Dr. Ngamije who has been assuming the duties for two years and nine months handed over to his successor this Friday and explained that reforms were needed for the health sector to meet its target.
The reforms in the Ministry of Health also saw Dr. Yvan Butera appointed Minister of State replacing Dr. Tharcisse Mpunga.
Speaking at the handover today, Dr. Ngamije said that undertaken reforms came in the right time.
“It is a special day for the Ministry of health to get new forces to fast track envisioned goals in the health sector. I believe the appointment of Dr. Sabin and Dr. Yvan respectively as Minister and State Minister was timely,” he affirmed.
Dr. Ngamije said that a lot has been achieved since he was appointed as Minister of Health in February 2020 noting that the country’s leadership may have found it necessary to pass the ball for others to do more.
“The reinforcement of this sector came in handy because we are implementing the national strategy 2017-2024, with clearly defined objectives to be achieved. If it is in respect of gaps revealed in the recent Demographic and Health Survey, we need to do things differently. In my opinion, it is a right decision,” he said.
Within five years of President Paul Kagame’s third term, a lot has been achieved in the health sector.
In 2017, figures indicated that one doctor attended to 10,055 patients per year with a target to reduce the number drastically and improve healthcare services.
In 2020, the number of patients attended to by one doctor reduced to 8.247. This was considered a great milestone as the achievement saw the country surpassing its target of 9000 patients assigned to one doctor in 2021.
Figures also show that there has been a significant milestone in increasing the number of midwives. In 2017, a midwife would attend to 4,064 mothers but the number reduced significantly to 2,340 in 2021.
On the other hand, the number of patients assigned to one nurse increased from 1,095 in 2017 to 1,198 in 2020 against the target of reducing them to 900.
As for new areas of priority, Dr. Ngamije stressed the need for the establishment of a law on organ donation as Rwanda mulls introducing kidney transplant services.
He also highlighted the need to update the law regarding healthcare services established in 1998.
Dr. Ngamije also requested his successor to follow up the framework for mobilization of domestic financing to promote the health sector and streamline implementation of projects aimed at making Rwanda a hub for healthcare services.
Dr. Nsanzimana thanked the Head of State for the trust bestowed to him to lead the Ministry of Health and urged his subordinates on teamwork to meet the country’s aspirations.
He also pledged to expedite quality of service delivery, people-centeredness and evidence-based interventions in the health sector
Prior to the appointment, Dr. Nsanzimana has been serving as the Director General of Butare University Teaching Hospital (CHUB) for nine months. He also worked as the Director General of Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC) since 2019 among other duties.
The dental services were offered at Gahini District Hospital and Gahanga Health Center through a collaboration between specialist doctors from Canada and an international NGO, HOPEthiopia-Rwanda.
Valentin Muhawenayo is among patients attended to by the specialist doctors from Canada at Gahanga Health Center. He had an appointment for extraction of his sensitive tooth at a referral hospital but fortunately got it fixed for free at the health center.
“I had an appointment at Masaka Hospital for tooth extraction which would incur much expense for transport and the services. I am glad to have received treatment without going through all this process. I am deeply thankful from the bottom of my heart,” he said.
Martine Mukakalisa is another beneficiary who underwent a dental prophylaxis procedure.
“I was experiencing tooth decay but did not have the means to have them cleaned. Besides, I used to refrain from laughing in public lest everyone notices the condition of my teeth. My special thanks go to the good Samaritans for providing free dental care because I have already started witnessing change,” she said.
The Head of Gahanga Health Center, Jean Marie Vianney Barinzi commended HOPEthiopia-Rwanda for extending free medical services to residents.
“We don’t have a dentist, and that way, patients seeking dental treatment are transferred to hospitals or Gatenga Health Center. However, it is an exhausting journey that some patients never make it there. The free medical outreach has seen many patients coming here and were satisfied with the offered services,” he said.
The Country Director of HOPEthiopia-Rwanda, Mr. Asiimwe Ronald said that the outreach program is organized annually.
“We have organized this activity because we work with specialized dentists. We chose to extend these services to residents in this area to improve their dental and overall health,” he revealed.
This year, it is planned that the organization’s dental outreach program will be extended to 800 patients in Gahanga and Gahini in four days.
The purpose of the 3-day visit is to conduct verification of Rwanda’s pledged capabilities (military and police) in line with the EASF Force readiness assessment.
Prior to the verification exercise, the EASF Delegation paid a courtesy call to the RDF HQ and were welcomed by Brig Gen Patrick Karuretwa, the Head of the International Military Cooperation Department. They discussed ongoing and future engagements between RDF and EASF.
