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The 20th national Umushyikirano dialogue concluded in Kigali on February 6 with leaders pledging stronger follow-through on resolutions, as citizens raised concerns ranging from agricultural services to delays in business registration.
President Paul Kagame has urged the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) to urgently address persistent inefficiencies in the one stop center, warning that continued delays in issuing business permits undermine the platform’s core objective of easing investment and commercial activity.
A Rwandan journalist who rose through perseverance and innovation has used the 20th National Umushyikirano Council to draw attention to the financial pressures confronting media practitioners, calling for stronger recognition of journalism as a professional and economic activity.
Rwandans living abroad are playing an increasingly significant role in the country’s economic transformation, with annual diaspora remittances surpassing $500 million, Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ambassador Olivier Nduhungirehe, has said.
The first day of the 20th National Dialogue Council (Umushyikirano) opened on February 5, 2026, at the Kigali Convention Centre, with discussions centred on governance, regional relations, economic performance and Rwanda’s long-term development priorities.
The Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources, Dr Telesphore Ndabamenye, has apologised to President Paul Kagame over delays in the rollout of the livestock artificial insemination programme, admitting that the service has not been delivered to farmers as planned.
President Paul Kagame has said the international community should stop questioning the origin of Rwanda’s minerals, arguing that the country’s mining sector is often unfairly politicised despite clear data on Rwanda’s own mineral endowment and trade routes.
President Paul Kagame has rejected claims that Rwanda is responsible for the ongoing conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), saying the war predates Rwanda’s involvement and that those responsible are well known.
President Paul Kagame has clarified Rwanda’s position on the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and allegations of links with the AFC/M23 coalition, insisting that Rwanda’s actions are driven by self-defence, not territorial or economic interests.