In a recent interview with the French newspaper Jeune Afrique, the Kenyan Head of State weighed in on the conflict that has, in recent years, negatively impacted the relations between the DRC and Rwanda due to claims that the latter backs M23 rebels.
President Ruto maintained that the conflict was not about Rwanda and the DRC or about Presidents Felix Tshisekedi and Paul Kagame but about Congolese citizens and their government.
“As heads of state, in a meeting, we asked M23 if the people in there are Rwandese or Congolese? And the DRC said these are Congolese, end of question. So if these are Congolese, how does it become a Rwanda problem, how does it become a Kagame problem? Since it is settled that M23 are Congolese, it’s a Congolese problem, and we need a Congolese solution,” President Ruto stated.
He emphasized the need for Tshisekedi’s administration to embrace dialogue with M23 to resolve the underlying issues.
This, he said, includes involving M23 groups in the Nairobi and Luanda peace processes. He insisted that the military is not a solution to the conflict in eastern DRC.
“In our [heads of state] opinion, listening to all the sides, whether it’s using the Luanda or the Nairobi peace process, M23 wants to be involved in the dialogue. They are saying, ‘Why are you locking us out? We are Congolese; we have issues we want to talk to our government,’” President Ruto averred.
“I don’t find any better outcome than a citizenship that has grievances and is willing to engage their government in a discussion so that they can sort out their grievances.”
President Ruto said dialogue had helped sort out issues with the opposition in Kenya following his victory in the August 9, 2022, presidential election.
“When the opposition in Kenya raised issues about an election that I won fair and square, six months after the election they said, ‘We think we won the election,’ and they caused issues. I told them, ‘Okay, let us talk.’ We sat down and talked. It didn’t take anything from me. We engaged in a conversation and settled the issues. There is nothing anybody loses when you engage your citizens in dialogue,” President Ruto said while referring to anti-government protests that rocked Kenya last year.
This project was presented in the city of Kigali on May 21, 2024. It is funded by the Climate Investment Funds (CIF), under its ‘Forest Investment Program’.
The Minister of Environment, Dr. Jeanne d’Arc Mujawamariya, announced that the project will initially use a budget of $18 million, but it is expected to eventually cost $30 million (over 38 billion Rwandan Francs).
She stated, “This project will be conducted in the Southern Province and Gakenke District. […] From Gakenke to the Southern Province, significant efforts are required in reforestation, environmental conservation, and the restoration of degraded lands.”
“In restoring these damaged areas, we will engage in agriculture, but it will be climate-conscious agriculture […] The project will initially cost $18 million, but as we expand, it will reach $30 million.”
Other activities in this project will include constructing anti-erosion ditches, creating level terraces, planting mixed-species trees along with crops, and fruit trees, and providing the community with modern energy-saving stoves to prevent deforestation, among other things.
Jean Marie Rusiribana, the Deputy Mayor of Ruhango District in charge of Economic Development, mentioned that this project’s extension to their district will play a significant role in both preserving the environment and enhancing the development of its residents, as it will create job opportunities.
He added, “This will allow the residents to find employment, as you have seen that this project will be implemented primarily in rural districts, where the locals will also be able to find work in this project.”
Vivian Chinyolo, representing the African Development Bank (AfDB) through which the funding was channeled, said that the bank is in partnership with Rwanda in this project, supporting environmental conservation initiatives and promoting the overall development of Africa, as these are the goals of the project.
Reacting to a recent statement from the United States calling on the Rwanda government to punish soldiers purported to be backing M23 rebels in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kagame said such statements “simply add to the problem”.
“If I were talking to the leaders in the United States and others I would start by telling them that they can do much better than that [passing condemnation]. Because in the end, they are doing nothing. Passing statements of condemnation and blaming this and that without addressing the problem, I think, simply adds to the problem,” President Kagame stated.
The Head of State spoke virtually during his participation at the 2024 Global Security Forum in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday, May 21, 2024.
“For every problem, there is a root cause. To solve it, you simply look at the root cause of the problem and work with the parties involved to address what needs to be addressed and reduce the politics and interests. Some of these things don’t just go away unless you do what needs to be done. It doesn’t need a lot of capacity to think. What all of us have can serve us to understand issues like this,” he added.
The US State Department spokesperson Mathew Miller had early this month claimed that the attack on the Mugunga camp that claimed at least nine lives came from “Rwanda Defense Forces (RDF) and M23 positions.”
However, Rwandan government spokesperson Yolande Makolo dismissed the US accusation as “ridiculous,” adding that Rwanda’s “professional army” would “never attack” a camp for displaced people.
