government-ministers-of-rwanda

"It was sad that many more people are yet to get decent burial while those who killed them and other members of the public may have information of their whereabouts."

"It is entirely a different issue because the laws in the country apply to nationals and non-national, pointing out that there are no exceptions when it comes to breaking the law."

"Rwanda is deeply concerned about the conflict that is taking place across the Western Province border, of which spillover effects continue to endanger the lives of Rwandan civilians residing in the area,"

"We want to offer both [safety and economic opportunities] here and we want to do it in a way that makes sense and corrects the imbalance in opportunities between the global south and the north,” she said, adding that it would also remove the perception that opportunities are in the north."

"“Those are being addressed or they’ve already been addressed in the MOU. They will just be reinforced in the treaty,” she said, adding that it is not to confirm that the fears raised by the court were real but rather an effort to give more assurances to those still in doubt."

"We’re partnering with the UNHCR and the African Union to bring migrants who were stranded in Libya to safety in Kigali. Over 1,000 migrants have passed through this centre, many have been relocated to other countries.”This is just an illustration of Rwanda’s commitment to protecting refugees & vulnerable people around the world -a principle which always governs our international policy,"

"We do hope they chose to stay with and following the footsteps of so many who have made Rwanda their home and have flourished here,"

"There was “no truth whatsoever in Burundian President’s allegation referring to Rwanda.”"

"Rwanda has received members of the School of Leadership of Afghanistan (SOLA), that first Afghan girls boarding school, who moved from Kabul to Rwanda for their own safety after the Taliban swept to power in 2021, all of which goes to show that Rwanda is safe. They’ve been here, close to two years and they live amongst us and the school started running immediately when they got here, and they’re bringing in new Afghani girls from refugee camps all over the world to join the school,”"

"The UK-Rwanda partnership is seen as a model that can salvage thousands of young people, men, women and children from making desperate journeys across seas looking for safety as asylum seekers or economic opportunities."

"What I can say about the treaty that we are working on right now is that we reinforce the guarantees that are in the MOU’s. So, it’ll be the provisions already there. The reinforcing of these guarantees in the treaty will address the concerns of the court and will reassure anyone who has any worries about asylum seekers being sent back to the country that they came from,”"

"The region has come together, the leaders of this region are working hard, mostly committed to ensuring that peace is restored to that part of DR Congo, “So it's a DRC problem. Where we come in as Rwanda is the fact that nothing should threaten our territorial integrity.”"

"Despite ongoing regional efforts to bring about peace in eastern DRC Congo, there are aspects of the conflict that are not being talked about yet they are important because they affect the lives of civilians, both in the DR Congo and, indirectly, Rwanda."

"Rwanda continues to ensure that its borders are protected, “This is why our armed forces are at the border. We've said this very openly and we will not hesitate to protect and to defend our borders and also protect our people. We have said this very clearly. What we will not allow is, for any kind of conflict to come across the border and we are prepared for that.”"

"“There are not many solutions. People are suffering, the asylum system is broken. It’s being taken advantage of by criminal gangs that are exploiting people, making false promises. People are risking their lives in these dangerous crossings,”"

"We are determined to make this work. We understand that there might be opposition to this but we are asking that this programme be a given a chance because it’s a solution,”"

"We will give them an opportunity to see what it’s like to live in this country. We do not consider living in Rwanda as a punishment. We don’t think anyone should,"

"MONUSCO, which has been in DRC since 1999, has since come under fire from Congolese populations who accuse it of failing the country. Until recently, MONUSCO had said that there is no evidence that Rwanda is involved in the renewed insurgency in Eastern DRC."

"The country cannot be deterred by different opinions from elsewhere because Rwanda and Rwandans know what it means to be a refugee or asylum seeker, and cannot abandon those in dire need for safety."

"In the last almost 30 years, we’ve welcomed a lot of refugees to Rwanda. We have over 130,000 refugees who live here, mostly Congolese and Burundians, and in smaller numbers people from elsewhere on the continent and beyond, “We are not new to this kind of situation where people are coming in seeking safety and opportunity. We have we partnered with the UNHCR and the African Union to evacuate migrants, mostly Africans, who were stuck in Libya when the war started,”"

"Asylum seekers relocated from the UK will not have a choice, pointing out that among other choices, Rwanda and the UK have been working together to ensure that they are integrated in the Rwandan society. “They will have a choice to live here with us and work. They will be facilitated to do that. With the partnership that we’re working on with the UK, we will ensure that they get these opportunities there, they will receive the safety that they need and they will get training in language and other skills,” “They will be able to go to school and they will live amongst us in Rwanda if they do want to go back home. We will not be deporting anyone or sending people back to dangerous situations, but they will have a choice to go back home if they want to,”"

"We are happy with the progress that we have made but we’re not there yet. We will continue to work even as the debate on migration reaches around the world. We’re busy doing the work that we’ve all done,” she said, adding that both Rwanda and the UK are determined to make the arrangement work."

"We want to build these opportunities here. We want people to come and live with us here, to build these opportunities and to benefit from the opportunities and make this a place of opportunity, a continent of opportunities"

"If the partnership with the UK works out as expected, it will be a solution to the global migration challenges, resulting from recent upheavals across the world which have led to many people fleeing their countries, posing a challenge for others, with no immediate solution in place"

"The DRC government has failed to do its part to uphold these agreements that they signed. As a result, the conflict is prolonged and it puts people's lives in danger. And it continues the instability in this region that nobody wants. It is unnecessary.”"