As per statement released by the EU Council, the assistance measure adopted today under the European Peace Facility (EPF), adds to the ongoing assistance of EUR 89 million for the Mozambican Armed Forces in conjunction with the EU Training Mission (EUTM) Mozambique and EUR 15 million for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM).
The EPF was created in 2021 to support partners around the world in the areas of military and defence, and with the ultimate aim of preventing conflict, preserving peace and strengthening international security and stability.
The assistance measure will enable the acquisition of collective and personal equipment, and cover costs related to the strategic airlift needed to sustain the Rwandan deployment in Cabo Delgado.
The funding to Rwanda’s intervention in Mozambique is part of assistance measures adopted by the council in support of the armed forces of five countries.
These include Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Lebanon, Mauritania and Rwanda.
Commenting on the support, Josep Borrell, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy said: “The European Peace Facility continues to show its flexibility and effectiveness in responding to our partners’ needs. Today, we have adopted five new assistance measures to support Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Lebanon, Mauritania and the Rwandan deployment to Mozambique.
The Government of Rwanda has through a statement released today welcomed the support of European Peace Facility to joint operations in Cabo Delgado and reiterated continued commitment to work with partners to fight terrorism.
“Rwanda greatly appreciates the support announced today by the European Council of €20 million from the European Peace Facility to ensure that Rwandan troops working alongside Mozambican forces continue to have the equipment and logistics required to fight armed terrorists in Cabo Delgado, restore peace and security, enable the safe return of displaced residents to their homes. Rwanda remains a reliable partner in the fight against terrorism on the continent and we are pleased to collaborate with the European Union in this work,” said Dr. Vincent Biruta, Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Rwanda deployed army and police personnel to Cabo Delgado in July 2021 at the request of the Government of Mozambique, and currently has around 2,500 troops engaged in joint operations with Mozambican forces. Additional troops are being deployed in areas that have experienced new terrorist attacks.
The Rwandan contingent has so far been fully funded by the Government of Rwanda.
Since last year, the joint force has dislodged insurgents from their strongholds, allowing civilians to return to their homes, and also collaborated with SADC’s SAMIM force to pursue terrorists in other sectors.
These new assistance measures increase the EU’s ongoing support to partner countries in Africa, the Eastern Partnership, and the Western Balkans, and expands the European Peace Facility’s geographical outreach to the Southern Neighbourhood.
Drawing on Novo Nordisk’s expertise and mission to drive change to defeat diabetes and Babyl’s existing infrastructure and experience in delivering digital health services at scale in Rwanda, this new joint initiative aims to improve awareness, care and management of diabetes through community engagement, skills building and use of Babyl’s advanced digital technology.
By offering digital consultations to patients across Rwanda, Babyl’s service will support people in better understanding the symptoms that they are experiencing as well as supporting patients with a confirmed diabetes diagnosis to manage their chronic condition from the ease and privacy of their own mobile phone. Patients will be consulted by a doctor or a nurse and guided to the appropriate level of care they need including medication and referral for laboratory tests.
“Our data shows that a lot of people living with diabetes are unaware of it, and that many people already diagnosed are unable to access the care they need,” said Vinay Ransiwal, Vice President and General Manager Novo Nordisk Middle Africa.
“Allowing a much wider access to care through Babyl’s long-proven digital platform, backed by specialists, offers an exciting opportunity to significantly scale up access to diabetes care and, hence, reach many more people with diabetes with the care they need. We are confident that together we can drive change to defeat diabetes in Middle Africa,” he added.
To support the initiative, Babyl will be rolling out a training scheme for clinicians to digitally provide diabetes care for patients, drawing on Novo Nordisk’s global expertise and best practices. This increased capacity of health providers to screen and manage diabetes cases will help Babyl to provide patients with effective and consistent care.
Babyl will also deliver a health education campaign that builds greater awareness around diabetes and its health risks to encourage prevention, early detection and adherence to disease management among the broader Rwandan population.
“Screening, managing and follow-up of diabetes in patients is a significant challenge for Rwanda’s health sector and digitization could be a game changer,” said Dr. Simba Calliope, Medical Director, Babyl. “We are so excited about this cutting edge partnership with Novo Nordisk that allows Babyl to strengthen our offering to patients and raise awareness of diabetes. This is an important issue in the country and a government priority.”
{{About Babylon}}
At Babylon, our mission is to make quality healthcare accessible and affordable for every person on Earth. To this end we are building an integrated digital first primary care service that can manage population health at scale.
Founded in 2013, we are reengineering how people engage with their care at every step of the healthcare continuum. By flipping the model from reactive sick care to proactive healthcare through the devices people already own, we offer millions of people globally, ongoing, always-on care. And, we have already shown that in environments as diverse as the developed UK or developing Rwanda, urban New York or rural Missouri, for people of all ages, it is possible to achieve our mission by
leveraging our highly scalable, digital-first platform combined with high quality, virtual clinical operations to provide integrated, personalized healthcare.
