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Upon election, he promised to work closely with those who have entrusted him with the position to address issues such as antimicrobial resistance in diseases and to protect the dignity and pride of the pharmacy profession.

The event took place on November 14, 2025, during the 13th annual general assembly of pharmacy professionals, which aimed to assess the achievements made by its members, review their professional direction, and set new strategies to improve the profession.

Over 700 members attended the assembly, which also presented a five-year study aligned with Rwanda’s Vision 2050, meant to accelerate the country’s development in various sectors, including healthcare.

The outgoing chairperson, DCG (Rtd) Stanley Nsabimana, said that the event was an opportunity to reflect on progress, while reminding everyone that professionalism requires constant effort and commitment.

“Today, we meet not just to fulfill legal obligations but to celebrate our achievements, reaffirm our values, and continue our commitment to public health through professional integrity and competence,” he said.

Dr. Jean Baptiste Ntihumbya, the Director General of Health Quality Services Standards and Regulation at the Ministry of Health, praised the pharmacists’ association for its significant role in improving healthcare services and protecting public health.

He highlighted the importance of the association’s work in combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR), stressing that it requires professionalism and attention to patient safety.

The Ministry of Health assured pharmacists that it would continue supporting their work with knowledge and financial assistance to enhance the association’s operations in technology and capacity building.

In response to the issue of antimicrobial resistance, the government has implemented a ‘one health’ program, focusing on human, animal, and environmental health, recognizing their interconnectedness in combating AMR.

Other new leaders elected during the assembly include Ntirenganya Remy Pacifique, who was elected vice chairperson, Uwase Marie Ange as secretary, and Byomuhangi Evariste as treasurer, all elected for a three-year term.

The council has the responsibility of upholding the integrity of their profession, ensuring dedication in their work, and ensuring that all members comply with relevant laws and regulations.

Held for the first time in the country, the session marks a historic moment for Rwanda, which has been a member of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) since its founding in 1970.

The meeting takes place under the theme “Thirty Years After Beijing: The Role of Women in the Francophone World,” coinciding with the thirtieth anniversary of the 1995 Beijing World Conference on Women, whose Action Plan continues to shape global standards for women’s rights and gender equality.

In her opening remarks, Chief Justice Domitilla Mukantaganzwa, representing the Government of Rwanda, expressed “the pride of Rwanda in hosting for the first time one of the high governing bodies of La Francophonie.”

She highlighted the significance of this year’s theme, noting that the Beijing Platform for Action, adopted in 1995, continues to stand, thirty years on, as the most forward-looking global framework for promoting women’s rights and gender equality.

Highlighting global challenges such as ongoing conflicts, the climate crisis, socio-economic inequalities, and gender-based violence, she stressed the need for strong political will to safeguard hard-won progress and to build more inclusive societies.

She pointed to Rwanda’s own experience, noting that after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, the country chose to rebuild by placing women at the heart of its transformation.

Mukantaganzwa noted that women have since played a decisive role in the justice sector.

“Nearly half of all judges are women. In the Gacaca courts, they played a determining role in truth-seeking and reconciliation, and today they represent half of the community mediators and community workers active across the country,” she emphasised.

France’s Delegate Minister for Francophonie, Éléonore Caroit, praised Rwanda’s leadership and stated that the Francophonie, bound by a shared language, embodies values of openness and practical cooperation.

She noted that this format often proves more effective for building bridges than many mechanisms currently at a standstill. Caroit expressed confidence that the two days of discussions would produce tangible outcomes and commended Rwanda’s engagement.

In her address, Secretary-General of La Francophonie Louise Mushikiwabo underscored the central theme of the conference, questioning whether societies have fully recognised “the fundamental role women must play in social cohesion and peaceful coexistence.”

She noted that the world still struggles to “clearly and fully recognise the rights and value of half its population,” adding with humour that this half may well be “the better half.”

Mushikiwabo also addressed the state of global governance, describing the multilateral system as “a model that is running out of steam,” increasingly unable to respond to international crises and “disconnected from realities on the ground.” She said this context would guide ministers’ closed-door discussions on the question: “What ambitions for the OIF in the reshaping of the international landscape?”

Reviewing progress since the 2024 CMF in Paris, Mushikiwabo noted the Organisation’s support to member States through electoral assistance missions and its “high-impact campaigns” against disinformation in Lebanon, Moldova and the Central African Republic.

She also emphasised efforts to support Francophone candidates for leadership positions in international bodies including the African Union, the African Development Bank and UNESCO.

