Kabila, who had been living in exile since late 2023, returned to the rebel-controlled eastern region of the DRC in May 2025 and was received by the AFC/M23 leaders.
Over the last several weeks, he has been holding discussions in Goma with various Congolese groups, including religious leaders, politicians, and civil society members, listening to their ideas on how peace could be achieved in the DRC, particularly in the eastern region where AFC/M23 leaders accuse the Kinshasa administration of exclusion.
After spending more than a month in Goma, on June 24, 2025, Kabila travelled to Bukavu, where he plans to hold further consultations with the Congolese people.
As Kabila explained in a message delivered to the Congolese before his return to the DRC, his talks are based on 12 pillars that he believes will help the country achieve lasting peace.
The pillars include reconciliation among Congolese people, ending the war, improving relations between the DRC and neighbouring countries, dismantling armed groups, and ending authoritarian rule.
The DRC government, however, accuses Kabila’s activities in the eastern part of the country of fueling the conflict. It has initiated proceedings against him for charges including treason, involvement in an unauthorised armed group, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.
The airline’s proactive response aims to provide flexibility and support to travelers affected by the disruptions.
The waiver, coded “WBRIW1DFSME,” allows passengers to make one free change to their travel dates until September 30, 2025.
RwandAir encouraged affected customers to contact its reservations team at reservations@rwandair.com or their travel agent for assistance in rescheduling their journeys.
“We’re pleased to offer this complimentary rebooking waiver to all affected passengers,” the airline stated in its update, emphasizing its commitment to passenger convenience during the crisis.
The cancellations, announced on Monday night, affected flights WB300 and WB303 between Kigali and Doha, as well as all services to and from Dubai.
The decision followed Qatar and the United Arab Emirates’ closure of their airspace in response to a significant military escalation in the Gulf.
Qatar’s air defense systems intercepted multiple Iranian missiles over Doha, launched by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in a strike targeting U.S. forces at Al Udeid Air Base.
The IRGC described the operation as retaliation for alleged U.S. attacks on Iranian nuclear sites. Qatar reported no casualties, but the airspace closures disrupted air travel across the region.
Following a brief suspension, Qatar Airways and Dubai Airports have confirmed the resumption of operations.
The 80-year-old leader is set to pick nomination papers this Saturday at the NRM Electoral Commission offices, aiming to retain his positions as NRM chairman and the party’s presidential flag bearer.
NRM Electoral Commission Chairman Dr. Tanga Odoi confirmed during a press conference that Museveni will personally express interest and collect nomination forms for both the party chairperson role and the presidential candidacy.
“Like other candidates, the President and National Chairman of NRM will express interest and also pick nomination forms by himself,” Dr. Tanga told journalists.
The process for expressing interest and collecting nomination forms for all NRM Central Executive Committee (CEC) positions will run from June 26 to July 1, with candidate nominations scheduled for July 4.
Meanwhile, the NRM and other parties are actively vetting and clearing candidates, including those for parliamentary and district chairperson positions, a process that entered its second week on Monday.
The January 2026 elections will see Ugandans vote for both the president and lawmakers. Museveni has led Uganda since 1986.
Running from June 18 to 27, the exhibition attracted about 500 exhibitors, according to Rwanda’s Ministry of Agriculture.
From smart irrigation systems and high-yield crop varieties to modern machinery, smart farming tools and climate-smart solutions, visitors can see real farming solutions in action which have been tested, proven, and ready to adopt.
Also on display are tractors, precision seeders, harvesters, and other impressive machines that showcase how mechanization is transforming agriculture in Rwanda.
Fredy Karegeya, head of seed production at a local seed company, said that the adoption of smart systems and innovation has enabled their seed production to thrive and make a real impact on food systems in the country.
“We work on three crops including maize, beans and soybeans, the major one being maize. In maize seed production, we have almost four varieties and others in the pipeline coming soon after the performance trial. One of the maize varieties we developed is suitable for dry lands, a variety that produces high yields ranging from nine metric tons to 12 metric tons per hectare,” Karegeya told Xinhua in a recent interview.
“This maize variety is new and has the capacity to withstand the changing climate with a shorter maturity period of three months. This variety plays a key role in ensuring sustainable food systems, whereby farmers get high quality production and get seeds in time,” he added.
