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Kagame received these envoys on Thursday 31st March 2022.

As he received the delegation, Kagame was with other officials including the Minister of Infratsructure, Dr. Ernest Nsabimana; the Minister of ICT and Innovation, Paula Ingabire and Prof. Manasseh Nshuti, the State Minister in charge of East African Community (EAC) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINAFFET).

Rwanda and Tanzania enjoy cordial relations and cooperation in the areas of politics, infrastructure, economy and security.

Tanzania is considered a major development partner where over 70% of Rwanda’s imports and exports are transited through.

In August last year, President Suluhu came to Rwanda during a visit which left more cooperation agreements signed between both countries.

Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Vincent Biruta also visited Tanzania recently and held talks with Samia Suluhu.

China currently ranks among the top investors in Rwanda which has created thousands of jobs in different sectors.

China’s multidimensional contribution to the development of Rwanda range from investment, infrastructure, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), to mining, health, agriculture, defense and security in the near future.

Both countries’ relations and cooperation have been deepened through embassies and envoys. From 2017 to 2022, China was represented by Ambassador to Rwanda, Rao Hongwei who will conclude his tour of duty.

IGIHE has caught up with the outgoing envoy to talk about achievements, future prospects, memories carried to China and messages he has for Rwandans among others.

{{Exerpts:}}

{{1. You started your term as ambassador of China to Rwanda in 2017. Since that time, what has your personal experience in Rwanda been like? Have you enjoyed the country? What memories are you carrying with you as you go back to China?}}

I arrived in Kigali in Feb. 2017. During my stay here, I visited all four provinces and at least 15 districts. I enjoyed the beautiful scenes of Rwanda. The tranquil water of Lake Kivu, the vast grasslands of Akagera, the lush rain forests of Virunga, are all parts of my vivid memory. The beautiful skyline of Kigali, the flowing traffic, the bustling markets, as well as the splendid parade on the day of Kwibohora 25, impress me so much and show how thriving and promising this land is.

I enjoyed the hospitality of Rwandan people from all walks of life which manifests the strong and profound friendship between our two countries. During my close interaction with them, I deeply felt their resilience, courage, and spirit of diligence and self-reliance. I also had the chance to join Umuganda, and learned from Rwanda’s wisdom of home-grown solutions.

Rwanda is my second hometown, and I will cherish the memories here.

{{2. Your term was characterized by great milestones between Rwanda and China, for example, the historic visit of President Xi Jinping to Rwanda in 2018. How remarkable was this for both countries, and how do you think it improved the relations?}}

The historic visit of H.E. President Xi Jinping to Rwanda in July 2018 was the first ever visit by a Chinese head of state to Rwanda. The visit helped our two countries further deepen mutual political trust, strengthen practical cooperation including cooperation under the umbrella of the Belt and Road Initiative, and usher the bilateral relationship into a new era.

Fifteen agreements signed during the visit are now being translated into projects and outcomes. Our cooperation in areas including trade, e-commerce investment, culture, health, education and training are greatly promoted. The expansion project of road from Gahanga to Bugesera is effectively reducing road congestion. Rwandan agricultural products including coffee, tea, dried chili and stevia accessed Chinese market. More and more Chinese enterprises are in Rwanda to invest in high value-added manufacturing industry like electric motorcycles, bamboo production, ICT and others.

Equally importantly, after President Xi’s visit in 2018, the people-to-people exchanges between our two countries have been enormously enhanced. I am sure that will lay a solid foundation for our friendship.

{{3. Also, during your tenure, China and Rwanda celebrated 50 years of diplomatic ties. What’s your take on that as far as how far both countries’ relations have come, and what is your observation about the enthusiasm on both sides to maintain the relations for many more years?}}

Thanks to the stewardship of leaders of our two countries, China and Rwanda have fostered multidimensional and full-fledged relations, which are at their best in history.

Let me give a few examples. China is Rwanda’s largest trading partner with a bilateral trade volume of over US$300 million in 2021. China is Rwanda’s biggest project contractor which built a great number of key projects on energy, infrastructure, livelihood and manufacturing, and up to 70% of Rwanda’s national asphalt road construction were undertaken by Chinese companies. China is also bringing investment to Rwanda, with a stock amount of direct investment of US $334 million as of the end of last year.

As I wrote in an opinion piece in last November, our brotherhood roots from our culture and commonalities, builds on empathy and grows in trust. With strong political will from the leaders and wide support of the two peoples, the two countries will further deepen practical cooperation, strengthen the collaboration and synergy between national development strategies, so as to better benefit the two peoples and compose a new chapter of friendship that goes beyond thousands of hills and rivers.

