Upon his arrival in the country, Kagame was received by Dr. Stergomena Lawrence Tax, Tanzania’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation.
Kagame then proceeded to State House Dar es Salaam, where he was received by President Suluhu for a tête-à-tête meeting to be followed by a bilateral discussion with members of both delegations.
The two Heads of State are expected to address members of the press. Kagame will also attend a dinner hosted in his honor. Suluhu last visited Rwanda in August 2021.
Kagame will conclude his visit to Tanzania on Friday, April 28th, 2023.
Rwanda and Tanzania renewed their commitment to cooperation, through bilateral agreements signed in various sectors for the social and economic growth of both nations.
The Head of State made the call at the opening ceremony of Transform Africa Summit 2023 held in Zimbabwe from 26th to 28th April 2023.
At the summit, Kagame was also joined by several Heads of State including host President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi, King Mswati III of the Kingdom of Eswatini, and Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia, among other dignitaries.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a wide-ranging branch of computer science concerned with building smart machines capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence.
Many countries around the world have already started to embrace AI technology.
The report released by leading global investment banking, securities and investment management firm, Goldman indicated that Artificial Intelligence (AI) could disrupt the global labour market and replace the equivalent of 300 million full-time jobs.
It further indicates that the technology can lead to the creation of new jobs as it has the potential to enhance productivity and services by 7%.
Speaking to participants of the 6th Transform Africa Summit (TAS2023) in Victoria Falls, Kagame said that it is still unclear how the AI will affect existing jobs and what ‘safety concerns there will be’.
He stressed the need for Africa to assess benefits it can get from the technology and move fast with it.
“But it is already possible to see that Africa actually has the most to gain because of how these applications can narrow productivity gaps between African firms and our competitors on the other continents. We should therefore move quickly to embrace Artificial Intelligence and make it work for us,” he stated.
The president also said that transforming Africa means digitizing the continent’s economies.
“Already many of the new quality jobs being created in Africa are powered by technology and connectivity. That applies even to traditional sectors like Agriculture, mining and retail,” he noted.
Kagame stressed the need to address existing barriers to make technology the key driver for economic growth and development on the African continent.
He said that everyone has to be connected to affordable broadband and also be able to have a smart device.
As Kagame said, Mobile broadband penetration has been spreading rapidly, but more than 60 percent of Africans who have access don’t use it.
“We need to also keep reducing costs,” Kagame urged participants.
Equally troubling, he noted, is that a big piece of the puzzle is digital skill and literacy.
“One reason many Africans are not taking full advantage of the internet is that they are not yet comfortable with the interface or sometimes the language barrier factor.”
According to Kagame other bottlenecks include digital identity and cyber security as well as continental integration such as the African Continental Free Trade Area or the One Africa network.
“We need to make digital identities of individuals and businesses portable across borders while using technology to reduce barriers to trade. All of this is within our power to achieve. We just need to move faster with a sense of urgency,” he said.
On Wednesday afternoon, Kagame chaired the Smart Africa Board Meeting attended by Heads of State and their representatives from the Alliance’s 36 member countries, international organisations and global private sector players to discuss Africa’s digital agenda.
Gen Muhoozi visited Rwanda in March 2022 where he met with President Kagame whom he calls uncle. At the time, they held discussions aimed at reinforcing bilateral relations.
During the visit, the head of state took Gen Muhoozi to his farm and gifted him ten cows locally known as Inyambo cows as a gesture of friendship pact.
In the evening of Monday 24th April 2023, President Kagame hosted Muhoozi to a ceremony in honour of his 49th birthday and commended him for his efforts to restore both countries’ relations to normal.
Both countries turned a new page for relations following visits of Gen Muhoozi at the beginning of 2022.
Relations had deteriorated since 2017 as Rwanda accused the neighbouring country of illegal detention of Rwandans and working with subversive groups intending to threaten its security while Uganda accused Rwanda of sending spies to the country.
Following the mediation of Gen Muhoozi, Rwandans illegally incarcerated in Uganda were released followed by the reopening of borders.
