Rwanda Passport

The Republic of Rwanda (La R é publique Rwanda).

【 Area 】 26338 square kilometers.

Population: 14.09 million (2023). The official languages are Rwandan, English, French, and Swahili. The national language is Rwandan, and some residents speak Swahili. 56.5% of residents believe in Catholicism, 26% believe in Protestantism, and 4.6% believe in Islam.

【 Capital 】 Kigali, with a population of 1.28 million (2023).

President Paul Kagame took office on April 17, 2000 and was officially elected in August 2003. He was re elected in August 2010, August 2017, and August 2024.

Independence Day: July 1st. Liberation Day: July 4th.

【 Overview 】 Located on the south side of the equator in central eastern Africa, it is a landlocked country. It borders Tanzania in the east, Burundi in the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the northwest and Uganda in the north. Most areas have a tropical grassland climate. Due to its location on the East African Plateau, the climate is mild and cool, with an average annual temperature of 19 ° C.

In the 16th century, the Tutsi people established a feudal kingdom. In 1890, it became a "German East African protectorate". After World War I, it was appointed to rule by Belgium. After World War II, it was placed under the "trusteeship" of Belgium. On July 1, 1962, independence was declared and a republic was established. On July 5, 1973, the Second Republic was established. In October 1990, Tutsi refugees residing in Uganda formed the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) and engaged in a civil war with the Hutu government army. The multi-party system was implemented in June 1991. On August 4, 1993, the Lu government and the Love Front signed a peace agreement in Arusha, Tanzania, deciding to end the civil war. On April 6, 1994, the death of Hutu President Habyarimana in a plane crash triggered a massacre that claimed nearly a million lives, and civil war broke out again. On July 19th, the Love Front achieved a military victory and seized power.

After the establishment of the Lu Xin regime in 1994, a five-year transition period was announced, implementing a political management model led by the Love Front, multi-party participation, and prohibiting party activities. The Lu government pursued a policy of national reconciliation and unity, received and resettled returning refugees, tried the perpetrators of the 1994 massacre, and gradually stabilized the political situation. In June 1999, the Lu Political Party Forum discussed and decided to extend the transition period for four years. In April 2000, Paul Kagame, the leader of the Love Front, was elected president at a joint meeting of parliament and cabinet.

Kagame actively promotes good governance domestically, focuses on national reconstruction and economic recovery, vigorously advocates national reconciliation, holds the "First National Unity and Reconciliation Conference", gradually adjusts relations with Western countries externally, strives for foreign aid, and gradually consolidates his governing position. In May 2003, Lu passed a new constitution through a national referendum. On August 25th, Lu held his first multi-party presidential election since 1994, and Kagame was officially elected president for a term of 7 years. In September, elections for both houses of parliament will be held, with the Love Front and its alliance winning half of the seats. Form a multi-party coalition government in October. Lu has smoothly completed the transition period. In September 2008, Lu held parliamentary elections, and the Love Front and its campaign alliance won with 78.7% of the votes. In August 2010, Lu held a presidential election and Kagame won with 93% of the vote. In recent years, the Lu government has continued to implement good governance, promote economic development, ease social conflicts, and maintain stability in the Lu government. In August 2017, Lu held another presidential election, and Kagame won re-election with 98.79% of the vote.

The first constitution was promulgated on November 24, 1962 and abolished in July 1973. The second constitution was passed by a referendum on December 17, 1978. On May 30, 1991, the National Development Assembly approved the third constitution. On May 26, 2003, Lu passed a new constitution through a national referendum, which mainly included the implementation of a semi presidential system. The President is the Head of State and the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, elected by direct universal suffrage through anonymous voting, with a term of 7 years and the right to be re elected once; The Prime Minister is appointed by the President, and the members of the government are determined based on the proportion of each party in the parliament; Implement a multi-party system and a separation of powers among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. In December 2015, Lu passed a constitutional amendment through a national referendum. The constitutional amendment maintains the rule that the president can only be re elected once, shortening each term from 7 years to 5 years. At the same time, a 7-year transitional period is set before the new constitutional provisions come into effect, and any legitimate candidate, including Kagame, can run for the transitional president.

