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In an interview with Russia’s Izvestia newspaper, Galuzin said that what he described as a “war party” in the EU was seeking to undermine positive steps in U.S.-Russia contacts, including the recent meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump in Alaska, which focused on a political and diplomatic settlement of the Ukraine crisis.

“These forces … are trying to disrupt this process and pull the United States to their side,” Galuzin said. “They are resorting to unscrupulous methods such as baseless accusations against Russia of violating NATO countries’ airspace or sending drones into their territory.”

Galuzin stated that allegations of Russian airspace violations lack credible evidence.

His remarks followed recent statements by Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal, who said Tallinn had requested consultations with NATO allies under Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty after claiming that three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered Estonian airspace last Friday.

Russia’s Defense Ministry denied the allegations, saying that the aircraft had conducted a planned flight from Karelia to the Kaliningrad region in full compliance with international airspace regulations.

The ministry underlined that the jets did not deviate from their approved route and did not cross Estonia’s borders, a fact confirmed by objective monitoring data.

{{A collective voice
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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on the first day of the general debate that “in Gaza, the horrors are approaching a third monstrous year,” highlighting “a scale of death and destruction beyond any other conflict” in his years as secretary-general.

He called for the full and immediate implementation of the International Court of Justice measures, a permanent ceasefire, the release of all hostages and humanitarian access, adding that “we must not relent in the only viable answer to sustainable Middle East peace: a two-state solution.”

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva condemned the Hamas terror attacks in his remarks on Tuesday, noting that international humanitarian law and the myth of Western exceptionalism were buried under the rubble there, and the survival of the Palestinian people requires an independent state.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto reiterated his country’s complete support for the two-state solution, calling for both Palestine and Israel to be free and independent, safe and secure from threats and terrorism. Indonesia is ready to deploy 20,000 or even more people to help secure peace in Gaza or elsewhere, and this year, over self-sufficiency, it exported rice to other nations in need, including to Palestine, he said.

Jordan’s King Abdullah II said that security will only come when Palestine and Israel begin to co-exist side by side. “This is the two-state solution, in line with international law and UN resolutions: an independent and viable Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital, … alongside a secure Israel, … living in peace with its neighbors,” he noted.

“We reaffirm our support of the two-state solution with the UN playing a central role. Kazakhstan acknowledges diplomatic initiatives aimed at regional reconciliation in the Middle East,” said Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

“We cannot turn a blind eye to the deeply worsening humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. We call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and the continuation of political negotiations,” said Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, adding that “in line with the UN resolutions, we remain steadfast supporters of the two-state solution principle.”

{{Uncertainties ahead
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Speaking Tuesday morning, U.S. President Donald Trump struck a different tone, urging immediate action in Gaza. “Release the hostages now — just release the hostages now,” he said, adding that “we have to negotiate peace, get the hostages back — all 20 back — and 38 dead bodies back.” Meanwhile, he warned against unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state, saying it would amount to “a reward to Hamas for its horrible atrocities.”

A summit organized by France and Saudi Arabia on Monday ahead of the general debate in New York was portrayed as an urgent effort to salvage the long-deferred vision of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

However, as Israel continues its offensive in Gaza City against Hamas and rapidly expands its settlements in the West Bank, the notion seems more distant than ever.

“We must pave the way for peace,” said French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday, to applause from those at the meeting and a standing ovation from the Palestinian delegation. “Today, France recognizes the State of Palestine,” he said, noting recent statements of recognition, some not yet formalized, by Britain, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium and several others.

“France, Britain and the other countries recognizing a Palestinian state this week say they aim to salvage whatever hope remains for the internationally backed formula to end the half-century-old conflict between Israelis and Palestinians: a Jewish state of Israel at peace with a neighboring Palestinian one,” reported The New York Times on Monday.

“But nearly two years into the devastating war in the Gaza Strip, Israelis and Palestinians alike say the possibility of a two-state solution seems more remote than ever,” it noted.