{{4. On an unfortunate note, Covid-19 hit the world in 2020 and we are still grappling with the pandemic up to date. China has been supporting Rwanda in its fight against the pandemic, providing vaccines and other resources. Tell us more about China’s support in this regard. And what is more going forward as Rwanda is making bold efforts to recover from the pandemic?}}

After the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, our two countries stand shoulder to shoulder in the fight against the adversity, and further elevate the friendship between our two peoples. China has donated to Rwanda 500,000 doses of vaccines and five batches of medical supplies including PPEs, testing kits for COVID-19 and other medical equipment. In 2021, Chinese government provided a grant worth US$ 60 million, and wrote off US$ 6 million debt to Rwanda, with a view to helping Rwanda’s economy to recover from the pandemic. With the aid from China, the renovation and expansion project of Masaka Hospital will officially commence this year. Masaka Hospital will become one of the best hospitals in Rwanda once completed.

At the 8th ministerial conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation last November, H.E. President Xi Jinping put forward 4 proposals and 9 programs for China-Africa cooperation in the following three years. We need to grasp this opportunity to achieve as much as possible to recover from the pandemic and benefit the two peoples.

{{5. How do you rate the resilience of the Rwandans during the COVID-19 times?}}

Under the strong leadership of H.E. President Paul Kagame, Rwanda won a great battle against the pandemic. I witnessed the determined efforts of lockdown, the comprehensive measures to acquire vaccines and inoculate citizens, and the dynamic approach of balancing pandemic control and economic recovery.

Rwanda is one of the few African countries that have met WTO’s goal of vaccination. The fact demonstrates how effective the Rwandan government is and how supportive the Rwandan people are. Let me congratulate the great country of Rwanda and the heroic Rwandan people on the success.

{{6. COVID-19 has led to a number of challenges in the projects that Rwanda and China are cooperating in. What is being done in this regard?}}

We have to admit that the shocks of COVID-19 impacted the cooperation between our two countries. However, with the concerted efforts of the two sides, we managed to overcome the difficulties and advance our cooperation in many projects.

Last year saw the handover of the Extension Project of IPRC Musanze, the completion of the preliminary survey work for the Expansion and Upgrading Project of road from Prince House to Masaka, the signing of the concessional loan framework agreement for Smart Education Project, and the signing of the DTAA and its affiliated protocol. There were 23 training programs held via online platforms, and over six hundred Rwandans participated in these sessions last year. Online pavilions set up by Chinese exhibitions, also enabled exhibitors and buyers from Rwanda to participate in the China International Import Expo, Canton Fair and China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo. In the near future, the 200-Borehole-Well Project will be completed soon. China is also working with Rwanda to grant duty-free treatment to 98 percent of Rwandan-origin goods exported to China.

{{7. China has overtaken other superpowers to trade more with Africa. Thus, there has been an outcry of Chinese debt trap in Africa. What’s your take on it and why has the accusation been growing?}}

Among China’s partners, no single country is beset with a debt crisis because of its cooperation with China.

Take Rwanda as an example, since 1971, China has provided a big amount of financing including interest-free loans, concessional loans, and other forms to Rwanda. The money has gone to all aspects of Rwanda’s social development, from infrastructure construction such as roads, bridges, hospitals and schools, to cooperation in agricultural technology and e-commerce. China has provided Rwanda with a US$ 214 million concessional loan for the Nyabarongo II Hydropower Project which will generate a large amount of electricity, provide many jobs, and transform the downstream swamps into 20,000 hectares of arable land. One can easily tell if China is making contribution to Rwanda’s development or damaging it with “trap”.

H.E. President Paul Kagame once dismissed the so-called “debt trap” and said that China has never forced any country to borrow from them to accumulate debt, while China’s financial support has opened up new pathways for cooperation.

China’s lending to African countries is not a “debt trap”, but an “economic pie” that benefits the local population. Behind the “debt trap” cliché is an immoral attempt to sabotage the time-tested dynamic partnership between China and Africa, deny China’s global efforts and contribution, and smear the international image of China.

{{8. What is your take on the War in Ukraine?}}

China is deeply concerned and grieved about the situation in Ukraine. China calls on the international community to redouble its efforts to promote peace talks and put the situation to an end at an early date. China is firmly opposed to moves by some countries to fuel the flame by escalating the sanctions and providing arms to the parties concerned.

China believes that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected, the purposes and principles of the UN Charter should be observed, the legitimate security concerns of all countries should be taken seriously, and all efforts that are conducive to the peaceful settlement of the crisis should be supported. Furthermore, China calls for preventing a massive humanitarian crisis. China has put forward an initiative for responding to the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, and provided Ukraine with humanitarian assistance. We will continue to play a constructive role in easing the situation, encouraging dialogue and negotiations, and preventing a humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.

