The two teams last met six years ago in the qualifiers for the 2021 AFCON, with both matches ending 0–0. Much has changed since then, particularly for Cape Verde, who have established themselves among Africa’s most competitive sides.
Cape Verde reached the quarter-finals of the 2023 AFCON in Côte d’Ivoire before making their FIFA World Cup debut. Their squad is now largely made up of players based in top leagues across Europe, South America, and Asia.
However, the Blue Sharks come into Tuesday’s match under pressure after losing 3–1 to Mali in their opening Group K qualifier in Bamako last Friday. They are eager to reverse a recent difficult spell after facing elite world opposition at the World Cup, where they held Spain, Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia to draws before pushing Argentina into extra time.
Rwanda, meanwhile, started their qualifying campaign on a high note with a 3–1 home win over Liberia at the Amahoro Stadium and enter the contest riding strong form after recent victories in international play.
The Amavubi squad has also evolved significantly since the 2020 encounters, with only a select group of experienced players remaining. Midfielder Djihad Bizimana, left-back Emmanuel Imanishimwe, defender Ange Mutsinzi, and midfielder Kevin Muhire are among the veterans providing crucial stability.
Amavubi coach Stephen Constantine emphasized that Rwanda traveled to Praia seeking maximum points rather than taking a defensive posture.
“We are here to get points. We did not come here to lose,” Constantine told journalists ahead of the match.
Former Amavubi coach Vincent Mashami expects Cape Verde to dominate possession on home soil, while former captain Haruna Niyonzima urged Rwanda’s senior leaders to guide the younger players through a demanding away atmosphere in Praia.
Cape Verde will be looking for an immediate response after their defeat to Mali, while Rwanda will be aiming to build on their recent form. The pivotal Group K clash is scheduled for 6 p.m. Kigali time.
The Amavubi squad has also evolved significantly since the 2020 encounters, with only a select group of experienced players remaining.Cape Verde reached the quarter-finals of the 2023 AFCON in Côte d’Ivoire before making their FIFA World Cup debut. Haruna Niyonzima captained Amavubi when the two sides last met, while Ryan Mendes remains part of the Cape Verde squad.
Amavubi coach Stephen Constantine said the team did not travel to Praia to suffer defeat.Former Amavubi coach Mashami Vincent has confidence in Stephen Constantine, saying the coach never goes into a match expecting to lose to any opponent.
NASA also announced plans to exercise options for a fifth and sixth Starliner flight to and from the ISS, and said it will work with Boeing and United Launch Alliance to certify the Vulcan rocket for Starliner crew transportation after the final flight of the Atlas V rocket.
The uncrewed Starliner-1 will serve as an engineering evaluation mission to validate improvements made to the spacecraft, verify improved thermal environments, obtain performance data needed for system qualification and identify residual risks ahead of crewed missions, according to NASA.
The agency will use data from Starliner-1 to continue implementing corrective actions identified by its Program Investigation Team and complete the testing and certification required for crewed flight, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said, adding that the current plan is to return astronauts to space on Starliner-2 by 2028.
Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft launched in June 2024 on its first crewed flight test, carrying NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, and docked with the ISS. During the flight, some of the spacecraft’s reaction control thrusters did not perform as expected, and helium leaks were detected.
NASA ultimately decided to return Starliner to Earth uncrewed, while the two astronauts later returned to Earth aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft in March 2025.
In February, NASA released findings from its Program Investigation Team into the 2024 crewed flight test. The investigation identified 61 recommendations for NASA.
Based on the findings, Boeing has made thermal modifications to Starliner’s service module, which NASA will evaluate on Starliner-1. NASA and Boeing also have jointly decided to implement an additional thruster valve design modification to support spacecraft certification and future crewed flights.
Following Starliner-1, NASA and Boeing will complete the service module thruster valve design modification. Boeing will also implement other improvements, including installing new crew module thrusters and batteries, as well as making minor modifications to the parachute system to improve performance and reliability, NASA said.
NASA said Monday it plans to conduct an uncrewed Starliner-1 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) as early as December this year
“Axios just released a story that ‘Trump’ offered Sanctions Relief and Frozen Funds to Iran. This is untrue. I offered them NOTHING! Axios’ story, like most others, is a HOAX,” Trump wrote on social media.
