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The Head of State arrived in Accra on Tuesday morning and was warmly received by the local military and traditional dancers before proceeding to Black Stars Square in the Ghanaian capital, where the ceremony took place.

Mahama, a former president and opposition figure, won December’s presidential election with 56.55% of the vote. The 66-year-old made a comeback to the presidency after serving as Ghana’s president from 2012 to 2016.

Mahama’s main rival, Vice President and ruling-party presidential candidate Mahamudu Bawumia, conceded defeat in both the presidential and legislative elections to ease tensions.

Rwanda and Ghana maintain robust bilateral relations, characterized by active diplomatic engagement and cooperation across various sectors.

Rwanda-Ghana cooperation dates back several decades. In 1994, the Ghanaian contingent under the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) was among the few that remained in Rwanda to protect civilians targeted during the Genocide against the Tutsi, despite UN orders to evacuate.

Since then, Rwanda and Ghana have strengthened their relations and cooperated on multiple fronts, with the establishment of Rwanda’s resident High Commission in the West African country in 2020 playing a pivotal role.

Currently, Rwanda and Ghana have signed a General Cooperation Agreement (GCA), a Bilateral Air Service Agreement, an Agreement for the establishment of a Joint Permanent Commission, and Memoranda of Understanding in various sectors, including Defense and Security Cooperation, private sector collaboration, tourism, arts and culture, financial sector cooperation, and trade and economic cooperation.

These cooperation instruments continue to be pursued in other sectors to facilitate collaboration between the public, private, and civil society.

To further strengthen relations, Ghana appointed its first resident High Commissioner to Rwanda last year, establishing a resident High Commission to elevate bilateral ties to a higher level.

The Head of State arrived in Accra on Tuesday morning and was warmly received by the local military and traditional dancers.

President Kagame was warmly received by the local military and traditional dancers before proceeding to Black Stars Square in the Ghanaian capital, where the ceremony took place.

Wycliffe Nyamasege

The fighters, hailing from Rubavu District, crossed the plain separating Rwanda and the DRC, traveling from their Kibati base in Nyiragongo Territory. They entered Rwanda through Kigezi Village, Kageshi Cell, in Busasamana Sector.

Rubavu District Mayor Mulindwa Prosper confirmed to IGIHE that the combatants are currently under the care of Rwandan authorities.

Officials are engaging with them to help them understand the development and progress of their home country.

'We, as local leaders, are responsible for welcoming them, providing them with information about their country, and helping them reintegrate before they return to the community. These individuals have been living in another country and involved in combat for some time. We are still educating them,' said Mayor Mulindwa.

The mayor commended their decision to return home peacefully, noting that they did not pose any security threat during their entry into Rwanda.

He also reassured others who wish to follow suit that they will be received in a similar manner.

Upon receiving the news of their surrender, local village leaders informed superiors, who in turn called on security forces to facilitate the fighters’ reception.

The combatants handed over three AK-47 rifles and one communication device upon entering Rwanda.

The individuals leave behind comrades still aligned with the Congolese military in their ongoing conflict with the M23 rebel group, which continues to capture territories in North Kivu Province.

Three FDLR combatants hailing from Rubavu District, crossed the plain separating Rwanda and the DRC, traveling from their Kibati base in Nyiragongo Territory.

IGIHE

Amid a winter storm and with towering black fences encircling the U.S. Capitol complex, the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate convened in a joint session around noon to certify President-elect Donald Trump’s election, marking the final step in confirming the results of the 2024 presidential election.

The session of U.S. Congress was chaired by the current Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate who lost to Trump in the election.

Harris presented the electoral vote results from each state and the District of Columbia, and two Senators and two House representatives took turns to announce the vote counts.

The final tally of electoral votes showed that Trump received 312 electoral votes, surpassing the 270 needed to win the presidency, while Harris received 226 votes.

The congressional counting and certifying of electoral votes is typically a ceremonial procedure. However, the “Capitol riot” four years ago occurred on the very day of this process.

After losing his bid for re-election in 2020, Trump claimed there had been widespread election fraud.

On January 6, 2021, a large group of his supporters stormed the Capitol in an attempt to prevent Congress from certifying the election results.

