The sharp increase highlights the growing financial contribution of Rwandans living abroad, whose remittances support households while also helping finance businesses, property purchases and other investments in Rwanda.
Investments by Rwandans abroad have contributed to projects such as Inn of The Lac on the shores of Lake Kivu, Isange Estate and Imara Properties, among others.
Another initiative, Girinzu, aims to help Rwandans in the country and abroad access affordable housing.
Speaking to Rwandans living abroad during a meeting on August 14, 2026, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Olivier Nduhungirehe thanked the diaspora for its continued contribution to Rwanda’s development.
Remittances nearly double in five years
BNR figures show that diaspora remittances to Rwanda have generally increased over the past five years.
In 2021, Rwandans living abroad sent $379 million to Rwanda up from $65 million of 2010. The figure rose to $461 million in 2022 and reached $505 million in 2023.
Remittances declined slightly to $502 million in 2024 before recording their strongest annual growth in 2025, when they increased by 27.3% to reach $640 million.
This represents growth of about 69% between 2021 and 2025, bringing diaspora remittances close to twice their 2021 level.
The continued increase underscores the growing role of the diaspora in supporting households and contributing to investment in Rwanda.
The 2024 FinScope survey found that 65% of adults in Rwanda had either sent or received money, with domestic transfers accounting for the largest share.
About 3% of adults received money from outside Rwanda, while 1% sent money abroad. The report found that, for both domestic and international transfers, the proportion of people receiving money was higher than that of those sending it.
Non-bank channels remain the most commonly used means of transferring money. Around 63% of people used non-bank channels, compared with 4%, equivalent to about 309,000 people, who used banks.
Mobile Money was the most widely used channel for sending and receiving funds.
For recipients, remittances are primarily used to meet everyday household needs. About 53% used the money to buy food and clothing, while 10% used it to start businesses.
Another 9% used the funds to pay school fees, 5% invested them, and 4% used them to pay for medicines and other healthcare-related expenses.
The figures show that while diaspora remittances remain an important source of household support, part of the money is also being directed towards businesses, property and other investments, strengthening the economic ties between Rwandans abroad and their home country.
Some remittances sent by Rwandans living abroad are channelled into investments in Rwanda.
The data shows that debt held by the public and intragovernmental holdings stood at 32.266 trillion dollars and 7.782 trillion dollars, respectively, bringing total public debt outstanding to 40.047 trillion dollars as of Tuesday.
The milestone, reached months earlier than expected, reflects the U.S. federal government’s persistent budget deficits, as spending continues to exceed revenue, adding to the national debt.
The federal government has spent trillions of dollars in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequently pursued tax cuts and increased military spending. As a result, U.S. federal debt has grown rapidly in recent years, raising concerns in the bond market and pushing Treasury yields higher. Rising interest payments have further driven up the total size of the national debt.
A monthly report from the Treasury Department shows that the federal government recorded a fiscal deficit of 1.367 trillion dollars in the first nine months of fiscal year 2026, which began on Oct. 1, 2025. During that period, net interest payments totalled 827 billion dollars, exceeding defense spending of 713 billion dollars and ranking second only to social security spending, which amounted to 1.244 trillion dollars.
U.S. federal government debt surpassed 30 trillion dollars in January 2022, exceeded 39 trillion dollars in March 2026, and hit 39.7 trillion dollars in July 2026.
Local media described the national debt surpassing 40 trillion dollars as an ominous milestone for an economy resting on an increasingly shaky fiscal foundation.
Warning signs are flashing “with debt held by the public recently exceeding the size of our economy, the deficit-to-GDP ratio running twice as high as where it should be, and interest costs exceeding our national defense budget,” Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, said Wednesday in a statement.
“Forty trillion dollars of debt doesn’t exist solely on the government’s ledgers; it is felt throughout the economy and finds its way to the pocketbooks of people one way or another,” MacGuineas said. “The more we borrow, the more we exacerbate inflation, squeeze out other priorities in the budget, and leave ourselves vulnerable to emergencies at home and turmoil abroad.”
