Rwanda began countrywide vaccination program on 5th March 2021 after receiving approximately 400,000 vaccines through Covax initiative while 50,000 vaccine doses were donated by India.
The second dose of AstraZeneca is offered between 8 to 12 weeks while the second shot for Pfizer vaccine takes between 21 to 28 days.
Inoculation exercise for the second shot kicked off in Kigali on Friday 2nd April 2021.
At the time, the Ministry of Health told the general public that recipients of AstraZeneca doses will be communicated on vaccination schedule in due time.
Following a successful roll out of COVID-19 vaccination campaign that has seen 350,400 inoculated, Rwanda started a new nation-wide vaccination drive to fully immunize those who had previously received first doses of OXFORD-Astra Zeneca vaccine effective 29th May 2021.
The move came after the country received an additional 247,000 doses of AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines through the COVAX mechanism, including 117,600 doses donated by the Government of France.
Since then, a total of 133,460 people have been vaccinated in two days.
Rwanda confirmed the first Coronavirus case on 14th March 2020. Since then, 26 918 people have been tested positive of whom 25 609 have recovered, 957 are active cases while 352 have succumbed to the virus.
The house named ‘Rotary House for Cancer Patients’ was completed at Rwf 51 million and has the capacity to accommodate 25 patients.
The facility from where patients will rest and commute to the hospital during treatment was handed over to Gasabo district officials on Friday 28th May 2021.
The President of Rotary Club Kigali-Virunga, Jwala Vijay Kumar has said that the project was implemented to facilitate cancer patients with no means to afford accommodation as they get treatment at Kanombe Military Hospital.
“The treatment takes between three to six weeks for patients getting radiotherapy treatment at Kanombe Military Hospital from across the country. Some people were advised to stay in Kigali as they get treatment yet some of them cannot afford accommodation expenses in hotels or don’t have friends to receive them. They would prefer to spend days in slums and unhygienic places where they were exposed to infections,” he said.
“That is why we decided to provide a comfortable house where they will stay as they get treatment,” he added.
The executive secretary of Gasabo district, Pauline Umwali thanked Rotary Club for the newly renovated house replacing old structures that have been idle.
“The district had not yet got means to renovate old structures until Rotary Club Virunga provided support so that the house can be used by cancer patients. We are grateful for this kind gesture in no smaller part,” she noted.
Umwali explained that the district will maintain collaboration with different partners to take care of patients of the facility be it the provision of food and cleaning the house among others.
All services at the house will be offered for free.
Renovations of the ‘Rotary House for Cancer Patients’ started in 2019 until 2021.
Rotary Club Kigali-Virunga built the house in partnership with various partners including Kibagabaga Hospital, Kanombe Military Hospital, non-profit organizations from Germany and the United States of America and US embassy in Rwanda among others.
Rotary club is an organization purposed to bring together businesses and professionals to provide humanitarian services and providing support in addressing problems facing the world by combating illiteracy and poverty, contributing to the provision of safe water, handling disputes and fighting disease.
Rwanda has six clubs of Rotary Club including, Kigali Mont Jali, Musanze, Kigali Virunga, Kigali Doyen, Gasabo and Butare.
Macron arrived at Kigali International Airport on Thursday morning where he was welcomed by Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Dr. Vincent Biruta.
He was later welcomed by his counterpart of Rwanda, Paul Kagame at Village Urugwiro around 9am from where he headed to Kigali Genocide Memorial.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Yves Le Dria and parliamentarians including Hervé Berville hailing from Nyamirambo in Rwanda are among top officials that accompanied Macron on his historical visit.
Gen Jean Varret, a historian who served as the head of France-Rwanda military cooperation mission from October 1990 to April 1993, was also part of the delegation accompanying Macron.
On his visit to Rwanda, Macron visited Kigali Genocide Memorial where he paid tribute to over 250,000 victims of the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi and admitted his country’s responsibility during the Genocide.
He also participated in a joint press conference with his host, President Paul Kagame, visited Tumba College of Technology where a Department of Mechatronics will be set up through a partnership with French Agency for Development (AFD).
On the same day, Macron visited Gikondo Health Center before officiating the launch of French Cultural Center located near Kigali Convention Center, Kimihurura Sector, Gasabo District.