The riot resulted in five deaths and hundreds of police officers being injured. The latest data shows that over 1,500 individuals have been charged with federal criminal offenses related to the unrest.

Many Americans have expressed their concerns about post-election violence. According to a POLITICO-Morning Consult poll, six in ten voters said they were either very or somewhat concerned that “another event like what happened on Jan. 6 will happen again following the 2024 presidential election.”

President-elect Donald Trump will be inaugurated as the nation’s 47th president on January 20, officially beginning his second, nonconsecutive term.

The session of U.S. Congress was chaired by the current Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate who lost to Trump in the election.

Xinhua

CAF has confirmed that the seeding for the draw will reflect team performances from the past three CHAN tournaments (2018, 2020, and 2022), ensuring a fair distribution of strength across the groups. The teams have been allocated into three pots based on their recent track records:

Pot 1: Co-hosts Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania join defending champions Senegal and two-time titleholders Morocco, setting the stage for a competitive top tier.

Pot 2: Includes strong contenders such as Guinea, Zambia, Madagascar, Rwanda, and Sudan.

Pot 3: Features rising stars and seasoned challengers, including Mauritania, Niger, Congo, Angola, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Central African Republic, and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

This year’s CHAN tournament promises to be historic as it will be the first-ever edition co-hosted by three nations—Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.

The competition, exclusively showcasing players from domestic leagues across Africa, will run from February 1 to February 28, 2025, offering a month of thrilling football action.

The CHAN tournament has become a cornerstone of African football, offering a unique platform for homegrown talents to shine on the continental stage.

Rwanda is included among the strong contenders such as Guinea, Zambia, Madagascar and Sudan in Pot 2.

Sam K Nkurunziza

Indonesia’s candidacy was endorsed by BRICS leaders back in 2023, but the world’s fourth-most populous nation of over 270 million opted to join the group only after the formation of its new government last year.

'Indonesia shares with the other members of the group support for the reform of global governance institutions, and contributes positively to the deepening of cooperation in the Global South,' the Brazilian government said in a statement.

'With the largest population and economy in Southeast Asia, Indonesia shares with other members a commitment to reforming global governance institutions and contributes positively to deepening South-South cooperation,' it added.

BRICS was founded in 2009 by Brazil, Russia, India and China, with South Africa joining two years later. Although the group was originally envisioned as a platform for mutual investment and ensuing financial stability, it later evolved into a forum with a broader agenda, including security matters.

Last year, the group was expanded to include Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates as full-fledged members. Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Thailand, Cuba, Uganda, Malaysia, and Uzbekistan have been named among those expected to officially become BRICS partner states this year.

Indonesia is the newest member of the BRICS.

Meanwhile, Indonesia released a statement on Tuesday welcoming its entry into the bloc of developing economies increasingly seen as a counterweight to the West.

'This is a strategic step to improve the collaborations and cooperation with other developing nations, based on the principle of equality, mutual respect, and sustainable development”, the Jakarta statement said.

It also expressed Indonesia’s gratitude to brazil and Russia, the 2024 BRICS chair, for the support and leadership in facilitating Indonesia’s joining.

During its presidency, Brazil aims to boost cooperation between countries of the “Global South” and reform multilateral institutions.

One of the objectives, according to the government of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, is the development of means of payment to facilitate trade between member countries.

During the last BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, in November 2024, member nations discussed boosting non-dollar transactions and strengthening local currencies.

This raised the ire of US President-elect Donald Trump, who threatened the group’s members with “100 percent tariffs” if they undercut the US dollar. This year’s BRICS summit will take place in Rio de Janeiro in July.

Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (L) with Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on November 18, 2024.

Sam K Nkurunziza

Under the new framework, quality and safety certifications issued by the Rwanda Standards Board (RSB), Rwanda Food and Drugs Authority (RFDA), and Rwanda Inspectorate, Competition, and Consumer Protection Authority (RICA) will now be valid for five years, renewable upon compliance with regulatory and standards requirements.

However, licenses and permits related to the importation of pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and medical devices remain unaffected by this reform.

In addition, export permits are no longer required unless mandated by the importing country. Import permits will only be issued for high-risk products, further simplifying the trading process.