“Our current fiscal trajectory is plainly unsustainable,” said Margaret Spellings, president and CEO of the Bipartisan Policy Center. “Even in the rosiest scenarios, we’re speeding toward a cliff and refusing to turn the wheel.”
“Federal debt is already raising the cost of living and choking out other spending and investment, threatening our economy and Americans’ long-term prosperity,” she added.
“Forty trillion dollars should be a wake-up call. But neither Congress nor the president have a credible plan to stop it from growing,” said Carolyn Bourdeaux, executive director of Concord Coalition and Concord Action Fund. “We owe the next generation better than this crushing debt and another hollow promise that someone else will deal with it later.”
In a statement responding to the troubling milestone, White House spokesman Kush Desai said U.S. President Donald Trump had pledged to clean up former President Joe Biden’s fiscal mismanagement. “That’s why the Trump administration has been focused on slashing waste, fraud, and abuse in federal spending while accelerating economic growth to get America’s debt-to-GDP ratio trending in the right direction again.”
This photo taken on Aug. 19, 2026 shows the U.S. national debt surpassing 40 trillion U.S. dollars, in New York, the United States. (Xinhua/Zhang Fengguo)
APR FC will face Les Aigles du Congo in the preliminary round of the 2026/27 CAF Champions League after the two sides were drawn against each other on August 6, 2026.
The Rwandan champions had written to CAF requesting that the first leg be moved from the DRC, citing security concerns and the Ebola outbreak, which had raised concerns over travelling with the squad to Kinshasa.
APR FC had asked for the match to be played at a neutral venue, with the possibility of moving both legs to another country.
However, IGIHE has learned that CAF rejected the request and informed APR FC that the match would proceed as scheduled in Kinshasa.
The first leg is set to be played at Stade des Martyrs in Kinshasa, despite the venue not being among the stadiums most recently listed by CAF as approved to host its competitions in the DRC.
The DRC currently has two stadiums approved for CAF competitions, TP Mazembe Stadium and Frédéric Kibassa Maliba Stadium, both located in Lubumbashi.
Before CAF’s decision, APR FC head coach Abderrahim Taleb had raised concerns about travelling to the DRC, stressing that the health and safety of his players should be the club’s priority.
Following APR FC’s 2-1 friendly win over Etincelles FC on August 9, Taleb said, “We cannot put our players at risk,” adding that the club’s management was in discussions with CAF about potentially moving the match.
Les Aigles du Congo finished second in the 2025/26 DRC Premier League and will host APR FC in the first leg before travelling to Rwanda for the return fixture.
The winner of the tie will face the winner of the preliminary-round match between AS Port of Djibouti and Egyptian side Zamalek in the next stage of the competition.
APR FC will face Les Aigles du Congo in the preliminary round of the 2026/27 CAF Champions League after the two sides were drawn against each other on August 6, 2026.Les Aigles du Congo finished second in the 2025/26 DRC Premier League and will host APR FC in the first leg before travelling to Rwanda for the return fixture.
It is a small morning ritual, but it reflects the philosophy behind her new book, Rising with Dignity: The African Stoic, The Rwandan Way, a book about learning to manage what is within your control and respond thoughtfully to everything else.
For Uwanziga, Stoicism is not about becoming emotionless or simply enduring whatever life brings. It is a practical way of thinking about everyday life, how to deal with disappointment, manage anger, respond to pressure and, perhaps most importantly, how to get back up after falling.
The more than 250-page book took five years to complete, but its beginnings were much more modest, she told IGIHE in a recent exclusive interview.
Joy Uwanziga will launch her new book at the Kigali Marriott Hotel on August 29.
Uwanziga started by writing notes to herself, passages and reflections from Stoic philosophy that resonated with her. Over time, she began sharing some of those ideas with friends and family, eventually realising they could become something larger.
