She was speaking on October 7, 2025, at the 60th session of the UN Human Rights Council, during an intervention on the draft resolution No. A/HRC/60/L32.Rev1 concerning the human rights situation in eastern DRC.
Ambassador Bakuramutsa said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Continuing to repeat the same accusatory narratives while ignoring the root causes of the conflict will not bring peace, neither to the people of the DRC nor to our region.”
“Rwanda rejects the unfounded accusations made against it; nevertheless, it will continue to engage constructively to ensure that security, accountability, and the protection of civilians remain at the core of all initiatives aimed at restoring peace and dignity to the populations of the Great Lakes region,” she added.
In June 2025, Rwanda and the DRC signed peace agreements aimed at restoring security in eastern DRC.
The accord includes four key components: the dismantling of the FDLR rebel group, the lifting of Rwanda’s defensive measures, economic cooperation between the two countries, and a political section that commits both governments to support ongoing talks between the DRC and the M23/AFC, as well as facilitation for the voluntary repatriation of refugees.
However, Rwanda has consistently highlighted that President Tshisekedi’s government has been slow in implementing these agreements.
In August 2025, Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Amb. Olivier Nduhungirehe, told Senators that while Rwanda is hopeful the signed peace agreement with the Democratic Republic of Congo will bear fruit, it still has serious concerns about its actual implementation as agreed upon by both parties.
The company received subscriptions worth Frw 2.9 billion against its Frw 2 billion issuance, making this the second bond under its Frw 6.5 billion long-term programme listed on the Rwanda Stock Exchange (RSE) in August 2021.
The new bond carries a seven-year tenor, maturing on September 27, 2032, with a fixed coupon rate of 13.75% payable semi-annually. Its amortising structure ensures both principal and interest will be repaid in instalments, lowering default risks and reinvestment exposure for investors.
Proceeds from the issuance will support general corporate purposes and repayment of existing obligations. The bond is set to list on the RSE on October 10, 2025, offering liquidity to investors and further deepening Rwanda’s capital markets.
Eng. Carine Mukashyaka, Managing Director of Energicotel, described the oversubscription as a vote of confidence in the firm’s strategy and governance.
“The oversubscription of our bond is a strong endorsement of our creditworthiness and growth strategy. This milestone not only strengthens our capital base but also reinforces our commitment to delivering sustainable returns for investors,” she said.
The issuance attracted a broad base of retail, institutional, and corporate investors, reflecting a growing appetite for sustainable investments in Rwanda. BK Capital, the investment services arm of BK Group, acted as the sponsoring broker for the transaction.
Ivy Hesse, Acting Managing Director of BK Capital, said the deal signals confidence in Rwanda’s financial markets.
“The strong investor subscription reflects the trust in Rwanda’s capital markets. At BK Capital, we remain committed to creating avenues for corporates and investors to access financing and investment opportunities that build Rwanda’s future,” she said.
Founded in 2014 under the EPC Africa Group, Energicotel operates three micro-hydroelectric plants across Rwanda and has provided engineering services for major regional energy infrastructure, including the 80 MW Rusumo Falls project.
As it enters its second decade, the company is expanding into new energy businesses, including gas trading and solar power projects in Rwanda and Kenya, set to commence in 2026.
With a track record of delivering beyond targets, Energicotel says the bond proceeds and its diversification strategy will position it to play a greater role in meeting Africa’s growing energy demand while strengthening Rwanda’s capital market.
The visit aims to strengthen the existing defence cooperation between the two countries’ armed forces.
During the visit, Major General Odawa Yusuf Rage held a meeting with the Rwandan Minister of Defence, Juvenal Marizamunda, and the RDF Chief of Defence Staff, General MK Mubarakh.
The visit by the Chief of Defence Forces of the Somali National Armed Forces aligns with the SNAF’s strategic plan to strengthen defence cooperation and mutual support among East African partners, which is considered as a critical factor in transforming security gains into sustainable peace and long-term regional stability.