On Sept. 12, the General Assembly adopted by a wide margin the “New York Declaration,” which called for “just and lasting peace grounded in international law and based on the two-state solution.” To end the war, it urged Hamas to “end its role in Gaza, and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority.” The United States and Israel voted against the text.

On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that “a Palestinian state will not be established west of the Jordan River.”

The idea of establishing one nation each for Jewish and Palestinian populations, living alongside each other in peace, predated the UN’s founding in 1945. Drafted and redrafted since then, the concept has appeared in dozens of UN Security Council resolutions, multiple peace talks and in the General Assembly’s recently resumed 10th emergency special session.

On Tuesday, Guterres warned that the viability of a two-state solution is steadily eroding, now reaching its most critical level in more than a generation, in a statement at a UN Security Council high-level meeting on the Palestinian question, highlighting relentless settlement expansion, de facto annexation, and forced displacement as evidence of the erosion.

“Cycles of deadly violence, including by extremist settlers, have entrenched an unlawful Israeli occupation and pushed us perilously close to a point of no return,” he added.

“I declare Yoweri Museveni Tibuhaburwa Kaguta, a duly nominated candidate in respect of the presidential elections 2026,” said EC Chairperson Simon Mugenyi Byabakama.

“The commission calls on all participants, their agents, aspirants, and the general public to uphold the values of peace, dignity, and mutual respect throughout the nomination process and mostly in the upcoming campaign period for the presidential candidates,” Byabakama added.

The ruling National Resistance Movement party in July endorsed Museveni, who has been in power for 39 years, as its sole presidential candidate and national chairman for the next five years.

Museveni, 81, accompanied by other senior party officials, thanked the commission for approving his candidacy. The president, seeking a seventh consecutive five-year term, said his priorities would include wealth creation programs, free education in government schools, road maintenance, improved health services, and tackling crime.

According to the commission, presidential campaigns will start on Sept. 29, with voting scheduled for Jan. 2, 2026.

According to Rwanda’s Presidency, the two leaders held private discussions, before being joined by members of their respective delegations for an expanded meeting.

Rwanda and Egypt have a strong bilateral relationship, with each country maintaining an embassy in the other’s capital. The two nations recently signed several agreements in various sectors, including healthcare, transportation, trade, and others, on August 12, 2024.

As part of these agreements, both countries committed to exchanging land for business purposes. Rwanda has been granted land in Egypt, while Egypt has been provided with 10 hectares of land in the Kirehe District of Rwanda, near the border with Tanzania.

Rwanda and Egypt have multiple cooperation agreements across various sectors such as technology, industrial development, trade, agriculture, education, youth, healthcare, and military cooperation, among others. In 2017, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi visited Rwanda with the aim of further strengthening the bilateral relations between the two countries.

Both Rwanda and Egypt are also members of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).

The partnership between Rwanda and Egypt has been long-standing, with Egypt having opened its embassy in Kigali in 1976, and Rwanda reopening its embassy in Cairo in March 2015.

His remarks came after AFC/M23 forces took control of Nzibira town in Walungu Territory, South Kivu, on Sunday, September 21, 2025.

Brig. Gen. Kapend, who also commands the army in Katanga, said the situation does not pose a major threat as long as Katanga remains untouched.

“All the pressure is in eastern DRC. If we fail to stop the enemy there, we will be the first to face its heavy weapons,” he said.

He added that the rebel coalition could expand further without endangering national stability.

“They may take over other areas, but as long as they do not take Katanga, the country will endure,” he stated.

Heavy fighting between AFC/M23 and the Congolese army coalition flared again late last week, with clashes reported in Cisaza, Cibanda, Muyange, Karhuliza and Kalongo in South Kivu, as well as in Masisi and Walikale in North Kivu.

The celebration took place in Bweramana Sector, Ruhango District, marking the 16th World Bamboo Day. The event is observed every year on September 18.

The theme for this year’s celebration highlighted bamboo as a solution for both environmental sustainability and innovative applications in the craft industry.

EcoPlanet Bamboo Rwanda was lauded for its contributions to environmental protection, with a particular focus on its efforts to restore land along riverbanks in eight districts. Notably, 307 hectares of land in Ruhango District were restored, and bamboo was planted to combat soil erosion.