The book launches at Marriott Hotel Kigali on August 29 and will later be available through Amazon and bookstores in Rwanda.
Uwanziga is currently completing a PhD in migration studies at University College Cork. Before moving to Ireland, she spent several years at the Rwandan diplomatic mission in The Hague as a consular affairs officer. Rising with Dignity is her third book, following Manners in Rwanda, published in 2015, and a 2018 book on parenting.
A philosophy Rwandans already know
Uwanziga’s interest in Stoicism began with Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations, the Roman emperor’s private reflections that have remained influential centuries later.
What drew her in was a powerful principle centred on separating what we can control from what we cannot.
“You can’t control external events, so don’t let them control you by the way you react,” she says.
It is a principle that can easily be applied to ordinary situations. You can prepare for an examination, but you cannot control the questions. You can choose your words in a difficult conversation, but not how another person responds. You can decide how you begin your morning, but not everything that will happen before the day is over.
For Uwanziga, this way of thinking also has a familiar African dimension.
She points to the historical relationship between Greek philosophy and Egypt and argues that some values associated with Stoicism have parallels in African traditions that were passed down orally.
“When you put Emperor Marcus Aurelius and a Rwandan or African elder in a room, they would practise or say things about Stoicism, maybe with a different name,” she adds.
“We’ve been practising Stoicism without calling it Stoicism.”
She is careful not to present this as a claim that Africans invented Stoicism. Rather, she sees it as a recognition that different cultures can arrive at similar principles, including integrity, discipline, responsibility and resilience.
Uwanziga is currently completing a PhD in migration studies at University College Cork. Rising with Dignity is her third book.
What happens after failure?
For Uwanziga, one of the most important tests of character is what happens when things do not go according to plan.
She uses the example of a student preparing for an examination. The student can control the effort put into studying, but not the questions that appear on the paper or how it is marked.
What remains within her control is how she responds.
“Do we rise with dignity?” Uwanziga asks. “Because we fail every day.”
That idea gives the book its title and connects philosophy with one of Rwanda’s most recognisable qualities, resilience.
Uwanziga sees Rwanda’s recovery after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi as a powerful example. She recalls how people were forced to take on responsibilities beyond their previous professions because the country needed to be rebuilt and there were not enough people with the necessary skills.
Seeing people start again and contribute to rebuilding Rwanda deeply influenced her.
But Uwanziga is careful not to romanticise suffering.
Resilience, she argues, should not mean pretending that pain is easy or expecting everyone to cope in exactly the same way. People process difficult experiences differently, and sometimes they need psychological or other forms of support.
“What’s wrong with asking for help when you need it?” Uwanziga asks.
For her, rising with dignity does not mean denying pain. It means finding a way forward while accepting that support may be part of that journey.
The more than 250-page book took five years to complete, but its beginnings were much more modest, she told IGIHE in a recent exclusive interview.
Calm does not mean silence
Asked whether Stoicism means staying quiet in the face of injustice, Uwanziga pushed back on that idea.
“If you have to talk, talk with wisdom,” she stresses. “But if being silent will help more until you calm down and think of a wiser response, then be silent.”
Asked how that applies beyond individual situations, she pointed to leadership in everyday life, parenting, teaching, leading a student group, even managing a WhatsApp group, saying the question in each case is whether a response will improve things or make them worse.
On anger, she gave a similar answer.
“You are allowed to be angry, but don’t take a decision when you’re angry,” she said. “Think about it.”
Dignity, agaciro and strength
On whether a person can lose everything and still retain their dignity, Uwanziga connected the idea to the Rwandan concept of agaciro, self-worth expressed through conduct, and inyangamugayo, referring to a person of integrity. For her, dignity is not dependent on wealth, status or circumstances.
“Losing what you have, or the most valuable thing, and still living with dignity, we (Rwandans) are a good example,” she affirms.
She also challenged expectations around masculinity.
