The conference, which will feature the Policymakers Roundtable, is scheduled to take place in Kigali from September 9 to 10, 2025.
Key topics on the agenda include linking sports with tourism, monetizing sports, advancing sports development, attracting sponsors, and demonstrating the benefits of investing in the sector.
Last year’s edition brought together around 400 participants, including athletes from various disciplines in Rwanda, leaders of sports federations, investors, journalists, and institutions connected to the sports industry.
Minister of Sports, Nelly Mukazayire, emphasized that the Forum is helping to reshape African perspectives on the role of sports.
“This Roundtable marks a pivotal step in unlocking the transformative potential of Africa’s sports industry. By strengthening our national policies and aligning them with Agenda 2063, we aim to foster a thriving sports ecosystem that drives job creation, sparks innovation, and accelerates socio-economic development across the continent.
“Together, we are setting the stage for a new era where sports become a powerful catalyst for Africa’s growth and global leadership,” she noted.
Among the prominent figures who attended last year was El Hadji Diouf, the legendary footballer.
Minister of Agriculture Mark Cyubahiro Bagabe and AfDB Rwanda Country Manager Aissa Touré Sarr signed an aide-mémoire on August 12 for a $995,000 grant to support feasibility, environmental, and social studies for the Gabiro Agribusiness Hub expansion.
The second phase of the project will cover 10,000 hectares across Nyagatare and Gatsibo districts—nearly twice the size of the 5,600-hectare first phase. Once complete, the entire hub will span 15,600 hectares, making it one of Rwanda’s largest agribusiness developments.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the studies will assess the viability of establishing a special agro-industrial processing zone at the hub, integrating cold storage facilities, aggregation centers, and other infrastructure to support smallholder farmers. The partnership also aims to strengthen agricultural value chains and reduce post-harvest losses.
The AfDB grant will also benefit Kivu Cold Group, a Rwanda-Japan joint venture developing an environmentally friendly, off-grid cold chain system to promote climate-resilient and sustainable agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa.
Aloysius Ngarambe, CEO of Gabiro Agribusiness Hub Ltd—the company managing the project—said the feasibility study will determine the investment required for Phase II and help attract financiers.
“This will be a critical step toward implementation,” he told The New Times.
Phase I, located in Nyagatare District, is 98 percent complete and equipped with advanced irrigation infrastructure. The government has invested $118 million (approximately Frw170 billion) in its development, with Israeli firm Netafim overseeing construction. Official handover is expected in September.
For Phase II, Ngarambe said the feasibility study contract is expected to be awarded within the next three months, although the study’s duration has not yet been determined.
The Gabiro Agribusiness Hub is a flagship project aimed at boosting productivity, modernising farming practices, and improving market access for Rwandan farmers, while contributing to the country’s food security and export growth.
The Cabinet approved 18 hectares for the campus on July 30, 2025, during a cabinet meeting chaired by President Paul Kagame.
In an exclusive interview with IGIHE, Dr. Edgar Kalimba, Deputy CEO in Charge of Medical Services at King Faisal Hospital Rwanda (KFHR), detailed that the institution aims to transform healthcare not only in Rwanda but across Africa by training skilled professionals and reducing the need for patients to seek specialised care abroad.
“The land provided by the government will allow us to develop a comprehensive campus with all the facilities necessary for workforce training, research, and medical education,” Dr. Kalimba said.
Launched in September 2024 by KFHR in partnership with the Ministry of Health, AHSU is a key component of Rwanda’s “4×4 reform” to quadruple its healthcare workforce, with a vision to serve the broader African region.
The university currently runs residency programs in six specialities—paediatrics and child health, obstetrics and gynaecology, general surgery, anesthesiology and critical care, emergency medicine and critical care, and internal medicine—alongside a school of midwifery, offering a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Midwifery.
The first cohort, which began training in September 2024, is expected to graduate in 2028, producing roughly 60 specialists and 40 midwives.
The Rusororo campus, still in the strategic planning phase, will be a state-of-the-art facility designed to establish AHSU as a leading medical school for Africa.
“It’s going to serve as an international medical school,” Dr. Kalimba emphasised. “The ambition is to set a high standard, making it comprehensive with undergraduate, postgraduate, and research programs that attract students from across the region.”