During the meeting, the Somali National Armed Forces delegation was briefed on regional security dynamics, including Rwanda’s contribution to Peace and Security in Africa.
The Somali National Armed Forces delegation also visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial, where they paid tribute to the victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
The delegation will also visit the MoD/RDF-affiliated agencies, as well as the Campaign against Genocide Museum.
The surgery, called Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection (ESD), allows patients to avoid more serious treatments like chemotherapy or a permanent colostomy (an opening in the belly for waste to leave the body).
The hospital shared this achievement on its official X account on Tuesday, October 7, calling it a “proud moment” for Rwanda’s healthcare.
This successful operation is seen as a big step forward in improving cancer care in the country, showing how much Rwanda’s medical field is advancing.
Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection (ESD) is a modern, less-invasive technique used to remove tumors from the digestive system.
Doctors use a flexible tube with a camera and small tools to remove cancerous growths from the inner lining of the intestines or rectum.
This procedure is important for patients with early-stage rectal cancer because it means they don’t need heavy treatments like chemotherapy or surgery to create a permanent opening in the stomach.
This new procedure is a huge benefit to patients, offering a quicker recovery and a better quality of life. King Faisal Hospital’s successful surgery shows that Rwanda is making great progress in treating cancer.
Gen (Rtd) James Kabarebe once recalled that had President Paul Kagame not stepped in at that critical moment, the liberation struggle might have ended entirely, as the army had just lost its commander.
Reflecting on those early days, Gen (Rtd) Fred Ibingira also emphasized that Kagame’s decision to take command became a turning point that ultimately led them to victory.
“The man found us in Kagitumba, each of us looking for a way to flee again […] the war had overwhelmed us. Soon, he arrived and found everyone wide-eyed, discouraged, and demoralized,” he noted.
President Kagame himself, also reflected on the situation described by Gen (Rtd) James Kabarebe and Gen (Rtd) Fred Ibingira.
He highlighted that the state in which he found the soldiers may have been among the worst things he has ever witnessed in his life, alongside the Genocide against the Tutsi.
In the book A Thousand Hills: Rwanda’s Rebirth and the Man Who Dreamed It by Stephen Kinzer, it is noted that Kagame was deeply shaken by what he saw when he arrived at the battlefield.
In a series of interviews the author held with President Kagame in 2006 and 2007, he said: “It was totally disorganized. The first sight was probably the worst I have ever seen, that and the genocide; things that have made a mark in my life, my mind, things that probably changed my life forever.These two things never go away. I live with them. . . .,” he said.
At that time, President Kagame said he immediately called commanders for a meeting to decide how the war could continue.
“They were terribly demoralized, even that was an understatement. They were not even thinking. It was a devastation,” he said.
The book titled,The Struggle for Liberation: War and Militarism in African History by John Burton Kegel, shows that there were many reasons proving Kagame was the only one capable of restoring the army’s confidence and keeping the liberation struggle alive.
Beyond that, his experience working in military intelligence within the Ugandan army gave him exceptional access to information that others could not obtain, a critical advantage for the campaign launched by the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF-Inkotanyi) and its army wing, RPA.
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Besides being known in the RPA as a man who did not tolerate mistakes and as someone with deep military knowledge, Lt Gen (Rtd) Caesar Kayizari once said Kagame had already built a strong reputation in Uganda’s National Resistance Army (NRA).
His track record on the battlefield was so solid that whenever there was a problem, people trusted things would be resolved if he showed up.
He said, “Even in the NRA they used to say, ‘If Kagame has come, everything will be solved.’”
Kagame’s return from the United States brought a turning point in the liberation struggle. The RPA shifted from conventional warfare to guerrilla and mobile warfare.