Today, we support a global patient network across 15 countries, and operate in 16 languages. In 2021 alone, Babylon helped a patient every 6 seconds, with approximately 5.2 million consultations and AI interactions. Importantly, this was achieved with a 93% user retention rate in our NHS GP at Hand service and 4 or 5-star ratings from more than 90% of our users across all of our geographies. We are working to demonstrate how our model of digital first integrated primary care can be applied to manage the health of the population in different settings across Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial value based care contracts in the US and our primary care services in the UK.
Babylon is also working with governments, health providers, employers and insurers across the globe to provide them with a new digital-first platform that any partner can use to deliver high-quality healthcare with lower costs and better outcomes. For more information, please visit
www.babylonhealth.com.
{{About Babyl}}
Babyl Rwanda is a subsidiary of Babylon and is the largest digital medical consultation service provider in Rwanda since 2016. Babyl has signed a 10-year partnership with the Government of Rwanda in early 2020 to develop a new healthcare delivery model of ‘Digital-First Integrated Care’, where all Rwandans are able to gain access to qualified doctors and nurses through their mobile phone.
RSSB & Mutuelle insurance, Britam members have access to the service. To date, Babyl has over 2.5 million registered users and carries out up to 3,500 consultations a day.
For more information about Babyl, visit https://www.babyl.rw/
{{About Novo Nordisk}}
Novo Nordisk is a leading global healthcare company, founded in 1923 and headquartered in Denmark. Our purpose is to drive change to defeat diabetes and other serious chronic diseases such as obesity and rare blood and endocrine disorders. We do so by pioneering scientific breakthroughs, expanding access to our medicines, and working to prevent and ultimately cure disease. Novo Nordisk employs about 45,800 people in 80 countries and markets its products in around 170 countries. For more information, visit novonordisk.com, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube.
The Head of State was addressing officials after the wearing-in of new cabinet members on Wednesday 30th November 2022.
Kagame shed light on the current state of relations with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) which has been accusing Rwanda of supporting M23 rebel group in clashes with Congolese Army (FARDC).
Rwanda has however repeatedly denied the charges and urged the neighbouring country to solve internal problems without drawing it into internal matters.
The tensions escalated mainly at the beginning of this year following the resurgence of M23 over DRC’s failure to implement peace accords signed in 2013 and ongoing persecutions against Rwandophone communities.
During the fight with M23, FARDC reportedly worked with the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a terrorist group formed by remnant individuals responsible for the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and shelled Rwandan territory at different times.
The coalition also kidnapped two Rwandan soldiers on patrol this year among other ‘serious provocations’.
Tensions between both countries escalated until Congolese President, Antoine Felix Tshisekedi warned of war with Rwanda in an interview with the Financial Times in July this year.
At the time, Tshisekedi said that his country won’t stand by if Rwanda continues to support M23 rebel group.
“This possibility cannot be ruled out. If Rwanda’s provocation continues, we will not sit and do nothing about it. We are not weak. There is absolutely no doubt that Rwanda is backing the March 23rd Movement. We want peace, but if push comes to shove…at one point we will take action,” he said.
Tshisekedi also underscored that Rwanda is fighting in DRC ‘under the guise of M23’ and accused it of intentions to loot its natural resources.
“Rwanda is fighting in the DRC under the guise of the M23, which was defeated in 2013. Rwanda has illicit vested economic interests in the DRC. As long as order is not restored in the DRC, as long as lawlessness and insecurity prevail, Rwanda will take advantage of that,” he noted.
In his speech yesterday, Kagame alluded to a leader who wants to externalize his country’s problems to Rwanda to postpone elections and advised him to seek another solution.
DRC is expected to hold general elections in December 2023.
Kagame asked the country to allow collaboration with Rwanda to deal with the issue of security problems caused by FDLR but refused.
The President disclosed that he won’t wait for another invitation in case the coalition with FDLR continues to shell Rwandan territory.
“When they started firing across our border, I told him that it is enough invitation. I told the President of Congo that while initially I was seeking the invitation to work with them to deal with the problem, actually firing artillery across our border into our territory is sufficient invitation. That statement still stands,” he said.
Kagame further stated that Rwanda respects other countries’ territorial integrity which must be reciprocal and highlighted that disrupting Rwandans’ security will be costly.
“[…] We are not going to engage in skirmishes that could have been avoided. We are not going to violate anybody’s sovereignty. Territorial integrity will be respected but with so much demand that that happens in our case as well,” he noted.
“And so, people along the border can go to bed at night, knowing they will have security for them to sleep all night. Short of that, we will make somebody else spend sleepless nights,” added Kagame.
