The roll-call vote, held at noon in Strasbourg, ended with 360 votes against the motion, 175 in favor, and 18 abstentions, falling short of the two-thirds majority required for passage.
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The no-confidence motion marked the first no-confidence vote in the European Parliament since 2014 and brought to the forefront growing criticism of von der Leyen’s leadership style.
Romanian lawmaker Gheorghe Piperea initiated the motion, accusing von der Leyen of refusing to disclose text messages exchanged with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla during negotiations for COVID-19 vaccine contracts in 2021, raising concerns about transparency.
Piperea also accused the European Commission of inefficiencies and potential misuse of funds, as well as interference in elections in member states such as Romania and Germany.
The motion garnered some support, including from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who publicly endorsed the motion on Wednesday, tweeting “Time to go” alongside a photo of von der Leyen on social media platform X.
Addressing the parliament earlier this week, von der Leyen defended the Commission’s pandemic decisions as being in Europe’s best interest, likening her contact with Pfizer to “seeking advice from the best epidemiologists and virologists in the world.”
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Despite surviving the vote, von der Leyen faces growing criticism from various parliamentary groups. Concerns have been raised about a rightward shift within von der Leyen’s center-right European People’s Party (EPP), aimed at advancing certain legislative agendas, including efforts to roll back green policies.
“Our vote today is not an endorsement of the direction of the Commission. It is undeniable that the Commission and its President are losing support in recent months,” the Greens/EFA group co-president Bas Eickhout said in a statement, calling on the Commission to stop rolling back the Green Deal.
Valerie Hayer, the president of the pro-business Renew Europe group, wrote on X that although they voted against the motion, their support for von der Leyen is not unconditional. She urged von der Leyen to take control of her political family to “put an end to alliances with the far-right.”
The centre-left Socialists and Democrats (S&D), the European Parliament’s second-largest political group, had previously threatened to abstain. However, after securing budget concessions from von der Leyen, they ultimately backed her in the vote.
Parliament Vice President Katarina Barley, of the S&D, said many lawmakers are determined that this will be the “absolute last chance” for von der Leyen, POLITICO Europe, a news outlet covering European Union politics, reported.
The country’s demographic momentum continues to be fuelled by its youthful population, with young people under the age of 30 now accounting for 64.6%, more than 9.1 million Rwandans.
NISR announced the milestone on Friday, June 11, as Rwanda joins the world in marking World Population Day.
This year’s World Population Day theme, “Empowering young people to create the families they want in a fair and hopeful world,” resonates strongly with Rwanda’s current demographic landscape.
“Rwanda’s vibrant population, now 14.1 million, powered by its youth, is the greatest asset, driving the development, innovation, and resilience,” NISR said in a statement.
Steady growth over the years
Rwanda’s last national census in 2022 reported a population of 13.2 million, up from 10.5 million recorded in 2012. Over the ten-year period between the two censuses, Rwanda maintained an average annual growth rate of 2.6%.
Demographic projections also indicate important shifts ahead. While youth under 30 currently dominate the population, their share is expected to decrease to 54.3% by 2050, reflecting a maturing population.
Conversely, the working-age population (16–64 years) is rising, from 53.4% in 2012 to 56.0% in 2022, and is projected to hit 61.4% by mid-century.
World Population Day, commemorated every July 11, was established by the United Nations in 1989 to draw attention to global population trends and their impact on development and human well-being.
The day encourages dialogue around key population-related issues, including reproductive health, gender equality, and sustainable resource use.
In its seventh edition, the UNEP’s Frontiers Report said that rising global temperatures present an existential threat to the survival of older adults.
According to the report, climate change is likely to escalate the melting of icecaps, resulting in widespread release of disease-causing pathogens such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses.
The 2025 edition also highlighted the reemergence of banned chemicals and persistent organic pollutants in the environment and food chain due to flooding.
In addition, the report sounded an alarm over the risk of ageing dams to downstream fishing communities and pristine landscapes, adding that the removal of obsolete and unsafe water reservoirs has intensified in Europe and North America.
UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen said the Frontiers Report endeavors to delve into and spotlight emerging planetary threats, and propose some policy interventions required to turn the tide.
