Rwanda’s diplomatic engagements in 2026 have focused on rebuilding strategic partnerships, strengthening regional economic integration and advancing what the government describes as an interest-driven foreign policy, according to foreign minister Olivier Nduhungirehe. ALSO READ: Rwanda, EU urge stronger diplomacy amid rising global uncertainty Speaking on The New Times’ The Context podcast, Nduhungirehe said Rwanda’s recent engagements with countries including South Africa, Tanzania and Botswana were aimed at creating practical benefits for Rwandans through trade, investment, mobility and regional stability. “The first half of this year, 2026, was indeed very busy with intensive diplomatic engagement at all levels,” Nduhungirehe said. “Rwanda has continued its pragmatic foreign policy, which is interest-driven and advancing our national development priorities, but while also at the same time contributing to peace, integration, and economic growth.” He said Rwanda’s foreign policy under President Paul Kagame is focused on delivering tangible outcomes rather than diplomacy for its own sake. “It's not just diplomacy for its own sake. It's diplomacy that creates opportunities, that creates economic growth for Rwandan people,” he said. Rebuilding trust with South Africa Nduhungirehe said Rwanda and South Africa have moved towards rebuilding relations after a difficult period. He said the two countries remained engaged despite tensions, leading to renewed discussions at the highest levels and the restoration of cooperation mechanisms. “There were tensions between the two countries early last year in the context of the conflict in eastern DRC. But we remained engaged at the highest level,” he said. The minister said his June visit to Pretoria, where he met his South African counterpart, Ronald Lamola, helped restore confidence and opened a path towards deeper cooperation. ALSO READ: South Africa says to ease travel restrictions on Rwandans One of the major outcomes was an agreement to resume visa issuance for ordinary Rwandan passport holders after a suspension that had lasted more than a decade. Nduhungirehe explained that the delay in restoring visas was mainly linked to South Africa’s ongoing transition to a digital visa system. “The time that was set was within 12 months, but it's for technical issues because South Africa is overhauling its visa system, moving to digital visa,” he said. “But the 12 months is the maximum.” He said Rwanda and South Africa were working to ensure the process is completed sooner. Beyond the visa issue, Nduhungirehe said the discussions were aimed at rebuilding a broader partnership between the two countries, which have historically maintained close ties. He recalled that South Africa was among the countries that supported Rwanda’s recovery after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, including through investment and cooperation in different sectors. “South Africa and Rwanda have a common history and good bilateral relation since 1994,” he said. The minister said both countries share interests in promoting African integration and regional stability. “We have something in common with South Africa, is that we believe, first of all, in African integration and the regional stability,” he said. According to Nduhungirehe, the two countries agreed to strengthen business-to-business engagement to take advantage of opportunities created by the African Continental Free Trade Area. “We are both leading countries on the continent in different sectors, like tourism, like MICE, meeting incentives, conferences and events, and also trade and investment,” he said. Securing supply chains with Tanzania Nduhungirehe described Tanzania as a strategic partner for Rwanda, particularly because of its role in connecting Rwanda to international markets. ALSO READ: Kagame urges stronger trade systems between Rwanda-Tanzania He said President Paul Kagame’s engagements with Tanzanian leaders focused on strengthening economic cooperation and securing regional supply chains. ALSO READ: Truckers upbeat as Rwanda, Tanzania pledge to ease trade hurdles “Tanzania is a strategic partner for Rwanda, and around 80 percent of our maritime cargo goes through the port of Dar es Salaam,” he said. The minister said discussions with Tanzania came at a time when global geopolitical tensions have affected trade routes and energy markets, making reliable regional connections increasingly important. “The objective of the visit was to discuss on how to secure the regional supply chain, especially in the Central Corridor, at a time, as you know, where geopolitical tensions disrupt trade and energy markets,” he said. Nduhungirehe said Rwanda and Tanzania also share a commitment to advancing East African integration. He said talks focused on reducing barriers to trade and improving infrastructure links between EAC member states. “We also discussed with Tanzania about our shared goal of promoting regional integration within the East African Community,” he said. The minister said Rwanda’s wider regional agenda includes improving the movement of people and businesses, noting that visa arrangements with countries such as Botswana and Nigeria demonstrate the importance of easier mobility. “The Rwandan passport can access 70 countries with visa-free and visa-on-arrival arrangements, which is something that is good for people-to-people exchange, but also for our business,” he said. Burundi a challenge On Burundi, Nduhungirehe said Kigali remains concerned about Bujumbura’s involvement in eastern DR Congo, arguing that its actions have complicated efforts to resolve the conflict. ALSO READ: What are the motivations of Burundi's military intervention in South Kivu? “Clearly, Burundi is not part of the solution. It's part of the problem,” he said. He accused Burundi of deploying forces to eastern DR Congo and working alongside the Congolese army and armed groups, including the Kinshasa-backed FDLR genocidal militia. ALSO READ: How Burundian troops in South Kivu sparked a distinct humanitarian crisis amid DR Congo’s wider war The minister said Rwanda has raised concerns about Burundi’s role with regional mediators. He said previous attempts to engage Burundi through security and intelligence channels had not produced lasting progress. Nduhungirehe said Rwanda and Burundi held discussions in March aimed at reducing tensions, but those engagements were affected by subsequent public statements from Burundian officials. He rejected recent claims that Rwanda had made new commitments regarding people accused of involvement in Burundi’s 2015 attempted coup. “We were surprised by that, because there was no engagement this year with Burundi,” he said. He said the matter was last discussed in 2023 but did not result in an agreement. “That was three years ago, 2023. And we did not conclude. We did not have a positive conclusion,” he said.