Trump demands Axios “IMMEDIATELY” withdraw the story.
The Axios story came after Trump rejected an Iran-proposed ceasefire deal over the weekend.
Iran’s proposed peace deal demands a suspension of the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for Iran reopening the rest of the strait and resuming talks over its nuclear program, local media reported.
In response to Trump’s rejection of its peace proposal, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that it is “up to President Trump to choose” between diplomacy and continuing the war.
“We are fully prepared for the war to be resumed. We stand firm in the face of any new aggression, even if it comes to a doomsday war,” Araghchi said.
U.S. President Donald Trump has denied a media report that his administration had offered Iran sanctions relief.
The Regional Capacity-Building Workshop for NGOs Working with Muslim Communities, which runs from September 28 to October 2, is funded by the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and hosted by Rwanda-based Umbrella for Vulnerable.
The workshop brings together more than 40 participants to examine how local NGOs can improve project management, governance, financial controls, fundraising, donor compliance and institutional sustainability.
Opening the workshop at M Hotel Kigali on Monday, September 28, Rwanda Governance Board (RGB) Secretary General Dr. Edward Kalisa stressed the importance of strong institutions in turning donor-funded projects into lasting impact.
“Funding a project is not the same as building a sustainable organisation,” Kalisa noted.
He underscored the need for NGOs to develop strong governance, leadership, financial systems, accountability and partnerships to remain effective beyond individual projects.
“Do not build an organisation merely to implement a project; build an institution capable of transforming every project into lasting impact,” he urged.
RGB is responsible for registering, regulating and monitoring NGOs operating in Rwanda. Kalisa described civil society organisations as important partners in national development and reaffirmed the board’s commitment to creating an environment in which credible and accountable organisations can grow.
The workshop’s theme is “From Project Funding to Sustainable Impact: Strengthening Local NGOs for Effective Project Management, Governance, Financial Sustainability and Resource Mobilisation.”
Ambassador Sheikh Saleh Habimana, Chairman of the Board of Umbrella for Vulnerable, explained that the gathering is intended to help organisations strengthen their ability to manage resources responsibly while expanding their impact.
“We are discussing capacity building that will strengthen good governance of NGOs, management of NGOs, and fundraising within NGOs,” Habimana explained.
“Above all, once you raise funds, you need to know how to govern those funds and maintain transparency in everything you do, so that every penny given to you is used carefully for the good of the vulnerable people in our communities.”
Habimana highlighted the opportunity for participating organisations to learn from Umbrella for Vulnerable’s experience in organisational management, transparency, governance, fundraising and partnerships.
The organisation works in areas including education, poverty reduction, job creation and support for vulnerable children.
The workshop also examines the relationship between institutional development, community inclusion and peacebuilding.
Mustafa Yusuf Ali, Executive Director of Arigatou International Nairobi and Secretary General of the Global Network of Religions for Children, highlighted the importance of linking financing with peacebuilding, youth inclusion and community development.
He pointed to challenges in the Horn of Africa, where communities with limited access to development opportunities and grassroots funding can leave young people vulnerable to recruitment by armed groups.
“The nexus between financing, community peacebuilding, young people, inclusion, and sustainable communities” is therefore important, Ali observed.
He called for greater engagement by financial institutions and governments with young people and grassroots communities.
For Ali, a successful workshop would see participants return to their countries equipped with practical skills to strengthen their organisations and improve community programmes.
Participants are also expected to build partnerships with organisations from other countries and exchange experiences on managing social development programmes.
Febron Bimenyimana, representing the Islamic Community of Burundi, outlined the practical benefits his organisation expects from the training, including stronger skills in partnership building, cooperation, management and budgeting.
He also highlighted the opportunity to learn from organisations from different countries and adapt effective practices to Burundi’s context.
The workshop covers the IsDB project cycle, NGO governance and board effectiveness, internal controls, risk management, anti-fraud systems, financial management, budgeting, cash management, donor compliance and audit preparation.
It also includes sessions on strategic communication, branding, media relations, social media, fundraising, donor mapping, partnership development and proposal writing.
Organisers are seeking to address a common challenge facing local NGOs: maintaining operations and programmes after a specific donor-funded project ends.
The workshop promotes the idea that successful project implementation should help organisations build credibility, experience, partnerships and trust that can support future programmes.
