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In a statement released on Sunday, September 7, 2025, RDF revealed that Lt Gen Kabandana passed away at the Rwanda Military Referral and Teaching Hospital after a natural illness.

The RDF described the passing of Lt Gen Kabandana as deeply saddening and extended its condolences to his family.

“The Rwanda Defence Force extends its condolences and joins the family in mourning during this difficult time. May his soul rest in peace,” the statement read.

Lt Gen Kabandana was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General in September 2022 by President Paul Kagame, following his tour of duty in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado Province.

He had commanded security operations as part of the Rwandan contingent supporting Mozambican forces in repelling insurgent attacks.

Born into the generation that joined the liberation struggle in 1990, Lt Gen Kabandana was among the officers credited with helping to end the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Over more than three decades of service, he rose through the ranks and held a series of senior positions in both operational and diplomatic roles.

His career included assignments as Defence Attaché at Rwanda’s Embassy in Washington, DC, Chief Instructor at the Gako Military Academy, Deputy Force Commander with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), Head of Logistics in RDF, Commandant of the Rwanda Peace Academy, and Commander of the Special Forces.

He will be remembered as an experienced and dedicated officer who contributed significantly to Rwanda’s defence, regional security, and international peacekeeping.

According to sources, Lt Gen Kabandana has been receiving treatment at Rwanda Military Referral and Teaching Hospital before his passing was confirmed on Sunday.

He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General by President Paul Kagame in September 2022, following his tour of duty in Mozambique, where Rwandan forces continue to play a key role in repelling insurgents in Cabo Delgado.

Lt Gen Kabandana joined the liberation struggle in 1990 and was among the officers credited with helping end the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

Over the course of his career, he held several senior military and diplomatic positions, including Defence Attaché at Rwanda’s Embassy in Washington, DC, Chief Instructor at the Gako Military Academy, Deputy Force Commander with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), Head of Logistics in RDF, Commandant of the Rwanda Peace Academy, and Commander of the Special Forces.

He is remembered as an experienced officer who contributed significantly to Rwanda’s defence and international peacekeeping operations.

Speaking at the dinner, hosted in Kigali a day after the gorilla naming ceremony in Kinigi, the Head of State underscored Rwanda’s unique model of sharing tourism benefits with local residents.

“In Rwanda, 10% of tourism revenue goes directly to the communities living around our parks. It’s not just support – it’s an incentive to protect and sustain our shared heritage,” President Kagame said.

“To our friends and partners: Rwanda is your home. You are always welcome,” he added.

This year’s Kwita Izina marked two decades of the celebrated conservation tradition, with 40 baby gorillas named, bringing the total since 2005 to 438.

The ceremony drew global icons, including American film director Michael Bay, Oscar-winning actress Michelle Yeoh Todt, Nigerian Afropop star Yemi Alade, former Arsenal and PSG football legends Bacary Sagna and Javier Pastore, and dignitaries from conservation organisations worldwide.

Held at the foothills of Volcanoes National Park in Musanze District, the colourful event was presided over by Prime Minister Justin Nsengiyumva and graced by First Lady Jeannette Kagame. It featured traditional performances and strong community participation, highlighting the deep cultural roots of Rwanda’s conservation journey.

Tourism remains a pillar of Rwanda’s economy, with $647 million generated in 2024, including over $200 million from gorilla trekking alone.

Rwanda Development Board (RDB) CEO Jean-Guy Afrika described Kwita Izina as a symbol of the country’s dedication to protecting its natural heritage and uplifting communities, with revenues from tourism financing more than 1,200 community projects.

At the event, Prime Minister Justin Nsengiyumva affirmed plans to expand Volcanoes National Park by nearly 25 per cent, ensuring a secure future for its growing mountain gorilla population.

The government plans to increase the park’s size from its current 160 square kilometres by approximately 37.4 square kilometres (3,740 hectares), a move expected to support a 15-20% increase in the gorilla population and reduce infant mortality by 50%.

The proximity between Bujumbura and eastern DRC areas, such as the city of Uvira, allows for transport via Lake Tanganyika crossings or northern road routes.

Since 2023, Burundian and DRC forces have been jointly combating the M23 rebel group. Beyond receiving arms, these forces have undergone training to help reclaim territories lost in North and South Kivu provinces.

The fighting intensified in January and February 2025, forcing DRC and Burundian troops to retreat from strategic towns, including Goma and Bukavu, relocating to Uvira and surrounding areas.