Rwanda and DRC have been feuding over tension in the eastern DRC where the Congolese army has been fighting the M23 rebel group, part of the minority Tutsi ethnic group, which has accused the government of marginalization and persecution. On the other hand, Rwanda accuses DRC of backing FDLR, which consists of the remnants of the Interahamwe group that plotted and perpetrated the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
{{Coups in West Africa
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Meanwhile, weighing in on the recent coups in West African countries such as Niger and Guinea, President Kagame emphasized that poor leadership should be blamed. He insisted that foreign powers should refrain from taking sides in the crises.
“If you look at where coups have been happening, nobody wishes to see coups happen in any place. There is nothing to celebrate about that. But at the same time, you don’t stop there. You don’t just condemn coups without even trying to find out what led to this coup. What was lacking for a coup to happen? This is when you start seeing signs of that in governance or lack of security, as we have seen in some of these countries in West Africa,” President Kagame said.
Citing Rwanda’s military support in fighting armed insurgents in Mozambique, President Kagame emphasized that African nations should find ways to work together to solve security and other common problems facing the continent instead of over-relying on the West.
“Why can’t people, first on our own continent, find ways of working together to address these problems like we did in Mozambique and the Central African Republic? With support from developed countries, it would happen faster and more easily. But they all concentrate on condemning.
“In fact, it is ridiculous that in some cases, they would condemn people in some places where coups have happened and be silent in similar cases. They will attack countries citing lack of freedom and human rights, and where some of these are lacking the most, because of interests people have in those countries, it will be muted.”
The list was presented by PSD’s Secretary General, Dr. Jean Chysostome Ngabitsinze, who highlighted that among the party’s representatives, there are 29 women. He expressed confidence that they would once again earn the trust of the electorate and represent the citizens.
Dr. Ngabitsinze also stated that for the presidential position, the party has chosen to support President Kagame, believing him to be the right leader for Rwanda.
He assured, “We guarantee the Rwandan people that PSD has always advocated for well-being, justice, mutual assistance, and development accessible to all. This agenda continues as the main challenge has been to ensure that all Rwandans can live and prosper freely, and we have been making progress in this.”
Dr. Ngabitsinze noted that PSD has consistently participated in the parliamentary elections since the Genocide against the Tutsi, and the Rwandan people have continued to trust them.
He said, “PSD has never missed an election since the Genocide against the Tutsi, indicating that Rwandans expect us to continually strive for the country’s good policies and strongly support our presidential candidate, Paul Kagame, as he is the right choice for Rwanda.”
PSD is unfazed by the increasing number of independent candidates in the parliamentary race and believes that their representation in the Parliament will not diminish.
He stated, “We are not worried. Fortunately, in Rwanda, we see many qualifying and aspiring to uplift the country. Regardless of the outcome, our country shares leadership and positions, so any additional Rwandan candidate does not intimidate us.”
“We are campaigning to increase our seats, not to ease the competition for anyone else, to secure more seats than we currently have as PSD. However, we acknowledge that everyone has full rights, and we will compete in democracy and peace as usual, respecting whoever wins,” he continued.
Dr. Ngabitsinze also emphasized PSD’s desire to increase the number of MPs from 80 to 120 to ensure proper representation of Rwandans.
He explained, “During our congress, we based our discussion on the progress of Rwandans, their historical numbers, and the ratio of citizens per representative. We see that increasing the number from 80 to 120 would mean better representation for Rwandans, from our point of view as PSD.”
Addressing concerns that this proposal is politically motivated to secure more positions in Parliament, he clarified, “It’s not about seeking political positions, as some have suggested, but rather about ensuring that a citizen can more easily reach their representative to convey their various problems, wishes, and plans at the national level.”
Regarding the financial feasibility of this proposal, Dr. Ngabitsinze indicated that it would not destabilize the country’s economy and that the actual concern would be the contributions from the increased number of members.
Dr. Ngabitsinze concluded by expressing confidence in the potential contributions of all 66 candidates, hoping they would outperform their competitors if elected.
However, a historical analysis of the epochs in Rwanda shows that no era ever completely achieved gender equality in all aspects; our ancestors established and built upon this throughout all times.
In this history, we aim to reveal the image of gender equality and complementarity in the Rwandan family, both in ancient times and today.
{{Gender Equality in Decision-Making Levels}}
Gender equality in decision-making levels has been a practice confronted by Rwanda, where Gihanga Ngomijana founded a kingdom governed by a king, decreeing that for centuries, the king would rule alongside his mother. One being the ruler and the other the queen, both having equal power in making decisions that guide the country.