Earlier, Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources Mark Cyubahiro Bagabe said the annual event offers a platform for showcasing technologies, innovative practices, and partnerships that address the challenges in agriculture from climate change to post-harvest losses.
Shayeq Al-Hajri, deputy chief of Joint Operations, confirmed in a press conference that the missiles were launched in two separate waves. The intercepted missiles were destroyed over the sea after entering Qatari airspace.
“We received intelligence earlier in the day indicating a threat to several regional military installations, including Al Udeid,” Al-Hajri stated. He emphasized Qatar’s military readiness, noting that its capabilities “go beyond what has been demonstrated.”
The attack prompted a temporary suspension of all air traffic. The Qatar Civil Aviation Authority later announced the full resumption of flights, praising the coordination among government agencies to ensure aviation safety.
In a subsequent briefing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari said Qatar is weighing a “firm and wise” diplomatic response. He described the attack as a “surprise” given Doha’s significant diplomatic efforts to mediate regional conflicts.
Al Ansari confirmed that Iran had provided advance notice of the attack to both the United States and Qatar through diplomatic channels. He affirmed that the incident would not deter Qatar from its ongoing mediation role.
Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, the Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), says the military will “respond with force” to what it calls Iran’s “severe violation”.
“In light of the severe violation of the ceasefire carried out by the Iranian regime, we will respond with force,” Eyal Zamir is quoted as saying in a post on X by the IDF.
But Iran’s General Staff of the Armed Forces Abdolrahim Mousavi has denied firing any missiles towards Israel in the last few hours, according to Iranian state media.
President Trump announced Monday that Israel and Iran had reached a formal agreement to implement a complete and total ceasefire, marking what he called the end of the “12-Day War.”
In a post on his Truth Social platform at 6:02 p.m. Monday, Trump congratulated both nations and revealed that the ceasefire will begin in approximately six hours, following the completion of each side’s ongoing military operations. The ceasefire will initially last 12 hours, during which the opposing side will maintain a posture of “peace and respect.”
According to Trump, Iran will initiate the ceasefire, followed by Israel 12 hours later, culminating in an official declaration of the war’s end at the 24-hour mark.
“On the assumption that everything works as it should, which it will,” Trump wrote, “I would like to congratulate both countries… on having the stamina, courage, and intelligence to end what should be called ‘THE 12 DAY WAR.’”
Calling the agreement a breakthrough that “could have saved the Middle East from years of destruction,” Trump ended his announcement with a sweeping message of unity: “God bless Israel, God bless Iran, God bless the Middle East, God bless the United States of America, and GOD BLESS THE WORLD!”
Speaking in an exclusive interview with IGIHE, Amb. Weiss shed light on Israel’s grave concerns regarding Iran’s nuclear ambitions, the ongoing conflict, and the broader implications for regional and global stability.
“Any country has the right, not only the right, the obligation, for self-defence of its people,” she asserted.
The interview, conducted two days before the U.S. struck three Iranian nuclear sites, highlighted Israel’s long-standing warnings and its determination to neutralise what it perceives as an imminent existential threat.
Amb. Weiss revealed that the conversation was taking place during a “massive attack by Iran” targeting civilian areas in Israel, resulting in dozens of injuries. She expressed regret that the international community had not heeded Israel’s warnings about Iran’s nuclear program over the past three decades.
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According to the envoy, Israel recently detected Iran’s rapid progression towards acquiring nuclear weapons, prompting its actions, which she insists are in self-defence.
“Iran had or held a mass that can create nine nuclear bombs in a very short period,” she stated, emphasising that “from the moment we realised it to the moment Iran could have held nuclear bombs, it could be days.”
She explained that Iran possessed enough 60% enriched uranium to produce nine nuclear bombs, with the final enrichment stages taking only days.
Two days after the interview, President Donald Trump disclosed that his administration had obliterated three Iranian nuclear sites in a surprise attack.
“Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated,” Trump declared. “Our objective was the destruction of Iran’s nuclear capacity and to eliminate the threat posed by the world’s number one state sponsor of terror.”
Beyond the nuclear threat, Amb. Weiss detailed Iran’s extensive ballistic missile program. Israeli intelligence indicates that Iran is preparing to produce approximately 3,000 ballistic missiles per year, capable of reaching 2,000 kilometers.