She highlighted programmatic achievements such as the mobility initiative for French teachers, which brought a third cohort of 50 educators from 15 countries to Kigali to exchange expertise with Rwandan counterparts.

Recent deployments to Ghana and Seychelles were noted, with Cambodia next. Mushikiwabo also pointed to the strengthening of the Francophonie économique, citing successful missions like the one to Benin, which resulted in several contracts, including one worth €30 million.

Reaffirming the OIF’s commitment to gender equality, she called for increased support to the “Francophonie With Women” fund and invited member States to join a new initiative focused on training and integrating girls and women in emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence.

She paid tribute to Rwanda’s progress, noting that women hold 61 percent of parliamentary seats, the highest rate in the world and far above the global average of 26.4%.

She also highlighted that five of Rwanda’s seven major banks are headed by women, many of them young. Mushikiwabo added that other regions in the Francophone world are also advancing, citing Vietnam where “98 percent of girls complete primary school and 87 percent complete secondary school.”

Delegations will conduct field visits on Thursday and Friday to observe key OIF programmes, including teacher training, peacekeeping preparation for military personnel and women’s economic empowerment projects under the “Francophonie With Women” fund.

Zambia and Eswatini each received roughly 500 doses. The delivery is touted as a game‑changer in the fight against HIV in a region where the burden remains extremely high.

Lenacapavir has shown near‑complete protection in clinical studies. Daniel O’Day, chair and CEO of Gilead Sciences, called the Eswatini rollout “extraordinary,” noting that it is the first time a new HIV medicine has reached a sub‑Saharan African country in the same year it was approved in the United States.

The rollout is part of a collaborative effort between the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the Global Fund, initially planned for ten high‑risk African countries and aiming to reach at least two million people by 2027. The initial target for 2025 was 250,000 doses, later increased to 325,000 due to early demand.

In Eswatini, a kingdom with roughly 1.2 million people and over 200,000 living with HIV, about 6,000 high‑risk individuals, particularly those at risk of mother‑to‑child transmission, are scheduled to receive the first doses. Most of those living with HIV in Eswatini receive treatment funded by PEPFAR.

Despite the milestone, concerns remain about access and affordability. Civil society groups in South Africa have criticised Gilead for excluding local manufacturers from licensing agreements, even though South Africa hosted Lenacapavir clinical trials.

The World Health Organization (WHO) issued new guidelines recommending injectable Lenacapavir for HIV prevention on July 14, 2025. The recommendation was announced during the International AIDS Conference in Kigali, Rwanda, where the guidelines were formally released.

During the forum, the Global Fund and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation committed to supplying lenacapavir to at least nine early adopter countries starting in early 2026, with Rwanda currently engaged in discussions on how to access and roll out the drug.

Lenacapavir joins other WHO‑recommended pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) options, including daily oral pills and injectable Cabotegravir (CAB-LA). The WHO hailed the long-acting shot as a valuable new choice for people who struggle with a daily pill regimen.

The visit featured a formal military salute, a flyover of U.S. fighter jets, and other displays of military power, underscoring Washington’s commitment to deepening ties with Riyadh.

The meeting between Trump and Prince Mohammed focused on a range of strategic, defense, and business initiatives that could significantly impact the future trajectory of U.S.-Saudi relations. Among the most notable outcomes of the visit was the announcement of a potential sale of advanced F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, a shift in U.S. policy.

Historically, Israel had been the only country in the Middle East authorised to purchase the F-35. Trump stated, “We’ll be selling the F-35s” to Saudi Arabia to enhance its defense capabilities. The move marks a shift in U.S. defense policy, potentially altering the balance of military power in the region.

In addition to military cooperation, Trump and Prince Mohammed discussed various business ventures, including partnerships in nuclear energy and investments in U.S. technology sectors, particularly artificial intelligence.

The talks were part of Trump’s broader effort to encourage foreign investment in the U.S. and further strengthen economic ties with Saudi Arabia, a key partner in the region. Additionally, both leaders explored opportunities to expand Saudi investment in U.S. infrastructure projects.

However, the visit was not without controversy. The U.S.-Saudi relationship has been strained since the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, with U.S. intelligence agencies concluding that Prince Mohammed approved the operation. The Prince has consistently denied ordering the murder.

During the Washington visit, Trump described Khashoggi as “extremely controversial” and asserted that the crown prince “knew nothing about it.” He further defended the Crown Prince, calling him “one of the most respected people in the world” and urging reporters not to “embarrass our guest by asking a question like that.”