On Tshisekedi’s warning of war with Rwanda, Kagame emphasized that the country does neither ask for war nor create grounds for conflict as it knows related consequences.
“We know what war means. I have heard some people in interviews in FT-London, France24 – France or TV5 or something like that. Somebody says, I don’t rule out a war with Rwanda. When I used to talk to this person who keeps saying this, I used to advise or humbly tell him that we are actually tired of war. We need to be working together and creating peace between our two countries,” he stated.
“Because, if you are looking for somebody who knows about war, please come to me. I know something about it and know how bad it is. And by that, I know how you cannot have anything better than peace,” added Kagame.
The Head of State said that it would be a wrong way if the country chose to make Rwanda a scapegoat to postpone elections.
[{{Related story: Tshisekedi warns of war with Rwanda}}->https://en.igihe.com/news/article/tshisekedi-warns-of-war-with-rwanda]
Rwanda started the deployment of 1000 troops of the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) and the Rwanda National Police (RNP) to Mozambique on 9th July 2021, to fight rebel groups linked to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
The situation started worsening in October 2017 when armed extremists linked ISIL launched an insurgency in the Cabo Delgado region of Mozambique.
Since then, Mozambique Defence Armed Forces have been battling the extremists while many civilians were displaced by the fighting.
The joint operations between Rwandan and Mozambican troops yielded big where different regions of Cabo Delgado Province including Palma, Awasse, Mocímboa Da Praia, Quionga, Tete, Maputo, Nhica Do Rovuma, Quelimane, Chinda and Mumu among others have been seized from rebels.
As at 5th September 2021, Rwandan and Mozambican troops who were joined by the military mission of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) had captured almost all areas of Cabo Delgado Province where the remaining work was predominantly about launching offensives to quell enemy pockets from their hideouts and help displaced citizens to return to their homes.
Towards the end of 2021, Rwandan troops deployed to the country had been increased to nearly 2000.
In their area of operations, Rwandan troops killed, captured some terrorists and quelled others who fled to the areas of Nangade and Macomia controlled by SADC forces.
They used to plot hit and run attacks from their new hideouts to areas captured by Rwandan troops. This stressed the need to develop new tactics to completely deal with the issue of terrorists.
As he received oaths of new officials including the Minister of Health, Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana and Minister of State in the same ministry, Dr. Ivan Butera, President Kagame said that Rwanda increased troops deployed to Mozambique in connection with their new mandate.
“We have nearly 2500 troops including soldiers and Police personnel in Mozambique, working with Mozambican forces. Even yesterday, we deployed more troops. We did it because many problems have been solved in collaboration with Mozambicans since our initial deployment,” he said.
“There are ongoing problems because we were not present in all areas,” added Kagame.
The Head of State explained that security problems were dealt with in Rwanda’s areas of operations but lingered in other places.
“[…] It emerged that terrorists in Mozambique fled from their strongholds to other places. We agreed with Mozambique that we are going to chase them out of their new hideouts. This is what are going to do,” he noted.
Kagame disclosed that operations are fully financed by Rwanda, even as the country welcomes and wait for external support.
They were arrested separately on Tuesday, November 29, in Rulindo and Kicukiro districts with combined 13kgs and 574 pellets of cannabis.
Those arrested include one Elevanie Nyirahabimana, 30, who was apprehended in Buriza Village, Mugambazi Cell of Murambi Sector in Rulindo District with 402 rolls of cannabis.
Another suspected drug dealer identified as Aphrodis Niyigena alias Potential, 29, was caught with 10kgs in Munini Village, Rudogo Cell, Cyinzuzi Sector also in Rulindo District.
Niyigena was at the time transporting the narcotics on a motorcycle, according to Superintendent of Police (SP) Alex Ndayisenga, the Northern Region Political and Civic Education Officer (RPCEO).
Meanwhile, the duo of Bernard Niyonkuru, 20, and Kagesera Jean Baptiste, 40, were arrested with 3kgs and 172 pellets of cannabis, in Kabeza Village, Cyimo Cell in Masaka Sector, Kicukiro District.
“The successful operation was informed by credible information provided by residents of Buriza Village on Nyirahabimana, who was later arrested with 402 rolls of cannabis,” said SP Ndayisenga.
He added: “After the arrest of Nyirahabimana, she disclosed to the ANU officers her supplier, Niyigena, a resident of Tumba. Nyirahabimana further told the Police that Niyigena traffics the narcotics into Rwanda from Uganda.
The ANU officers later tracked Niyigena in Rudogo, Cyinzuzi Sector, where he was arrested with other 10kgs of cannabis, which he transporting on a motorcycle.”