{{9. What is your message to the Rwandan people as you leave? Also, what is your message to the Chinese people about the Rwandan people and our country in general?}}

Rwanda is my second hometown. I begin to miss this beautiful country even before I leave. In the past five years, I was very happy to witness the rapid development of Rwanda. I wish Rwanda success and prosperity under the leadership of H.E. President Paul Kagame and the Rwandan Patriotic Front, and wish the Rwandan people health and happiness! I hope the friendship that is higher than mountains between China and Rwanda will further grow in the years to come.

It is the latest in a series of capital raising that Gahigiro Capital Limited has facilitated start-ups operating on the African continent, and the first venture debt finance facilitation by the firm. It is the largest debt financing facility for Lipa Later to date.

Venture debt is a type of debt financing to technology-enabled companies by specialized banks or non-bank lenders to fund working capital or other capital expenses.

Commenting on the development, Michael Shema, the Managing Director of Gahigiro Capital noted: “Start-ups on the continent are just discovering venture debt financing as an additional form of capital raising. Venture debt on the continent is still extremely rare and only starting to take off. We (Gahigiro Capital) are proud to have supported Lipa Later on this landmark transaction that will see them receive much needed capital to be able to truly scale and further prove their business model.”

There are lots of benefits to venture debt financing for founders and according to Shema, it can help start-ups and early-stage investors to retain ownership while simultaneously raising capital for their firms.

“It offers a multitude of advantages such as a reduction in equity dilution and a lower overall cost of capital for the start-up. Furthermore, the flexibility of most venture debt financiers allows them to customize their offering to the business needs and cycles.”

According to Eric Muli, the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Lipa Later, the funding will help the Buy Now Pay Later platform to expand into new markets on the continent.

“We are extremely excited to be working with Gahigiro Capital as we look towards asserting our dominance as Africa’s leading buy now pay later player. With the financing, we will be opening new markets and doubling down in our existing markets over the next 12 months.

We thank Gahigiro Capital for believing in our vision and hope to continue on this important relationship for both our organizations.”

Lipa Later, is a trusted Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) company with operations in Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria. Lipa Later, which started in Kenya in 2018 has built a reputation for delivering value for its investors right from its early days.

Other than the traditional offline method of buyers purchasing items in stores, Lipa Later has tapped into the rapidly growing online presence across Africa and built a unique Buy Now Pay Later software application that integrates into e-commerce platforms enabling merchants to sell products directly to consumers and pay for them in affordable monthly instalments.

Lipa Later’s proprietary one-of-a-kind credit scoring, and machine learning system enables the consumer to sign up and get a credit limit in seconds without the need for lengthy documentation and credit approval process.

Gahigiro Capital was the sole transaction advisor on this US$10 million capital raise.

{{About Gahigiro Capital }}

Gahigiro Capital Ltd. is a corporate finance & advisory firm headquartered in Kigali, Rwanda that provides services to start-ups, SMEs, corporates, and multinationals operating across sub- Saharan Africa.

Founded in 2016, Gahigiro has a large and diversified network of institutional Africa focused investors. They offer capital raising services, mergers and acquisitions services, placement agent services, and advisory services. With Rwanda’s central location and a dynamic bilingual team, Gahigiro is well-positioned to serve both Francophone and Anglophone African countries with long-term strategic advice to fuel their growth and development. For more information, please visit www.gahigirocapital.com

{{About Lipa Later}}

Founded in 2018, Nairobi-based Lipa Later provides a point-of-sale credit program that allows retailers to sell goods and services more efficiently to consumers with repayments made in affordable monthly installments. It is a leading third-party installment plan for retailers in East Africa and currently operates in Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Nigeria. The company’s product offering allows for both online and offline integration with retailers and both online and offline sales platforms including mobile wallets for consumers. For more information, please visit https://lipalater.com

{{For any enquiries, please contact Gahigiro Capital at info@gahigirocapital.com or +250 785 288 847.}}

Some of the students who benefited from this opportunity share their views highlighting that acquired skills have been very helpful enhancing their competencies at the labour market.

“SKOL’s internship has helped me acquire practical skills which were key elements in starting my career after graduating. It also allowed me to get a picture of how work is done. In general, getting a degree is not only enough, but professional internship is also very important in the job market these days,” said Diane Dushimimana, a Front Desk Officer.

Alexis Hakizimana who is now HR Clerk at SKOL Brewery revealed that the professional internship is a great opportunity to have a place and occasion to put in action what he acquired from university and get hands on skills.

“It brings confidence that the hustler we do, the greater we benefit and is a great pleasure and motivating to the graduand getting the professional internship which leads to the permanent employment,” he said.

Justin Byiringiro, who serves as HR Assistant at SKOL Brewery disclosed that the internship helped him to achieve his dreams.

“I had a dream of doing internship in a big company in Rwanda as a way of uplifting my skills and probably getting a good job and my dream was fulfilled on my graduation ceremony in 2017, when I was honored the first-class finalist in social work and awarded internship opportunity by Ivan Wulffaert, the CEO of SKOL Brewery Ltd.