"Our call is for everyone to commit to what was agreed on with Nairobi and Luanda Protocol so we can move towards peace and stability."

"But we saw the consequences because it's right at our border and this is what we constantly tell the region and the international community that what is happening in the eastern DRC is a threat to our security because it is close to our border and we want peace.”"

"There was one injury yesterday from a stray bullet from clashes across the border and the man (civilian) who was injured is being treated, at the health center in Rubavu District. We are grateful that we did not have any (fatality).”"

"These have to be talked about as well. I'm talking specifically about the proliferation of hate speech that is followed by attacks on people. We've seen that people have been attacked, people have died, homes have been burnt, and property has been looted all as the result of the hateful rhetoric that is propagated at the highest level of government, including by the security organs in the DRC.“This is something that the United Nations (UN) itself needs to take seriously because it's coming from within. Some of the statements issued to warn about the proliferation of hate speech and the attacks on these targeted communities in the DR Congo were basically ignored by mainstream media.”"

"They are not taken into consideration by other parts of the UN system, but this information has to be used to ensure the protection of all civilians, including Rwandans.”"

"The Government of Rwanda rejects comments by H.E. Évariste Ndayishimiye, President of the Republic of Burundi, alleging Rwandan support for Burundian armed rebel groups based in Eastern DRC. Rwanda is not associated, in any way, with any Burundian armed group,” the statement read in part."

"“We will provide decent accommodation and look after all their essential needs. We also want to make it clear that if people apply for asylum in Rwanda and their claim is rejected, through the process that we will have here, they will still have a pathway to legal residency in Rwanda and we welcome people from everywhere,"

"We will be able to provide not just a safe haven these people are looking for but the opportunity to build new lives here and develop alongside Rwandans,"

"Rwanda is doing it for the right reasons and that the country has the experience of being a welcoming place for people living in precarious conditions."

"“Something has to give and we are happy to be working on this solution with our UK partners,”"

"We were expecting migrants from all over the world, people coming from countries with conflict, some may have been persecuted from where they are coming from, or maybe they are coming from countries that don’t have opportunities and we think that a lot of them have a misconception about what Rwanda is like and what Africa is like and to be quite honest some of these are perpetuated by media that does not reflect the reality of our countries,”"

"We don’t think it’s immoral to offer a home to people, something that we have done here for more than 30 years and we’re doing this for the right reasons. So, people may have their own opinions about what this program is like, depending on where they come from, “But from where are we coming from, we’re doing this for the right reasons. We want Rwanda to be a welcoming place and we’ll do our best, to make sure that the migrants are taken care of, and that they’re able to build a life here,"

"The report authored by ‘independent experts’ reveals nothing new and falls short of addressing the root cause of the conflict in Eastern DRC, which is the existence of armed groups, including the FDLR which has operated there since 1994, despite the existence of the UN Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO)."

"The Government of Rwanda urges the Government of Burundi to address their concerns through diplomatic channels where they can be resolved amicably,”"

"Rwanda will continue to play its role as a safe place for people, especially refugees and asylum seekers from across the globe looking for a place to call home. That is regardless of a recent court decision in the UK that purportedly deemed the country ‘unsafe’ for refugees."

"Rwandans have been refugees for 30 years from 1959 and the post-1994 Genocide against the Tutsi which saw millions more displaced to different neighbouring countries and beyond but later came back."

"Rwandans know what it is to be on the move, or to be displaced, just because of the history of our country,” Makolo said, reiterating why the country maintains an open policy for refugees, asylum seekers and other categories of people in need of safety,"

"“Rwanda is a welcoming country; we have been for decades now. We also have people come here to go to school or to start businesses. And we are open to that. Our migration policy is quite open,"

"Rwanda as a country believes in free movement of people, hence the open visa and visa on arrival policy for Africans, members of the Commonwealth and others looking to come into the country. This is a vision Rwanda shares with other countries under the African Union -to make the continent accessible for those wishing to come to compete for the opportunities Africa has to offer and develop along with others."

"Rwanda is still dealing with challenges including inflation, increased cost of living but the government is working around the clock to cushion citizens and anyone else living in Rwanda from these shocks."

"We’re not the only country facing these challenges,” she said, adding that the government is working with partners, including the UK, to address these issues and with the right investments in the program, the challenges will be addressed over the next five years."

"We do not want any spillover of the conflict in DR Congo into Rwanda. And we have put in place measures to ensure that it doesn't spill over.”"

"When the first flight lands here in Kigali, the new arrivals will be welcomed and will be looked after and supported to make new lives here. We will provide support with their asylum applications, including legal support and translation services,”"

"Rwanda has successfully that it is one of the safest countries for refugees as it has been attested by those who were evacuated from Libya, some of whom viewed being relocated to Rwanda as a dream come true, compared to the situation they were in before."

"“We don’t want to lose people to these desperate journeys across the Sahara and across the Mediterranean Sea. We’re losing brain power in Africa. We want young Africans to remain here and to build the continent,”"