grapples with a liquidity crisis.
“We are holding this debate when peacekeeping missions are facing a substantial liquidity crisis that has led to major downsizing, with the risk of losing the hard-earned gains on the ground,” Col. Mutabazi said, describing recent percentage cuts to missions as “unfair and non-transparent.”
Rwanda, which currently ranks among the world’s top contributors to UN peace operations, continues to play a vital role in global peacekeeping efforts. According to the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations, as of September 2025, Rwanda was the second-largest troop-contributing country with 5,885 personnel, following Nepal with 6,031. Other leading contributors include Bangladesh (5,649), India (5,206), and Indonesia (2,731).
{{Addressing root causes of conflict
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Col. Mutabazi emphasised that the UN should place greater focus on addressing the root causes of conflict rather than relying heavily on military responses. He noted that sustainable peace depends on tackling governance challenges, corruption, discrimination, and poverty, issues that often fuel instability.
“No amount of capabilities, technologies, and even training to effectively protect civilians than investing in creating conducive conditions for peace through political dialogue for conflict resolution, an area that UN peacekeeping has invested less in,” he stressed.
{{Unrealistic mandates undermine trust
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The Rwandan representative criticised what he termed “unrealistic mandates”, which he said often undermine trust between peacekeeping missions and host nations. He called for a review of the penholdership system, warning that current practices risk turning mission mandates into “Christmas trees” that serve interests beyond those of the host country.
“It is time to rethink the penholdership that has led to mandates serving other interests than the host nation’s,” he said, adding that peacekeeping should not pursue military solutions to inherently political problems.
Col. Mutabazi also backed UN Security Council Resolution 2719, which supports stronger partnerships between the UN and regional forces in peace enforcement operations.
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Rwanda further called for peacekeeping mandates to undergo legal scrutiny before approval to ensure that missions do not inadvertently associate with sanctioned groups.
“Maintaining legal clarity is essential to uphold both the legitimacy and effectiveness of UN peacekeeping,” Col. Mutabazi stated.
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Addressing the challenge of operating with reduced resources, Rwanda proposed community engagement initiatives as a cost-effective way to enhance civilian protection. The approach includes local partnerships on health, sanitation, environmental protection, and education.
According to Col. Mutabazi, such initiatives “build trust between peacekeepers, local leaders and communities,” while countering misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech that often fuel tensions in conflict zones.
Concluding his remarks, Col. Mutabazi reaffirmed Rwanda’s enduring commitment to peacekeeping and paid tribute to those who have lost their lives in the pursuit of global stability.
“Rwanda remains dedicated to supporting peace efforts and honours the brave peacekeepers who paid the ultimate sacrifice in the quest for peace and security,” he said.
The markers, damaged last year, are intended to prevent misunderstandings, accidental crossings, and help maintain stability in the area, Pokharel said in a statement.
The Blue Line, established by the UN in 2000 to confirm Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon, was further formalized with marker installations agreed to by Lebanon, Israel, and the UN in 2007.
Meanwhile, according to UNIFIL sources, Lebanese army intelligence, and local witnesses, the Israeli army has begun building a concrete wall at Jal al-Deir, behind a newly established military post in Mount al-Bat, about one kilometer inside Lebanese territory.
A Lebanese intelligence source said Israeli forces, backed by tanks, have completed roughly 35 meters of a six-meter-high wall.
However, the Israeli military told the Jewish News Syndicate that the barrier lies fully within Israeli territory, rejecting “unverified reports” of extensions beyond the Blue Line into southern Lebanon.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Wednesday that Beirut has yet to receive an official Israeli response to proposals for negotiations to reclaim occupied territory. “Talks have only addressed the principle of negotiation, not the details,” he said.
A ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, brokered by the United States and France, has been in effect since Nov. 27, 2024, largely ending the clashes triggered by the war in Gaza.
Despite the agreement, Israel continues occasional strikes in Lebanon, citing threats from Hezbollah, and maintains forces at five key points along the border after a Feb. 18 deadline for full withdrawal passed.
