The Pan-African Movement (PAM) Rwanda Chapter is strengthening its engagement with the Sudanese community in Rwanda as part of broader efforts to promote Pan-Africanism and prepare young Africans to champion unity across the continent.

The initiative was announced during a dialogue held on Saturday, July 11, bringing together Sudan’s Ambassador to Rwanda, members of the Sudanese community, Sudanese students and officials from PAM Rwanda to discuss African unity, youth leadership and future collaboration.

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Ambassador Zaina Nyiramatama, Commissioner for Foreign Affairs at PAM Rwanda, said the organisation is expanding its outreach by working more closely with African diaspora communities and ambassadors accredited to Rwanda.

"We are going to start working closely with members of the diaspora and ambassadors serving in this country. In 2025, we jointly organised an event with them, and this is another of the activities we are carrying out to continue strengthening African unity,” she said.

She said Rwanda offers a unique environment for promoting continental integration because it hosts diplomats and students from across Africa.

"Here in Rwanda, we have more than 20 ambassadors representing their respective countries. That also means we have citizens of those countries living here. We have many students and a large number of young people from African countries, more than 15,000 in total, including around 4,000 from Sudan,” she said.

According to Nyiramatama, the latest engagement followed discussions within the Pan-African Movement on how to involve more young Africans in advancing the ideals of Pan-Africanism.

"We asked ourselves what more we could do. We organised this dialogue to discuss our understanding of African unity and the role that each person has to play, especially young people and the leaders of tomorrow, while recognising the contribution they can already make today through their ideas.”

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One of the key outcomes of the dialogue, she said, was the decision to integrate members of the Sudanese community into PAM Rwanda’s ongoing youth programmes.

"They expressed interest in joining the activities we have already been carrying out with Rwandan youth in different universities. We have now brought them together so that we can work side by side, train together and participate in all these programmes together. Our objective is African unity.”

Nyiramatama said Rwanda’s own history demonstrates the importance of unity in achieving national development, lessons she believes can benefit young Africans studying in the country before they return home.

"Anyone who wants to build African unity should begin with the youth. If we work together, sharing experiences while showing them how unity forms the foundation of development, they will return to their countries committed to promoting unity there so that all Africans can benefit.”

Sudan’s Ambassador to Rwanda, Khalid Musa, welcomed the partnership, describing it as an opportunity for Sudanese students to learn from Rwanda’s experience while strengthening ties between the two countries.

"We have more than 4,000 Sudanese students here studying in Rwanda, and this is a great value for our bilateral relations,” he said.

"I would like our young people to join this partnership, learn from Rwanda and embrace the values of the Pan-African Movement. They are future leaders, and when they complete their studies they will become a cultural bridge between Sudan and Rwanda.”

The ambassador also encouraged the students to draw lessons from Rwanda’s experience in reconciliation, patriotism and home-grown solutions, saying such values could contribute to rebuilding stronger communities across Africa.

Students who attended the dialogue said it offered a new perspective on Pan-Africanism and their role in advancing it.

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Ghufran Osama, a Sudanese student in Rwanda, said she left the discussions with a stronger appreciation of the need for Africans to work together.

"The main thing that I’m going to take back home is the sense of unity and the passion to see Africa as one unit moving forward because I believe we all support each other, and that support is what can move us forward,” she said.

She added that the discussions deepened her understanding of the movement.

"It gave me a deeper idea and a deeper view of the whole concept of Pan-Africanism. I learned many ideas and information that I honestly didn’t know before.”

Mohamed Smair, a Sudanese graduate who has lived in Rwanda for nearly four years, said the initiative could inspire young Sudanese to organise around the ideals of Pan-Africanism.

Having lived in Rwanda for several years, he said he believes the country’s openness towards other African nationals offers an example of continental integration in practice.

"The Rwandan people and the government are welcoming to other nations. It helps Africans unite. Allowing Africans to enter without a visa is one of the steps towards African unity, and I hope other countries can follow that example.”

William Nkurunziza, PAM Rwanda’s Commissioner for Media and Culture, said the movement seeks to promote a sense of shared identity among Africans regardless of nationality.