In March 2025, President Évariste Ndayishimiye launched a four-month military training exercise at Mabanda, Mwaro, Bururi, and Mutukura, preparing 10,000 soldiers for deployment to eastern DRC.

According to Africa Intelligence, cargo planes carrying rockets and ammunition from Sudan and Tripoli, Libya, have been landing at Bujumbura Airport for months, with the supplies then offloaded and transported by truck to Uvira under the cover of night.

The DRC government also mobilised aircraft, including Serve Air planes owned by Indian businessman Harish Jagtani, and five from Mont Gabaon operated by Elie Akilimali Joseph, to transport military equipment and food from Kinshasa to Bujumbura, before onward delivery to Uvira.

Two Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft from Baku landed at Bujumbura Airport in April and August 2025, carrying heavy and light weaponry, including RPG-7s and 7.62mm machine guns. These shipments followed a procurement agreement signed in September 2024 between Burundi’s government and Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defence.

On September 1, 2025, another Ilyushin Il-76 delivered additional heavy weapons and ammunition for DRC forces, which were then dispatched to South Kivu to support operations against M23.

As the conflict drags on, Bujumbura’s role as a logistical hub highlights Burundi’s direct involvement in supplying arms and military support to the fight against M23, raising serious concerns about the country’s responsibility in prolonging instability in eastern DRC.

Under the theme “Empowering Global South, Navigating Global Changes,” the forum is far more than another international gathering. It is a platform where journalists, scholars, policymakers and entrepreneurs from the Global South are redefining how their stories are told in a world where Western media still dominates the narrative.

From Africa to Asia and Latin America, participants converged to push for greater cooperation in shaping global governance. East African representatives, including those from Rwanda and Uganda, joined peers from across the Global South in calling for stronger information-sharing and a unified approach to addressing global challenges.

Speakers stressed that the Global South can no longer afford to be an audience to narratives set elsewhere. Instead, it must take charge of telling its own story, highlighting not just its struggles but its progress, innovations and aspirations.

Artificial intelligence was one of the most animated topics. Delegates shared views on how AI is reshaping the media and societies, offering opportunities for faster reporting and broader reach, but also posing risks of misinformation and job losses.

Rather than rejecting the technology, many argued for embracing it strategically, developing local solutions, regulating its use and turning AI into a tool for good. Workshops highlighted how AI can be used to preserve cultural heritage, enhance fact-checking and make smaller media outlets more competitive on the global stage.

The choice of Yunnan as the venue carried special symbolism. Known for its cultural diversity and stunning landscapes, the province reflects the richness and complexity of the Global South itself, multi-ethnic, multi-lingual and positioned at the crossroads of Asia.

For many delegates, Kunming offered not just a picturesque backdrop but also an environment that embodied the forum’s mission: dialogue, exchange and unity amid diversity.

The forum was co-hosted by Xinhua News Agency, together with the CPC Yunnan Provincial Committee and the People’s Government of Yunnan Province. Xinhua’s president, Fu Hua, pledged the agency’s readiness to partner with Global South media in telling authentic stories and amplifying the region’s voice in international discourse.

The message was clear: through cooperation, research, and stronger communication networks, the Global South can move from the margins of global storytelling to the center.

As the forum continues, participants are focused on turning dialogue into action, whether by forging cross-border partnerships, launching collaborative projects or using technology to close the information gap.

The Global South Media and Think Tank Forum is not just a meeting of minds in Kunming. It is a step toward a future where the Global South speaks for itself, louder, clearer, and together.

Todt and Yeoh, who also serves as a UNDP Goodwill Ambassador, were in Rwanda to attend the Kwita Izina, baby gorilla naming ceremony held in Musanze District on September 5, 2025.

Jean Todt, a French national, is a veteran of motorsport and served as President of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) from 2009 to 2021. He is best remembered as Ferrari’s legendary team principal during the team’s golden era, when Michael Schumacher won multiple Formula One titles. He has been the UN Special Envoy for Road Safety since April 2015, appointed under then-Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Michelle Yeoh, his wife, is a Malaysian-born actress acclaimed for her roles in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Memoirs of a Geisha, Crazy Rich Asians, and Everything Everywhere All at Once, which won her an Academy Award in 2023.

She is celebrated as a trailblazer for Asian actors in Hollywood and has also been recognized as one of the world’s most influential voices.