The center has a section dedicated to learning French, culture-based training and providing official French language certification, boasts a large outdoor stage that can host shows and concerts.
The French Cultural Centre will also host cinema screenings for the general public, and workshops among others.
On Thursday night, Macron and Kagame watched quarter-finals of the inaugural season of Basketball Africa League (BAL) during which Patriots BBC representing Rwanda beat Ferroviário de Maputo representing Mozambique73-71 at Kigali Arena.
Among others, his visit left various agreements signed between both countries. The pacts include a framework for bilateral cooperation signed between French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian and Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Vincent Biruta.
The two countries signed an agreement for sports and talent development which saw Rwanda receiving €1.5 million (approximately Rwf1.84 billion) for sport and talent development.
Rwanda’s Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Dr. Uzziel Ndagijimana also signed a Euro 60 million financing agreement with Rémy Rioux the Director-General of French Agency for Development (AFD).
His coming to Rwanda is considered a major milestone to turning a new page for both countries relations blurred by France’s failure to admit its role during the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi.
Rwanda, France diplomatic relations date back in 1962 after obtaining Independence.
Macron has been in Rwanda for two-day following the visit of Nicolas Sarkozy on 25th February 2010.
The budgetary financing will support Rwanda’s COVID-19 health response plan through vaccine purchase and distribution as well as Social Protection Response Plan.
The financing agreement was signed by Dr. Uzziel Ndagijimana, the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, on behalf of Government of Rwanda and Chief Executive Officer Mr. Rémy Rioux, on behalf of AFD.
This financing will make it possible in particular to support the health system priority measures of increasing detection and diagnostic capacities, enhancing the case management capacity, and ensuring continuity of patient cares especially for pregnant women.
The financial support will also help to strengthen social protection response plan which is structured to support three core areas that include strengthening and extending existing Vision Umurenge Program delivery system; setting up a direct support system for the informal sector; and establishment of complementary support measures to preserve the access of the poorest to education and basic health care.
In his remarks after the agreement signing, Minister Ndagijimana said: “This support comes at a critical moment as Rwanda looks forward to reopening its economy and return to pre COVID-19 pandemic normalcy. It will augment our COVID-19 vaccine purchase efforts, reinforce our health and social protection systems thereby ensuring proper handling of COVID-19 pandemic and beyond but also protecting vulnerable people.”
Mr. Rémy Rioux, the AFD’s Chief Executive Officer said the support reinforces existing efforts.
“While Covid-19-related mortality was brought under control in the country by strong and exemplary measures of containment, the social and economic consequences, particularly for precarious workers in the informal sector, need to be addressed.AFD, via its Health in Common initiative, is therefore keen to support Rwanda in its social protection measures to limit the effects of the crisis on the most vulnerable populations,” he noted.
AFD has since the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic strengthened its bilateral cooperation with Rwanda.
So far AFD has provided a budget support worth Euro 40 million and project support worth Euro 80 million for energy access as well as Euro 5.8 million for technical and vocational education.
Currently both countries are exploring several areas of cooperation that may include Energy, digital transformation, Education, health, private sector development among others.
The Centre is located near Kigali Convention Center, Kimihurura Sector, Gasabo District. The center was initially expected to be inaugurated in 2020 but construction activities delayed and were completed in April 2021 due to COVID-19.
The former French Cultural Center building used to be called ‘Centre D’Echanges Culturels Franco-Rwandais’ and was located in Kiyovu, nearby the city center’s main roundabout.
It was closed in 2014 by Kigali City Officials because the structure was not in line with the new City Master Plan.
As he inaugurated the center yesterday on the first day of his visit to Rwanda, Macron said that it should be a place to promote French language, culture and and innovations.
“French language has become an international language through invention, innovation, conquest, colonization, ambitions of French people in the past centuries to make it a dominant language […] The good thing is that French language was reinvented and spoken in many countries,” he said.
“There are men and women writing in French, innovating in their language, reinventing it and the center of that language is based in Africa with presence of very young and dynamic French writers and speakers,” he added.
Since 2014, the cultural center office was in France’s Embassy in Rwanda, where its activities like entertainment and book reading were held in Kigali Public Library and the Goethe Institute in Nyarugenge District.
It has a section dedicated to learning French, culture-based training and providing official French language certification, boasts a large outdoor stage that can host shows and concerts.