After completing my internship, I was given a permanent job in logistics and later in Human Resources where I work today. I am so grateful for the opportunity given to me which I consumed at maximum, and which has led to my permanent employment. It is my pleasure to work for SKOL Brewery Ltd, one of fastest growing companies in Rwanda.”

The Management of SKOL Brewery is happy that this support has helped different students and the community in general throughout the years, as one of its goals is to contribute to the development of the Rwandan community.

African Management Institute programmes offered through the Hanga Ahazaza initiative in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, focus on increasing employment opportunities for young people while expanding the hospitality and tourism sector in Rwanda.

Since 2019, almost 900 managers and entry level employees have graduated from AMI’s Workplace Learning programmes and more than 400 entrepreneurs and business leaders both in Hospitality & Tourism sector have benefited from AMI’s entrepreneurship programmes last year.

Under the new partnership with Musanze District, AMI aims at enrolling a minimum of 70 entrepreneurs and business owners into its Survive to Thrive programme which is a 4-month practical business growth programme that equips business leaders and their teams with skills and tools to help them address challenges affecting their enterprises and be able to recognize and seize business opportunities.

In addition, AMI will support more than 200 supervisors and aspiring supervisors in the hospitality and tourism sector as well as the creative industry to develop their management skills through the workplace learning programmes ‘Inspiring Managers’ and ‘Thrive@Work.’

Commenting on the development, Malik Shaffy, AMI Rwanda Country Director said that the partnership comes in the right time as AMI expands its reach to Musanze Community.

“ We have worked with the Rwanda Information Society Authority (RISA) to set up a new office at their Innovation Hub at the Musanze Youth Centre. Young entrepreneurs will be able to visit the Hub to learn about our programmes and meet our Growth Guides who will support them to acquire the skills they need to keep their businesses operating.

We look forward to working with business leaders and managers on this journey. I encourage them to visit the youth centre or our website to apply for an AMI programme that suits their business goals,” he said.

Janvier Ramuli, the Mayor of Musanze District appreciated AMI’s support to entrepreneurs and business managers to build their companies and find new ways to provide great customer care.

”Musanze is one of the major secondary cities and the hub of Rwanda’s tourism and hospitality industry. We are delighted to partner with AMI as their programmes will help build skills and opportunity for young Rwandans and contribute to the economic development of the district at scale,” he said.

Following the signing of the agreement with Musanze District, the AMI management team met with AMI Alumni based in Musanze to celebrate their achievements, discuss challenges brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic as well as ways to overcome them.

To learn more about AMI’s programmes, visit africanmanagers.org/rwanda.

Interested individuals in Musanze District are encouraged to apply for the Inspiring Managers programme at bit.ly/AMITW-Musanze and Survive to Thrive programme at bit.ly/AMIS2T-Musanze.

The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) said on Tuesday 29th March 2022 that the fighting with M23 broke out early Monday in North Kivu Province after the rebels attacked military positions in Tchanzu and Runyonyi in Rutshuru territory.

General Sylvain Ekenge, the Spokesman of the North Kivu governor, claimed that two soldiers of the Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) identified as Warrant Officer Jean Pierre Habyarimana and John Uwajeneza Muhindi alias Zaje were arrested during the attacks, and accused Rwanda of conspiring with the M23 rebels.

However, Rwanda dismissed the allegations in a statement released on Tuesday.

“We would like to categorically refute the baseless accusations and state that the RDF is not by any means involved in the belligerent activities across in DRC,” a statement signed by François Habitegeko, the governor of Western Province.

The statement also denied that two Rwandan soldiers were arrested in the attacks, saying the RDF does not have any member with the alleged names of the arrested presented to the press.

Speaking to RFI, the Congolese Minister of Communication and Government Spokesperson, Patrick Muyaya has said that it is not the first time M23 conducts an incursion noting that the previous attack was in November 2021.

He explained that people linking the attack to Rwanda might have reasons but insisted that DRC is much inclined to live in peace.

“Our priority today is that time has come to build good relations rooted on peace in the Great Lakes Region. Since President of the Republic was installed, there has been willingness to work with neighbouring countries,” said Muyaya.

“This means, there are established mechanisms to assess cross border issues and diplomatic means through which the situation will be brought to light. There is willingness to achieve peace and development in this Great Lakes Region,” he added.

Muyaya also highlighted that the recent meeting held in Jordan that was attended by President Félix Tshisekedi and his counterpart of Rwanda, Paul Kagame reflects willingness to improve both countries’ relations.

When asked if they still doubt about the arrested soldiers whose names and ranks were announced publicly, Muyaya said: “I don’t want to go deeper into this issue. What we consider most is peace.”

Sources reveal that the paraded soldiers were arrested on 1st February 2022 not 28th March as announced by Gen Sylvain Ekenge.