A government report covering the epidemiological situation as of Sunday said 7,258 confirmed cases had been recorded in seven provinces, including 3,510 deaths and 1,726 recoveries.
A total of 905 patients were in isolation or hospitalized, while the overall fatality rate stood at 48.4 percent.
The outbreak has affected 62 health zones across seven provinces — Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uele, Bas-Uele, Tshopo and Sud-Ubangi. Sustained transmission continued in Ituri, North Kivu and Haut-Uele, while sporadic cases were reported in Tshopo and Bas-Uele.
The overall epidemic curve was trending downward as the peak appeared to have been reached around mid-August, said Dieudonne Mwamba Kazadi, head of the National Institute of Public Health, after a strategic coordination meeting in Kinshasa on Monday.
However, he cautioned that the decline was uneven across the country, with some provinces, particularly North Kivu, still reporting increases in cases.
Declared in May, the current outbreak has become the largest and deadliest Ebola epidemic in the DRC’s history and the second-largest globally, behind the 2014-2016 epidemic in West Africa.
The outbreak has affected 62 health zones across seven provinces in DRC.
According to a European Commission document seen by Reuters, the proposal is part of a planned EU Kids Act that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU technology chief Henna Virkkunen are expected to present this week.
The proposal would introduce different levels of access based on age. Children aged 15 and above would be allowed to create their own accounts, while those aged 13 and 14 could access social media and video-sharing platforms through parental permission, with controls on contacts and screen time.
Children aged 3 to 12 would have access only to child-friendly services under parental control, while those under three would have no access.
The European Commission said the approach should allow children to benefit from digital services while protecting them from abuse and exploitation.
Under the proposal, technology companies would also be required to verify users’ ages, limit addictive designs and harmful content feeds, and provide tools for reporting harmful material and parental controls.
Companies would also pay a supervisory fee to support regulatory enforcement.
Reuters reported that the proposal could still change before being formally presented and would require agreement with EU member states and the European Parliament before becoming law.
The European Union is set to propose restrictions preventing children under 15 from accessing social media.
The move is intended to expand the charging network across the country and make it easier for electric vehicle owners to travel without worrying about where to recharge.
Rwanda is expected to have 218 electric vehicle charging stations by 2027.
Byiringiro Alfred, Chief Technical Advisor for Transport at MININFRA, said the government has already identified priority locations for charging infrastructure and will work with private investors to develop the sites.
He made the remarks at the Renewable Energy for Sustainable Growth (RE4SG) 2026 in Kigali.
“Some areas may not offer enough commercial returns to attract private investment in electric vehicle charging infrastructure. In such cases, the government needs to support private investors and may also invest directly to ensure the necessary facilities are built,” Byiringiro said.
He said a reliable charging network was essential to the wider adoption of electric vehicles.
“You cannot promote electric mobility without adequate charging infrastructure. It is essential to have that infrastructure in place,” he said.
The government has already supported the sector by helping investors access land for charging stations and providing tax incentives.
Since 2021, Rwanda has introduced a range of measures to encourage the adoption of electric vehicles, including reducing or removing some taxes on electric vehicles and related equipment.
MININFRA is also working on standards for electric vehicles and charging equipment to ensure that products entering the Rwandan market meet required quality and durability standards.
“We need appropriate standards for both vehicles and charging infrastructure to ensure that people who buy electric vehicles can use them for many years rather than having them last only one or two years,” Byiringiro said.
More than 7,000 electric vehicles had been registered in Rwanda by the end of 2024, following their introduction to the country in 2020.
Rwanda plans to fund EV charging stations in areas with limited private investment.
The two-day meeting will bring together members of the Joint Security Coordination Mechanism (JSCM), a body established to coordinate and monitor the implementation of the parties’ security commitments.
The talks will also be attended by facilitators including the United States, Qatar, Togo and the African Union Commission.
The meeting comes as fighting continues in eastern DRC, while some key provisions of the peace agreement have yet to be fully implemented.
The Rwanda-DRC peace agreement was signed in Washington on June 27, 2025, and was later reinforced by the Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity signed on December 4.
Among the key commitments is the complete dismantling of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) by the DRC, while Rwanda is expected to lift its defensive measures in line with progress on that commitment.
The FDLR is expected to remain a major issue in the Geneva talks. Rwanda has repeatedly accused the DRC of supporting, arming and cooperating with the group.
On July 28, the DRC government said part of the FDLR terrorist group had agreed to a process involving disarmament, demobilisation and relocation to designated sites. Kinshasa presented the move as progress towards fulfilling its commitments.