Participants will also examine the institutional experience of Umbrella for Vulnerable as a case study in governance, financial management, partnerships, community engagement, communications and resource mobilisation.
The workshop is expected to strengthen professional networks among NGOs working with Muslim communities across the region while equipping participants with practical strategies for improving governance, accountability and financial sustainability.
The Regional Capacity-Building Workshop for NGOs Working with Muslim Communities is funded by the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and hosted by Rwanda-based Umbrella for Vulnerable.The workshop brings together more than 40 participants to examine how local NGOs can improve project management, governance, financial controls, fundraising, donor compliance and institutional sustainability.The workshop covers the IsDB project cycle, NGO governance and board effectiveness, internal controls, risk management, anti-fraud systems, financial management, budgeting, cash management, donor compliance and audit preparation.Ambassador Sheikh Saleh Habimana, Chairman of the Board of Umbrella for Vulnerable, explained that the gathering is intended to help organisations strengthen their ability to manage resources responsibly while expanding their impact.Febron Bimenyimana, representing the Islamic Community of Burundi, outlined the practical benefits his organisation expects from the training, including stronger skills in partnership building, cooperation, management and budgeting.
To address these challenges, African debt-management experts, policymakers and development partners have gathered in Kigali for discussions on improving debt transparency, accountability and sustainable borrowing.
The discussions are part of the third edition of the Public Finance Management Academy for Africa (PFMA) Spotlight Learning Series, organised by the African Development Bank (AfDB) under the theme “Strengthening Capacity for Debt Transparency and Accountability in Africa’s Transition States.” The event is taking place from September 28 to October 2, 2026.
The five-day programme has brought together about 150 participants from across Africa, including policymakers, debt-management practitioners and development partners, to discuss ways of improving debt reporting, oversight and risk management.
According to the African Development Bank, Africa’s public debt increased by about 10% annually between 2015 and 2020, reaching $1.6 trillion in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Although the pace slowed after the pandemic due to fiscal consolidation and debt restructuring efforts, public debt continued growing by around 4.4% annually between 2021 and 2024, reaching an estimated $1.9 trillion.
The increase has been driven by declining access to cheaper financing, external economic shocks, infrastructure needs and growing social spending requirements.
Debt distress remains a concern
The AfDB notes that by March 2026, seven of the nine low-income countries globally classified as being in debt distress were African countries.
Domestic borrowing has also increased, accounting for 38% of Africa’s total debt in 2024, compared with 29% in 2010, reaching nearly $500 billion.
Speaking during the Kigali meeting, Aissa Tourissa, Country Manager of the African Development Bank in Rwanda, said the continent’s debt challenge should not only be measured by the amount borrowed but also by how effectively resources are used.
“The debt is not the problem; it’s what you use it for. You can have a very high debt ratio, but if it is well utilised for your infrastructure, for your youth, for education, there is no problem,” she said.
According to Tourissa, debt management has become more difficult as countries borrow from multiple sources, including bilateral lenders, multilateral institutions, private investors and pension funds.
She emphasized that countries need stronger systems to determine how much they borrow, why they borrow and the risks involved.
Judith Nabaasa, Acting Chief Economist at Rwanda’s Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MINECOFIN), said reliable debt information helps governments and stakeholders make better decisions.
“Debt transparency is fundamental to sound fiscal management. It enables governments, oversight institutions, development partners and investors to make better-informed decisions, while strengthening public confidence in the management of public resources,” she said.
She noted that Rwanda ranked among Africa’s top performers in the 2026 Institute of International Finance Investor Relations and Debt Transparency Report, which she said helped the country secure loans at concessional rates.
“Better transparency improves the cost of borrowing, but also enables better planning and better use of resources. For Rwanda, we have made some important steps. Recently, we were named the best country in Africa in debt management and transparency.”
“And you have seen how we went on the market and borrowed at interest rates below commercial market terms. This is very important because of our debt management and transparency systems,” she added.
The PFMA Spotlight Learning Series aims to strengthen African countries’ ability to manage public debt more effectively, improve fiscal resilience and ensure borrowing contributes to sustainable development.
