Rwanda moves to make new friends
The East African - 1 hour ago
By SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT The EastAfrican
Posted Saturday, June 7 2014 at 15:26
IN SUMMARY
The new embassies will be located in Lusaka, Luanda, Brazzaville, Abu
Dhabi and Jerusalem.
The Foreign Minister said opening the embassies is for strategic
reasons, mainly related to trade and investment.
Analysts say the shift in diplomacy by Kigali could signal a deeper
shift in the country's diplomatic relations.
Rwanda will open new embassies in Africa, Israel and the United Arab
Emirates, in an attempt to reposition itself strategically amid
renewed tensions with some of its neighbours.
Kigali has icy relations with Tanzania and DR Congo, and is still at
loggerheads with its former old ally South Africa.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Louise Mushikiwabo told parliament last
week that Rwanda has finalised plans to open five new embassies to
strengthen bilateral ties with various countries. The new embassies
will be located in Lusaka, Luanda, Brazzaville, Abu Dhabi and
Jerusalem.
Ms Mushikiwabo, who was presenting the ministry's budget for the
2014/15 financial year, said Kigali had made new and important
partners. The ministry intends to spend at least $5.2m in the 2014/15
fiscal year on opening and supporting the new embassies.
Despite the expansion plans, Ms Mushikiwabo said her ministry was
short of funds to run the ever growing number foreign diplomatic
missions. The government has budgeted over $27.8 million for the next
financial year but the draft budget framework has only allocated $23.6
million to the activities of the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
"Rwanda seeks to expand its diplomacy by opening up embassies in our
new bilateral partners on the continent and beyond. Southern Africa is
considered a very strategic area for us and that is why we are opening
up new embassies in Lusaka and Luanda," Ms Mushikiwabo said.
The minister said opening the embassies is for strategic reasons,
mainly related to trade and investment, but members of the opposition
were quick to observe that the expansion is nothing but a plan by
Kigali to continue harassing Rwandan refugees and politicians in
exile.
Dr Theogene Rudasingwa, a member of the Rwanda National Congress
(RNC), one of the leading exiled opposition groups said Rwanda's shift
in diplomatic interest across the continent is a move by Kigali to
hound its enemies and refugees who are reluctant to return home.
However, analysts say the shift in diplomacy by Kigali could signal a
deeper shift in the country's diplomatic relations. Rwanda announced
in May that it would open an embassy in Angola, signalling a possible
shift from Pretoria to Luanda as the country's strategic focal point
in Southern Africa. The national carrier RwandAir has also launched
weekly flights to Luanda.
Kigali's close ties with Luanda came after relations between Rwanda
and South Africa deteriorated at the beginning of the year over the
alleged violation of South African sovereignty by agents working for
Rwanda.
In March this year, South Africa expelled three Rwandan diplomats
after an attack on the residence of exiled former Rwandan army chief
of staff Lt Gen Kayumba Nyamwasa's residence. Rwanda retaliated by
expelling six South African diplomats with immediate effect.
Last month, President Paul Kagame skipped the swearing-in of President
Jacob Zuma, which was attended by many regional leaders.
On the other hand, the opening of an embassy in Lusaka is suspected to
be yet another move by Kigali to limit its contact with Dar es Salaam.
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SIBOMANA Jean Bosco
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