Okowa will serve the remainder of Yusuf’s term, which runs until Feb. 5, 2027.
She is a Kenyan lawyer and professor of public international law at Queen Mary University of London and has served as a member of the UN International Law Commission since 2023.
Under the ICJ’s Statute, judges are elected by secret ballot in both the Security Council and the General Assembly.
To be elected, a candidate must obtain an absolute majority in both chambers, which vote concurrently but separately.
There were four candidates for the post. Okowa won after three rounds of voting in the Security Council and four rounds of voting in the General Assembly.
The Hague-based ICJ has 15 judges elected to nine-year terms of office. Judges are eligible for re-election. Should a judge die or resign during his or her term of office, a special election will be held to choose a judge to fill the unexpired part of the term.
The 15 judges must come from 15 different countries. The court as a whole must represent the main forms of civilization and the principal legal systems of the world.
António Guterres was speaking at UN Headquarters in New York following the ninth conference between the global body and the African Union (AU).
The high-level talks focused on progress in implementing cooperation frameworks but also on joint action and challenges in the areas of peace, security, development, human rights and climate action.
“Cooperation between our organizations has never been stronger — or more necessary,” the Secretary-General said at a press briefing alongside the Chairperson of the AU Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf.
“Our world is in turmoil, rocked by deadly conflicts, widening inequalities, climate chaos and runaway technologies. The impacts are felt deeply on the African continent.”
Youssouf said the partners have aligned their respective development agendas.
They also are working closely on flagship peace programmes, including the AU’s efforts to ‘Silence the Guns’ by 2030, and are now “very much involved” in advancing climate justice and energy transition.
He also highlighted commitment to work with all parties and stakeholders at the UN on Security Council reform.
“These reforms are indeed of paramount importance and would ultimately consolidate the multilateral system,” he said.
The two organizations also face financial strains and “need to adapt our actions and programmes to the new realities.” They also must continue to support peace operations, the fight against terrorism, conflict prevention and resolution, and focus most of their efforts on humanitarian affairs.
The Secretary-General outlined three areas where decisive action is needed, starting with simply prioritizing Africa.
He noted that the Pact for the Future, adopted last year by Member States, also called for Africa to have permanent seats on the Security Council, “correcting once and for all an intolerable injustice faced by the African continent.”
His second point concerned financing for development and innovation. Although Africa has vast resources, “its progress is held back by an outdated and unfair global financial system,” he said.
“The time has come to reform this financial architecture – so it reflects the world of today and better serves the needs of developing countries, particularly in Africa.”
He recalled that “African leadership helped secure the Sevilla Commitment,” an agreement reached by Member States this year, which includes steps to advance issues such as easing debt burdens and lowering borrowing costs.
The Secretary-General will urge the G20 group of industrialized nations “to lead on these long-overdue reforms” when he attends their summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, later this month.
Finally, turning to investing in peace, the UN chief reaffirmed his full support for the Silencing the Guns initiative.
“And its time is now,” he added. “Today, Africa is home to too many conflicts and too much suffering.”
On Sudan, he expressed grave concern over recent reports of mass atrocities and gross human rights violations in El Fasher and worsening violence in the Kordofans.
He also voiced alarm over rising insecurity in the Sahel, and highlighted other situations across the continent, including in Mali, South Sudan, Somalia, Libya and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
“The world must not turn its back on Africa, home to nearly one-fifth of humanity,” the UN chief underlined, warning that “the stakes are too high. And the potential is too great.”
The House voted 222-209 to pass the deal, two days after the Senate voted 60-40 to approve the spending package. The legislation now goes to President Donald Trump, who is expected to sign it soon.
The package would fund most federal agencies at current levels through Jan. 30, while providing full fiscal year funding for the Agriculture Department, the Veterans Affairs Department and military construction projects and the operations of Congress as well as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, whose funding was put in jeopardy amid the prolonged government shutdown.
The latest measure rescinds layoffs implemented by federal agencies since the government shutdown began on Oct. 1 and prohibits any further reductions in force before the expiration of the continuing resolution on Jan. 30.