To support domestic industries, service fees for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have been waived. For large enterprises, the cost of obtaining certifications will not exceed Frw100,000, payable directly to the national treasury via an RSB account.

The Minister of Trade and Industry Prudence Sebahizi, while addressing traders recently highlighted the need to address overlapping responsibilities among inspection institutions, which previously led to inefficiencies and multiple fees for the same services.

'This issue primarily affects cross-border traders, who often encounter such challenges,' the Minister noted. He emphasized that no product will now require inspection by more than one institution. Clear mandates will be assigned to institutions such as RICA, RFDA, RSB, NAEB, and RAB to avoid duplication of services.

Minister Sebahizi also shared examples of fee reductions such as RSB which reduced charges its services from 1,780 categories to just 13, while RFDA streamlined from 276 categories to 20.

Instead of paying multiple fees for inspections, businesses will now pay a single bundled fee, ensuring quicker and more efficient processing.

'These reforms are a step forward in making trade and quality certification services more accessible, efficient, and cost-effective for businesses,' he said.

The Minister of Trade and Industry Prudence Sebahizi says that these reforms with simplify quality certification and trade services.

IGIHE

This call was made in a statement released on Monday, January 6, 2025, addressing the ongoing conflict in eastern DRC. It reads, 'The European Union calls on the Democratic Republic of Congo to end its collaboration with the FDLR and other armed groups.'

The FDLR is a militia group operating in eastern DRC, predominantly composed of remnants of perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The DRC has, on various occasions, collaborated with this group, particularly in its fight against M23.

Leaders of the DRC have often defended the FDLR. For instance, in July 2024, Julien Paluku Kahongya, the former Governor of North Kivu, claimed that the FDLR consisted of elderly members, some as old as 70, in an attempt to downplay their capacity to pose a security threat.

In its statement, the EU also condemned M23’s capture of Masisi and surrounding areas in North Kivu, asserting that such actions undermine the efforts toward peaceful resolution in the region. The EU called on M23 to withdraw from the territories it has seized and to adhere to the established ceasefire truce.

While the EU issued this call, M23 has repeatedly claimed to honor ceasefire agreements but accuses the Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC), allied with groups such as the FDLR, of provocation. These provocations have often led M23 to push back and reclaim territories held by FARDC and its allies.

'There is need for all parties halting hostilities and urgently implementing the resolutions agreed upon in the Luanda talks,' the EU said.

The call comes amidst intensifying clashes between M23 and the Congolese Armed Forces coalition. These battles have resulted in M23 taking control of more areas, including Masisi and Katale, a former stronghold of the FDLR militia.

FDLR Militiamen

IGIHE

Organized by former MTN employees, the tournament took place on Thursday, January 2, 2024, at Kigali Golf Club and attracted participation from other golf enthusiasts. This year’s event saw over 170 players competing across various categories, including beginners, veterans, and seniors.

Rwiyamira secured the top spot among men with 72 points, while Lynda Mugeni claimed victory in the women’s category with 75 points. In the senior category (55 years and above), Joseph Ntambara led with 40 points.

In the top-tier women (handicap 0—18), Lynda Mugeni tied with Alphonsine Murekatete and Stella Matutina at 75 points.

For the beginner women category (handicap 19—36), Nadege Nimbona (46 points) led, followed by Mary Mwangi and Irene Wanjiku at 42 points and 40 points respectively.

In the top-tier men (handicap 0—9), James Muigai and Marcel Byusa emerged with 71 points each while Anton Larsen got 74 points.

Special awards were also given in categories such as long drives and closest-to-the-pin shots as follows.
Longest drive winners were Anton Larsen (men), Melissa Akanigi (women), and Joseph Ntambara (seniors).
Closest-to-the-pin winners were Kenneth Murangira (men), Media Muvuna (women), and Joseph Ntambara (seniors).

MTN has been supporting golf tournaments for nearly 20 years, with the MTN Y’ello Golf Challenge standing out as a flagship event in its sponsorship portfolio.

David Rwiyamira emerged victorious.

Various winners were presented with different awards.

Another categories where special awards were give is the closest-to-the-pin shots.

Special awards were also given in categories such as long drives.

Both men and women participated in this 8th MTN Y’ello golf challenge.

The Challenge is organized by former MTN employees.

IGIHE