Uwanziga said boys are often taught to “man up” when they are hurt, creating an idea of strength that can make men reluctant to acknowledge pain or seek help.
Her message carries a deeper truth that emotional honesty does not cancel out strength.
“Men are allowed to have feelings too,” she argues. “You are human the same way everyone is.”
That is consistent with her broader understanding of Stoicism. The goal is not to stop feeling, but to recognise feelings without allowing them to dictate every decision.
Uwanziga’s interest in Stoicism began with Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations, the Roman emperor’s private reflections that have remained influential centuries later.
Practising what she writes
Uwanziga does not claim to have mastered the philosophy she writes about.
She describes herself as “a very emotional person” who cries easily, including at weddings, and says regulating her own emotions remains one of the most difficult parts of Stoicism for her.
That honesty is part of what makes her interpretation of the philosophy feel less like a set of rules and more like a practice.
Her morning routine is one example.
Rather than immediately reaching for her phone and allowing social media and the news to influence her mood, she tries to do something for herself first. Stretching, drinking water and making her bed create a small buffer between waking up and confronting the outside world.
She also tries to appreciate ordinary moments, a cup of tea, a hug from a loved one, rather than waiting for major achievements to provide happiness.
From personal notes to a reminder
The book eventually became a 12-chapter work, but Uwanziga still describes its message as less about discovering something new and more about remembering values that are already familiar.
She believes integrity, discipline, responsibility and resilience remain particularly important for young people navigating pressure, ambition and the temptation to look for shortcuts.
“We just want to live an easy life; we don’t want to go the hard way,” she remarks. “But then what are the results of the shortcuts?”
For Uwanziga, Rising with Dignity is ultimately an invitation to slow down before reacting, focus on what can be controlled and consider the kind of person one wants to be when circumstances are difficult.
Asked for the single most important lesson she hopes readers take from the book, Uwanziga offered a direct answer. “To be a man or a woman of integrity.”
Watch the full video below to learn more about the book and what Uwanziga stands for.
The Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) said it is working with partners to identify machines that can enable farmers and agricultural service providers to adopt the practice on a larger scale.
Of the 765,000 hectares planned for cultivation nationwide during the 2027A season, about 100,000 hectares are expected to be cultivated using soil-conserving methods, which the government considers an important way of improving productivity while protecting farmland.
The approach involves making small planting holes, applying manure or fertiliser and planting crops such as maize or beans without extensively turning over the soil. Farmers then cover the field with mulch.
The method helps retain moisture in the soil when it rains, allowing crops to access water for longer periods and potentially improving yields.
However, the lack of suitable machinery has emerged as one of the challenges to expanding the practice, particularly among farmers cultivating large areas.
RAB Acting Director General Dr. Florence Uwamahoro said the institution was working with various partners to find machinery that could be used by agricultural service providers across the country.
“We are working with different partners to obtain machinery used in soil-conserving agriculture. There are places such as RICA and others where some of these machines are already available, but we want all people providing mechanised farming services to have machines that can be used on large areas,” Dr. Uwamahoro said.
Her comments came on Tuesday during an expanded meeting on preparations for the 2027A agricultural season and measures to strengthen food security in Rwanda’s Eastern Province.
The government plans to place greater emphasis on soil-conserving agriculture during the coming season, alongside the expansion of farming under the selected high-productivity areas known as Food Basket Sites (FOBASI).
Authorities expect agricultural output from the FOBASI areas to double compared with previous production levels.
About 246,000 hectares are expected to be cultivated under the FOBASI programme during the 2027A season, with around 100,000 hectares receiving particular attention.
Another 100,000 hectares will specifically be dedicated to soil-conserving agriculture.
FOBASI is a government programme designed to promote areas with high agricultural production potential. Farmers operating in the selected areas receive technical and financial support, early access to agricultural inputs and other assistance intended to improve productivity.
The programme is implemented on relatively small plots of about five hectares, managed by small groups of farmers.