This is a testament to the high level of gender equality and complementarity in decision-making levels in ancient Rwanda.
Among the rulers of Rwanda over the 870 years (1091-1961), history shows that it was governed by 28 kings and 27 queens.
Not only was there a queen’s role in the highest leadership levels, but there were also women in significant positions, leading army troops, others as chiefs of hills.
Among them, we mention Nyirarunyonga of Gihanga, who led the Abahiza army, Nyanguge za Sagashya, the wife of Cyilima Rugwe who led the Abaliza army, and Mitunga of Rujugira, who led the Abatanyagwa army.
We must not forget some of the women known to have been Chiefs during the reigns of King Musinga and Rudahigwa.
Among them, we speak of Nyirakabuga of Cyigenza of Rwakagara (wife of Musinga, mother of Rwigemera) who managed the Sous-Chefferie of Vumwe within the Chefferie of Gihunya in the Territoire of Kibungo, during the reign of Mutara Rudahigwa.
{{Gender Equality in Education}}
Education in Rwanda is not a recent concept, but rather an ancient one, confronted by Rwanda.
School education initially was established by Gihanga around 1120, when he set up the Itorero of Rwanda ( what we can now call civil education ) as a knowledge dissemination school both in Rwanda and the surrounding countries.
Education in the Itorero lasted 10 years for boys and eight years for girls.
There, they were trained in various subjects, including some common courses. This is where they learned medicine, governance, judiciary, agriculture, animal husbandry, weaving, construction, metalwork, household chores, and more.
Women spent eight years there before going to the Rubohero to implement what they learned, while the men continued to receive combat training, after which they would go to defend and fight for the country.
Many say that girls did not attend the Itorero because they were not dressed decently enough, rather they went to Rubohero.
However, history tells us that they did attend the Itorero, but had their own separate programs, never mixing with the boys.
Rubohero was a place where they came together to apply what they learned in the Itorero (Workshop).
Education and upbringing were a principal for Rwandan children, with no one excluded. This is evidenced by their behavior, intelligence, and skills in serving their families and the country in general.
{{Gender Equality in Property}}
Due to the abundance of diverse wealth in ancient Rwanda, there was no fierce competition for money, which prevented descendants from fighting over family wealth.
When a girl got married and left her family, she was not concerned about going back to her family to demand inheritance as we see today, because she was already satisfied with what she found in her new home, moving from one set of circumstances to another.
Although the pursuit of wealth from their parents by married girls in other places did not occur, the principle of gender equality for both sexes in property was indirectly maintained.
When a girl went through the traditional doorway ( what we can call a traditional wedding now ), her family would give her a hoe and land to farm on, and also grant her cows and a pasture to graze them. This was her family’s gift to her, not a way of sharing or inheriting.
Another principle in sharing property among siblings of both sexes was that nieces and nephews should be gifted by their uncles.
This was also a way to balance the property of the parents indirectly for both sexes in ancient Rwanda.
Instead of a girl dividing the property she left at her parents’ home and also that of her new home, a principle of social harmony was established that what she would have shared at her parents’ home was given to her children, who would receive it from their maternal grandfather, represented by their uncles, the brothers of her mother.
If you had children, no matter how many, all were gifted by their uncles. They were given cows, pastures
ICCA’s “Country and City Rankings for 2023” placed Rwanda behind South Africa, which hosted 98 international events, against Kigali’s 32 events.
Kenya came in third with 29 international events, followed by Egypt and Morocco, which hosted 28 and 26 international conferences and meetings, respectively.
ICCA, which has its headquarters in Amsterdam, Netherlands, is the global community and knowledge hub for the international association meetings industry, offering data, education, communication channels, as well as business development and networking opportunities.
The organization publishes annual rankings on the number of meetings held in various countries and regions worldwide, offering a reliable indicator within the industry.
On the global stage, the United States topped the list with 690 meetings, while Italy and Spain were in second and third place with 553 and 505 meetings respectively. Other countries on the top 10 list are France (472), Germany (463), United Kingdom (425), Japan (363), Netherlands (304), Portugal (303) and Canada (259).
{{Rwanda becomes conferences hub
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Rwanda has become a hub for high-profile conferences in recent years. Last year alone, the country played host to 165 conferences, attracting over 65,000 delegates from around the world.
Statistics from the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) show that the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) recorded a significant growth of 52 percent in 2023 generating revenue of $95 million (RWF 122 billion).
Among the high-profile events held in Rwanda last year was the 73rd FIFA Congress. The event, held on March 16, 2023, brought together more than 1,500 delegates representing 211 FIFA members, head of Confederations and other global players in football.