The parliament adopts a bicameral system, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The House of Representatives is composed of 80 members with a term of 5 years. The current House of Representatives is elected in August 2024, and the current Speaker is Gertrude Kazarwa. The Senate is composed of 26 senators with a term of 5 years. The current Senate will be elected in September 2024 and serve until 2029. The current Speaker of the Senate is Fran ç ois Xavier Kalinda.

The current government was established in October 2018 and has undergone several minor adjustments in recent years: Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente, Minister of Local Government Jean Claude Musabyimana, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Olivier Nduhungirehe, Minister of Trade and Industry Prudence Sebahizi, Minister of Information and Communication Technology and Innovation Paula Ingabire, Minister of Defense Juvenal Marizamunda, Minister of Gender and Family Promotion Console. Console Uwimana (female), Minister of Sports Richard Nyirisema, Minister of Emergency Management Albert Murasira, Judith Uwizeye, Minister of the Presidential Palace; Ines Mpambara, Minister of Cabinet Affairs; Yusuf Murangwa, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning; Dr. Jimmy Gasore, Minister of Infrastructure; Valentine Uwamariya, Minister of Environment; Ildephonse Musafiri, Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources; Gaspard Twagirayezu, Minister of Education; and Jean Nepo Abdullah Utuyezu, Minister of Youth and Arts. Jean Nepo Abdallah Utumatwishima, Attorney General and Attorney General Emmanuel Ugirashebuja Ugirashebuja, Minister of Public Services and Labour Christine Nkulikiinka, Minister of Health Sabin Nsanzimana, Minister of National Solidarity and Civic Participation Jean Damasc è ne Bizimana, Minister of Interior Vincent Biruta, Minister of State for Local Government Marie Solange KAYISIRE, Minister of State for Resource Mobilization and Public Investment Mutesi Rusagara, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning Richard Tusabe, Minister of State for Finance and Economic Planning, and Claudette Irere, Minister of State for Education, Female), Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources Eric RWIGAMBA, Minister of Health Yvan Butera, Minister of Regional Cooperation James Kabarebe, Minister of Infrastructure Olivier Kabera, Minister of Youth and Arts Sandrine Umutoni, and Rwanda Development Director Francis Gatare.

From January 1, 2006, a new administrative division was implemented, which divided the country into four provinces: Eastern, Southern, Western, and Northern, as well as Kigali City. It has 40 counties and 416 townships.

The judicial institution is composed of the Supreme Judicial Council, the Supreme Court (including the Court and Court Bureau, the Court of Final Appeal, the Administrative Court, the Constitutional Court, and the Audit Court), the Court of Appeal, the Court of First Instance, and the County Court. The Supreme Judicial Council is composed of the President and Vice President of the Supreme Court, two judges, one judge from each appellate court, and one judge from the first instance court and county court within the jurisdiction of each appellate court. It is responsible for the appointment, removal, promotion, and other matters of all judges except for the President and Vice President of the Supreme Court. All levels of courts above the first instance court have procuratorates, which are divided into three levels: the Republic Procuratorate of the first instance court, the General Procuratorate of the appellate court, and the General Procuratorate of the final instance court. The civil war in 1994 severely damaged the judicial system in Lu, until the establishment of the Supreme Judicial Council on April 2, 1996, when the judicial system was fully restored and judges were appointed by the government but nominally independent. In order to accelerate the trial of the prisoners of the 1994 massacre (who have already detained 125000 people), Lu launched the "Folk Traditional Court" in June 2002. In June 2012, Kagame announced the end of the court's mission. The court has tried nearly 2 million cases of genocide in the past 10 years.

In 1991, a multi-party system was implemented, with 17 political parties at that time. After 1994, there were only 8 left. In the second half of 1994, all parties except for the Love Front basically ceased their activities. In May 1998, the Lu government agreed to partially lift the party ban and demanded that all parties correct the mistakes made during the massacre and reform the party's leadership structure. On June 23, 2003, the National Assembly of Lu passed the Political Party Law, emphasizing the principles of unity and equality, and opposing ethnic, regional, and religious divisions. It is stipulated that the establishment of a political party must have the signatures of 120 founding members nationwide, and judges, prosecutors, soldiers, police officers, and security personnel are not allowed to join the party. At present, there are a total of 11 legal political parties that have been re registered and recognized by the government.