In addition to land restoration, EcoPlanet Bamboo Rwanda created employment for 1,000 people and established 60 kitchen gardens to help combat malnutrition in the region. The organization also partnered with local communities to promote modern farming techniques that contribute to soil restoration, with efforts covering seven hectares in Bweramana.

Furthermore, EcoPlanet Bamboo Rwanda supported 270 farmers through various initiatives aimed at improving their livelihoods. The organization also renovated five houses for vulnerable families and built a daycare center to support community well-being.

Sharon Higiro Umuratwa, the General Manager of EcoPlanet Bamboo Rwanda, expressed the organization’s commitment to advancing bamboo cultivation to protect riverbanks and improve the livelihoods of people in Ruhango District. She also extended her gratitude to the community for their partnership over the past three years, which has been instrumental in the restoration of the 307-hectare area.

The Vice Mayor for Economic Development of Ruhango District, Jean Marie Vianney Rusilibana, highlighted EcoPlanet’s significant role in improving the community’s quality of life through erosion control measures and emphasized the importance of bamboo conservation for providing sustainable livelihoods.

Remy Songa, representing the Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA), emphasized how bamboo plays a crucial role in mitigating climate change by reducing carbon emissions and combating soil erosion and landslides.

Divine Cyambarantama, Forest Extension Officer at Rwanda Forestry Authority (RFA), also urged the residents of Ruhango to continue preserving bamboo and thanked EcoPlanet for its ongoing contributions to environmental conservation.

The conference, held under the theme “Innovate – Integrate – Insure,” brought together industry leaders, regulators, and practitioners to reflect on the role of brokers in promoting inclusive and customer-focused insurance services in Rwanda.

Several companies stood out for their achievements in different categories. MUA Insurance Company ® Ltd was recognised as the best provider of general insurance, while SONARWA Life emerged top in the life insurance category.

Eden Care received the award for health insurance, with Prime Insurance celebrated for its innovation in the sector. MayFair Insurance was recognised for outstanding customer service.

RIBA President Mendies Mhiribidi highlighted the crucial role brokers play in making insurance accessible and understandable.

“Insurance can often seem like a foreign language, filled with complex terms and deep explanations. Brokers help simplify these concepts, guide clients to the right cover, and stand by them throughout the process,” he said.

{{Embracing innovation and technology
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Mhiribidi also emphasised the evolving nature of the industry, noting that new risks linked to climate change, cyberattacks, and rapid technological shifts demand advanced solutions. He pointed to the need for insurance brokers to adopt digital tools such as data analytics and collaborate with InsurTech companies to simplify processes like purchasing and claims management.

In a step toward strengthening industry communication, RIBA launched the RIBA Magazine, an [online publication->https://riba.rw/riba-magazine/] designed to provide timely information and market insights with a strong focus on customer needs.

{{Brokers hailed as key partners
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The National Bank of Rwanda (BNR) reinforced the importance of professional insurance brokers, describing them as vital partners who connect clients with insurers and expand access to insurance. BNR noted that engaging brokers is a key strategy to raise insurance penetration rates, in line with Rwanda’s National Strategy for Transformation (NST2).

Practitioners also shared their experiences. Jean de Dieu Katabogama of Zion Insurance Brokers Ltd, with two decades in the field, stressed that brokers ensure clients receive quality services and support during claims.

Similarly, James Nteziryayo of Alpha Insurance Brokers Ltd called for increased awareness campaigns to attract more young people to the profession, while urging that insurance studies be made more accessible in Rwanda.

{{Regional cooperation
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Speakers at the conference applauded RIBA’s efforts in uniting industry stakeholders to tackle challenges and enhance collaboration. They also emphasised the growing opportunities for regional integration, which will allow Rwandan clients to access quality insurance services across the East African Community.

The 2025 RIBA Annual Conference reaffirmed the association’s commitment to promoting innovation, professionalism, and customer-centred practices in Rwanda’s insurance sector.