The five-day programme has brought together about 150 participants from across Africa.Aissa Tourissa, Country Manager of the African Development Bank in Rwanda, said the continent’s debt challenge should not be measured solely by the amount borrowed, but also by how effectively the resources are used.African debt-management experts, policymakers and development partners have gathered in Kigali for discussions on improving debt transparency, accountability and sustainable borrowing.Judith Nabaasa, Acting Chief Economist at Rwanda’s Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MINECOFIN), said reliable debt information helps governments and stakeholders make better-informed decisions.
The story of Maranatha Teenager’s Organization did not begin in January 2021. For its president, Kasine Marie Grace, the roots of the organization go much further back, to her childhood in Rwanda, her arrival in Belgium, her academic and professional journey, and the experiences that shaped her desire to help others.
A dream born in childhood
Since childhood, Kasine says she has been particularly sensitive to the suffering of others, especially children.
She remembers witnessing, while growing up in Rwanda, the difficulties faced by some children living in blended families. Some situations of mistreatment deeply affected her.
At the time, she had a simple dream: when she grew up, she would create an orphanage to welcome and protect children experiencing hardship.
Over the years, that dream did not disappear. It simply took a different form.
Today, rather than creating the orphanage she imagined as a child, Kasine has chosen to build a space for listening, guidance and support, primarily for young people and families settling in Belgium.
From the migration experience to commitment
Her own journey also played a decisive role in the creation of Maranatha.
Kasine arrived in Belgium while she was in her fourth year of secondary school. She therefore experienced firsthand the challenges of settling in a new country: adapting to a different culture and language, a different school system, new social codes and relationships, and gradually finding her place.
This experience helped her understand that adolescence is already an important period of transition, and that it can become even more challenging when combined with migration.
“A young person arriving in a new country may have abilities, dreams and a genuine desire to succeed, while still needing someone to listen to them, guide them, encourage them and show them that moving forward is possible,” she explains.
This experience is also reflected in the word “Teenager’s”, which is directly connected to young people and this important stage of life.
Kasine Marie Grace during an interview with IGIHE
Why “Maranatha”?
The name Maranatha also has its roots in an experience Kasine had during her youth in Rwanda.
She remembers a choir of secondary-school students at Kabusunzu Secondary School in Kigali, known as the Maranatha Choir. Despite having limited resources and having to balance their studies with other daily responsibilities, the young people managed to produce a music video album.
What particularly impressed her was not only the result they achieved, but their motivation, determination and ability to encourage one another to complete their project.
The experience left her with an important conviction: young people are not simply individuals who need help. They are also capable of generating ideas and possess talents, energy and abilities that sometimes simply need to be encouraged and supported.
For her, the name Maranatha therefore represents motivation, solidarity, mutual encouragement and the ability to turn an idea into a concrete project.
Two areas of training supporting her vision
Her academic background also helped shape her approach.
After arriving in Belgium, Kasine continued her education and trained as a social worker before obtaining a master’s degree in engineering and project management in December 2020.
These two fields, she believes, complement each other.
Her social work training taught her to consider a person as a whole: their difficulties, needs, resources, environment and the opportunities available to them.
Project management, meanwhile, gave her the tools to turn an idea into action, set objectives, mobilize resources and develop concrete solutions.
This combination has become one of the foundations of Maranatha’s approach.
Kasine Marie Grace has combined her training in social work and project management to shape the approach of Maranatha Teenager’s Organization.
Listening before looking for solutions
For Kasine, supporting someone does not simply mean providing an immediate answer to their problem.
She often uses the image of a “problem tree”: the visible problem is only what appears on the surface. Behind it may lie deeper causes.
For example, a young person who cannot find employment may be facing a language barrier, a lack of training, limited professional networks, administrative difficulties, family challenges or financial problems.
The organization therefore seeks to understand the person’s situation as a whole.
Its approach is based on several steps: listening, understanding, identifying the underlying causes, finding available resources, developing solutions together and supporting their implementation, with the ultimate goal of gradually promoting autonomy.
For the president of Maranatha, helping does not mean doing things on someone’s behalf. It means accompanying them until they are progressively able to move forward independently.
From social support to autonomy
The organization also seeks to go beyond immediate assistance.
A person may need support to find a school, housing or employment, resolve an administrative issue or access certain services. Once a certain level of stability has been achieved, however, it becomes possible to think about their professional plans and long-term autonomy.
Kasine also envisions developing collective projects or cooperatives in which several people can pool their skills, experience and resources.