“All these emerging issues require careful attention and proactive action. I call on policymakers to read this issue of the biennial Frontiers Report and take forward its findings to protect people, nature and economies from threats that will only grow with each passing year,” Andersen added.
The funding will support ecosystem restoration and community resilience building in six districts of Rwanda’s Southern Province, namely Kamonyi, Muhanga, Nyanza, Ruhango, Huye, and Gisagara.
The newly endorsed project, to be implemented through a programmatic approach, builds on the success of the ongoing Green Amayaga Project. It aims to strengthen nature-based solutions, promote integrated natural resource management, and enhance livelihoods through ecosystem-based adaptation.
This latest endorsement comes just days after the GEF approved another $9 million grant to support restoration of Nyungwe–Ruhango Corridor, bringing total recent GEF support to Rwanda to $27 million (over Frw 38 billion).
The Government of Rwanda has mobilised these resources to extend the impact of the Green Amayaga Project across all districts of the Southern Province. To date, the project has been operating in selected areas of Kamonyi, Nyanza, Ruhango, and Gisagara, where it has made impressive strides in restoring degraded ecosystems and enhancing community resilience to climate change.
Commenting on the development, Juliet Kabera, Director General of the Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) reiterated Rwanda’s commitment to restoring its environment and strengthening the resilience of its people through inclusive, science-based, and locally driven solutions.
“Thanks to the unwavering support from the GEF, we can now scale up Green Amayaga across the entire Southern Province. This marks a critical step forward in our national efforts to build a climate-resilient, green economy. We are also deeply grateful to UNDP for their technical guidance and partnership in the development of this new project,” Kabera added.
The Green Amayaga initiative has achieved significant results in its current areas of implementation. One of its major accomplishments is the restoration of landscapes, with over 929 hectares of woodlots planted and the buffer zone of the Kibirizi–Muyira natural forest successfully rehabilitated.
In the area of agroforestry and erosion control, the initiative has planted more than 243,000 fruit trees. It has also implemented erosion control measures across 13,886 hectares, using a combination of agroforestry trees, terracing techniques, and reeds to stabilize soil and reduce degradation.
Riverbank and roadside protection has also been a key focus. A total of 93 kilometers of riverbanks have been safeguarded, and 763 hectares of roadside areas have been planted with trees.
To promote environmental sustainability at the household level, the initiative has distributed improved cookstoves to 21,000 families. These cleaner cooking solutions play an important role in reducing deforestation and minimizing indoor air pollution, thereby improving both environmental and public health outcomes.
Lastly, the initiative has contributed to livelihood improvement by providing livestock—including cows, goats, and pigs—to 2,534 vulnerable households. This support has strengthened food security and created new opportunities for income generation.
These achievements demonstrate the power of integrated environmental restoration and livelihood development. Scaling up these efforts will ensure that more communities benefit from improved ecosystems, increased climate resilience, and green economic opportunities.
The project is aligned with Rwanda’s National Strategy for Transformation, Vision 2050, and the country’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), contributing directly to its climate action and sustainable development goals.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus formally recognised President Kagame’s role in championing a stronger international framework to enhance global health security during the closing of the inaugural WHO Pandemic Agreement meeting.
President Kagame has been at the forefront of championing a new treaty that would help establish better systems for alerting populations about potential pandemics, while also improving data sharing and the distribution of vaccines and personal protective equipment.
In recognition of his advocacy, WHO awarded President Kagame a certificate of recognition, which was received on his behalf by Rwanda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva, Ambassador Urujeni Bakuramutsa.
The recognition comes as WHO Member States adopted the world’s first Pandemic Agreement on May 20 during the 78th World Health Assembly, marking a historic milestone in global health governance.
The legally binding accord is aimed at ensuring a more equitable, coordinated, and robust international response to future pandemics, drawing from the hard lessons learned during the COVID-19 crisis.
“This agreement is a victory for public health, science, and multilateral action,” said Dr. Tedros. “It ensures we can collectively better protect the world from future pandemic threats.”
He added that the agreement recognises the imperative to shield societies and economies from the severe losses experienced during COVID-19.