The bill also provides back pay to all federal employees who did not receive pay during the shutdown. Although providing back pay after a shutdown is standard practice, Trump has warned that furloughed federal employees may not receive such payments.
As part of Democrats’ agreement to end the shutdown, Senate Majority Leader John Thune promised Senate Democrats a vote “no later than the second week in December” to enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies.
Some Democrats voiced objection, arguing that the agreement merely promises a vote and does not ensure the continuation of the subsidy, which is set to expire at the end of the year. Protecting health care benefits remains the Democrats’ central demand in the record-long shutdown standoff.
Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent who caucuses with Democrats, called the deal a “disaster,” saying that Democrats gained almost nothing from it except a symbolic vote on health insurance subsidies. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker wrote on X that this was not a deal but an “empty promise.”
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York is among those who voted against the package. However, some Democrats are still furious with him and believe that he should be removed from the leadership position.
U.S. media have widely described the eight Democrats as “caving in,” but the lawmakers said that their compromise with the Republicans was primarily driven by the fact that the government shutdown had already caused too much pain for the American people.
This package covers only three of the 12 annual appropriations bills Congress must pass each year, leaving nine bills to be finalized.
During the period when the temporary funding measure is in effect, both parties will continue negotiating the remaining appropriations, meaning the U.S. government could face another potential shutdown in just over two months.
He was speaking in Conakry, Guinea, on Wednesday, at the opening of the Transform Africa Summit (TAS) 2025, organised by the Smart Africa Alliance under the theme “AI for Africa: Innovate Locally, Impact Globally.”
The Transform Africa Summit (TAS), held annually, brings together Heads of State, policymakers, and innovators to accelerate Africa’s ongoing digital revolution.
In his remarks, President Kagame said that Africa’s success in the age of artificial intelligence will depend not only on how fast countries deploy new technologies, but also on how well they apply them to solve real, local problems.
“Artificial intelligence, the theme of this year’s conversation, is a case in point. For Africa, success will not only depend on how quickly we deploy this new tool, but also on which problems we choose to apply it to,” he said.
He added that Rwanda has already laid the groundwork for a national AI policy aimed at guiding innovation in key sectors such as healthcare, education, and agriculture, with projections showing that AI could contribute up to 5 percent of Rwanda’s GDP in the near future.
{{Closing Africa’s digital gap
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President Kagame noted that despite Africa’s youthful and tech-savvy population, many countries still face challenges in digital infrastructure, skills development, and regulatory frameworks.
“The investment deficit in digital infrastructure, skills, and regulatory framework is what slows us down. Closing these structural gaps requires close collaboration between the public and private sector,” he said.
He commended Smart Africa for spearheading initiatives such as the Africa Artificial Intelligence Council and the AI Fund, describing them as “important foundations to advance our continent’s priorities.”
President Kagame also urged African nations not to be swayed by fears surrounding AI’s impact on jobs and privacy, noting that while some of these concerns are valid, they should not overshadow the transformative opportunities AI brings.
“Right now, there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding artificial intelligence, especially regarding the future of work, privacy, and safety. Some of it is completely unjustified, and some of it is just fear of the unknown,” he said.
“Regardless of the sentiment, this new reality is here to stay with us, and we must learn how to adapt and live with it.”
Technology won’t replace anyone
In a reassuring message, President Kagame emphasised that technological progress has historically uplifted, rather than replaced, humanity.
“This is not the first nor the last wave of technological progress that Africa and the world will witness,” he said.
“Science and technology are powerful engines of creativity and performance that are not here to replace anyone. Almost always, humanity has been better for it. Let’s make the most of these times.”
President Kagame arrived in Conakry on Tuesday, where he joined President Mamady Doumbouya for the launch of the Simandou Iron Ore Project, one of the largest ongoing mining initiatives in the world.
The Simandou deposit is regarded as the world’s largest known untapped iron ore reserve, estimated to contain between 3 and 4 billion tonnes of high-grade recoverable iron ore.
The project, expected to reach full production by 2030, will produce around 120 million tonnes of iron ore annually, positioning Guinea as a key player in the global mineral economy.