Plans are underway to start additional master’s degrees and introduce Ph.D. programs, including a combined medical and research degree (MBBS-PhD track) to train doctors who will lead medical research and teach future healthcare professionals.
The campus in Rusororo is expected to be operational within five years, according to Dr. Kalimba, and will complement KFHR’s ongoing expansion, which aims to triple its capacity by early 2028. The expansion will introduce specialised services previously unavailable in Rwanda, reducing the need for patients to seek care elsewhere in East Africa.
To ensure sustainability and regional reach, AHSU is adopting a mixed funding model. Rwandan residents are sponsored but commit to five years of service in public and teaching hospitals under a Ministry of Health retention contract.
Meanwhile, AHSU is actively recruiting students from across the continent, with growing interest evident in application statistics.
“This is not just for Rwanda. It’s an African medical school, and we want it to grow into a proper international institution,” Dr. Kalimba said.
International students will pay fees, ensuring long-term financial viability while training professionals who can elevate healthcare standards across the continent.
AHSU’s impact is already taking shape through partnerships with level 2 teaching hospitals and district hospitals like Kibuye, Kibungo, Kacyiru, and Muhima, where 30 faculty specialists have been deployed to train residents and enhance care.
“This has reduced referrals to tertiary hospitals and improved patient care, creating a model that can be replicated regionally,” Dr. Kalimba explained.
Global collaborations with several institutions like the University of Michigan, University of Wisconsin, and specialized hospitals in India and in other overseas centers are strengthening AHSU’s programs, with residents gaining exposure through external rotations at advanced medical centres. These partnerships position AHSU to share expertise and resources with other African nations.
Despite the progress, Dr. Kalimba acknowledged ongoing challenges, particularly in recruiting qualified faculty and developing infrastructure.
“Getting skilled personnel is a challenge everywhere,” he said, emphasising that training a medical specialist can take more than ten years, from undergraduate studies through postgraduate residency.
At the same time, Rwanda’s growing population, with approximately 300,000 births annually, epidemiological shift of diseases and progressively higher demand on the healthcare providers underscores the urgency of closing the doctor-to-population gap (and healthcare provider-to population gap), which remains far below the World Health Organisation’s recommended ratio of one doctor per 1,000 people.
Dr. Kalimba noted that support from the Government of Rwanda, along with the involvement of expatriate specialists, is helping to address these hurdles. Meanwhile, the KFHR expansion, scheduled for completion by late 2027 or early 2028, will provide a state-of-the-art environment for training and healthcare, benefiting both Rwanda and the wider region.
Dr. Kalimba envisions AHSU and KFHR as catalysts for making Rwanda a healthcare hub for Africa.
“Instead of people having to travel overseas from within African countries, why wouldn’t they come to Rwanda and be given equally good services that they would get from elsewhere?” he asked.
By combining world-class infrastructure, comprehensive training, and a focus on research, the Rusororo campus aims to reduce reliance on overseas care, boost medical tourism, and train professionals who will serve across the continent.
As construction plans advance, AHSU is set to play a pivotal role in elevating healthcare standards in Rwanda and beyond, fulfilling a vision of regional excellence.
Speaking at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin, Zelensky stressed that Ukraine must be directly involved in the peaceful settlement of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Everything that concerns Ukraine should be discussed exclusively with Ukraine, he said, calling for preparations for a trilateral dialogue involving Ukraine, Russia and the United States.
Zelensky underscored the need for a ceasefire and security guarantees for Ukraine.
He also urged the imposition of stronger sanctions on Russia if it refuses to agree to a ceasefire.
According to Zelensky, he and Merz had a video meeting on Wednesday with U.S. President Donald Trump, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary General Mark Rutte, among others.
Trump is scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Aug. 15 in the U.S. state of Alaska.
Ament, 18, plays for Tennessee Basketball in the United States known for nurturing top talent. He has been in Rwanda for several days on holiday, also taking time to explore his mother’s homeland.
During their discussions, Minister Mukazayire and Ament explored opportunities to develop basketball, as well as the importance of sports in fostering values, inspiring youth, and highlighting talents.