For his part, Crown Prince Mohammed acknowledged that Khashoggi’s killing was a “huge mistake” and described the event as “painful.” He maintained that Saudi authorities conducted a full investigation and implemented reforms to prevent a similar incident in the future, while reiterating that he personally did not approve the operation.

The discussions between Trump and the Crown Prince are expected to lead to several significant agreements, particularly in defense and business sectors. However, the broader implications for U.S.-Saudi relations, especially concerning human rights, will likely remain a topic of ongoing debate in the years to come.

Together, they crafted a false narrative, accusing the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) of being responsible for shooting down the plane of President Juvénal Habyarimana.

The plane carrying President Juvénal Habyarimana was shot down on the night of April 6, 1994, and was followed by the execution of the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.

This genocide was carried out openly across the country, with the involvement of soldiers, gendarmes, the Interahamwe militia, and others.

Dr. Bizimana highlighted on X that Reyntjens was “the Belgian who drafted the discriminatory 1978 Constitution for the Habyarimana regime, providing it with legal basis for the oppression and extermination of the Tutsi.”

According to Dr. Bizimana, Reyntjens’ involvement was not just an academic error; it was the starting point of his long campaign to sanitize the genocidal regime and attack those who ended it.

He emphasized, “The Belgian Filip Reyntjens has been committed since 1994 to defending his Rwandan friends involved in the genocide against the Tutsi and using them to fabricate blatant lies against the FPR, accusing the latter of invented crimes of the same magnitude as the genocide against the Tutsi.”

These tactics, according to Bizimana, were aimed at glorifying the leaders of Habyarimana’s regime by fabricating two genocides, suppressing the truth, and portraying the RPF as a government of genocidaires.

Dr. Bizimana provided an example of the collaboration between Reyntjens and Ngeze Hassan, the former Editor-in-Chief of Kangura newspaper.

In a letter addressed to Ngeze on May 9, 1997, Reyntjens suggested that it would be highly beneficial to highlight the role of the RPF in the attack that downed President Habyarimana’s plane.

He proposed that if there were any RTLM workers in Nairobi, they could be contacted to help investigate whether it would be possible to uncover any information related to his inquiry.

Reyntjens also expressed his willingness to meet with Ngeze or any other journalists in the near future. Minister Bizimana pointed out that Reyntjens was encouraging Ngeze to accuse the RPF of crimes, despite being fully aware of the genocidal ideology that had influenced his actions.

{{Who shot down Habyarimana’s plane?}}

An investigation into the shooting down of President Juvénal Habyarimana’s plane was initiated by France in 1998 after the families of those onboard, as well as the plane’s crew and staff, requested it.

In 2012, Rwanda granted French judges Marc Trévidic and Nathalie Poux permission to enter the country. They announced that the missiles that shot down Habyarimana’s plane came from the Kanombe Military Base, with no connection to the RPA forces reportedly stationed in Masaka.

There are documents from France’s external intelligence agency, DGSE, showing that France had information on who shot down Habyarimana’s plane starting from April 6, 1994.

An investigation conducted by Radio France and Mediapart uncovered a DGSE document written to President François Mitterrand, detailing the agency’s information about the attack.

The document, dated September 22, 1994, was released by the Ministry of Armed Forces in 2015. It stated that “two extremists,” Colonel Théoneste Bagosora and Laurent Serubuga, were the ones who issued the orders to shoot down Habyarimana’s plane.

On July 12, 1994, DGSE revealed that the plane was shot down by Hutu extremists seeking to eliminate President Habyarimana, who had agreed to negotiations with the RPF.

The French were the first to arrive at the crash site and were said to have taken the black box from the plane, which contained critical information about the incident.

{{Ngeze: An extremist who hated Tutsis}}

Ngeze Hassan was sentenced to 35 years in prison by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in Arusha after being convicted of crimes related to the genocide against the Tutsi and crimes against humanity. Another document written by Reyntjens revealed that Ngeze Hassan played an active role in the 1992 massacres of Tutsis in Bugesera.

The document states: “In March 1992, Reyntjens writes, Interahamwe and soldiers from the Presidential Guard and the Mayuya camp (a total of about 75 soldiers) were sent to Bugesera. The soldiers were in civilian clothes and armed with knives and pistols.

“Individuals, particularly officers from the Ministry of Justice and judicial police inspectors/officers, who might have hindered the operation had been reassigned beforehand. The troublemakers were transported by vehicles from the Public Works Department, and the fuel needed for the operation was provided by Mr. Rwabukumba and Mr. Nzirorera, and allegedly transported by Hassan Ngeze and stored at the home of mayor, Rwambuka.