In the case involving Niyonkuru and Kagesera; the Police spokesperson for the City of Kigali, CIP Sylvestre Twajamahoro, said that they were arrested at their rental house in Kabeza where they were running their narcotics business.
“Police searched and recovered 3kgs and 172 rolls of cannabis at their house. They were also found with money amounting to Rwf176, 500, which they had allegedly made from selling cannabis,” CIP Twajamahoro said.
All the suspects were handed over to RIB for further legal process.
This is one of the many successful Police operations against drug dealers, which are largely facilitated by the public through community policing.
Cannabis is classified as a “very severe narcotic drug” in Rwanda with a sentence of up to life in prison, and a fine of up to Rwf30 million.
Kagame made the statement after receiving the oaths of recently appointed cabinet members including the new Minister of Health, Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana and the State Minister in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Ivan Butera.
After welcoming new cabinet members on Wednesday 30th November 2022, the Head of State also updated government officials on the status of security in the region as well as Rwanda’s contribution to peace and security in partner countries through bilateral agreements or United Nations missions.
As he talked about the regional situation, President Kagame reminisced on DRC crisis where the country has been externalizing its internal problems and accusing Rwanda of supporting M23 rebel during a fighting with Congolese Army (FARDC).
However, Rwanda repeatedly denied the allegations and accused DRC of working with the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a terrorist group formed by individuals responsible for the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
The collaboration has resulted into three separate incidents where the forces shelled Rwanda’s territory, injured people and destroyed houses.
Kagame further talked about the root causes of insecurity in the neighbouring country highlighting that the issue is complex as it concerns many parties including Congo, FDLR, Rwanda, the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in DRC (MONUSCO), M23 and international communities among others.
He revealed that the problems are put on the shoulders of Rwanda instead of finding a solution together and proposed a durable solution.
On repetitive provocations, Kagame said that the shelling on Rwandan territory was enough invitation but insisted that the country can’t be drawn into avoidable war as it knows how bad it is.
Below is the transcription of an extract from President Kagame’s speech delivered today at the parliamentary building on security crisis in DRC, the country’s provocations and allegations against Rwanda.
{{Excerpts: }}
First of all, it should be a shame to all these people. You, that we are so many, have so much, in terms of means, we claim to want to resolve the problem,
It is actually simple, to resolve in my opinion, but it never gets resolved for decades.
Of Congolese problems, problems of DRC […] I am just talking about the problems of the last few decades. [..] I am just talking about the last nearly thirty years now.
You would wonder, I am sure people should be asking themselves, how can these problems that relate to Rwanda, DRC, and to all these groups I am talking about, that relate to the whole region, powerful countries that so much talk about humanitarian crisis, human rights and all kinds of things and really speak up for wanting to resolve all these, sit with this kind of situation, and just keep massaging it and only…blaming everybody else except them for these problems.
And it is unfortunate that while I am saying, I have given a list of all parties concerned.
But it has become so convenient for long that all problems are heavily put on the shoulders of Rwanda. Rwanda is always the culprit in all these. It is not FDLR, not Government of Congo that should be responsible for its problems and people, it is not the UN, not the powerful countries, mainly America, UK , France, etc. […] It is Rwanda all the times.
And it’s M23 because of Rwanda. So, it still comes back to Rwanda. It is not FDLR, remnants of people who carried out Genocide here. It’s not the government of Congo, for many reasons,
I started saying here that we don’t have means but we have ways. And that is why in comparison, Rwanda and Congo, there is more, much more, much more Congo offers to these people than Rwanda. Naturally, these people masquerade carefully when they are dealing with Congo’s problems.
They must even assist Congo to alleviate their pain, by transferring the blame they should have, hold, put somewhere else and the easiest place to put their blame is Rwanda.
You know the…Swahili proverb, hapa mnajua Kiswahili?
Kwa Kiswahili, ‘Shamba ya ndizi kuna migomba na majani’. Migomba yaani banana stems, majani ikiwa banana leaves.
Kwa migomba, kuna migomba ,mifupi na migomba mirefu. Kwa sababu Afrika wanatumia saana, majani ya migomba fanya kazi nyingi mbalimbali, kupikachakula […] ukienda kwa shamba la ndizi, ile majani wanayokata, ni yile ya migomba mifupi, ..sindiyo,..
When they go to banana plantations […] Africans use a lot of many things they use banana leaves for. The banana leaves they cut, are the ones of short banana stems.
Yile mlefu saana , wanaacha. Sasa hawa watu wanafikiriya sisi ni migomba mifupi, kwa sababu ya geography, …inchi ndogo tu, au resources, minerals, vitu vingine. Wale wana vingi saana sisi hatuna.