“There’s no country in the world, even Israel, of course, in the size of Israel, and even much, much bigger countries in size, that can hold an attack of, let’s say, an accumulation of 3,000 in a year,” she stressed.
For Israel, this dual threat has rendered the situation “imminent,” placing the security of the state at grave risk.
Amb. Weiss noted that Israel’s operations in Iran are highly surgical, meticulously targeting elements of Iran’s nuclear and ballistic programs.
“The attacks are very much to the, I would say, really surgical elements of harming the elements of the nuclear program and the ballistic programs,” she explained.
She reiterated Israel’s stance that it “will do whatever it takes to remove the threat from the table.”
The ambassador also highlighted the recent elimination of nine nuclear researchers and scientists, emphasising the importance of targeting expertise to hinder the program’s resumption.
“The biggest problem is that when you have people who are experts, even if you take down the targets and you don’t take down the experts, the resumption of the program will be very fast,” she noted.
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Amb. Weiss affirmed Israel’s strong and continuous collaboration with the U.S. government.
“We are in touch with the US government, and we are in touch with them, and of course, we’re working in accordance with conversations, and we’re not alone flyers in the world,” she stated.
She underscored that the decision to act was not made lightly but out of the understanding that “there’s no time to wait anymore.”
The envoy criticised countries that have supported Iran in multilateral arenas, arguing that such support undermines international safety and prosperity.
Ambassador Weiss also pointed to the recent declaration by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that Iran is a non-compliant state, validating Israel’s long-held concerns about Iran’s refusal to cooperate with international inspectors.
Ambassador Weiss characterised the Iranian regime as “disturbing, malign, terroristic” and responsible for direct threats not only to Israel but to the entire Middle East, Western countries, and Africa through its proxies and terror cells.
She stated that removing the regime was not a declared target of the current operation, but acknowledged that such a development would “benefit the entire world.”
Amb. Weiss refuted any comparison between Iran and other regimes, asserting that the internal unrest within Iran is unrelated to Israel and stems from the regime’s long history of repression against its own people. She detailed the economic hardship faced by Iranians, contrasting it with the regime’s allocation of billions to terror entities.
Warning of Iran’s actions, the ambassador emphasised that Iran’s aspirations extend beyond Israel, noting its ballistic missiles are capable of reaching Europe and citing a stated goal to “hit the US, we want to hit Israel, and we want to hit the West… heavily.”
She warned of a “massive, massive threat not only to Israel, of course, but to the entire world” if Iran were to possess nuclear warheads.
Discussing regional dynamics, Ambassador Weiss noted that relations between Israel and the Abraham Accords countries have remained unaffected since October 7, indicating a shared concern about Iran’s actions. She believes that a Middle East without a nuclear-armed Iran would lead to greater stability.
Amid the escalating conflict, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has accused Israel of initiating the current conflict and making a “grave error” that will lead to their “ruin.” Iranian officials consistently label Israeli actions as “clear and flagrant breaches of international law” and “unprovoked aggression.”
BKGI is one of the participants in the 18th edition of the Agricultural Show, held at Mulindi in Gasabo District. The event, which runs from June 18 to June 27, 2025, brings together individuals from various sectors related to agriculture and livestock farming.
The crop and livestock insurance program aims to protect farmers and livestock keepers from financial setbacks that could disrupt their projects, while also enhancing confidence among financial institutions that provide loans in the agriculture and livestock sectors.
Michael Benjamin Rusizanibakwe, Crop Insurance Manager at BK Insurance Ltd emphasized the company’s goal of supporting the growth of farmers and livestock keepers through insurance services and loans.
Since the launch of agribusiness insurance in 2021, BKGI has compensated farmers and livestock keepers for losses exceeding Frw 3 billion.
“Losses are related to various reasons. In agriculture, they are mostly due to climate change, while in livestock farming, losses are often caused by diseases or unexpected deaths like accidents,” Rusizanibakwe explained.
He urged farmers and livestock keepers to consider insurance services as their businesses are prone to sudden losses. BK Insurance offers a dependable solution to help mitigate these risks.
The insurance also protects the capital invested. For instance, if a farmer incurs a loss, BK Insurance reimburses the capital to allow them to replant.
