Once approved, she will replace Dr. Mankeur Ndiaye whose term as the head of Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in CAR (MINUSCA) will end on 28th February this year. It is reported that the UN Security Council is in final processes of appointing her successor.
The name Rwanda’s Ambassador to the UN, Rugwabiza has been submitted to the five permanent member states by the Under-Secretary-General of the Department of Peace Operations (DOP), Jean-Pierre Lacroix.
Africa Intelligence has reported that only China has not yet given its approval but expected to do so in the coming days.
Once approved, Amb. Rugwabiza will arrive in Bangui towards the end of March 2022. This means, Ndiaye’s stay should be prolonged for few weeks while waiting for Rugwabiza to take up her role. Ndiaye has been in office since February 2019 but was not willing to stay on for additional term.
On 22nd February 2022, he will travel to New York to present the General Secretariat’s report on CAR to the security council, a prelude to Lacroix’s visit to Bangui from 25th to 28th February 2022.
If confirmed, Rugwabiza’s appointment will cement Rwanda’s rise to prominence within the mission. Since June last year, the mission’s police component CP Christophe Bizimungu , the former Commander of Rwanda Police Academy located in Musanze, Northern Province. He replaced French citizen Pascal Champion. Among others, the humanitarian coordination office has been managed by Rwandan Vedaste Kalima since January 2021.
Rwanda has 1660 soldiers and police force comprised of 459 since the mission began in 2014.
Rwandan soldiers have been protecting CAR’s president’s office since 2015.
Amb. Rugwabiza was born on 25th July 1963. She has been serving as Rwanda’s ambassador to UN since 2016. Rugwabiza holds both Bachelor and Master’s degree in Economics.
For eight years, Rugwabiza worked for Swiss multinational company Hoffmann-La Roche, first as the head of commercial development and marketing for Central Africa in Yaoundé and then as regional director in Ivory Coast.
In 2002, Rugwabiza was named Rwanda’s ambassador in Switzerland and Permanent Representative to UN Headquarters in Geneva.
Between 2005 and 2013, Rugwabiza held the position of Deputy Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
From 2013 to 2014, she was appointed the Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Development Board and later served as Minister for East African Community since 2014.
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