The Pandemic Agreement lays out principles and tools to boost global cooperation, including provisions to ensure equitable access to vaccines, treatments, and diagnostics. While reaffirming national sovereignty, it encourages governments to work together in the face of shared global threats.
Key next steps include negotiations on the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) system, a mechanism to ensure fair and timely distribution of pandemic-related health tools.
The WHO is also set to establish a Coordinating Financial Mechanism and a Global Supply Chain and Logistics Network to facilitate access to critical health products during emergencies.
The new accord becomes only the second legally binding treaty negotiated under Article 19 of the WHO Constitution, following the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control adopted in 2003.
In a candid interview on Sanny Ntayombya’s The Long Form podcast, Sebunya, who grew up under Idi Amin’s regime in Uganda, shared his journey from a politically turbulent childhood to leading one of Africa’s most influential conservation organisations.
He outlined a vision for the continent’s future, one where conservation is not merely about protecting wildlife, but a driver of economic prosperity for African people.
Born in 1965, Sebunya’s early life was shaped by Uganda’s political upheaval. His father, Sewankambo, a member of parliament and Pan-Africanist, was hunted by Amin’s regime, forcing the family to disperse.
“I didn’t grow up with all my siblings,” Sebunya recalled, describing how this experience promoted resilience and a broader African identity.
“I never saw myself as a typical Ugandan, nor tribal.”
His path to conservation was serendipitous, sparked by a chance encounter with Margaret Thatcher’s environmental debates in Strasbourg while studying French. This led to a master’s in environmental policy in the UK, despite his initial training in political science and sociology at Makerere University.
Sebunya’s critique of Africa’s conservation history is unflinching. He argues that the continent’s 8,000 protected areas, many established as colonial hunting grounds, alienated Africans from their land.
“Overnight, Africans became trespassers, poachers, not people looking for food,” he said, noting that post-independence governments perpetuated these frameworks. This colonial legacy, he contends, fuels perceptions of conservation as neo-colonialism, a sentiment echoed in a 2017 Guardian article where he described the sector’s non-African dominance as resembling colonialism.
Less than 5% of conservation NGOs in Africa are led by Africans, a statistic Sebunya finds “uncomforting” but is working to change.
At the heart of AWF’s approach is integrating conservation with community prosperity. In Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, AWF donated 27.8 hectares to expand gorilla habitat while establishing the Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, owned by the SACOLA cooperative.
Generating up to $500,000 annually, the lodge has funded community projects like housing for elderly widows and scholarships, directly linking gorilla survival to local wealth.
“No gorilla has been poached because they don’t need to harm them—that’s where the money comes from,” Sebunya explained.
AWF’s innovative bamboo cultivation initiative further exemplifies this, encouraging communities to grow high-value crops that attract gorillas, effectively expanding the park while boosting incomes by up to 700%.
Sebunya rejects the costly colonial model of militarised park management, which he estimates costs $3,000 per square kilometre and is unsustainable for African governments.
“A park like Serengeti is almost the size of Rwanda. How do you fence it?” he asked, highlighting the model’s failure, with 30,000 elephants lost annually and rhinos extinct in many countries.
Instead, AWF promotes a symbiotic relationship between wildlife and communities, arguing that animals like mountain gorillas would say, “Create a better relationship with my neighbors,” not “Bring a gun to protect me.”
Looking to the future, Sebunya sees Africa’s youth, 70% of the continent’s population, as key to transforming conservation.
“In five or 10 years, these young people will demand to run parks for economic aspirations,” he predicted, envisioning decentralised management where communities like those near Rwanda’s Volcanoes oversee their assets.
He cites rising human-wildlife conflict, as seen in Kenya and Botswana, as a challenge requiring private-sector solutions like insurable conflict mitigation. In Botswana, home to over 200,000 elephants, culling controversies spark protests in London and New York, not locally, where elephants threaten livelihoods.
“Until Africans value an elephant as much as a chicken, which pays school fees, we can’t protect them without benefits,” he said.
Sustainable financing is another priority. Sebunya criticises Africa’s reliance on foreign aid, noting that USAID funds 65% of Nigeria’s health sector, a dependency he calls unsustainable.