While in Rwanda, Ament visited children playing basketball in Kayonza and joined them in training sessions. He also visited Volcanoes National Park.
Recently ranked fourth among the top 100 young basketball players in the U.S., Ament is considered a rising star, with speculation already suggesting he could be in the 2026 NBA draft.
With a Rwandan mother, Ament recently unveiled a custom-made shoe by Reebok featuring the colors of the Rwandan flag.
Last year, he represented Team USA in the 2024 FIBA U-18 Americas Championship, where the team won the gold medal.
The massacre, carried out on the night of 13 August 2004, was orchestrated by the armed group FNL-PALIPEHUTU, with alleged support from elements of the Congolese army. Two decades later, the Banyamulenge say justice has never been delivered—while killings, displacement, and persecution persist.
{{Justice denied, persecution continues}}
Speaking on behalf of the Coordination des Mutualités Banyamulenge, community leader Jules Rutebuka said countless efforts to seek justice have been ignored.
“We filed cases in Burundi against those who admitted responsibility, including Agathon Rwasa and Pasteur Habimana, but they still walk free. We also appealed to the DRC, where Congolese soldiers were implicated, yet nothing was done. Every authority we approached has failed us,” he said.
Rutebuka noted that although the commemoration looks back to 2004, Banyamulenge and other Congolese Tutsi remain targets today. Livestock are seized, homes burned, and people killed or displaced simply for speaking Kinyarwanda.
“This is why we chose self-defense. We cannot continue to offer our necks to the killers,” he added.
{{Survivors’ testimonies}}
For survivors like Michel Gahakanyi, the memory of Gatumba is still vivid. Then just 22, he recalled how attackers stormed the camp, surrounding it before targeting Banyamulenge refugees who had been deliberately separated from others.
“They came prepared, poured gasoline on our shelters, and burned people alive. Anyone who tried to run was shot. My sister was killed in front of me and set on fire. I escaped through piles of bodies,” he said.
Reflecting on the present, Gahakanyi argued that the same forces that killed them in 2004 are still active—now working alongside President Félix Tshisekedi’s government in DRC.
“The Burundians who killed us then are the same ones killing us today, this time with official backing. We want justice, but if it doesn’t come, we will defend ourselves until peace is restored. This is our country, and we will not give it up,” he warned.
{{A fresh wound}}
The community was recently shaken by the arrest of Laurent Ruboneka Musabwa, a Gatumba survivor and embassy staff member in Burundi. On 27 July 2024, Burundian security forces detained him and flew him to Kinshasa in a chartered plane arranged by the DRC government.
Rutebuka condemned the arrest: “Musabwa was a lifeline for refugees and vulnerable people. Now he joins many others unjustly taken simply because they are Banyamulenge, Tutsi, or suspected of ties to M23. They are innocent, yet they are persecuted for their identity.”
Community members fear more arrests could follow, as many Banyamulenge live under constant threat.
{{Who will deliver justice?}}
The Gatumba Refugees Survivors Foundation (GRSF) filed a case with the International Criminal Court (ICC), urging prosecution of those responsible for the massacre. Similar complaints were lodged in Burundi and the DRC. But nearly 21 years later, impunity prevails.
Former FNL fighters were shielded by immunity under the Dar es Salaam ceasefire agreement of 7 September 2006.
Lawyer Innocent Nteziryayo, who represents GRSF and other Congolese Tutsi groups, said: “We submitted all the evidence required. For two years, we have been gathering additional proof, linking it with independent reports, and presenting it to courts. Burundi, the DRC, and even the ICC have our files. They acknowledged them—but no court has acted. We will keep reminding them.”
{{Gratitude and determination}}
The Banyamulenge community expressed gratitude to Rwanda for hosting many survivors and providing safety and opportunities to rebuild their lives.
Still, Rutebuka stressed that this does not replace their right to return home: “We thank Rwanda for sheltering us. But the Congolese government must recognize that we have the right to live in our own land.”
The Banyamulenge’s plight stretches back decades. Since colonial times, they have been denied recognition as full citizens of Congo. They suffered massacres during the Mulele rebellion in 1964, and waves of violence returned in the 1990s.