“We are seeing peace between our two countries. Well, you can have peace but at the same time you may not be friends. We are friends and we are at peace,” said Kagame at the birthday celebration for Gen Muhoozi.
He extolled Gen Muhoozi for his role along the journey to restore ties to normal.
“Thank you for being that bridge we used to cross from one side to another,” he noted.
Gen Muhoozi said that their interactions with Kagame went from being a president and army officer to ‘a personal friend’.
“The mark of this friendship was the cows that he gave me and I take this very seriously. Your Excellency, I would like to report that the cows are doing well and have reproduced. You gave me ten cows, now I have 17 from the ones you gave me. From that point on, really we became friends,” he disclosed.
In Rwandan culture, cows represent a very significant symbol of friendship and are considered part of the best wealth a person can ever possess.
In Rwanda, cows were the only token that would be given for dowry or as a present to a friend. Even today, a cow is still considered the best present one can ever give a beloved one. Be it a wedding, graduation or a birthday party, cow giving makes the occasion more colourful and real.
As he attended Gen Muhoozi’s birthday in Kampala last year, President Kagame thanked the general for his contribution and commitment to restore relations between Rwanda and Uganda.
President Kagame has said that Lt Gen Muhoozi asked for his phone number to discuss issues between both countries’ relations.
“Muhoozi went through friends, and asked for my phone number. And so, I provided the direct line,” he said.
“He asked me in a message if I could accept talking to him in that direct way. Even before, I knew what he wanted to tell me. I accepted. He came. All this happened in a very short time of about two weeks,” Kagame added.
The commitment led to first talks with Lt Gen Muhoozi in January 2022 paving the way for normalized relations.
At the time, P Kagame went on to say that he did not only trust Muhoozi for his intentions to mediate the two countries but also was convinced that his father, Ugandan President Museveni was behind the good cause.
[{{Related article: President Kagame, First Lady host Gen Muhoozi on his birthday}}->https://en.igihe.com/news/article/president-kagame-first-lady-host-gen-muhoozi-on-his-birthday]
“Last night, President Kagame and First Lady Jeannette Kagame hosted General Muhoozi Kainerugaba and his delegation to celebrate the General’s birthday,” Rwanda’s Presidency has tweeted.
Gen Muhoozi, the son of Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and Senior Presidential Advisor on Special Operations arrived in Rwanda for a private visit on April 23, 2023.
He arrived one day before his 49th birthday celebration, which he announced would be celebrated in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda.
The delegation that came with Gen Muhoozi includes Norbert Mao, the Ugandan Minister of Justice, Maj Gen (Rtd) Jim Muhwezi, the Interior Minister, and Andrew Mwenda, the Spokesperson of MK Movement among others.
Photographs posted on Twitter show President Kagame, First lady Jeannette Kagame and other attendees of the event clapping hands for Gen Muhoozi with a birthday cake in front of him.
The general’s last year’s birthday held in Kampala was attended by President Paul Kagame. He had last visited the country three years ago.
Gen Muhoozi is commended for his mediation efforts to mend Rwanda-Uganda relations that had deteriorated since 2017.
Efforts to normalize bilateral ties began to take formal shape following his two visits to Rwanda last year, a move that was followed by the reopening of borders.
According to MINEMA, carelessness is responsible for 55% of disasters, while 20% is attributed to topography. Disasters also ravaged crops on over 2000 hectares.
Disasters in Rwanda are related to the country’s topography, climate change, and human activities as indicated by the Permanent Secretary in MINEMA, Philippe Habinshuti during a talk show aired on RBA.
As he said, these disasters caused significant losses in various aspects of life, particularly in agriculture and infrastructure.
Over the past four months, disasters have left 158 people injured, destroyed 44 schools, and ravaged 12 roads.
According to Fabrice Barisanga, the Director General in Charge of Transport in the Ministry of Infrastructure (MININFRA); roads and bridges were the most affected infrastructures, with rain destroying 91 bridges across the country.
MINEMA urges the general public to adhere to disaster prevention measures, build structures in compliance with designated master plans, and avoid staying in places that put their lives at risk.