The Women Deliver 2023 Conference (WD2023) was held in Kigali from 17-20 July 2023, where more than 5,000 delegates gathered to advance gender equality.
Additionally, the Giants of Africa Festival took place in Kigali from 13– 19 August 2023. The event brought together more than 300 African youth from 16 countries, who participated in an intensive series of basketball clinics and leadership workshops designed to help them pursue their dreams.
Rwanda also hosted two other major entertainment events in 2023: the Trace Africa Music Awards and Festival, which brought together music, fashion, and arts, giving young and creative talents a global stage to showcase their skills; and The Move Afrika by Global Citizen, which was headlined by the globally renowned artist Kendrick Lamar.
Other notable events were World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), Ironman, Cybertech Africa 2023, International Conference on Learning Representation, Africa Health Agenda International Conference, International Congress on Conservation Biology, Mobile World Congress, Global Anglican – GAFCON, nclusive Fintech Forum, Segal Family Foundation and the 19th Kwita Izina Ceremony.
Norrsken African Week Meeting, TIME 100 Summit + Awards and Unleash Rwanda were also among notable events hosted in Rwanda in 2023.
In the survey results announced on Monday, May 20, 2024, NISR said the significant decline brought back the unemployment rate to the pre-COVID-19 estimate of 13.1 per cent.
The latest trend shows that in the first quarter of 2024, one person was unemployed for every eight people in the labour force.
The report further indicates that gender disparities persist in unemployment, with females experiencing a higher rate at 14.5 per cent compared to males at 11.5 per cent.
Furthermore, youth face a notably higher unemployment rate of 16.6 per cent compared to adults at 10.3 per cent.
NISR also highlighted that urban areas continue to bear a heavier burden with an unemployment rate of 14 per cent compared to rural areas where the unemployment rate stands at 12.3 per cent.
“Despite these challenges, there is progress in narrowing the gender gap in unemployment, which was recorded at 3 percentage points in 2024(Q1), showing improvement from 3.7 percentage points in the same quarter last year,” NISR said.
“This data underscores the need for targeted interventions to address unemployment disparities across demographics and regions, ensuring inclusive economic growth and opportunities for all Rwandans.”
The latest survey also sheds light on the composition of Rwanda’s workforce. Out of an estimated working-age population of 8.2 million (16 years and above), approximately 4.37 million are employed. Another, 648,000 individuals are currently unemployed, while 3.2 million are categorized as out of the labour force. This means Rwanda’s labour force, encompassing both employed and unemployed individuals, stands at around 5 million.
The labour force participation rate, representing the proportion of the working-age population actively engaged in the labour force, has continued to record a steady increase since 2021 Q1. By 2024 Q1, this rate reached 61.0 per cent, marking a 2.4 percentage point rise from the previous year’s estimate of 57.6 per cent.
Additionally, the gender disparity in labour force participation persists, with males consistently exhibiting higher participation rates than females. In February 2024(Q1), this gender gap stood at approximately 14.6 per cent, mirroring the situation observed in the same quarter of the previous year.
{{EPR
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The Employment-to-Population Ratio (EPR) increased significantly from 47.7 per cent in the first quarter (Q1) of 2023 to 53.1 per cent in the first quarter of 2024.
Although the overall picture is positive, there are still disparities in who gets jobs. Men have a significantly higher EPR (60.9 per cent) compared to women (46.3 per cent) in 2024 Q1.
Similarly, younger people (16-30 years old) have a lower EPR (47.7 per cent) compared to adults (57.4 per cent), pointing at challenges for youth entering the workforce.
On May 20, 2024, Habineza was received by Oda Gasinzigwa, the Chairperson of the National Electoral Commission (NEC), at the commission’s offices in Kiyovu.
Dr. Habineza arrived at the NEC offices at 9:20 AM, accompanied by a large group of Green Party members including Senator Alex Mugisha and the party’s Secretary General, Elias Ntezimana.
He was asked to present all necessary documents, which he did, though some issues were found.
A presidential candidate is required to have Rwandan nationality by descent, hold no other citizenship, be irreproachable in conduct, and not have been deprived of civil and political rights by the courts.
Candidates must be at least 35 years old and must be in Rwanda at the time of submitting their candidacy, whereas parliamentary candidates must be 21 years old and hold Rwandan citizenship.
Among the required documents, Dr. Habineza Frank was missing two, including a certificate showing he had renounced any other nationality and a letter to the NEC requesting to be a candidate.
NEC President, Oda Gasinzigwa, asked the Green Party to ensure these documents are provided before the final list of approved candidates is released.