During the Kwita Izina ceremony, Todt named a baby gorilla “Ruvugiro”, while Yeoh chose the name “Rwogere.”

Later on September 6, 2025, Todt and Yeoh also participated in a road safety activity at the Gishushu junction in Gasabo District, where they helped mark pedestrian lines.

Todt emphasized the importance of such measures, noting that road markings play a vital role in reducing traffic accidents.

On the same day, President Kagame received Mathieu Flamini, Arsenal Legend and co-founder and CEO of GFBiochemicals, who visited Rwanda to participate in the baby gorilla naming ceremony.

GFBiochemicals is a world pioneer in producing high-performing renewable alternatives to harmful petrochemical ingredients.

The Head of State also met with a delegation from Marriott, led by David S. Marriott, Chairman of the Board of Marriott International, who named a baby gorilla during the 20th Kwita Izina ceremony.

Lawyers for the authors hailed the deal as unprecedented. Justin Nelson, one of the lead attorneys, said: “As best as we can tell, it’s the largest copyright recovery ever, and the first of its kind in the AI era.”

The lawsuit alleged that Anthropic downloaded nearly 500,000 copyrighted works without permission, many from shadow libraries such as LibGen, to train Claude. The plaintiffs included well-known writers like Andrea Bartz, Charles Graeber, and Kirk Wallace Johnson.

In June, a federal judge ruled that while training AI models on copyrighted text could, under some circumstances, qualify as “fair use,” the act of obtaining pirated copies remained illegal. That ruling opened the door for the authors’ case to move forward, according to court records cited by AP.

Facing the possibility of billions in damages at trial this December, Anthropic opted to settle. Aparna Sridhar, the company’s deputy general counsel, said in a statement: “This agreement resolves the legacy claims brought by the plaintiffs. We remain committed to building safe AI systems that benefit society.”

The settlement requires Anthropic not only to compensate authors but also to destroy the pirated datasets it had acquired.

The case is being closely watched across the tech sector. Dozens of AI developers, including OpenAI, Microsoft, and Meta, face similar lawsuits over the use of copyrighted material to train large language models.

Trump told reporters: “I stand with Bobby. He’s not afraid to challenge the establishment. He means well, and he’s doing what he believes is right for the American people.”

Kennedy, a longtime critic of vaccines, has taken sweeping steps since assuming office. His policies have included cutting funding for vaccine research, restricting access to COVID-19 vaccines, and dismissing top officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Appearing before the Senate, Kennedy defended his measures. “For too long, our agencies have been captured by pharmaceutical interests,” he said. “My mission is to restore transparency and give Americans the freedom to make their own choices.”

Kennedy’s agenda has triggered dissent from within his own family. In a public statement, relatives including Joe Kennedy III and Kerry Kennedy urged him to resign.

“We love Bobby, but we cannot support policies that put public health at risk. His leadership is fostering confusion and weakening trust in science,” they said according tp reuters.

Public health experts also warn that Kennedy’s actions could reverse decades of progress. A former CDC official said: “Dismantling vaccine research and replacing experts with loyalists is a recipe for disaster. We risk losing decades of progress in immunization.”

Despite the backlash, Trump has continued to praise his health secretary. “He’s tough. He’s independent. And he’s not afraid to speak the truth,” the president said.

Kennedy, for his part, has vowed to stay the course. “This is not about politics,” he said. “This is about the health and freedom of Americans.”

Putin made the declaration at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on Friday.

His remarks came just a day after European leaders reaffirmed their commitment to Ukraine, with France’s President Emmanuel Macron announcing that 26 countries are ready to contribute troops or security support once a ceasefire is achieved.

Addressing delegates, Putin was unequivocal. “If foreign troops appear on Ukrainian territory during the fighting, they will be legitimate targets for our forces. And even after peace, we see no reason for their presence,” he said.

The Kremlin leader argued that outside military involvement would only escalate tensions and undermine future stability. According to Russian officials, Moscow does not view such deployments as peacekeeping but as hostile participation in the conflict.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed allied commitments, insisting that international backing is essential for his country’s survival.

“Ukraine will have security on land, at sea, and in the air. These guarantees are vital for our people and for peace in the region,” he said following consultations with European leaders.

According to Zelenskyy, the multinational effort would not only deter further Russian aggression but also create the conditions for long-term peace and stability in Eastern Europe.