Statistics indicate that disasters incur Rwf200 million loss in Rwanda every year. Over the past two months, disasters have destroyed 273 houses and ravaged crops on 790 hectares in the Northern Province, while the Western Province has seen the destruction of 224 houses, with Rusizi District being the most affected.
The province also experienced floods from volcanoes that affected 276 families, with 256 in Rubavu District alone, while 14 people died of different types of disasters.
In the past three years, the Northern Province has experienced disasters 1500 times, causing the loss of 201 lives and destroying over 5000 houses and over 3000 hectares that were swept away by floods.
Disasters have also killed more than 100 cows and around 4000 small livestock.
The shooting commenced on 15 April 2023, after days of tension arising from the redeployment of members of the RSF across the country, which the army perceived as a threat.
While there were initial expectations of talks to resolve the conflict, they never materialized.
The party responsible for the first shot remains uncertain, but the violence quickly escalated in various regions of the nation.
On Sunday 22rd April 2023, French President Emmanuel Macron revealed that citizens from European and other countries were being evacuated from Sudan to Djibouti.
“Sudan is in the grip of violent clashes. The first plane repatriating our compatriots, European nationals, and nationals from other countries has just landed in Djibouti. I commend the mobilization of our armed forces and the agents of the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs,” he tweeted.
French Ministry of Foreign Affairs has disclosed that 388 citizens have been evacuated under this operation that continued in the morning of Monday 24th April 2023.
French Ambassador to Rwanda, Antoine Anfré has via Twitter handle confirmed that the evacuees include a few Rwandans.
“Among the non-European citizens evacuated from Khartoum by the French operation there are a few Rwandan citizens [this embassy doesn’t know yet the precise number].This is what’s called solidarity!” he tweeted.
On Sunday, the United States of America and the United Kingdom also revealed that they were evacuating their citizens from Khartoum.
The conference, attended by 1,300 delegates from 52 countries, including over 300 bishops and more than 450 clergy, rejected the Church of England’s decision and the authority of any Anglican denomination that accepts homosexuality.
The Kigali Commitment, a statement released by GAFCON delegates, refers to the blessing of same-sex unions as “pastorally deceptive and blasphemous.”
Citing the 1998 Lambeth Conference’s Resolution I.10, the document reaffirms the stance that homosexual practice is incompatible with Scripture and advises against legitimizing or blessing same-sex unions.
GAFCON delegates, joined by the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches, are calling for a reset of the Anglican Communion and no longer recognize the Archbishop of Canterbury as an Instrument of Communion.
They seek to establish a clear identity and robust leadership structure for orthodox Anglicans worldwide.
In response, a spokesperson for Lambeth Palace, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s official residence, emphasized the importance of working together and engaging in open discussions to maintain unity within the Anglican Communion.
The Church of England’s General Synod had voted in February to allow priests to bless same-sex couples, though its formal teaching on marriage and authorized liturgies remain unchanged.
The event was attended by Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the son of Ugandan President, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni who also serves as the senior presidential advisor on Special Operations and other Ugandan officials.
Also present, was the Head of Military Intelligence at Rwanda Defence Force (RDF), Maj Gen Vincent Nyakarundi and other local leaders from Rwanda.
The concert coincided with the birthday week of Gen Muhoozi, who played a key role in negotiating the border’s reopening through a series of meetings with Rwandan President Paul Kagame.
The General graced a number of activities during his visit to Kabale, including laying a foundation stone for the construction of the Museveni-Kagame Market at the border point and commissioning a Water Ambulance at Lake Bunyonyi, which is 8km from Kabale town and will help save lives, especially those of mothers and their unborn babies.
At Kabale Municipal Playground, Gen Kainerugaba also officiated a friendly football match between Gicumbi F.C. from Rwanda and Kigezi Select from Uganda as one of the activities to kickstart the Katuna border reopening Thanksgiving concert.
The Rukundo Egumeho Thanksgiving Concert featured performances from a number of musicians from Kigali and Kampala, including Azawi, Spice Diana, Jose Chameleone, Winnie Nwagi, Masamba, and King James.