The French Cultural Centre will also host cinema screenings for the general public, and workshops among others.
Macron said that Rwanda’s youth should tap into opportunities presented by the French Cultural Center noting that they also stand chance to get scholarships in coming years.
Macron arrived in Rwanda on 27th May for a two-day official visit.
Upon arrival, he visited Kigali Genocide Memorial and later participated in a joint press conference with his counterpart of Rwanda, Paul Kagame.
His coming to Rwanda is considered a major milestone to turning a new page for both countries relations blurred by France’s failure to admit its role during the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi.
As he visited Kigali Genocide Memorial on Thursday, Macron admitted his country’s responsivity during the Genocide .
“Standing here today, with humility and respect, by your side, I have come to recognize our responsibilities,” said Macron.
He said that France had a duty to admit the “suffering it inflicted on the Rwandan people by too long valuing silence over the examination of the truth.”
Macron said that only those who had survived the horrors “can perhaps forgive; give us the gift of forgiveness”.
Kagame made the appreciation today in a joint press conference with Macron on his the first day of his visit to Rwanda.
Kagame said that Macron’s visit is a moment to speak to the present and to the future, while reflecting on the past ‘that brought us here’.
He highlighted the visit paves the way for improved bilateral relations to the benefit of both countries’ peoples, economically, politically, and in terms of culture.
France and Rwanda are going to relate much better, to the benefit of both our peoples, economically, politically, and in terms of culture.
As he arrived in Rwanda for two-day state visit; French President, Emmanuel Macron visited Kigali Genocide Memorial where he paid tribute to over 250,000 victims laid there and later delivered a speech during which he admitted his country’s role in the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi and reiterated commitment to bring Genocide fugitives to face justice.
“Standing here today, with humility and respect, by your side, I have come to recognize our responsibilities,” said Macron.
He said that France had a duty to admit the “suffering it inflicted on the Rwandan people by too long valuing silence over the examination of the truth.”
Macron said that only those who had survived the horrors “can perhaps forgive; give us the gift of forgiveness”.
Speaking during a joint press conference, Kagame observed that Macron made a powerful statement at the memorial considered more valuable than an apology.
“The President has just made an important statement at the Kigali Genocide Memorial. This was a powerful speech, with special meaning for what is taking place now, and which will resonate well beyond Rwanda. His words were something more valuable than an apology: they were the truth,” he said.
“Speaking the truth is risky. But you do it because it is right, even when it costs you something, even when it is unpopular,” added Kagame.
Kagame stressed that Macron has made a major step towards truth and hailed the tremendous courage.
“Despite some loud noises and voices, President Macron took this step. Politically and morally, this was an act of tremendous courage. These risks paid off because there was good faith on both sides,” he noted.
“It was important not to rush the process. The facts had to be properly established. Our respective societies also needed the chance to debate and deliberate. One step led to another. And that is how we got to this point, which is itself another step, and a major one,” stated Kagame.
The President said that individuals from Rwanda and France have kept asking questions, year after year, demanding clarity. They come from civil society, academia, and journalism.
He explained that some of them are simply concerned citizens.
“We would not be here today without their tireless efforts, and I wish to record our profound thanks and appreciation. The truth heals. This is the principle upon which Rwanda’s entire project of national unity and reconciliation is based. That has been our experience as Rwandans. There is no shortcut,” stated Kagame.
{{Full speech}}
First, I want to welcome you, President Macron, my friend, and your delegation, to Rwanda.
Today is a moment to speak to the present and to the future, while reflecting on the past that brought us here.
The President has just made an important statement at the Kigali Genocide Memorial. This was a powerful speech, with special meaning for what is taking place now, and which will resonate well beyond Rwanda.
His words were something more valuable than an apology: they were the truth.
Speaking the truth is risky. But you do it because it is right, even when it costs you something, even when it is unpopular. Despite some loud noises and voices, President Macron took this step.
Politically and morally, this was an act of tremendous courage.
These risks paid off because there was good faith on both sides. It was important not to rush the process. The facts had to be properly established. Our respective societies also needed the chance to debate and deliberate. One step led to another. And that is how we got to this point, which is itself another step, and a major one.