Gen (Rtd) Kabarebe once explained it clearly: “At first, we engaged in conventional warfare, fighting almost like terrorists. Habyarimana’s forces would take positions on hills with anti-aircraft guns, machine guns, tanks, ambushes and air support, while we advanced with our small arms confidently, until we reached their heavy weapons. Many died. This was in Mutara, a wide-open area, where you could be targeted from three to four kilometers away before even getting close.”
“That’s why the Zairians said the RPA were terrorists […] and frankly, it was true at the time. The Commander-in-Chief changed the tactics from conventional warfare to guerrilla and mobile warfare, hit-and-run attacks, striking the enemy where he least expects, firing from where he cannot see you, hitting at night, at dawn, on the move, confusing the enemy.”
The first operation under this new tactic was the attack on Gatuna in early November, led by Col (Rtd) Twahirwa Ludovic, known as Dodo.
It was a highly organized assault that greatly boosted morale among the troops, especially those who were just entering the battle and had not witnessed the chaos of the early days.
The fighting began early in the morning in Luke, where residents reported hearing mortar fire as M23 attempted to retake positions it had abandoned a month earlier.
“We have nowhere to go. This morning we heard the sound of mortars, that’s how it started. It’s M23 and Wazalendo fighting,” a resident told reporters.
After being forced out of Luke, Wazalendo fighters retreated south to Ngululu but also lost Mulema. Both areas fall within Nyamaboko 1 groupement.
Clashes the same day were also reported in Kazinga, near the border between Masisi and Walikale territories, and in Kibandamangobo forest in Shabunda territory, South Kivu. In Shabunda, M23 fought Wazalendo forces backed by the Congolese army (FARDC). Observers say the towns of Shabunda and Mwenga could be affected by the ongoing fighting.
The escalation comes as Qatar pushes to mediate between the Congolese government and the AFC/M23 coalition, under peace principles signed on July 29, 2025. Negotiations are expected this week in Doha, with delegations set to discuss measures including prisoner releases.
On a month-to-month basis, output climbed 53.4 percent from July 2025, according to the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR). The figures highlight rising demand from infrastructure and real estate projects.
Although construction activity itself is not directly measured in the Industrial Production Index (IIP), its impact is evident. Strong building demand is lifting production of materials.
The subsector’s gross value added (GVA) grew from Frw 22.4 billion in 2017 to Frw 68.1 billion in 2024, an increase of 204 percent. In 2024, non-metallic minerals accounted for about 6 percent of total industrial GVA and nearly 9 percent within manufacturing.
Electricity generation, a critical input for cement kilns and ceramics, rose 7 percent year-on-year in August 2025. This growth supported the expansion in mineral products output.
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CIMERWA Plc, based in Rusizi District, operates Rwanda’s largest integrated cement plant, with a capacity of about 600,000 tonnes per year. It exports cement to neighbouring markets such as the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi.
In July 2024, CIMERWA acquired Prime Cement Ltd’s operational assets in an off-market deal while the government kept Prime Cement’s outstanding liabilities.
Prime Cement had been operating a modern plant in Musanze District, making product lines such as Ramba 42.5N and Rutare 32.5N. After the acquisition, these assets fall under CIMERWA’s control.
ANJIA Prefabricated Construction Rwanda, inaugurated in August 2023 in Muhanga District, represents a new generation of producers. The company combines prefabricated systems with cement-based components to serve the fast-growing infrastructure sector.
Together, these firms illustrate Rwanda’s strategy of promoting import substitution and value addition in building materials.
Experts note that this growth could accelerate further if upcoming large-scale housing programs, industrial parks, and public works proceed as scheduled. For manufacturers, it represents a critical opportunity to invest in cleaner technologies and value addition, ensuring Rwanda’s “cement boom” becomes a sustainable driver of long-term industrialisation.
The witness made the request during an appeal trial on October 6, 2025, before the Court of Assizes on appeal in France.
The witness, presented by the civil parties, appeared via video conference from Kigali, accompanied by an interpreter.
