Rwanda Roundup: Elections, Rwanda bill, M23 alliance

Elections on July 15

Rwanda's general elections are scheduled for Monday, July 15, with a public holiday declared to enable citizens to participate in the voting process. The following day, Tuesday, July 16, will focus on parliamentary elections for special interest groups, including women, youth, and persons with disabilities. Rwandans will have the opportunity to choose from three presidential candidates and over 500 parliamentary hopefuls.

Nursing mother runs for parliamentary seat

Jeanne d’Arc Nyiramahirwe, a nursing mother in Rwanda, is running for a parliamentary seat in the upcoming elections. She is one of 199 women campaigning for 24 reserved seats in the lower house. Nyiramahirwe is a math teacher and farmer and is running as an independent candidate, advocating for women’s rights and education. Despite her political aspirations, she is committed to continuing her responsibilities as a mother to her three-month-old daughter. According to Punch, the main polls are on Monday, July 15 with the vote for the reserved women’s seats taking place on Tuesday, July 16.

Kagame expected to win a fourth term

Rwandans will vote on July 15 to decide whether President Paul Kagame will be granted a fourth term. Three candidates are competing for the presidency in Rwanda, where the current President, Paul Kagame, has been victorious in every election since 2000. During a recent campaign rally, Kagame assured his supporters that while significant progress has been made, even more can be achieved if he is reelected, reports VOA. “There are roads, electricity and many other infrastructures that we have achieved,” Kagame said in Kinyarwanda, “but we still want to achieve more. We will do that with your help, starting with the elections we have on July 15.”

Rwanda's reluctance to return money from the migration deal with the UK

Rwanda has stated it is not obligated to refund the UK after the cancellation of a multi-million-pound migrant deal between the two nations. Over the weekend, new UK Prime Minister and Labour Party leader Keir Starmer declared that the plan to deport some asylum seekers to Rwanda was 'dead and buried.' The scheme, initiated by the previous Conservative government, had seen the UK pay Rwanda £240 million ($310 million) since its announcement in 2022. Due to legal challenges, the plan was never implemented, and on Monday, the UK expressed hope that some of the funds could be recovered, reports the BBC.

Rwanda and M23 accused of violating truce

On Thursday, July 11, the Congolese army accused the M23 rebels and Rwanda of breaching a humanitarian ceasefire announced by the United States last week. The two-week ceasefire, effective since July 5, was intended to allow humanitarian workers to access conflict zones in North Kivu province, where millions are enduring one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises. However, just a week into the ceasefire, reports of ongoing violence in Masisi territory near Goma, the capital of North Kivu, have emerged, according to the United Nations. The conflict in the region has escalated this year, forcing hundreds of thousands to flee from the rebels, Africanews highlights.