As the Netherlands marked the King’s Day, on April 24, in an interview, the Ambassador of the Netherlands to Rwanda, Joan Wiegman, shed light on the past, present, and future of the two countries partnership.
From justice cooperation to economic development, the Netherlands and Rwanda have enjoyed long relations through cooperation, support, and friendship between the two nations. Amb Wiegman also said her country stands with Rwandans during the 30th commemoration of the Genocide against the Tutsi.
The excerpts:
How would you describe the historical bilateral relations between the Netherlands and Rwanda?
The Netherlands and Rwanda maintain a strong relationship of close cooperation and friendship, which was substantially strengthened after the opening of an Embassy in Kigali soon after the genocide against the Tutsi ended in July 1994. Rwanda faced the daunting task of rebuilding its country, do justice to the tremendous losses the society had endured and to unite its people. Now, being in this beautiful land of 1000 hills, 30 years later, I can only express my sincere admiration for the achievements and contributions of all Rwandans to develop the country to where it is today.
Immediately after the genocide, the Netherlands partnered with the transitional government to provide emergency humanitarian aid. It was apparent that reconciliation and justice would need to go hand in hand for the country to rebuild. The Netherlands recognized that rebuilding the justice system was an essential part of this. Therefore, from an early date the Netherlands supported Rwanda in its endeavour to develop a professional justice system that would help rebuild the country and reconcile its society.
Our historical close ties in the field of justice cooperation, based on and strengthened through the commitments of many involved, form the basis of our continued and strong overall partnership today and in the future. Over the past decades our partnership has grown and contributed to the broad and ambitious development agenda of the Rwandan government in areas such as governance and decentralization, water resource management, food and nutrition security.
There are many examples of successful collective efforts contributing to Rwanda’s sustainable development agenda during our decades-long partnership. But let me highlight one of them: the Sebeya project. An integrated water resource management project implemented by the Rwanda Water Resources Board. The results are significant. The Sebeya area, located in Western Province, faced social and environmental challenges such as landslides, floods and erosions washing away people’s properties and claiming lives of many people in the area. The project has significantly reduced these threats and has improved the livelihoods of the population.
What specific opportunities do you anticipate in fostering stronger bilateral ties between the Netherlands and Rwanda during your tenure, especially in support of Rwanda’s economic growth and development?
The last few years, we have been working on the shift in our cooperation from aid to trade. Through this, we aim for a thriving, modern, mutually beneficial economic relationship between equal partners focused on sustainable trade and investment. This is fully in line with Rwanda’s transformation agenda.
Within this context the Netherlands will use available financing instruments to further stimulate a business enabling environment, as well as to unlock the potential of emerging sectors such a logistics and infrastructure, digitalization, e-mobility and renewable energy. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), Invest International and the Dutch Entrepreneurial Bank have already partnered with several institutions in Rwanda to that end.
Rwanda’s focus on security, on economic growth, on a conducive business climate in which digital solutions enhance efficiency, make it an important partner for the Netherlands. And potentially attractive for Dutch enterprises and investors, also as a hub to other countries in the region. The strong presence of some major Dutch companies, making substantial investments here, showcases our strong relationship, as well as the belief and trust in the economic future of the country.
The Netherlands, often together with other international donors and as part of Team Europe, significantly supports Rwanda in creating an enabling environment for private sector development such as the Rubavu and Rusizi ports at Lake Kivu. The conditions seem favourable to soon support the establishment of a Kigali wholesale market for horticultural products.
It is gratifying to see new and sustainable initiatives that match the innovative and digital ambitions of Rwanda, such as the first successful transport by sea of avocados to the Netherlands and the development of cooking stoves based on renewable energy that replaces charcoal with pellets. Gishanda Fish Farm is an excellent example of innovative cooperation, a modern fish farm and hatchery utilizing state of the art recirculating aquaculture systems farming and solar technology. A bold and catalytic project, introducing innovation and new skills to accelerate aquaculture development in Rwanda.
Cooperation in agriculture, still one of the main sectors in Rwanda, is ongoing. Examples of successful innovations include but are not limited to developing starting material for improved potato production, supporting the professionalization of agricultural value chains with a focus on unlocking specific bottlenecks in doing business and stimulating markets, transformation of smallholder farming (One Acre Fund), professionalization of farmer cooperatives (Agriterra), improved access to agricultural credits (ACELI Africa) and support to Trade Mark Africa to strengthen and increase regional trade processes.
In other words, the Netherlands supports in all kinds of areas; private sector development making use, as much as possible, of Dutch added value and innovations.
The Netherlands is renowned for its expertise in a number of fields, including renewable energy, digitalization, agriculture, and water management. Do you intend to use Dutch expertise to further Rwanda's development objectives?