So, they would rather go for the short […] lakini wanajidanganya kweli. Sisi, kwa ufupi wetu, hatuna means lakini tuna ways, na tuko imara ambayo hauwezi kuelewa. Huwezi ukaelewa imara tulivyo.Those who think they can keep picking, cutting out banana leaves, because we are short stems, you don’t know how much you have deceived yourself.
Yes, they even say, we are accused, of stealing the wealth, minerals of Congo.
One thing we are not and that’s what makes us what I have just said, we are not thieves.
We work for what we have and what we get. In fact, we are where we are with some decent progresses, but not really too much. We still have to do a lot.
By the way, also on account of the support we get from these people who accuse us or who accept that we actually do that, meaning these powerful countries, they actually give us a lot of support.
And if they took time to scrutinize, because they support other countries as well, including the Congo that we are accused so much for what is happening there, they will find or will not find a place where we give value for their money than Rwanda.
They will not, I can bet on this. For every dollar they spend on us, support us with, we will show more for it than anybody they give their money.
And it is deliberate, it is not by accident. It is who we are, who we want to be and nobody will take it away from us.
But when it comes to trying to cut the banana leaves because we are short stems, they can or will discover that they can also provide value for money. Meaning, it will actually be costly for them.
Now, let me add to that, for the FDLR and their affiliate groups, RUD Urunana and so forth. By the way, affiliate groups, means also there are some individuals we have here in prison, whom we brought from outside, or others who masquerade around this so called opposition whom we have just left free to mess up themselves until some point when, if need be, to take care of them.
But why do you think this problem, for example, of FDLR has been there for the last nearly thirsty years, why?
Because you think it is a too complicated problem to resolve? No! I am beginning to believe something I never believed. I suspected but I had no proof an don’t want to believe it. But it is so many years, that few can’t find another explanation, then you have to believe it.
You can’t but not believe that actually, somebody, somewhere wishes this problem to be there forever.
Around it, so many things are played. One, it is may be to check these stubborn trouble makers but short banana stem. It is to check them , there is always something to, so it is maintained there. And then, it spins around for the crimes associated with these people of our history, of our tragedy in Rwanda in the 1994 and the history before that.
They start associating us with the very crimes of these people. It is like they exist because we are doing something wrong.
In actual fact, maybe we share in the crime they committed. In other words, for the perpetrators and victims of our tragic history, were actually the same.
There is no difference, isn’t it the narrative since 1994 how we, in this country, are known for stifling freedoms of people, violate human rights. Sometimes when they are talking about violating human rights, they point to the people who are here, whom they have labeled opposition leaders or associated with this history that we are violating their rights.
Can you imagine! The very people who are associated with Genocide, some of them were here, many of them outside there, whom they have even sometimes refused to try for their crimes because they say they can’t return them to Rwanda, because of Rwanda’s justice, human rights […[ if they return them to Rwanda, they will be denied their freedom, their human rights.
An then, we respond to these people, okay! If you can’t give them to us, here is the evidence, you try them in your courts because you are better than us and they still don’t do that. What would that mean for anybody who wants to think?
You don’t want me to try them for reasons you are giving, whether false or true, but then, how about you trying them? What is wrong with you? You mean you are questioning your own justice system as well?
On top of that, they still come and point fingers at us, you know… But sometimes, there is poetic justice that goes on. Some of these people who refuse to send these people back to us and we have been begging, showing them the crimes, and they have refused…in some cases, these people have gone ahead and committed crimes where these people are holding them in their countries.
And then prompted by that, they quickly now send them to us because there is a case where somebody was being accused. We were asking to have this people, then this killed somebody else in one of these countries outside that had refused to surrender that person to us, killed a person, another case, then another one in other case raped somebody. And then prompted by that, they start processing to send these people to us.
So, the first crime of Genocide they carried out here was not bad enough, but they are reminded by somebody violating the rights of their citizens. This is what I am calling, sometimes, poetic justice.
If for the last 28 years, this problem has been there and for the last 20 something 22 may be, the UN force was sent to Congo to deal with this situation, on top of the list, being to deal with FDLR and these other armed groups. And there is not a single day, that I know, may be you do, that these forces ever fought FDLR […] But they have been so keen to fight a notorious, famous I don’t know, M23.
That’s what happened in 2012 and we warned this people. We were warning and saying , you are dealing with half of the problem, the other half will come back to all of us.
This is not a military issue, this is not a problem you want to resolve by force of arms. It is largely a political problem. You need to attend to or may be help the Congolese to address this problem. They ignored us. Ten years after that, the problem has come to…all of us.
But of course the easy way, again they have, is to blame Rwanda for it. That is where we are now. But why, wasn’t this problem resolved for the last ten years?
Those from M23, those who fled and came to Rwanda, we put them in a camp in Ngoma, former Kibungo.