In Rwanda and France, so many individuals, who are too numerous to name, have kept asking questions, year after year, demanding clarity. They come from civil society, academia, and journalism. Some are simply concerned citizens. We would not be here today without their tireless efforts, and I wish to record our profound thanks and appreciation.
The truth heals.
This is the principle upon which Rwanda’s entire project of national unity and reconciliation is based. That has been our experience as Rwandans. There is no shortcut.
Our conviction, from the beginning, was that the process of reckoning with the role of France had to follow the same logic. And in any case, we knew it could not be harder than reconciling with ourselves.
No grain of truth has been sacrificed. But the weight of responsibility has been put back where it belongs: with those who made the decisions. Whether or not there are trials, justice is also rendered by the court of history. And the work of historical documentation must continue, jointly.
This quest for truth has occurred in the context of the complexity of the challenges that Rwanda has faced over the last 27 years. Rwanda could easily have remained a failed state. Some may even have felt vindicated by that. Others actually worked to make sure that Rwanda failed.
But we worked together as a nation to design solutions for our unique challenges. And indeed, on every dimension, including human rights, the Rwanda of today is objectively a nation transformed for the better. We continue to exist as a united people, against all odds. And we are constantly striving to be better still.
There is a way of looking at Africa, from the outside, that automatically associates every success with some huge cost in terms of fundamental values and freedoms.
This is not to say that Africa has no bad actors. It does. They are there; they may even be numerous. But no more so than everywhere else in the world. The difference is that Africa as a whole comes to be defined by those bad actors, whereas elsewhere, these bad actors are exceptions.
This assumption creates a reference point where Africa is always down, while others are up. It secures those others in the conviction that they have a natural right to do and say whatever they want in relation to Africa, to give lessons and pass judgment on our choices. Unfortunately, some of our own in Africa also participate in this negative enterprise.
The dynamic goes on almost forever, as if it is unstoppable or inevitable. But it is not. You stop it by doing what you believe is right, and which, in the end, may indeed prove to be right.
The veneer of moral superiority is very thin, once you start to scrape at it. Beneath it hides racism, a denial of the intrinsic and equal worth of every human being. It was racism that made a foreseeable genocide in Africa seem tolerable.
Racism and genocide ideology exist on the same continuum. They are forms of dehumanisation, and they pose a growing threat to society in every continent. Our civilised world must come together to fight racism and genocide ideology in a concerted and consistent fashion.
There are attitudes inherited from the past that have needed to change, for a long time. And I want to say that President Macron is among those who realised that things need to change, and he is taking a strong stand in trying to bring about that change.
It is not about speaking on Africa’s behalf, but rather ensuring that the voices of Rwandans and Africans can join together with the rest of the world in pursuit of common objectives, irrespective of where we come from.
President Macron is someone who listens, and he is committed to supporting Africa based on what Africa itself has chosen. This is different, it is better, and it can last.
Fundamentally, this visit is about the future, not the past.
France and Rwanda are going to relate much better, to the benefit of both our peoples, economically, politically, and in terms of culture.
But the relationship between our two countries will never be entirely conventional. There is a special familiarity resulting from the complex and terrible history we share, for better or for worse. We have chosen to make it for the better.
We wish to form a strong and sustainable relationship, based on priorities that matter to both Rwanda and France. This includes many of the items discussed in our bilateral meeting today, such as investment, digitisation, gender equality, climate change, cultural exchange, and support for entrepreneurship, small businesses, start-ups, and especially youth empowerment. Rwanda shall be a strong partner in all of these areas.
Mr President, I once against thank you and your delegation for being with us here today. I thank everyone who is here for your kind attention. I now invite my friend President Macron to make his statement, and then we will be happy to take your questions.
Macron admitted to French guilt over its role during Genocide against Tutsi today as he visited Kigali Genocide Memorial located in Gisozi where more than 250,000 victims are laid to rest.
“Standing here today, with humility and respect, by your side, I have come to recognize our responsibilities,” said Macron.
He said that France had a duty to admit the “suffering it inflicted on the Rwandan people by too long valuing silence over the examination of the truth.”
Macron said that only those who had survived the horrors “can perhaps forgive; give us the gift of forgiveness”.
Rwanda, France relations deteriorated after the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi. Macron is the first French leader to visit the country in ten years.