“Initially arriving in Gashora, the Interahamwe and soldiers, assisted by local interahamwe, blended in with the population. They then attacked specific pre-determined targets: Tutsi families or those belonging to the opposition. From there, the violence spread.”

This document highlights how some institutions involved in the genocide provided vehicles for the killers, supplied fuel, and sheltered the perpetrators in high-end hotels.

The document further notes, “The criminals were given very comfortable accommodations. Ngeze Hassan, the Chief editor of Kangura, who was involved in the events in Bugesera, came to visit me at the hotel.”

Minister Bizimana emphasized, “Ngeze Hassan, whom Filip Reyntjens sought to work with after the halt of the genocide, urging him to collaborate in falsely accusing the RPF, is a hardened criminal because his role in the preparation and execution of the genocide was evident from 1990 onwards.”

{{Ngeze Hassan’s background}}

Ngeze Hassan was born on December 25, 1957, in Rubavu District, Gisenyi Sector. He is known for inciting ethnic division through the Kangura newspaper, which he founded in 1990. Hassan is also known for his work at ONATRACOM, the national public transport authority.

Hassan is infamous for publishing the “10 Commandments of the Hutu” in December 1990, which fueled hatred among Hutus against Tutsis.

Kangura, the magazine Ngeze managed, was heavily supported by the MRND party, which was led by President Habyarimana.

In 1993, Ngeze gained influence on RTLM, a radio station that shared the same genocidal ideology as Kangura. During the genocide, Ngeze regularly provided RTLM with the names of Tutsis who were to be killed, particularly focusing on individuals from Gisenyi Province. He publicly announced these names on RTLM.

In June 1994, Ngeze fled to Mombasa, Kenya. In 2003, he was arrested by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and tried in 2007. He was initially sentenced to life in prison, but after an appeal, Judge Theodor Meron reduced his sentence to 35 years.

Construction is expected to be completed within 24 months, at a cost of over $24 million (over 34 billion Rwandan Francs).

The state-of-the-art facility is expected to address a critical gap in the country’s health security architecture by providing rapid, accurate diagnosis of zoonotic and transboundary animal diseases, the types of pathogens with the highest potential to trigger future outbreaks.

With modern molecular testing capacity and advanced biosafety systems, the NVRLL will enable quicker confirmation of diseases such as Mpox, Marburg, avian influenza, and Foot-and-Mouth Disease, improving national readiness and response.

The laboratory will also help safeguard Rwanda’s economy by reducing livestock losses, improving disease surveillance, and supporting safe animal movement and trade.

Besides, faster diagnostics will strengthen veterinary services, protect household livelihoods, and advance the country’s compliance with regional and international animal health standards.

Commenting on the development, Dr. Mark Cyubahiro Bagabe, Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources, highlighted the importance of the new facility.

“Pandemics often begin in animals before spilling over to humans. This laboratory gives Rwanda the scientific capability to detect threats early, protecting our people, our livestock, and our economy,” he said.

Priya Basu, Executive Head of the Pandemic Fund also expressed delight at the groundbreaking initiative.

“Through projects like this, the Fund helps countries put the One Health approach into action, strengthening collective health across the human, animal, and environmental sectors.

“By enhancing disease detection and response, Rwanda is setting a new benchmark for health security in the region. We are proud to stand with Rwanda in building resilient systems that protect communities and livelihoods,” he noted.

The NVRLL is a flagship activity under the Strengthening Pandemic Prevention and Response Through One Health Approach in Rwanda (SPPROHRW) project, supported by the Pandemic Fund and implemented by the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal resources through the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC), RAB, and several development partners.

The One Health concept recognizes that the health of humans and animals are linked because they share the same environment.

The Government of Rwanda has embraced the One Health approach and continues to demonstrate strong political will to institutionalize it across relevant sectors.

Speaking at the UN General Assembly’s plenary meeting on Security Council reform, Fu said that Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi recently made a “brazen, provocative” statement on Taiwan at the Japanese Diet. She claimed that a “Taiwan contingency” could be a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan and implied that Japan may invoke the so-called right to collective self-defense to interfere militarily in the Taiwan Strait.

Takaichi’s remarks are “extremely erroneous and dangerous,” and constitute a gross interference in China’s internal affairs and a serious breach of the one-China principle and the spirit of the four political documents between China and Japan, said Fu.

