New envoys present credentials, outline priorities

The American government has pledged $180 million (about Rwf126 billion) to support initiatives geared toward improving health, economic growth, education, strengthening democratic institutions and promoting good governance during the course of the year. This was said by the newly-appointed US Ambassador to Rwanda, Erica Barks-Ruggles, after she presented her credentials to President Paul Kagame at Village Urugwiro in Kigali yesterday. Amb. Ruggles presented her credentials alongside three other envoys; Turkish first resident envoy Mehmet Raif Karaca, Burundi’s Alexis Ntukamazina and Indonesian ambassador Zakaria Anshar. Noting that her nation has a long-term history of working together with Rwanda, Ruggles promised to further strengthen partnerships between the two countries. “We maintain a strong commitment to the health sector, with over 65 per cent of our assistance working to prevent and treat HIV/Aids and malaria, improve nutrition, maternal and child health as well as Rwanda’s health system overall,” Barks-Ruggles said. The US envoy reiterated her government’s support for the forceful disarmament of FDLR militia by UN forces, saying having followed the issue closely, military action was the only remaining course of action to address the threat. “The US has been clear that we support the United Nations and international community’s efforts to address the regional threat to peace and stability posed by FDLR and other groups in Eastern DR Congo,” said Barks-Ruggles, who replaced Donald Koran. Pupils at EPAK school in Kimihurura. Education is among the sectors up for US support. (File) She added that the US special envoy to the Great Lakes Region Russ Feingold will be arriving in the country soon to discuss further the group’s disarmament. Turkish ambassador Karaca will be the first envoy of the European country to be based in Kigali. Previously, Turkish ambassadors to Rwanda have been operating from Kampala, the capital of Uganda. Why Turkish embassy took long to come Explaining the delayed opening of their embassy in Rwanda, Karaca said they had been facing a shortage of personnel to deploy. “We were a bit late to respond, not because of negligence but because in the last 10 years, Turkey quadrupled the number of its embassies across the world putting pressure on personnel,” the Turkish envoy said. He added that their national flag carrier, Turkish Airlines, didn’t wait as they started to operate in 2012 May acting as a link between the two countries. “We are very much keen to develop our economic relationship with Rwanda. There are about 10 agreements that we have been discussing and some already finalised,” Karaca said. “We hope to have all the paperwork signed soon to establish a legal framework of our relations. We believe there are strong economic and bilateral areas of mutual interest between the two countries.” Burundi’s Alexis Ntukamazina, and Turkish first resident envoy Mehmet Raif Karaca. (John Mbanda) Zakaria Anshar, the Indonesian envoy, who will be based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, said his core goals will be to promote the existing cordial relations between his nation and Rwanda, especially in the area of economic and technical cooperation. “We are of the belief that by exploring each of our capacity we are going to be closer in the field of economy. We are supposed to improve our trade which stood at $1.2 million as of 2013 which doesn’t show the real capacity of the potential of the two countries,” Anshar said. Alexis Ntukamazina, Burundi’s envoy to Rwanda, also pledged to strengthen the bilateral ties between the two counties on several aspects for their own development and that of the region. Among the areas he highlighted include security, education and trade. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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New envoys present credentials, outline priorities