AWF’s partnership with the African Union, including the 2022 Africa Protected Areas Congress in Kigali, marked the first time African governments discussed conservation’s importance since independence. Proposals like the Pan-African Conservation Trust aim to secure African-sourced funding, reducing dependence on global donors amid rising defence spending.
“Africa cannot outsource its core platform for economic development—conservation,” Sebunya asserted.
Sebunya’s optimism hinges on aligning conservation with development. He warns that without an African model, large mammals face extinction within a century due to land pressure and climate change.
“We’re doing the same things Europe did, and it has no wildlife,” he cautioned, citing Lake Chad’s shrinking size as a driver of regional instability.
Yet, he believes Africa’s globally connected, educated youth will value natural assets like Victoria Falls or giraffes, which currently generate less revenue than artificial attractions in Dubai.
“This is their war—climate change,” he said, comparing it to his father’s fight for independence.
As AWF prepares for a private-sector-led future, Sebunya sees conservation as a global responsibility with African stewardship.
“If we cut down the Congo Basin, Europe will flood,” he warned, urging international support without ownership.
The financing package is backed by an $84 million counter-guarantee from the African Trade & Investment Development Insurance (ATIDI), enabling the banks to provide larger guarantees beyond their usual limits.
BPR Bank Rwanda PLC led the financing effort as the Mandated Lead Arranger and Facility Agent on behalf of the consortium of banks, which also includes Bank of Kigali (BK), the Development Bank of Rwanda (BRD), and KCB Bank Kenya.
The project, jointly developed by the Governments of Rwanda and Qatar, is a flagship component of Rwanda’s Vision 2050, which aims to propel the country into upper-middle-income status by 2035 and high-income status by 2050.
The airport is expected to significantly enhance regional connectivity and logistics, aligning with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) goals of boosting intra-African trade.
Valued at over $2 billion, the airport is scheduled for completion by mid-2028. The guarantees issued by Rwandan banks, made possible through ATIDI’s de-risking solutions, will cover performance and advance payment obligations of the contractors, ensuring smooth project execution.
“ATIDI is proud to partner in Rwanda’s transformation and continental ambitions through this catalytic project,” said Manuel Moses, Chief Executive Officer of ATIDI. “The new airport is not just about infrastructure; it’s about unlocking regional value chains and ensuring Africa trades more with itself.”
Patience Mutesi, Managing Director of BPR Bank Rwanda Plc, said the bank is honoured to lead such a transformational financing effort.
“This collaboration with ATIDI and our partner banks reflects our firm commitment to financing national development priorities and enabling long-term value through strategic infrastructure.”
Rwanda, a founding member of ATIDI, continues to leverage the institution’s risk mitigation tools to unlock capital for critical sectors. ATIDI currently has a gross exposure of over $611 million in Rwanda, spanning agriculture, energy, construction, communication, and transport.
The New Bugesera International Airport is poised to become a major aviation hub in the region, expanding Rwanda’s capacity to handle growing passenger and cargo volumes while reinforcing its position as a gateway for trade and investment in Africa. Its first phase is designed to accommodate 7 million passengers annually, with a long-term vision to expand to 14 million passengers annually.
The announcement was made on Thursday, July 10, via the club’s official social media platforms. Ssekiganda joins from Uganda Premier League side SC Villa.
The 21-year-old, who was named in the 2024/25 Uganda Premier League Team of the Season, had long been on APR’s radar. However, the move was delayed due to his commitments with the Uganda national team.
Ssekiganda was recently part of the Uganda Cranes squad preparing for the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN), a tournament reserved for players competing in their respective domestic leagues.
With CHAN fixtures set to coincide with the start of the Rwandan Premier League, APR opted to bring the midfielder in early to allow him to integrate with the squad during pre-season preparations.
Ssekiganda is expected to be a key asset for APR FC across all competitions, with the club aiming for a strong campaign in the CAF Champions League.
In partnership with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Rwanda this week dispatched over 40 tons of essential foodstuffs and medical supplies to support civilians affected by the protracted conflict, the Office of the Government Spokesperson announced on Thursday, July 10.
The consignment was received in Amman by the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation, which is facilitating the onward distribution to Gaza.