“They are an affront to international justice, damage the post-war international order, trample on the basic norms of international relations, and represent a blatant departure from Japan’s commitment to peaceful development,” he noted.

“Such a country is totally unqualified to seek a permanent seat on the Security Council,” said the ambassador.

Fu underscored that throughout its history, Japanese militarists have repeatedly used the so-called “survival-threatening situation” as a pretext to launch foreign aggression, including the Sept. 18 Incident in 1931, under the pretext of the right of self-defense, which provoked a war of aggression against China and brought profound suffering to the Chinese people and people around the world.

“Now, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi again raised the issue of ‘survival-threatening situation.’ What is her true intention? Is Japan going to repeat its past mistakes of militarism?” Fu asked.

The ambassador said Takaichi has also consistently advocated for removing the “renunciation of war” clause from Japan’s pacifist constitution. “Given the egregious behavior from Takaichi, how can we trust Japan’s professed commitment to peaceful development? How can the international community trust Japan to uphold fairness and justice? How can we trust Japan to shoulder the responsibility of maintaining international peace and security?” he said.

Fu stressed that Japan should immediately stop interfering in China’s internal affairs, retract its wrongful, provocative remarks and actions, and refrain from “playing with fire” on the Taiwan question. “Otherwise, Japan should be prepared to bear all the consequences.”

“If Japan dares to attempt an armed intervention in the cross-Strait situation, it would be an act of aggression and would definitely be met with a firm response from China. We will exercise our right to self-defense under the UN Charter and international law and resolutely defend China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Fu stated.

The House of Representatives passed the legislation on Tuesday by 427–1, with Republican Clay Higgins casting the sole vote against it. Just hours later, the Senate cleared the bill through unanimous consent, fast-tracking it without debate or amendments. The rare bipartisan alignment ensures the legislation will reach the president’s desk within days.

The vote followed a rapid turn in political dynamics after President Trump abruptly reversed his opposition to releasing the files, urging Republicans to support the measure.

The change came amid significant pressure from his supporters and renewed public attention on Epstein after more than 20,000 pages of documents, including emails referencing Trump, were published last week. The White House has maintained that the president did nothing wrong and has criticised the release of selective correspondence.

The legislation, co-authored by Republican Thomas Massie and Democrat Ro Khanna, requires Attorney General Pam Bondi to publish all unclassified records, communications, flight logs and investigative materials relating to Epstein and his long-time associate Ghislaine Maxwell within 30 days of enactment.

However, Bondi may withhold or redact information that would reveal victims’ identities or compromise active federal investigations.

The push for disclosure has been driven in large part by survivors of Epstein’s abuse, several of whom watched Tuesday’s vote from the House gallery and gathered earlier outside the Capitol to demand full transparency.

Annie Farmer, an Epstein survivor and key witness in Maxwell’s trial, said concealing the files amounted to “institutional betrayal”, arguing that investigative failures had allowed further harm. Sky Roberts, brother of the late Virginia Giuffre, praised his sister’s longstanding advocacy: “She paved the way for us to come forward… and we won’t stop.”

Political tensions around the effort have been significant. Republican leaders, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, had previously echoed Trump’s earlier stance and opposed the release, with Johnson describing it as a “Democrat hoax”.

He later voted yes but continued voicing concerns about protecting victims’ privacy. Massie, meanwhile, criticised colleagues who resisted disclosure, warning that blocking the legislation would be seen as shielding abusers.

The issue has also strained relationships within Trump’s political circle. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, once a steadfast supporter of the president, accused him of undermining efforts to secure justice for survivors. Survivors themselves voiced frustration with Trump’s handling of the matter, with Jena-Lisa Jones urging the president to “stop making this political”.

The bill reinforces and expands upon the House Oversight Committee’s ongoing investigation, which has already released tens of thousands of pages of records from the Epstein probe.

Recent documents include email exchanges between Epstein, Maxwell and author Michael Wolff that reference Trump, though none allege wrongdoing by the president. The White House has condemned the release of selected emails as politically motivated.

Epstein, who socialised in elite circles for decades, was convicted in 2008 of soliciting prostitution from a minor. In 2019, he was charged with federal sex trafficking offences but was found dead in his New York jail cell weeks later, in what authorities ruled a suicide. Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year sentence for her role in procuring victims.

As lawmakers await Trump’s signature, survivors and advocates say the coming release represents a crucial step toward transparency in a case that has spanned decades and implicated powerful figures across politics, finance and international society. Whether the files will answer long-standing questions, or raise new ones, is likely to become clear within weeks.