The woman, born in 1953, recounted that during the genocide, her husband was arrested and imprisoned in a place known as “Maison 60” for one day before being transferred to the Tumba sector office where other Tutsi were detained.
She said Dr. Munyemana was the one responsible for keeping the keys to the detention site after he had replaced the sector leader, Bwanakeye.
Later, a vehicle belonging to the commune, nicknamed “Ruhumbangegera,” came and transported those detained at the sector office to the office of the then-prosecutor, Sebushishi.
According to the witness, they were subsequently taken to the local gendarmerie where they were severely beaten before being moved to an unknown execution site.
“I don’t know the location. On this matter, I would ask Munyemana to tell us where the bodies of our loved ones were taken so we can bury them decently. I am sure he knows where they are because he played a major role in what happened there,” she said.
The witness explained that during the genocide, her national ID card identified her as Hutu because she was born to a Hutu father and Tutsi mother. She and her husband had eight children, but one died after the genocide.
When asked by Dr. Munyemana’s defense lawyers if she knew him personally before the genocide, she said she had only heard his name frequently at the time but came to know more about him later during the Gacaca courts.
Other witnesses have continued to testify, linking Dr. Munyemana to the killings of Tutsi detained at the Tumba sector office.
In December 2023, the Paris Assize Court found Dr. Munyemana guilty of genocide charges, crimes against humanity and participation in a conspiracy to prepare those crimes, sentencing him to 24 years in prison. He appealed the verdict.
His appeal trial began on September 16, 2025, and is expected to conclude on October 24.
Ciro Quispe López, 51, the bishop of Juli, stepped down following an investigation that revealed some of his alleged lovers had nearly come to blows upon discovering each other’s involvement.
Paola Ugaz, a Peruvian journalist, described the situation as “a real soap opera” in an interview with The Times.
She explained that a nun who was one of López’s lovers became jealous of a lawyer he was also seeing, sending information about the bishop’s affairs to a third woman, which resulted in a physical confrontation. Ugaz added that many of the 17 women were too frightened to come forward due to fear of López.
The scandal came to light after López reportedly sent photos and videos intended for his mistresses to his cleaning lady, who filed a complaint with the Catholic Church. The Vatican subsequently reviewed voice notes, photos, and videos linked to the bishop.
López has denied the allegations, claiming they are part of a defamation campaign orchestrated by “dark hands.”
In addition to the sexual misconduct allegations, López was reportedly under investigation for embezzling church funds. He is said to have taken chairs from church property to furnish a chicken restaurant chain, Patas Arriba, in which he reportedly held a financial stake.
The Vatican accepted López’s resignation early last month, more than 20 years before the mandatory retirement age of 75 for bishops.
The High Military Court sentenced Kabila to death in absentia on September 30, 2025, after finding him guilty of treason, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and leading an unauthorised armed group.
The court stated that Kabila is the leader of the AFC/M23 rebel coalition, which it claims controls large parts of North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, and that the alleged crimes were committed under his command in those regions.
Monsignor Fulgence Muteba Mugalu, President of the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO), speaking on behalf of the Catholic bishops on October 6, invoked scripture to remind the country’s leadership that only God has the authority to end a human life.
“We were deeply alarmed by the decision of the High Military Court of Kinshasa following the rushed criminal trial of Joseph Kabila, a former president who has now been sentenced to death,” said Monsignor Muteba.
He argued that the case is politically motivated and urged the DRC government to address the country’s crises through inclusive political dialogue.
“For our part, while our country is in the midst of war and insecurity, we continue to affirm that inclusive dialogue is the best path to resolve the root causes of these challenges and to restore unity, peace, coexistence, and the sovereignty of our nation,” he said.
He added that such dialogue is urgently needed given the seriousness of the situation and its impact on the Congolese people.
The Catholic Church emphasised that for a sustainable solution to the DRC’s long-standing problems, political dialogue must involve all key actors, including those who have taken up arms and those who have not.