We disarmed them, we gave arms to Congo, they took arms. I am talking about facts here.
Now, processes started of not talking to these people, how do we deal with them and we always gave access to the officials from Congo to go and talk to these people every time.
They came here like twenty times. The last I heard was they wanted the representatives of these people and the others. The majority of them went to Uganda, there was a bigger group and they said, they wanted to talk to their representatives. Those groups here and in Uganda.
They took them to Congo, to Kinshasa actually, supposedly to talk to them and solve their problems. These people they took, spent months in a hotel where they put them. And for those months, not a single government official visited or came to talk to them until they decided to, I don’t know whether, to escape or do what and left.
Now the problem comes back to be Rwanda’s problems. When they started fighting, don’t ask me how or where they came from. But we have had a moment to discuss this openly in meetings of heads of state in Nairobi and it was clearly demonstrated to the Congolese leaders, what had been going on.
And the only thing they kept telling us was no no no! These people must go back where they came from.
And then we asked them, where did they come from or what time do you mean? Because, even if you assumed they came from here, where did they come from when they came here. And I asked one simple question in the meeting. I said, we would be wasting our time, if we did not answer this question and continued discussing this issue. I asked one simple question. Are these people we are dealing with or having to deal with Congolese?
Fortunately, the Congolese leaders answered that they are actually Congolese. Then, I said okay! Now, we can have conversation because my impression at first was that you were saying that they are Rwandese, because they speak Kinyarwanda, because they are Rwandophones as some people here call that, but they are Congolese.
These are citizens of Congo; they have their ancestral homes and things in Congo not here. Here they are refugees, there are over 8,000 of them as refugees in the camps.
So, how do we deal with this issue, how does it become Rwanda’s issue? Just being associated for convenience[…]
So, this problem in my view, is not too difficult to address but we have to do the right thing. I want to remind people that they have to think about how to address the FDLR problem. It has been there for too long. Forget about the stories being created around it, and say no, they are no longer there, they came to Rwanda and then we sent them back, but on a record also of the UN, there are those who have been repatriated overtime and we received and reintegrated them. That is why there is Mutobo center.
Records are there. So, that problem has to be looked at. The other problem is the so called M23 or other groups. By the way, there are over a hundred rebel groups in eastern Congo. Did you know that? Armed, fighting for all kinds of things I don’t know. They can’t all be existing because of Rwanda. Certainly not. If it was because of Rwanda, may be they would be together.
So, that problem needs to be addressed in the right context and those problems are Congolese problems, they are not Rwanda’s problems. But we can help because we are interested in a stable neighbor.
Peace in Congo or eastern Congo is peace for us. So, we can’t be questioned about or our desire to have a peaceful country and region cannot be questioned, honestly!
Even those who accuse us of stealing minerals, if that were to be true, I think we can do better still by having peace. Yes, because when you have peace, you don’t even need to steal. […]
When I was talking to some very senior people recently, from somewhere who are saying now, the Congolese are saying we steal their Colta, Gold. I asked them one question … I said, there is something I know. Some people come from Congo whether they smuggle or go through the right channels, they bring minerals, but most of it goes through here, does not stay here. It goes to Dubai, Brussels, Tel Aviv and used to go to Russia but I don’t know if it still goes there, goes everywhere.
Then, I was asking them. Are you on the list of those who are still stealing minerals in Congo? Because these things end up with you?
For us, they go through our country. They are accusing us of stealing Congo’s minerals. How about the destination? Why don’t you talk about it?
And if we actually deployed everything and stop this flowing, the accusation would be even worse. They would be seeing no more Gold coming through here going to them. Then they say,…they are causing problems.
So, what are we supposed to do honestly? And then, there is this famous thing. You know I have heard of hate speech, saying, some of the things that need to be paid attention to, the hate speech that goes on from eastern Congo to the Western end.
Then recently , some very powerful people, who have some good ideas to resolve problems started saying, hate speech must be stopped on both sides.
Does anyone understand what that means? Which both sides? There is hate speech in Congo and in Rwanda. This is what they are trying to say. […] And these are people who are supposed to be helping to resolve the problem. So, they must give part of the blame to Congo, and another part must be carried by Rwanda. Even if, both of us have not been doing the same thing.
So, I am saying it is simple to resolve because all it needs is just avoiding being neither here nor there. You have to address the problem as it is, deal with facts, evidences, and the right things to do […] How our name will keep coming up, […] not because we have solicited or created or in any way shape or form, war to happen.
We never ask for war, we don’t create grounds for conflict, not at all. We are interested in rebuilding and building until we are where we want to be.