The goal is to gradually transform support into the ability to take action and build one’s own future.
An organization built with limited resources
When Maranatha Teenager’s Organization was officially established in January 2021, it did not have significant financial resources.
The project began with limited means but strong determination.
There were lessons to learn, solutions to find, people to convince, activities to organize and challenges to overcome, including moments of doubt.
Five years after its creation, the organization continues its work.
For Kasine, this continuity is itself an important achievement. In her view, it demonstrates that a project can start modestly and develop through perseverance, commitment and the support of others.
The president also emphasizes the important role played by those around her.
She particularly pays tribute to her elder sister, whom she describes as someone who supported her from childhood, as well as her husband, children, volunteers, friends and many others who have contributed to the organization’s activities.
Their support gradually transformed an individual initiative into a collective project.
“What started as my personal project has become a collective story,” Kasine says.
Kasine Marie Grace has said the dream she had as a child has taken a different form through Maranatha Teenager’s Organization.
An inauguration designed by and for young people
A new chapter is now being prepared: the official inauguration of Maranatha Teenager’s Organization, scheduled for 2027.
The event will have a particular feature: its activities will be led by young people from different nationalities.
For Kasine, this choice directly reflects the philosophy of the organization.
Young people should not be seen only as beneficiaries. They should also be active participants in the project, able to propose ideas, take on responsibilities, develop their talents and contribute to shaping their own future.
Diversity will also be at the heart of the event. The organization hopes to bring together young people from different backgrounds so they can share their experiences, cultures, talents and aspirations.
For its president, differences in origin should not prevent young people from building something together.
A call for collective engagement
As the inauguration approaches, Kasine Marie Grace is calling on the diaspora and everyone who wishes to contribute to the initiative.
She is seeking their support, ideas, commitment and participation in order to properly prepare for the event.
For her, supporting young people is a collective responsibility.
Helping young people integrate, build their future and develop their abilities also contributes to the development of communities and helps maintain connections with countries of origin.
The 2027 inauguration is therefore intended to be more than an official ceremony. It is expected to mark the transition from the organization’s first years of development to a new phase in the growth of Maranatha.
A dream that took a different form
Looking back at her journey, Kasine believes that the dream she had as a child has never truly disappeared.
She may not be building the orphanage she once imagined, but she has chosen, together with others, to create a space where young people can be heard, guided, supported and encouraged to build their own futures.
Maranatha Teenager’s Organization therefore carries a personal story that has become a collective one: a childhood dream shaped by a migration experience, strengthened through academic training and transformed into an initiative dedicated to young people.
And for Kasine, the story of Maranatha is only just beginning.
Ingabire, the founder of the unregistered DALFA Umurinzi political party, made the remarks on September 28 as she began presenting her defence before the Kigali High Court.
She is on trial alongside nine other defendants over charges related to an alleged plot to overthrow the government. The defendants began presenting their defence after the prosecution concluded four days of submissions.
The prosecution has alleged that Ingabire founded and led FDU Inkingi, which later joined P5, a coalition of groups opposed to the Rwandan government. It has also linked the coalition to attacks carried out in Musanze District in October 2019.
Ingabire rejected the allegations, saying she had no role in the formation of P5 because she was in prison at the time.
She said P5 was established in June 2016, while she was serving a prison sentence, and that she only learned after her release in September 2018 that FDU Inkingi had changed its leadership structure.
Ingabire said FDU Inkingi’s rules did not allow it to join a coalition of armed groups such as P5, which the prosecution has described as having a military structure led by Kayumba Nyamwasa, a former Rwandan military officer.
On the October 2019 attack in Musanze, Ingabire denied any involvement and said she was among those who condemned the incident publicly.
She said she issued a statement condemning the attack at the time.
The prosecution has also alleged that Ingabire was previously associated with RDR (Rassemblement Démocratique pour le Retour de Réfugiés), a group established in former Zaire that sought the return of Rwandan refugees and later became ALiR and FDLR.
Ingabire disputed this, saying she had never belonged to that organisation. She said she was instead associated with a different group with a similar acronym, RDR (Rassemblement Républicain pour la Démocratie au Rwanda).
She also denied prosecution claims concerning her political activities while she was in prison.
Ingabire led FDU Inkingi until her arrest on October 14, 2010. She argued that she should not be held responsible for the party’s activities during the period she was incarcerated.