“For livestock keepers, if they lose an animal due to death, we compensate them based on the value of the animal, enabling them to purchase a new one and continue their business,” he noted.
He further highlighted that BK Insurance not only provides coverage but also continues to assist clients by offering guidance, advice, and training on running profitable businesses.
Additionally, those insured by BK Insurance are granted easier access to loans from the Bank of Kigali.
Rusizanibakwe concluded by expressing gratitude to the government for organizing the exhibition, which benefits various sectors, particularly farmers, livestock keepers, and businesses, by showcasing their products.
In agriculture, BKGI insures crops such as rice, maize, potatoes, pepper, beans, soybeans, and cassava. In livestock, the company insures dairy cows, bulls, pigs, chickens, and fish.
The crop insurance covers the period from planting to harvest, while livestock insurance is valid for one year.
The event was combined with the “Rwanda Youth Racing Cup” cycling competition, where 154 young cyclists, aged between 11 and 19, participated in the sixth edition of the race.
Officials from the Ministry of Sports, the Rwanda Olympic Committee, the Rwanda Cycling Federation (FERWACY), and other guests were also in attendance.
The celebration featured cycling races in different age categories: 11, 13, 15, 17, and 19-year-olds. After the races, the participants received key messages encouraging them to embrace the Olympic values of excellence, friendship, and respect.
This year’s global theme for Olympic Day was “Let’s Move,” which aims to inspire people to engage in sports and develop a passion for physical activity.
Alice Umulinga, President of the Rwanda Olympic Committee, thanked all the participants and organizers. She also highlighted the talent displayed by the young cyclists, which she believes shows great potential for Rwanda’s future representation in the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, in 2026.
She said, “Today, we celebrate the three Olympic values, which are also representative of the values we hold dear as Rwandans. We are preparing for youth competitions next year, and I am confident we will be well represented. And in two years, in Los Angeles, we will represent ourselves with pride.”
Florent Habyarimana, who represented the Ministry of Sports, expressed his appreciation to the event organizers and the young athletes. He emphasized that this event was a great opportunity to prepare those who will represent Rwanda in Dakar.
He added, “The Minister wants these games to be the beginning of progress and international success. This year and in the years ahead, the Ministry of Sports will prioritize these athletes. I assure you that we fully support you.”
All the children who participated in the event received certificates signed by both the President of the International Olympic Committee and the President of the Rwanda Olympic Committee.
Olympic Day marked every year on June 23, serves as a time to reflect on the founding of the International Olympic Committee by Pierre de Coubertin on June 23, 1894. It is also an opportunity to promote Olympic values, celebrate sports, and recognize the benefits of physical activity.
In a statement released on Monday night, the national carrier said flights WB300 and WB303 scheduled for June 23 and 24, 2025, between Kigali and Doha had been cancelled.
“In light of the evolving situation and for the safety of our passengers and crew, flights to and from Dubai have also been cancelled,” the statement read.
The cancellations come in the wake of a significant military development in the Gulf. Qatar confirmed that its air defense systems had intercepted multiple Iranian missiles over the capital, Doha, after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched a military operation targeting U.S. forces stationed at Al Udeid Air Base.
The IRGC described the strike, dubbed “Annunciation of Victory,” as retaliation for alleged threats to Iranian sovereignty, linked to the U.S. attack on three nuclear sites on Sunday.
Majid bin Mohammed Al-Ansari, spokesperson for Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the country’s defense forces successfully neutralised the incoming missiles, and no casualties were reported. Nonetheless, both Qatar and the United Arab Emirates closed their airspace ahead of the attack, forcing airlines across the region to suspend or reroute operations.
RwandAir has reassured affected passengers that they can reschedule their tickets for a later date.
“We will provide further updates as soon as there are changes to the situation,” the airline said, apologising for the inconvenience caused.
The airline also encouraged travellers needing assistance to contact its reservation team at [reservations@rwandair.com->reservations@rwandair.com] or reach out to their preferred travel agent.
Meanwhile, Qatar Airways has also confirmed the temporary suspension of its operations due to the ongoing closure of air traffic over Qatar. The airline said it is working closely with government stakeholders and relevant authorities to support impacted passengers and resume services once it is safe to do so.
The situation continues to evolve rapidly, with international observers monitoring for further developments in what is becoming a highly volatile region.