Rwanda, however, rejected the approach, arguing that the Washington agreement requires the complete dismantling of the FDLR rather than negotiations with the group.
Meanwhile, fighting between the DRC army, FARDC, and M23 has continued in North and South Kivu. M23 captured several areas in 2025, including Goma and Bukavu.
The September talks will follow the sixth JSCM meeting held in Geneva on August 12 and 13, where both sides agreed to strengthen mechanisms for monitoring and verifying implementation of the Washington agreement.
Delegations from Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo are expected to meet in Geneva, Switzerland, on September 16 and 17, 2026, for talks on the implementation of the Washington peace agreement.
Under the agreement, the government will receive a 25% stake in Almonty Rwanda Pty Ltd in exchange for contributing the Shyorongi tungsten exploration concession and a mineral processing licence, while Almonty will hold the remaining 75%.
The Shyorongi exploration block covers approximately 32 square kilometres in Rulindo District, Northern Province.
The partnership will initially allow Almonty Rwanda to acquire ore, pre-concentrate and panning tailings from Rwandan mining licence holders, including small-scale operators, for upgrading and sale. The company also plans to use a mobile processing unit near existing tailings dams before establishing a collection and processing plant in Rwanda.
Almonty Chairman, President and CEO Lewis Black said the arrangement would allow the company to work with material already being produced in Rwanda.
“The most immediate opportunity here is the material that is already being produced. Rwanda’s small-scale license holders are producing ore, pre-concentrate and panning tailings today, and this agreement allows us to collect, upgrade and export that material while we build out the collection and processing plant,” he said.
Black said the company would combine Rwanda’s existing production with modern processing, traceability and exploration.
Rwanda Mining Board CEO Alice Uwase said the partnership would contribute to the transformation of the country’s tungsten industry.
“Rwanda is pleased to welcome Almonty as a strategic partner in the development of our tungsten industry. This investment will help to transform our mining sector by introducing world-class processing infrastructure, international standards for environmental and social governance, and a comprehensive training program to develop Rwandan talent,” she said.
Almonty Industries is an international company focused on the mining, processing and trading of tungsten. It is particularly known for taking over underperforming mines or mining projects and upgrading them to improve their operations. The company has projects in South Korea, Portugal and Spain.
Almonty was previously headquartered in Toronto, Canada, but relocated its headquarters to Dillon, United States, in April 2026.
The company is also listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange, one of the world’s major financial markets.
Tungsten is a mineral used to produce hard metals for applications in construction, aircraft, tanks, spacecraft, firearms and ammunition.
The Rwanda Mines, Petroleum and Gas Board (RMB) indicates that Rwanda exports at least 24 tonnes of tungsten every week.
Tungsten is one of the minerals found in significant quantities in Rwanda. The country has a geological zone known as the Tungsten Belt, which stretches from Mageragere in Kigali City through Rulindo and continues to Gifurwe and Bugarama in Burera District.
Rwanda has joined Almonty in new tungsten exploration venture.
The fire started at around 11 a.m. on September 14, and spread through sugarcane fields in Ngona and Rwahi villages, Rwahi Cell, Shyorongi Sector.
Police said its firefighting vehicles, working alongside local residents, helped extinguish the blaze.
CIP Ignace Ngirabakunzi, Police spokesperson for the Northern Province, told IGIHE that the fire was contained through joint efforts involving Police, other authorities and residents.
“The fire was extinguished through the joint efforts of the Police, other institutions and residents,” he said.
CIP Ngirabakunzi said the cause of the fire had not yet been established, as investigations were still underway.
He urged residents to exercise caution around potential sources of fire, particularly during the dry season when vegetation and other materials can easily catch fire.
“People should avoid anything that could cause fires, especially negligence, particularly at a time when many things are dry. When they catch fire, it can be difficult to put it out, resulting in extensive damage. People should therefore be careful when handling fire, as this will help prevent fires,” he said.
Speaking to IGIHE, Vestine confirmed that she had started the legal process to end their marriage, saying she had obtained information and evidence that her husband had been involved with two other women.
“I do not want to say much about this. What you should know is that we have started the legal process of separating after I obtained information and evidence that he had slept with two girls and got them pregnant,” she said.
Vestine declined to identify the two women whom she alleges her husband impregnated. She maintained, however, that she has evidence supporting her claims and that this prompted her decision to seek a divorce.
She also dismissed claims that she was seeking a divorce in order to share the couple’s property.
“I am the one who filed for divorce. I do not want us to share anything,” she said.