“France did not listen to those who warned it about the impending extermination in Rwanda and stood de facto by a genocidal regime,” Macron said.
He stated that France “was not an accomplice” in the genocide but ended up siding with Rwanda’s “genocidal regime” and bore an “overwhelming responsibility” in the slide toward Genocide.
When the genocide started, “the international community took close to three months, three interminable months, before reacting and we, all of us, abandoned hundreds of thousands of victims”.
“France’s failures contributed to “27 years of bitter distance” between the two countries,” he said.
As he arrived at Kigali International Airport today morning, Macron was welcomed by Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Dr. Vincent Biruta.
He was later welcomed by his counterpart of Rwanda, Paul Kagame at Village Urugwiro around 9am from where he headed to Kigali Genocide Memorial.
At the memorial, Macron has been welcomed by the Minister of Justice and State Attorney General, Johnston Busingye and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Vincent Biruta among others.
Before laying wreaths at the mass graves, Macron toured different facilities at the memorial to learn more about tragic history that led to the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi.
Macron is the second French President visiting Kigali Genocide Memorial after Nicolas Sarkozy in February 2010.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Yves Le Dria and parliamentarians including Hervé Berville hailing from Nyamirambo in Rwanda are among top officials accompanying Macron on his historical visit.
Macron is in Rwanda for two-day maiden visit since he took office in 2017.
Macron arrives in Rwanda for the first time since he took office in 2017. He is the second French President visiting Rwanda after the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi.
Macron arrived at Village Urugwiro around 9am.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Yves Le Dria and parliamentarians including Hervé Berville hailing from Nyamirambo in Rwanda are among top officials accompanying Macron on his historical visit.
Macron comes to Rwanda following the visit of Nicolas Sarkozy on 25th February 2010.
Upon arrival at the airport today morning, Macron has been welcomed by Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Vincent Biruta. He was along with Rwanda’s ambassador in France, Dr. François Xavier Ngarambe; Jeremie Blin, the Chargé d’ Affaires in the French Embassy in Rwanda and French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Yves Le Dria among other top officials.
He was later welcomed at Urugwiro Village by his counterpart of Rwanda, President Paul Kagame.
Macron is in Rwanda for two-day official visit on 27th and 28th May 2021.
Macron is expected to visit Kigali Genocide Memorial and officiate the launch of French Cultural Center.
His visit to Rwanda is the first in East Africa.
The Centre he is expected to launch is located near Kigali Convention Center, Kimihurura Sector, Gasabo District. The center was initially expected to be inaugurated in 2020 but construction activities delayed and were completed in April 2021 due to COVID-19.
The former French Cultural Center building used to be called ‘Centre D’Echanges Culturels Franco-Rwandais’ and was located in Kiyovu, nearby the city center’s main roundabout.
It was closed in 2014 by Kigali City Officials because the structure was not in line with the new City Master Plan.
The centre had a library and other activities including French language teaching; Culture-based training and concerts among others.
Since 2014, the cultural center office was in France’s Embassy in Rwanda, where its activities like entertainment and book reading were held in Kigali Public Library and the Goethe Institut in Nyarugenge District.
Macron comes to Rwanda at a time when both countries have embarked on a new chapter to revitalize wavered relations over the role France is accused to have played during the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi.
Rwanda, France relations have been on good progress since Macron took office in 2017.
The latter has demonstrated willingness to change France, Africa foreign policy and building strong relations with partners unlike his predecessor, François Hollande.
Recently on 26th March 2021, the expert commission comprised of French historians commissioned by Macron released ‘Duclert’ report which revealed that France bears “heavy and overwhelming responsibilities” over tragic history that led to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi which took lives of over 1 million victims.
The report was presented two years, after the delegation of 13 historians started reviewing archives on France, Rwanda relations between 1990 and 1994.
The report blames the then French President, François Mitterrand, for a “failure” of policy towards Rwanda in 1994. The findings were made public after years of French official secrecy over links to the Government led by Juvenal Habyarimana.
President Macron appointed the 15-member commission two years ago, giving them access to presidential, diplomatic, military and intelligence archives.
Among the archives are those of Mitterrand, who had close ties to former Rwandan President Juvénal Habyarimana.
Rwanda, France diplomatic relations date back in 1962 after obtaining Independence.