Mulching helps protect the soil, retain moisture and create better conditions for crops to grow.Agricultural machinery is used to support farm operations and improve efficiency on cultivated land.
RIB spokesperson Dr. Murangira B. Thierry told IGIHE that the file was submitted on August 18, 2026.
Murangira said that although investigations are still ongoing, Shema is being investigated for allegedly issuing a bad cheque.
“His case file has been sent to the prosecution. Although investigations are still ongoing, he is being investigated for issuing a bad cheque,” he said.
RIB arrested Shema on August 11, 2026. He was subsequently detained at the RIB station in Kicukiro.
Shema was elected FERWAFA president on August 30, 2025, during the federation’s ordinary general assembly, alongside members of the executive committee he leads. The team was dubbed the “Dream Team.”
After taking office, Shema, a former president of AS Kigali, outlined plans to transform Rwandan football, with a focus on women’s football, youth development and infrastructure, among other areas.
Shema served as president of AS Kigali for six years, during which the club won several trophies, including the 2019 and 2022 Peace Cups and the 2022 Super Cup.
Outside football, Shema is the managing director of Africa Medical Supplier, a company that supplies medical equipment in Rwanda.
The case file of Rwanda Football Federation (FERWAFA) president Fabrice Shema has been forwarded to the prosecution, the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) has confirmed.
The company’s service revenue reached Rwf167.5 billion in the six months ended June 30, 2026, up from the same period last year, while profit after tax stood at Rwf17.2 billion.
The performance comes as the use of digital services continues to expand in Rwanda, with individuals and businesses increasingly relying on mobile connectivity and digital payments for communication, commerce and other daily activities.
MTN Rwanda’s subscriber base grew by 11.4 percent to 8.7 million during the period. Active data subscribers increased by 14.5 percent to 2.7 million, while active Mobile Money users rose by 14.9 percent to 6.4 million.
Data remained an important source of growth, with data revenue increasing by 14.3 percent to Rwf26.7 billion.
The increase was supported by a 63.6 percent rise in data traffic, as more customers adopted smartphones and made greater use of affordable data bundles.
Voice revenue also increased by 7.1 percent, supported by subscriber growth and the reintroduction of mobile termination rates in August 2025.
MTN Rwanda CEO Monzer Ali said the company’s performance reflected more than financial growth, pointing to the expanding role of digital services in the economy.
“Every new smartphone connected, every entrepreneur paid through Mobile Money, and every community reached through our network represents another step towards a more connected, inclusive and digitally empowered Rwanda,” Ali said.
He said MTN Rwanda would continue investing in its network, technology and partnerships to expand access to digital services and support Rwanda’s ambitions for a digitally enabled economy.
Mobile Money becomes bigger revenue driver
Mobile Money continued to be one of the strongest performers, with Mobile Money Rwanda Ltd (MMRL), MTN Rwanda’s subsidiary, reporting a 31.3 percent year-on-year increase in MoMo revenue to Rwf90.1 billion.
MoMo accounted for 53.8 percent of MTN Rwanda’s service revenue in the first half, up from 49.9 percent during the same period in 2025.
The platform’s active merchant base increased by 19.2 percent to 682,000, highlighting the growing use of mobile payments among businesses and consumers.
Advanced services, including remittances and lending, also recorded strong growth, increasing by 28.1 percent and accounting for 28.4 percent of MoMo revenue.
Chantal U Kagame, CEO of Mobile Money Rwanda Ltd, said the expansion of the merchant network demonstrated how deeply mobile money has become embedded in Rwanda’s economy.
“Growing to 682,000 active merchants shows how deeply mobile money has become embedded in the way Rwandans transact, run businesses and participate in the economy,” she said.
She added that the company would continue working to make MoMo services simpler, more secure and accessible.
MTN Rwanda also recorded significant improvements in profitability and cash generation during the period.
Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortisation (EBITDA) increased by 30.4 percent to Rwf70.5 billion, while the EBITDA margin expanded by 2.8 percentage points to 41.8 percent.
The company attributed the improvement partly to savings generated through its Expense Efficiency Programme.
Capital expenditure, excluding leases, remained largely unchanged at Rwf11.2 billion, while adjusted free cash flow increased by 38.7 percent to Rwf59.3 billion.
MTN Rwanda Chief Financial Officer John Bugunya said the results demonstrated the company’s ability to combine commercial growth with tighter financial management.
He said the stronger free cash flow provided a solid financial base for continued investment in network and digital infrastructure.
Digital growth alongside community investment
MTN Rwanda’s activities during the first half also included initiatives aimed at supporting communities.
In June, the company conducted its annual 21 Days of Y’ello Care campaign under the theme “Expanding Equitable Health for Every Community.”
As part of the campaign, MTN Rwanda supported the renovation of the maternity ward and expansion of the laboratory at Kigese Health Centre in Rugarika Sector, Kamonyi District. The facility serves approximately 61,000 people and handles between 50 and 60 deliveries each month.
As it enters the second half of 2026, MTN Rwanda said it will focus on sustaining its commercial growth, expanding financial inclusion through Mobile Money and improving the quality and reach of its network.
The company said continued investment in connectivity and digital financial services will remain central to its role in Rwanda’s digital transformation, while supporting individuals, businesses and communities to participate more fully in the modern economy.
MTN Rwanda’s 21 Days of Y’ello Care campaign supported the renovation of the maternity ward and expansion of the laboratory at Kigese Health Centre in Kamonyi District.MTN Rwanda CEO Monzer Ali has highlighted the company’s growth in connectivity, data and Mobile Money services during the first half of 2026.
The pop superstar, 36, attended the August 15 wedding of recording engineers Oli Jacobs and Laura Sisk in the United Kingdom.
For the celebration, Swift opted for an elegant sleeveless navy blue dress decorated with gold floral appliqués.
She completed the look with a pearl necklace, red lipstick and her engagement and wedding rings.
Her choice of navy blue proved particularly versatile, offering a sophisticated look that works well during the warmer months while also transitioning easily into fall.
The pop superstar, 36, attended the August 15 wedding of recording engineers Oli Jacobs and Laura Sisk in the United Kingdom.
Swift’s outfit stood out for its combination of simplicity and elegant detailing.
The dark navy color provided a polished alternative to brighter summer shades, while the gold floral decorations added a touch of glamour.
The look also came shortly after Swift married NFL star Travis Kelce.
The couple tied the knot in July, making Swift’s appearance at another wedding particularly notable among fans following her fashion choices.
She attended the U.K. ceremony alongside longtime friends and collaborators, including singer Sabrina Carpenter and songwriter and producer Jack Antonoff.
The wedding was held at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios in Gloucestershire.
For fans inspired by Swift’s look but unwilling to spend heavily on designer fashion, People highlighted several more affordable alternatives available on Amazon.
The recommended dresses begin at about $37 and feature elements similar to Swift’s outfit, including flattering silhouettes, smocked waists, ruffle details and sophisticated necklines.
The alternatives are designed to work for different body types and occasions, making them suitable not only for weddings but also for other summer and early fall events.
Some can also be easily packed for travel, adding practicality to their appeal.
Swift’s latest wedding guest appearance once again demonstrates her ability to turn a simple fashion choice into a trend, with her navy and gold ensemble offering an elegant option for anyone looking to transition their wardrobe from summer into fall.
Swift’s latest wedding guest appearance once again demonstrates her ability to turn a simple fashion choice into a trend.
The Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) said 100,000 hectares will be cultivated using soil conservation practices, while 246,000 hectares will be located in designated Food Basket Sites (FOBASI). Of the FOBASI area, 100,000 hectares will receive special attention.
The plans were announced on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, during an expanded meeting held in the Eastern Province to assess preparations for the 2027A agricultural season and discuss measures to strengthen food security.