Vestine first hinted that all was not well in her marriage in November 2025, when she shared a message on social media suggesting that she was going through a difficult period.
“The life I am living today is not the one I chose. I am going through difficult times that I do not deserve. I know I have made bad choices in my life, but there was nothing else I could do. God allows certain things to happen to us so that we can learn from them. I have cried enough. No man will ever deceive me again and ruin my life,” she wrote at the time.
Vestine and Ouédraogo married on July 5, 2025, after their relationship became public. The couple had earlier formalised their union through a civil marriage.
Vestine confirmed to IGIHE that she had started the legal process to end their marriage, saying she had obtained information and evidence that her husband had been involved with two other women.
The Kigali-based foundation announced the appointment on Monday, September 14, alongside that of Scovia Achan, who joined as a machine learning engineer.
Basomingera will oversee regional stakeholder initiatives and help operationalise AISCA’s Houses and Studios, which are intended to connect African talent with computing resources, skills and opportunities to develop artificial intelligence solutions.
According to the foundation, she brings experience in government, international relations and business development. She served as Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Sports from July 2025 to July 2026, after previously serving as Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Convention Bureau.
AISCA officially launched its headquarters in Kigali on May 14, 2026, with a focus on expanding access to AI skills and computing infrastructure across Africa.
The foundation’s Board of Trustees is chaired by former Agriculture Minister Dr. Agnes Kalibata.
AISCA says it aims to support 25,000 projects, 10,000 researchers and equip 1.5 million people with AI-related skills, while contributing to up to one million jobs by 2036.
Its partners include Cassava Technologies, the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences and DC Labs.
Candy Basomingera has been appointed Director of Stakeholder Engagement and Development at the AI Skills and Compute Africa Foundation (AISCA).
In a tender notice seen by IGIHE, the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MINICOM) said the planned facility will exclusively serve industries operating within Musanze Industrial Park, providing storage, customs clearance and warehousing services.
The government is offering a lease over 12,635.96 square metres of land within the industrial park to a qualified private investor who will be responsible for financing, developing, constructing, operating and maintaining the facility.
The investor will also be expected to provide plans for expanding and further developing the facility as demand grows.
According to MINICOM, industries operating in Musanze Industrial Park imported approximately 6,680 tonnes of raw materials between January and June 2026.
“The volume of imported raw materials demonstrates the need for a Customs Bonded Warehouse to facilitate efficient storage, customs clearance, and warehousing within the Industrial Park supply chain management system,” the ministry said.
A customs bonded warehouse allows imported goods to be stored under customs control before duties and taxes are paid, subject to applicable regulations. The facility is expected to support industries by improving access to raw materials and streamlining their logistics operations.
MINICOM said the selection of the private investor will be conducted through a competitive bidding process in line with Rwandan law and international best practices.
Interested investors are required to demonstrate the technical and financial capacity to develop and operate the facility.
The ministry is also seeking investors capable of supporting the future expansion of the facility, with bidders required to provide details of their proposed development plans.
A mandatory field visit has been scheduled for September 25, 2026, at 11am. Interested investors will depart from the Musanze District One Stop Centre.
The deadline for submitting bids is October 28, 2026, at 5pm local time.
MINICOM said bidding documents and Terms of Reference will be made available through its website, while inquiries can be directed to the ministry.
The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MINICOM) said the planned facility will exclusively serve industries operating within Musanze Industrial Park, providing storage, customs clearance and warehousing services.
“Applying the rule in the 2026 elections would be arbitrary and capricious in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act because state and local election officials do not have sufficient time to reasonably implement the rule before the elections,” it said.
The decision allows the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to continue delivering ballots as it normally does.
On March 31, Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to compile state-by-state lists of U.S. citizens eligible to vote and instructing the U.S. Postal Service to establish a system under which mail ballots would be delivered only to voters included on state-provided lists.
Days after the executive order was issued, numerous organizations and a group of states led by California sued in the District of Massachusetts. The District Court entered a series of injunctions blocking implementation of the order. With the latest ruling from the nation’s highest court, that injunction is kept in place.
Under the USPS plan, which remains blocked, states would have been required to provide voters’ names and addresses and use specific barcodes on ballot envelopes for USPS delivery.
Mail-in voting has already begun in states including Alabama, North Carolina and Wisconsin, according to a report by National Public Radio. More states will soon begin mail-in voting, including Hawaii, Oregon and Washington, where elections are conducted largely or entirely by mail.
U.S. Supreme Court has rejected Trump’s mail voting restrictions for upcoming midterms
