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Flags in the colors of Australia, India or South Africa adorn the main arteries of Kigali. Thirteen years after joining the Commonwealth, Rwanda hosts, from Monday 20 to Saturday 25 June, the meeting of heads of government of the organization, which is held every two years in one of the 54 member countries. With more than 5,000 participants and some thirty heads of state or government expected, including British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Prince Charles and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, this is the biggest event ever organized. in the Rwandan capital.
However, it comes at a delicate time for the government of Paul Kagame on the diplomatic level. Kigali is indeed accused of supporting the rebellion of the March 23 Movement (M23), which recently took up arms in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), awakening strong tensions between the two neighboring countries. Ahead of the summit, Kinshasa called on the British Prime Minister to put pressure on Paul Kagame to convince him to end his ” assault “. Rwanda, which denies any responsibility, accused the DRC of having fired rockets on its soil several times in recent weeks. “Rwandans and visitors alike can be assured of their safety. There’s no problem there.” insisted on reassuring Yolande Makolo, the government spokesperson, during a press conference on June 17.
Rwanda is also under fire after the signing in April of a very controversial partnership with the United Kingdom, providing for the deportation to Kigali of thousands of migrants who crossed the Channel illegally.
Blackened walls and tin roofs
Never mind. For weeks, Kigali has been doing everything to uphold its reputation as “safest and cleanest city in Africa”. The capital, which aims to become an international conference center and dreams of being an “African Singapore”, wants to show itself in its best light, even if it means hiding any visible sign of poverty.
Small shops and homes located on the main streets have been renovated and repainted. “My sales of paint and building materials have exploded”, assures Jean-Nepo Nizeyimana, owner of a small hardware store. “The authorities urged us to make our houses more beautiful. Those who do not have the means have taken out loans,” he explains, proud to have participated in this operation. He himself undertook work in his house which cost him around 1,000 euros, that is to say more than a month’s income. The town hall, for its part, supervised the redevelopment, construction or renovation of more than fifty kilometers of roads in order to improve traffic flow upstream from the summit.
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