The Acting Director General of RAB, Dr. Florence Uwamahoro, said soil conservation farming will be among the key priorities during the upcoming season.
“Soil conservation farming is one of the approaches we want to invest in during this agricultural season. We tested it through research to find ways of addressing the effects of climate change,” Dr. Uwamahoro said.
She explained that the approach allows farmers to protect the soil while preparing their fields for planting.
According to Dr. Uwamahoro, farmers clear the land, make planting holes where crops will be planted, apply manure or fertilizer, and continue with weeding and mulching to improve soil conditions and increase production.
She said RAB has already trained a significant number of people who will work with farmers and help them adopt the soil conservation practices.
Government targets higher production in FOBASI areas
Dr. Uwamahoro said RAB is also targeting a significant increase in production from FOBASI areas.
She explained that the institution aims to double the production recorded last year, which has contributed to the decision to increase the area under cultivation.
Eastern Province Governor Pudence Rubingisa said preparations for the 2027A season have already begun, with authorities placing particular emphasis on soil conservation and ensuring farmers have the necessary inputs before the rainy season.
He said farmers have started being encouraged to register through Smart Nkunganire so that they can access fertilisers and seeds in time.
The aim is to ensure that farmers are ready to plant as soon as adequate rainfall begins, rather than starting preparations only after the rains have arrived.
“We have also set a target of reaching eight tonnes per hectare in both irrigated and rain-fed areas, while for rice, we aim to reach seven tonnes per hectare,” Rubingisa said.
Maize, beans, rice and soybeans among priority crops
The crops expected to receive particular attention during the 2027A season include maize, beans, rice and soybeans.
Authorities have also urged people who own large areas of farmland but do not cultivate them to allow other residents to use the land for farming.
The measure is intended to increase the amount of land under cultivation and contribute to higher agricultural production.
The preparations for the 2027A season are part of Rwanda’s broader efforts to improve agricultural productivity, strengthen food security and help farmers adapt to the effects of climate change.
Rwanda is set to cultivate 760,000 hectares during the 2027A Agricultural Season
In an interview with Main Switch 27 published on August 17, 2026, Bizimana said Burundi maintains good relations with most countries, except Rwanda.
According to Bizimana, the strained relations stem from Rwanda’s refusal to hand over people accused of involvement in the attempted coup against former Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza in May 2015.
“The only slight problem is with Rwanda. You know that it is the country hosting those who attempted to overthrow the government in Burundi in 2015. We continued talking to them, but sometimes we found that what they said was not being implemented because they had agreed to return those people to Burundi so that they could face justice, but they did not.
They kept misleading us and then used them on opposing sides in Congo to attack us and create chaos in the country. But God helped us, and we are vigilant. They will not find a way through,” he stated.
Rwanda has repeatedly said it cannot extradite the individuals because it received them as refugees and that refugee matters are governed by international law.
Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Olivier Nduhungirehe, recently said Kigali had never agreed to send the individuals accused of involvement in the coup attempt back to Burundi.
He said discussions on the matter took place in 2023 but failed to reach a conclusion because some conditions requested from the Burundian side were not fulfilled.
Bizimana said dialogue on the issue was still ongoing, arguing that improved relations between the two countries were necessary for security and economic development.
“We are talking. There are institutions that are communicating to see whether things can return to normal because we know, and they also know, that without security in our countries and without proper trade relations, we will not achieve development.”
Bizimana and ethnic rhetoric
One of the most controversial parts of the interview came when Bizimana compared the paths Burundi and Rwanda have taken after their troubled histories.
He said Burundi had chosen to accommodate Hutu, Tutsi and Twa communities, while suggesting that Rwanda had taken a different path and excluded part of its population.
“They took another path. They continued saying, ‘You have no place here,’ while ignoring that God gave the country to all its people. We saw this clearly: Hutu, Tutsi, Twa and others have nowhere else to go. We have one country, which is the country God gave us, and we are all expected to live in it, share what it has, help one another and build it together.”