She was released in September 2018 after receiving a presidential pardon.
Ingabire also asked the court not to treat her as a repeat offender, referring to her 2013 conviction, which she said she appealed before the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights. She told the court that the case resulted in her acquittal and an order for compensation of more than Rwf60 million.
“The prosecution also knows that a person who is in prison does not engage in politics,” she told the court.
The prosecution has further alleged that Ingabire established DALFA Umurinzi in 2019 to distance herself from FDU Inkingi’s alleged involvement in the Musanze attack, while maintaining similar political activities.
It has also alleged that Ingabire initially sought to overthrow the government through armed means but later turned to non-violent methods after that approach failed, including efforts to create unrest among the population.
Ingabire rejected that characterization, saying she believes political change should be achieved peacefully and through democratic principles.
“As a politician, a mother and a Christian, I believe that the appropriate way to change a government is through means that do not involve bloodshed and that respect democratic principles,” she told the court.
The prosecution has also raised allegations concerning training sessions attended mainly by people associated with DALFA Umurinzi. The sessions were presented as English-language training, but prosecutors allege they were intended to support a plan to overthrow the government.
According to the prosecution, Nsabimana Sylvain led a group of participants in Rwanda, while a woman identified as Assumpta, who lives in Switzerland, led another group abroad. It alleged that Ingabire coordinated the two groups.
Ingabire disputed the alleged links to DALFA Umurinzi, saying participants had told the court they attended the sessions in their individual capacities.
She also referred to testimony by prosecution witness Boniface Nzabandora during an earlier hearing, which she said supported that account.
Ingabire told the court there was no evidence linking the 26 participants to DALFA Umurinzi and no evidence that she attended or was involved in the training sessions.
The court adjourned the case until October 1, when Ingabire is expected to continue presenting her defence.
Ingabire, the founder of the unregistered DALFA Umurinzi political party, made the remarks on September 28 as she began presenting her defence before the Kigali High Court.
The verdict was delivered on September 25 at the US District Court for the Southern District of California, following a trial over Apple’s use of vibration technology in its iPhones and Apple Watches. The jury awarded Taction $5.72 billion in damages.
The dispute centres on Apple’s Taptic Engine, a system that provides physical feedback when users interact with devices, including through taps and vibrations for notifications and other actions.
Taction, a San Diego-based company that develops haptic technology for products including headphones and gaming headsets, sued Apple in 2021. It alleged that Apple’s devices incorporated technology covered by two of its patents without a licence.
The patents, issued in 2020, cover systems designed to generate vibrations that users can feel through touch. Taction argued that Apple’s use of the technology in its devices amounted to infringement.
Apple has rejected the allegations and maintained that its Taptic Engine is fundamentally different from Taction’s technology. The company said it would appeal the verdict.
The jury found that Apple had infringed the patents but did not determine that the infringement was wilful. That finding is significant because it means the damages cannot simply be increased on the basis of deliberate infringement.
The case has gone through several stages before reaching the jury. A federal judge ruled in Apple’s favour in 2023, effectively ending the case at that stage. Taction appealed, and the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit later revived the dispute, allowing it to proceed to trial.
The trial began in September, with jurors considering whether Apple’s Taptic Engine infringed the two patents and, if so, the appropriate damages.
Taction’s lead counsel, Lance Yang, welcomed the verdict, saying the company had waited more than five years for the case to reach trial. Apple, however, disputed both the infringement finding and the amount awarded.
The $5.7 billion award is subject to further legal challenges. Apple can seek post-trial relief and appeal the judgment through the federal court system.
The case adds to a series of patent disputes involving Apple and other technology companies over features used in its devices.
The dispute centres on Apple’s Taptic Engine, a system that provides physical feedback when users interact with devices, including through taps and vibrations for notifications and other actions.
Among those they have identified as playing a role in enforcing these practices is Mukandutiye Angelina, a former senior FDLR figure who, according to their accounts, was responsible for monitoring the lives of women and girls within the group.
The testimonies have come from Rwandan women who were abducted by the FDLR and taken to its bases in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Some later escaped or returned to Rwanda and underwent reintegration programmes at the Mutobo Demobilisation and Reintegration Centre in Musanze District.