Since 2017, violence has intensified once more, with Mai-Mai militias collaborating with Burundian groups like Red Tabara and FNL-PALIPEHUTU. Attacks have ravaged South Kivu—killing civilians, torching homes, looting livestock, and forcing thousands into displacement.
In a press statement, the council members also expressed grave concern about the implications of such actions, which represent a direct threat to Sudan’s territorial integrity and unity and further risk exacerbating the ongoing conflict in Sudan, fragmenting the country and worsening an already dire humanitarian situation.
They unequivocally reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to Sudan’s sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity. They stressed that any unilateral steps that undermine these principles threaten not only the future of Sudan but also the peace and stability of the broader region.
They reiterated that the priority is for the parties to resume talks to reach a lasting ceasefire and “create the necessary conditions for a political resolution on the conflict.”
They also recalled Security Council Resolution 2736, which demands that the RSF lift the siege of El Fasher and calls for an immediate halt to the fighting and for de-escalation in and around the city. They also expressed grave concern about incoming reports of a renewed RSF offensive in El Fasher and urged the RSF to allow unhindered humanitarian access to the city.
The council members condemned reported attacks in the Kordofan region in recent weeks by the parties, which have caused the deaths of large numbers of civilians. They also expressed deep concern over the impact of the conflict, including attacks on humanitarian operations. They called on the parties in Sudan to allow and facilitate safe and unhindered humanitarian access in a manner consistent with the relevant provisions of international law.
They urged all UN member states to refrain from external interference that seeks to foment conflict and instability, to support efforts for durable peace, to abide by their obligations under international law, and to implement relevant Security Council resolutions.
The offensive will later target refugee camps in central Gaza and the southern area of Al Mawasi, where most of Gaza’s 2.2 million residents have taken shelter, according to a statement by the Israeli military.
The principles of the plan were approved in a meeting of security officials earlier on Wednesday, the statement said, adding that “the central concept for the plan for the next stages in the Gaza Strip was presented and approved, in accordance with the directive of the political echelon.”
Zamir’s approval came three days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military had been ordered to enter the “decisive stage” of the Gaza war, aimed at seizing the remaining Hamas strongholds in Gaza City, refugee camps in central Gaza, and Al Mawasi’s southern area, an order widely condemned amid Gaza’s worsening humanitarian crisis.
It also came as Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar told a press briefing on Wednesday that Israel rejects a two-state solution and “will not allow” the establishment of a Palestinian state.
On Sunday, a rare emergency weekend meeting held by the UN Security Council saw widespread outrage at the Israeli plan. Yet the session ended with no resolution as the United States, a veto-wielding permanent member of the Security Council, sided with Israel.
“If these (Israeli) plans are implemented, they will likely trigger another calamity in Gaza, reverberating across the region and causing further forced displacement, killings, and destruction, compounding the unbearable suffering of the population,” UN Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas Miroslav Jenca warned the Council.
On Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan slammed Israel over Gaza and accused Netanyahu of running a “network of massacres” and seeking to prolong his political survival at the cost of further bloodshed in the region.
On late Tuesday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud held a phone conversation, during which they reiterated rejection of the Israeli plan, calling it “an attempt to deepen the illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories, continue the genocide war against the unarmed Palestinians, undermine their right to self-determination and establish their independent state.”
They also regarded the plan as “a blatant violation of international law and humanitarian international law,” read a statement released Wednesday by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.
Meanwhile, Mahmoud Basal, the spokesperson for Gaza’s civil defense, told Xinhua at least 41 Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks across Gaza on Wednesday.
In southern Gaza, 12 people were killed by Israeli army gunfire while waiting to receive food near an aid center southwest of Khan Younis. In central Gaza, five people were killed and 10 others injured as the Israeli army targeted civilian gatherings near the aid distribution point at the Netzarim axis. Four were killed by Israeli fire while waiting for aid near Kissufim, east of Deir al-Balah, Basal said.
In Gaza City, at least 12 were killed during an Israeli airstrike at the home of the Abu Daf family in the Zeitoun neighborhood, east of the city, and eight others, including five children, were killed when tents housing displaced people were targeted in the Tal al-Hawa neighborhood, south of the city, Basal said.