We know what war means. I have heard some people, you know, in interviews in FT, London, France24, France or TV5 or something like that. Somebody say, I don’t rule out a war with Rwanda, you know when I used to talk to this person who keeps saying this, I used to advise or humbly tell him that we are actually tired of war. We need to be working together and creating peace between our two countries.
Because, if you are looking for somebody who knows about war, you come to me please. I know something about it and know how bad it is. And by that, I know how you cannot have anything better than peace.
So, this problem can be resolved if one country headed for elections next year, is not trying to create grounds for an emergency so that elections don’t take place. […] If he is trying to find another way of having the next elections postponed, then I would rather he used other excuses not us.
I think we have really lot problems of our own. We don’t need to add other people’s problems. But what is surprising is that, you will help me to understand that, I don’t know how it comes that everybody, …, I think putting blame on Rwanda which the whole world seems, buys them votes, why you should be having problems with Rwanda and votes for people.
I see politics hitting up in DRC and everyone who has something to day, whether it is whoever, just keeps, ooh, Rwanda has invaded. Since when? And if you think also that we have, that we are there, even if I were to believe it, I would still proceed asking myself a question. Why would Rwanda be in Congo? May be you will find an answer because there is a possibility that can take us there.
That means really what we are saying. For example, let me say like this last time when you remember in 2019 when FDLR invaded, attacked Kinigi and nearly shut down that place where tourists go.
And by the way, we started seeing some messages, don’t go to the northern part of Rwanda, there is insecurity from all over the world. May be, this is what some people actually want.
So, we cleaned up that mess and then, this year’s first half […] you remember what went on. The bombings that took place being fired from across with heavy artillery in that place. So, that is very attractive for us to actually cross the border. There is no doubt about it.
We asked DRC several times, I asked the president to allow us to work with their people to actually deal with the FDLR, and they refused.
So, I kept asking why they would refuse. I told them, just be with us, we will do the work of dealing with them. Little did I know that they wanted to [preserve them.
In the end, later on in these arguments, when they started firing across our border, I told him that is enough invitation. I told the President of Congo, that while initially I was seeking the invitation to work with them to deal with the problem, actually firing artillery across our border into our territory is sufficient invitation. That statement still stands.
We have been keeping quiet about some things, you know violations. And again, when you see the statements everywhere saying, the territorial integrity of Congo must be respected, I totally agree, but so must Rwanda’s territorial integrity be respected. And respecting territorial integrity is not just by a soldier putting foot on the ground of that territory. It’s what you send on the other territory, even standing on your own.
If you fired artillery shells across the border into Rwanda, while you are in Congo, you have violated the territorial integrity of Rwanda. That’s the interpretation. I don’t know even other interpretation.
So, I gave you more than you wanted or expected but I thought I really needed to do this. So, be clear about it, when you see things happening, you just know, first of all we are not going to engage in skirmishes that could have been avoided. We are not going to violate anybody’s sovereignty, territorial integrity will be respected but with so much demand that it happens in our case as well.
And so, people along the border, can go to bed at night, knowing they will have security for them to sleep all night.
Short of that, we will make somebody else, spend sleepless nights.
The ceremony took place at the parliamentary building in Kimihurura.
The Head of State saluted the commitment of new top government officials and expressed optimism that they have what it takes to take Rwanda’s health sector to greater heights in their respective capacities.
He also assured them of collaboration to diligently discharge their duties.
The two new ministers were appointed on 28th November 2022.
They are all familiar with Rwanda’s health sector which they have been serving. For instance, Dr. Nsanzimana has been serving as the Director General of Butare University Teaching Hospital (CHUB) for nine months. He also worked as the Director General of Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC) since 2019 among other duties.
Dr. Nsanzimana holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Epidemiology from the University of Rwanda and PhD doctoral research studies in Epidemiology at University of Basel, Switzerland.
Meanwhile, Dr. Butera has been serving as the Deputy Executive Secretary in Human Resources for Health Secretariat in the Ministry of Health.
He worked in different hospitals including Kanombe Military Hospital.
Dr. Butera has a Bachelor of Medicine obtained from the University of Rwanda in 2014 and PhD in Medical Sciences from Liège University in Belgium acquired in 2019.
In 2017, he also obtained a Master’s degree from the University of Global Health Equity located in Burera District.
After welcoming new cabinet members, the Head of State updated officials attending the ceremony on the status of security in the region as well as Rwanda’s contribution to peace and security in partner countries through bilateral agreements or United Nations missions.
As he talked about the regional situation, President Kagame reminisced on DRC crisis where the country has been externalizing its internal problems and accusing Rwanda of supporting M23 rebel during a fighting with Congolese Army (FARDC).
He also hinted at repetitive provocations from DRC. The President underscored that Rwanda is committed to living in peace with neighbours but insisted that disrupting Rwandans’ security will be costly.