This latest delivery marks Rwanda’s fourth humanitarian shipment to Gaza since the conflict erupted in October 2023. It follows a May 29 2025, shipment of over 20 tons of aid, which also included food and medical supplies. That consignment, like the current one, was transported by RwandAir and coordinated closely with Jordanian authorities.
Rwanda’s initial humanitarian intervention came in late October 2023 with a package of 16 tons of medicines, food, and water. A second shipment followed in November 2024, comprising more than 19 tons of fortified food for children and other critical supplies.
The Office of the Government Spokesperson previously emphasised that Rwanda’s contributions are part of a broader international effort to alleviate civilian suffering in Gaza. It reiterated Rwanda’s call for an end to the conflict and the urgent protection of innocent lives.
The conflict, which began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a large-scale assault on Israel, has since escalated into one of the region’s deadliest in recent history.
The violence has resulted in the death of at least 57,575 people and wounded 136,879, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Initial drilling conducted on the HCK Project site revealed rich lithium deposits beneath the surface. One drill hole in particular, known as MWOG0002, reached a depth of 174.6 meters and uncovered a 6.9-meter section of lithium-bearing rock.
Within this section, a higher concentration was found, an impressive 3.2% lithium oxide, which is considered high-grade in the industry. The geological team also found thick sections of pegmatite rock, known to host lithium, with some layers measuring up to 80 meters in thickness.
This exploration only covered two of the twelve areas identified as potential lithium sites on the 2,750-hectare license in southern Rwanda. The fact that such promising results have already been achieved in such a small portion of the site has generated strong excitement about what may be found in the remaining zones.
In response to these early findings; Rio Tinto, which also operates in Rwanda, has confirmed that it will exercise its Stage 1 earn-in rights under the joint venture agreement. This means, the company will now own a 51% stake in the exploration license.
Moreover, Rio Tinto plans to invest further and can earn up to a 75% share by spending $7.5 million over the next three years. As part of this next phase, Aterian Plc will receive a $100,000 cash payment, and the two companies will continue to jointly manage the exploration process.
In a statement released on July 10, 2025, Simon Rollason, CEO of Aterian Plc, expressed enthusiasm about both the results and the partnership.
He emphasised that although the work is still in early stages, the thickness of the pegmatite layers and the quality of the lithium discovered so far are very encouraging.
“While further work is required to fully assess the project’s scale and continuity, these early indications provide a strong foundation to build upon as we advance our exploration activities in Rwanda,” Rollason noted.
The broader exploration effort began in August 2023 and included several phases of mapping, geochemical sampling, and geophysical surveys.
Drilling only recently began as a way to test whether early surface findings translated into deeper mineral deposits.
Aterian and Rio Tinto plan to release more updates as exploration continues. A detailed technical review is already underway to determine the best path forward, and decisions about the next phase of work are expected by the end of 2025.
Lithium was first reported in Rwanda in 2020. That same year, its global market value began to rise sharply. The price per ton increased from $44,090 in 2022 to $61,520 in 2023.
In August 2023, exploration efforts were intensified through an agreement signed between Aterian PLC, RIO Tinto Mining and Exploration Ltd, and Kinunga Mining Ltd.
Lithium is a valuable mineral used in the production of various technologies, including batteries for phones, computers, cameras, and more.
Before 2020, few people recognised the value of lithium, and its price was relatively low. In December 2020, one kilogram of lithium cost around $9 (about 9,000 Rwandan Francs), up from $20.5 per kilogram in January 2018.
Lithium prices dropped in 2020 due to an oversupply, compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, 2021 was a breakthrough year for lithium traders, as prices soared by over 600%. By April 2021, the price reached $78,000 (over 78 million Rwandan Francs) per ton.
This price surge was driven largely by the increased production of electric vehicles, which require large, long-lasting batteries made from lithium.
In 2021 alone, 6.6 million electric vehicles were sold globally, double the number sold in 2020.
Experts in the mineral trade predict lithium will continue to be in high demand, as electric vehicle production continues to rise. By 2030, it is expected that more than 26 million electric vehicles will have been sold.
Currently, the leading exporters of lithium include Chile, China, the Netherlands, South Korea, Germany, and Belgium.
