Staff and management of DP World Rwanda together with members of the regional Executive Leadership Team (ELT) for Africa; paid tribute to victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, reaffirming their commitment to unity and harmony across the company’s multinational workforce.
The visit took place during a commemoration event held at the Kigali Genocide Memorial, on the margins of the Africa CEO Forum last week.
The team was taken through the history and sequence of events, including the socio-political factors that fuelled the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, which claimed more than one million lives in 100 days.
Employees from more than seven nationalities reflected on the dangers of hatred, intolerance and ethnic division, while emphasising the importance of peace, reconciliation and social cohesion, particularly in an era where online platforms can amplify harmful ideologies.
The team also laid wreaths at the memorial’s mass graves, where more than 250,000 victims are buried, and donated Rwf7 million in support of remembrance activities.
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Strengthening harmony across a global workforce
DP World Kigali, operated by the United Arab Emirates-based logistics firm, runs a logistics facility in Masaka Sector, Kicukiro District. The company integrates inland port services, bonded storage and nationwide distribution to improve cargo transit and connectivity to international markets.
A workplace culture rooted in belonging
"Our employees in Rwanda represent more than seven nationalities, as a team we make a deliberate effort to ensure people work well together in all areas of the business”, said Shushant Mallik, managing director of DP World Rwanda.
"The memorial visit reaffirms our commitment to harmony, belonging and mutual respect”, he added.
Brendah Uwase, a Sales and Marketing Representative who visited the memorial for the first time, said the experience was deeply emotional.
"All we need is peace and security, as our President consistently reiterates,” she said. "As young people, we do not want to witness such horrors again.”
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Rwanda’s strategic role in DP World’s growth vision
According to Esha Mansingh, Head of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability for Africa at DP World; Rwanda remains a strategic market because of its role in regional trade corridors and the company’s long-term vision of creating broader socio-economic impact.
She noted that over 98 per cent of DP World Kigali’s workforce is made up of local employees, reflecting the company’s commitment to localisation, skills development and empowering Rwandan talent.
Mansingh said the company’s work extends beyond logistics and infrastructure to supporting communities through education, healthcare and road safety initiatives.
"If you educate a nation, they are well on their way to continued and sustainable success,” she said, citing investments in libraries, bursary programmes, water and sanitation facilities and community resource initiatives across Africa.
She also highlighted DP World’s partnership with Fika in Kabeza, where a 50-metre suspension bridge was constructed to improve access to schools, healthcare and economic opportunities for local communities.