According to local eyewitnesses, the Israeli army continued to demolish residential buildings in Rafah, Khan Younis, and eastern Gaza, in addition to artillery shelling in the eastern outskirts.
The developments came as a delegation of Hamas leaders, headed by Khalil Al-Hayya, on Wednesday continued its meetings in Cairo with Egyptian officials on ceasefire negotiations in Gaza.
Egypt’s Al-Qahera News channel, citing an Egyptian official source, reported that the delegation arrived in Cairo on Tuesday to discuss resuming Gaza ceasefire talks, to reach a temporary 60-day truce agreement.
However, Netanyahu told Israeli broadcaster i24 on Tuesday in an interview that Israel is “not going back to partial agreements,” accusing Hamas of “misleading” Israel, without providing details.
Gaza-based health authorities reported on Wednesday eight more deaths from famine and malnutrition in the past 24 hours, including three children, bringing the total number of hunger-related deaths to 235, including 106 children.
The total number of people killed by Israeli strikes since October 2023 has risen to 61,722, with another 154,525 wounded, according to the health authorities.
The remains, believed to belong to prominent leaders of the 1896–1897 uprising against colonial rule known historically as the First Chimurenga, were seized by British forces after brutally suppressing the revolt.
Among them are the skulls of revered spiritual leaders Mbuya Nehanda and Sekuru Kaguvi, as well as chiefs such as Chinengundu Mashayamombe and Makoni Chingaira, who played key roles in resisting settler expansion.
For decades, the remains were held in European institutions, including the Natural History Museum in London, the University of Cambridge’s Duckworth Laboratory, and an unidentified museum in Switzerland. According to Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, at least 11 sets of remains are confirmed in the UK, with others believed to be in South Africa.
The agreement follows years of lobbying by Zimbabwe, with calls for repatriation dating back to the presidency of Robert Mugabe, who in 2015 described the retention of the skulls as “one of the highest forms of racist moral decadence.” Negotiations gained momentum in recent years, leading to formal commitments from UK museums to return the remains.
An inter-ministerial committee comprising the Ministries of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, and Local Government has been tasked with coordinating the repatriation process. Its responsibilities include resource mobilisation, developing a formal programme for the return, and ensuring adherence to cultural protocols in consultation with traditional leaders and descendants of the fallen heroes.
Authorities are also planning to construct a high-tech storage and preservation facility to house the remains upon their return. This will serve both as a conservation site and a memorial to the leaders who paid the ultimate price in resisting colonial conquest.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ambassador Raphael Faranisi, confirmed to the local media that the process has entered its first phase.
“We hope to complete the repatriation in the shortest time possible,” he said, adding that cultural sensitivity will guide every step.
The announcement came earlier this week as Zimbabwe marked its 45th Heroes Day commemorations, which honour those who fought for the nation’s liberation.
The return of the heroes’ remains mirrors similar repatriation efforts across Africa, such as Namibia’s successful retrieval of Herero and Nama remains from Germany in 2018.
The event will mark the first time the prestigious cycling competition is held in Africa.
In a public notice issued on Wednesday, the government announced that temporary road closures will be in effect along designated race routes during specific hours. Residents and visitors are advised to plan ahead and use clearly marked alternative routes.
All schools within Kigali City will close for the duration of the championships, with the Ministry of Education coordinating with administrators and parents to ensure a smooth transition.
Additionally, the government has encouraged public servants to work remotely, except for those providing essential services. Private institutions are also urged to adopt virtual work arrangements where feasible.
“Private institutions capable of remote work are strongly encouraged to adopt virtual working arrangements during the championship,” the notice reads in part.
Citizens and visitors have also been invited to experience the event, with Fan Zones set up across Kigali for close-up views of the competition.
“Alternative and detour routes will be clearly marked and communicated in advance, in coordination with traffic authorities, to minimize disruptions caused by road closures,” the notice adds.
The UCI Road World Championships is an annual international road cycling competition, bringing together national teams from around the world under the organisation of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI).
The event is expected to attract numerous participants from across the globe, along with visitors who will come for both the event and tourism activities.
First held in 1921 in Copenhagen, Denmark, the most recent edition of the championship took place in Zürich, Switzerland, in 2024.