The event was also attended by hundreds of enthusiastic residents from the border districts of Kabale and Gicumbi in Rwanda.
This move, made in consultation with private sector representatives, targets maize flour and rice, as well as Irish potatoes, which will now feature a reduced price seal.
According to a statement released on April 19, 2023, this decision follows market findings that exposed traders taking advantage of the ongoing economic crisis by significantly increasing food prices to generate extraordinary profits.
In March 2023, Rwanda’s Consumer Price Index (CPI), which is the main measure of inflation, rose by 19.3 percent year on year, compared to 20.8 percent in February 2023.
According to National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR), The prices of local products increased by 20.8 percent year on year and 2.2 percent month on month.
Meanwhile, the prices of imported products increased by 14.8 percent year on year and 0.6 percent month on month.
The prices of fresh products increased by 53 percent year on year and 5.3 percent month on month.
To mitigate this issue, the ministry has implemented new pricing structures for essential food items, including maize, rice, and Irish potatoes.
As per new prices, a kilogram of dry maize has been set at Rwf500 from around Rwf1,000 while and maize flour is Rwf800, down from Rwf1,300.
For rice, the price of short rice grains has been set at Rwf820 from around Rwf1,200; long rice grain at Rwf850, down from Rwf1,500; and Basmati rice at Rwf1,455 from over Rwf2,000.
As for Irish potatoes, the updated prices are: Rwf460 for Kinigi potatoes, down from Rwf600; Rwf440 for Kirundo Irish potatoes, reduced from Rwf550; Rwf430 for Twihaze potatoes and Rwf410 for Peko Irish potatoes.
This price adjustment substantially reduces the cost of these staple foods for Rwandan citizens.
Consumers and traders have expressed optimism that this measure, along with the government’s recent reduction in fuel prices, will help to lower the overall cost of living.
Additionally, Rwanda is working to further decrease food prices by revamping its trade-focused bilateral relationship with the Republic of Serbia, aiming to import more affordable cereals into the country.
This multifaceted approach demonstrates the Rwandan government’s commitment to addressing the economic challenges faced by its citizens.
These request was made by some Congolese senators who were apparently reacting to recent comments by President Paul Kagame on his visit to Benin where he related DRC crisis to poor leadership.
During his visit to Benin over the weekend, President Kagame and his counterpart, Patrice Talon addressed members of the press to respond to different questions of concern.
One of journalists asked Kagame to comment on allegations by Congolese President, Felix Tshisekedi who accuses Rwanda of supporting M23.
Kagame said that M23 is not the real problem but rather a product of many other problems that have not been addressed for decades.
He explained that M23 problem was there even before Tshisekedi became president as it escalated in 2012.
The Head of State said that the problem is related to Congolese who have Rwandese heritage due to borders drawn during colonial times where a big part of Rwanda was left to eastern Congo and south-western Uganda.
The President underscored that these people have been denied their rights within Congo, until they took up arms in 2012 against their own government ‘because of this problem’.
He stated that the problem was mismanaged as it is coming back in 2023.
“That means it wasn’t properly handled,” said Kagame.
The statement by Kagame was misinterpreted and irked some Congolese politicians who demanded their country to attack Rwanda during a Senate plenary session on Monday.
Senator Molisho proposed an immediate meeting of the Supreme Council of Defense to approve an attack on Rwanda, with Senator Edouard Mokolo wa Mpombo expressing his support.
In response, Senate President Modeste Bahati urged his colleagues to remain calm and prioritize respect and support for their nation.
Among others, the assembly approved a law to extend the state of emergency in the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri due to persistent instability in the area.
This is not the first time Congolese politicians have called for an attack on Rwanda.
Adolphe Muzito who once served as Prime Minister also proposed invading Rwanda in 2019 to ensure peace and security in eastern Congo.
Long-standing border disputes from the colonial era and issues surrounding Congolese Rwandophones, including M23 rebels, continue to exacerbate tensions between the two countries.