Retired Corporal Mujawayesu Laurence, who was abducted in 1997 at the age of 14, said women in the group were not expected to become pregnant.
“When a girl became pregnant, she was either killed or forced to terminate the pregnancy,” she said. “Many girls died because they refused to let men sexually assault them.”
Mujawayesu, who escaped the FDLR in 2003, also alleged that women who resisted forced abortions were subjected to extreme violence.
“There were those who died because they refused to have their pregnancies terminated. They were shot, while others were cut open with knives in front of others as a warning,” she said.
Another former FDLR member, identified as Mutesi (not real name), said women who became pregnant were subjected to forced abortions.
“They did not allow us to become pregnant. If you became pregnant, they would cut you open while you were still alive, remove the baby and kill it separately,” she said.
Umwali (name changed), a 27-year-old Rwandan woman who was born in Walikale, said she herself became pregnant while under FDLR control. She said she was involved in intelligence activities and was therefore expected to remain available for missions.
“Mukandutiye Angelina was the one who gave us the pills to terminate pregnancies because no soldier was supposed to work while pregnant or carrying a child,” Umwali said.
She said the man who had impregnated her was subsequently killed.
Umulisa, 36, another former FDLR member, said Mukandutiye was responsible for monitoring the welfare of women and girls, including their use of contraceptives.
“She told us that we were not supposed to give birth in Congo because it was not allowed,” Umulisa said.
Umulisa said Mukandutiye downplayed the sexual abuse by presenting it as a normal obligation that women and girls were expected to accept from men.
“She did not call it sexual abuse. She said it was something a woman was expected to accept from men,” Umulisa said.
Former members also accused Mukandutiye of selecting some girls and taking them to senior male members of the group, after which she would ensure they used contraceptives.
Mukandutiye’s involvement with armed groups in eastern Congo came after she fled Rwanda in 1994. Before that, she had worked as a teacher and served as an education inspector in Nyarugenge, Kigali, from 1986 to 1994.
After joining the FDLR, she became one of its senior figures. Between 2016 and 2017, following a split within the group, she joined the CNRD-Ubwiyunge led by Wilson Irategeka, where she served as development commissioner.
She and other members of the group were later captured in South Kivu and transferred to Rwanda in 2019.
Mukandutiye had already been sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment by Gacaca courts in 2008 for her role in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
Following her return to Rwanda, she was also prosecuted in a terrorism case involving 21 defendants, including Nsabimana Callixte, known as Sankara, and Paul Rusesabagina, over attacks attributed to the MRCD/FLN.
In 2021, the Kigali High Court sentenced her to five years in prison in that case. The Court of Appeal increased the sentence to 20 years in April 2022.
Mukandutiye Angelina is serving prison sentence in Rwanda over role in Genocide against the Tutsi and FDLR attacks.
Figures contained in a report by the Ebola response team released on September 25 show that 56 new cases were recorded on September 24, down from 70 the previous day. This represents a 20% decline, although health authorities say challenges remain in containing the outbreak.
The decline was most notable in North Kivu, where new cases fell from 31 to 17 in 24 hours. In Ituri, however, cases increased from 31 to 35. The province accounts for 76.4% of all recorded infections. Haut-Uélé recorded three new cases, while Bas-Uélé reported one.
The report said 2,001 people have recovered, including 35 who were discharged on September 24, while 848 others remain in isolation. Of the 62 health zones that have recorded at least one case, 56 across six provinces still have active cases.
Despite the decline in new infections, many people continue to die outside Ebola treatment facilities. Of the 34 deaths recorded in the 24-hour period, 23 occurred in communities, including nine in Mandima, Ituri, and seven in Beni, North Kivu. Beni also recorded 12 of the 17 new cases reported in North Kivu.
Contact tracing has also declined, with coverage falling from 83.4% to 79.2% in one day. In Tshopo, the rate has dropped to 34.8%, raising concerns that some infections may not be detected early.
The Ebola response is also facing shortages of supplies, delays in vaccination and inadequate treatment facilities. In North Kivu, 114 patients are still being treated in facilities that do not meet required standards. In Bunia, 135 people were vaccinated within 24 hours, against a daily target of 300.
Health authorities have called for increased surveillance along the DRC-South Sudan border and greater preparedness in provinces along the Congo River to prevent further spread of the outbreak.