He added: “Others took that path too, and I believe that path is not right because we saw it in Burundi’s history. You saw how it ended, and I believe they will realise that the path they have taken offers no solution.”
Bizimana did not specify which section of Rwanda’s population he claimed had been excluded. However, the remarks bring ethnic framing back into discussions about Rwanda, more than three decades after the country’s devastating history of divisionism.
Pacifique Nininahazwe, head of the Burundian civil society organisation FOCODE and a prominent commentator on Burundian politics, has previously criticised Bizimana’s rhetoric.
Nininahazwe said one of the decisions the government of President Evariste Ndayishimiye could come to regret was appointing Bizimana as foreign affairs minister, arguing that his language could undermine Burundi’s diplomacy.
He has described Bizimana as a minister whose rhetoric is often harsh and confrontational, potentially creating diplomatic problems rather than resolving them.
Bizimana downplays FDLR threat
Bizimana’s comments on the FDLR were another major focus of the interview.
The minister was asked about allegations that Burundi cooperates with the FDLR. He rejected the suggestion that the armed group poses a significant threat to Rwanda and spoke about it in terms that downplayed the group’s history and activities.
“The FDLR has never attacked Rwanda. For more than 30 years, they have been talking about it, but the group has never launched an attack against Rwanda. Since 1996, there have been attacks, and they have worked with the Congolese government to fight them […] We cannot support the FDLR because we know it has no benefit.”
Bizimana has previously expressed similar views. In early July 2025, after President Paul Kagame said Rwanda expected the Democratic Republic of Congo to dismantle the FDLR, Bizimana wrote on X that “the FDLR card no longer works.”
He has also previously argued that the FDLR is no longer a threat to Rwanda and that Kigali uses the group as a pretext.
The FDLR, however, remains a central issue in regional security discussions. Its dismantling is among the commitments contained in the Washington peace agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, while international actors have repeatedly called for the armed group to be dismantled.
Claims about hunger in Rwanda
Bizimana also moved beyond diplomacy and security during the interview, making false claims about the socio-economic situation in Rwanda.
He alleged that some Rwandans cross into Burundi to steal crops because of hunger in Rwanda.
“I think they see the problems they have. We have heard that Rwandans often come to Burundi to steal, with some entering farms to steal crops because of the hunger they are experiencing.”
Bizimana did not provide figures or other evidence to support the claim. The remarks add another layer to the increasingly confrontational rhetoric. Bizimana has previously attracted controversy over statements on regional affairs.
A regional affairs analyst who spoke to IGIHE described Bizimana as one of Burundi’s worst diplomats, citing the harsh language he frequently uses when speaking about Rwanda.
“Minister Bizimana lacks diplomatic decorum. Whenever Rwanda is concerned, he uses inflammatory language and appears to support anyone who is against Rwanda. You have seen how he downplays the threat posed by the FDLR and how he attacked Qatar, which has been facilitating talks between the DRC government and AFC/M23 in Doha,” he noted.
On January 3, 2026, he accused Qatar of using its financial influence in the Democratic Republic of Congo conflict to prevent the United States from imposing sanctions on Rwanda.
The comments triggered significant debate and pressure on Burundi, with President Ndayishimiye later apologising on social media. Bizimana subsequently stayed away from social media platforms for some time.
Diplomacy depends not only on keeping channels of communication alive; it also requires language that creates room for trust and compromise. Bizimana’s latest remarks risk doing the opposite, reinforcing tensions at a time when both countries need to rebuild confidence and find common ground.
His statements raise a broader question over whether Burundi’s diplomatic messaging is helping to repair relations with Rwanda or making reconciliation more difficult.
Burundi Foreign Minister Edouard Bizimana has again revived inflammatory rhetoric against Rwanda while downplaying the threat posed by the FDLR.