Indeed, we intend to continue to facilitate exchanges of Dutch and Rwandan experts to capitalize on innovative ideas existing in our two countries in the field of agriculture, renewable energy, digitalization, water resource management and e-mobility to further Rwanda’s transformation agenda and vision 2050.
It goes without saying that the young generations are an essential part of society and have a specific role to play in the future of our countries. Young people should therefore be equipped with the necessary skills and resources to be able to contribute to the sustainable development of our societies. The Young Expert Program (YEP) allows young professionals to create a renewed and inspiring international network and gain experience in their field of work through Dutch organizations. More than ten young Rwandans have already benefitted from this programme.
Over the past decades, more than 600 Rwandans have studied in the Netherlands with the support of the Orange Knowledge Programme (OKP) scolarships. These alumni have gained valuable knowledge and most of them are now using their improved skills in their jobs in Rwanda. We cherish them as our local ambassadors of our country and education system.
To mention another example, PUM is a Dutch organization that drives local positive impact on a global scale via Dutch retired expert volunteers. PUM expert volunteers work with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as well as entities that support them. In Rwanda PUM provides expertise to SME’s in various sectors, for example, agriculture.
Rwanda is commemorating 30 years of Genocide against the Tutsi. What can be your message to Rwandans, to the world and how does the Netherlands stand with Rwandans in this period?
The genocide against the Tutsi in 1994 made an indelible impression on people in the Netherlands. I too remember the news from that time. The horrible events shocked all of us, and the scale of the genocide was incomprehensible, back then. The images are etched in the minds of so many. Now, 30 years later, our thoughts are with the victims, the survivors, and their loved ones.
At the Kwibuka 30 commemoration, the Dutch government was represented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mrs Hanke Bruins Slot. Of course I attended the ceremony in BK Arena as well, and was deeply moved by the commemoration, which sent a strong message to the world that these horrendous events should never be forgotten and should never happen again. Later, together with my Rwandan and Dutch Embassy colleagues, I paid tribute to the victims of the genocide against the Tutsi at Kigali Genocide Memorial.
On April 7, in Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, my Rwandan colleague Ambassador Olivier Nduhungirehe gathered the Rwandan community living in the Netherlands, as well as many Dutch and international guests, for the commemoration ceremony at the genocide memorial in Beatrix Park. Our Minister of Justice, Mrs. Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius, underlined, in her speech, that Rwanda and its people have shown immense resilience in the past 30 years and stated that it is crucial to commemorate and keep the memory alive, not only for new generations in Rwanda, but for the entire international community. The minister also stated that it is of importance to work together in the fight against impunity.
The Netherlands continues its efforts to combat impunity and hold perpetrators of international crimes, including genocide, to account. To that end, the Netherlands initiated together with Argentina, Belgium, Mongolia, Senegal, and Slovenia, the creation of an international convention on legal cooperation in the detection, prosecution and trial of international crimes, such as genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. This Ljubljana – The Hague convention was signed in the Peace Palace in The Hague on the 14th of February in the presence of the Rwandan minister of Justice. It will strengthen the already strong and effective cooperation between Rwanda and the Netherlands on judicial matters.
Could you take us through the Netherlands' contribution to the Rwandan justice sector over the past years.
As already mentioned, after the Genocide against the Tutsi was brought to an end in July 1994, it was apparent that reconciliation and justice would need to go hand in hand for this undertaking to succeed. Key normative notions were underlying the efforts of Rwanda’s transitional government, including remembrance, forgiveness, reconciliation, unification, healing and renewal. Rebuilding the justice system was an essential part of this.
The Netherlands recognized the value and importance of these notions. It understood the importance for the entire human family that Rwanda would stand up again after the tragedy that had befallen its people and that justice be done.
Initial emergency support focused on reconstruction efforts and rebuilding the justice infrastructures which had been brought to its knees, including the construction of court houses and prisons. Over the years, the partnership evolved and included not only government institutions and the judiciary, but also civil society organizations who play a key role in the development of this country. This broad partnership was based on and strengthened through the commitments of many individuals and experts, both Rwandan and Dutch, who met each other regularly via study visits or workshops and trainings. In 2021 we celebrated 25 years of Rwanda-Netherlands justice cooperation during a major conference held in Kigali, bringing together all involved stakeholders.
Is there an event in Rwanda that you are especially looking forward to?
Rwanda and the Netherlands are both sports minded countries. As many other Dutch, I am looking forward to the cycling Road World Championship in September 2025, that for the first time will be held in Africa. Here in Rwanda! Dutch people are more or less born to use bicycles. We use them to go to school, to work, and for sports. Relatively speaking, nowhere in the world are there as many bicycles as in my country; 17.5 million inhabitants own and use as many as 24 million bicycles. This really helps to reduce traffic jams and is good for the environment.