Dr. Habineza explained that he did not think it was necessary to provide a new certificate renouncing his previous Swedish citizenship, as he had already renounced it in 2017 when he first ran for President, assuming it was not needed again.
This is not the first time Dr. Habineza has contested in the presidential elections, as he received 0.48% of the vote in 2017.
He recently expressed confidence in his chances, noting that during the last elections, his party was still young, having been legally recognized in Rwanda only four years earlier.
He stated, “Indeed, last time in the presidential elections we did not get enough votes, but let’s remember that we were the only party challenging the nine others, it was not just an RPF candidate but a candidate from all those parties as you know them.”
The NEC plans to announce the definitively approved candidates from June 14, 2024, with the campaigning period running from June 22 to July 13, 2024.
The event began at Marnixplaats-Antwerpen with a walk to the Palais de Justice d’Anvers, where commemoration talks were held before continuing to the commune of Edegem.
Chargé d’Affaires a.i. André Bucyana, representing Rwandan Embassy in Belgium, emphasized, “Your presence here signifies solidarity. It demonstrates our collective commitment to combatting the horrific history of the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, ensuring it never happens again anywhere in the world.”
Minister of National Unity and Civic Engagement, Dr. Jean Damascène Bizimana, reinforced this message, stating, “As I always say, the Genocide against the Tutsi is not solely a Rwandan issue. Perpetrating genocide poses a grave threat to the entire world.”
Dr. Bizimana also called for continued efforts to bring to justice those living freely in Belgian cities who were involved in the Genocide after previous trials had resulted in convictions.
Participants also heard testimony from Rwamukwaya Edmée Fauvette. Antwerp Mayor Bart De Wever commended genocide survivors for their courage in sharing their experiences from 1994.
He remarked, “I am grateful to the genocide survivors who provide us with their testimonies about what happened to their families and friends. Their stories help us remain vigilant and prevent a repeat of the hate spread by RTLM radio.”
Ephrem Kayihura, head of DRB-Rugali in Antwerp, honored those who risked and lost their lives to stop the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and urged collective action against genocide denial and revisionism.
Additionally, Edegem Mayor Koen Mestu committed to establishing a memorial site for Rwandans to commemorate the Genocide.
Artist Cecile Kayirebwa performed commemoration songs, and the youth presented a poem titled “Rwanda 1994 – Acors et à sang pendant le génocide des Tutsi,” authored by Mazina Déo.
Ernest Sagaga, President of Ibuka in Belgium, expressed gratitude on behalf of Ibuka, reaffirming their ongoing support for genocide survivors.
He also stressed the need to scale up efforts aimed at fighting Genocide deniers and shun their intentions to continue spreading hatred.
The commemoration events in Belgium began on April 7, 2024, and will continue in Charleroi and Tournai.
In an exclusive interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour on Monday, Khan said there are reasonable grounds to believe that Netanyahu and Sinwar bear criminal responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity since October 7, 2023.
Khan is also seeking the arrest of Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas’s political leader Ismail Haniyeh, along with the group’s military chief Mohammed Deif.
Khan said the charges against Sinwar, Haniyeh and al-Masri include “extermination, murder, taking of hostages, rape and sexual assault in detention.”
“The world was shocked on the 7th of October when people were ripped from their bedrooms, from their homes, from the different kibbutzim in Israel,” Khan told Amanpour, adding that “people have suffered enormously.”
On the other hand, Khan disclosed that Netanyahu and Gallant are targeted for arrest for “causing extermination, causing starvation as a method of war, including the denial of humanitarian relief supplies, deliberately targeting civilians in conflict.
Hamas launched missile attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, saying the attack was in response to the continued Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories, the blockade of the Gaza Strip, the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements, threats to the status of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the plight of Palestinian refugees and prisoners.
Israel responded to the attack with a devastating bombardment of Gaza. Palestinian authorities said Israel’s retaliatory attack killed more than 25,000 people – mostly women and children.
The merit of Khan’s application will be determined by the ICC judges.
Notably, this is the first time the Hague-based court has targeted a top leader of a close ally of the United States in its history.
Last month, Netanyahu dismissed the ongoing probe into Israeli’s actions in Palestine territories, saying any arrest warrants against its officials “would be an outrage of historic proportions.” He maintained that Israel “has an independent legal system that rigorously investigates all violations of the law.”
Israel and the US are not members of the ICC. However, the court asserts jurisdiction over Gaza, East Jerusalem, and the West Bank since Palestinian leaders formally accepted the court’s founding principles in 2015.