(1) Rwandan Patriotic Front: The ruling party, formerly known as the National Unity Union of Rwanda established in Uganda in the 1980s, changed its name to its current form in December 1987. There are about 600000 party members. Became the ruling party in 1994. In December 2002, the Love Front held an expanded Politburo meeting and formulated a future action plan. Elect Fran ç ois Ngarabe as the General Secretary of the Love Front. In December 2005, Aizen held its 6th National Congress, which focused on discussing issues such as the action plan for the next three years, promoting national administrative system reform, and advancing democracy and development. The meeting re elected the party's leadership structure, with Kagame and Ngaland Bay re elected as party chairman and general secretary, respectively. The party holds 36 seats in the House of Representatives. On December 17, 2013, Kagame was elected as the party chairman for the fourth time, with a vote share of 99.5%. On December 16, 2017, the Love Front held its 30th anniversary national congress, and President Kagame and General Secretary Ngaland Bay were re elected with 99.9% and 97.3% of the vote, respectively. In March 2023, the Love Front held its 16th National Congress and 35th anniversary celebration, and Kagame was re elected as the President of the Love Front.

(2) Democratic Green Party: a political party. Established in August 2009.

(3) Democratic Socialist Party: a political party. Established on July 1, 1991, with a majority of southern intellectuals.

(4) Liberal Party: a political party. Established on July 14, 1991.

In addition, there are the Centrist Democratic Party, the Democratic Ideal Party, the Rwandan Socialist Party, the Democratic Popular Union of Rwanda, the Party for Solidarity and Progress, the Party for Progress and Concord, and the Social Party Imberakuri.

Paul Kagame: President of the Republic. Born on October 23, 1957 in Kamonyi, Gitarama Province (now Southern Province). In November 1959, he fled to Uganda with his parents. In 1980, he joined the Ukrainian anti-government armed forces led by the current Ugandan President Museveni. In 1987, he joined the Rwandan "Patriotic Front" in Ukraine and became its military leader in October 1990. After the ruling of the Love Front in July 1994, Ka was appointed as Vice President and Minister of Defense of Lu. Elected as the chairman of the Love Front in February 1998. In April 2000, he was elected as the President at a joint meeting of parliament and cabinet. He was officially elected president in August 2003. Elected and re elected in 2010, 2017, and 2024.

Economy is one of the world's least developed countries as announced by the United Nations. The economy is mainly based on agriculture and animal husbandry, and food cannot be self-sufficient. The 1994 civil war and massacre caused the collapse of the economy in Lu. After coming to power, Aijin took a series of measures to restore the economy, including issuing new currencies, implementing free exchange rate fluctuations, reforming the tax system, and privatization, gradually leading to economic recovery. In 1998, Lu formulated the "2020 Vision" development plan to enter the ranks of middle-income countries by 2020, accelerating the development of modern agriculture, vigorously developing the information industry and exhibition economy, striving to alleviate the difficulties of energy shortage, and maintaining a relatively fast economic growth rate. From 2002 to 2012, the average annual growth rate of the economy in Lu exceeded 8%. In recent years, there has been a decline. Following the "2020 Vision", Lu has also planned the "2050 Vision". The overall goal is to build Rwanda into an upper middle income country by 2035 and a high-income country by 2050. The main economic indicators of Lu in 2023 are as follows:

Gross Domestic Product: 14 billion US dollars

Per capita Gross Domestic Product: 1040 US dollars

Economic growth rate: 8.2%

Currency name: Rwandan Franc (abbreviated as Lulang)

Exchange rate: 1 US dollar=1326 Lu Lang

(Information)

Natural resources are scarce. The mined mineral deposits include tin, tungsten, niobium, tantalum, beryl, gold, etc. The storage capacity of tin is about 100000 tons. The estimated reserves of niobium and tantalum are 30 million tons. The natural gas reserves of Lake Kivu are approximately 60 billion cubic meters. The Nyakabango tungsten mine is one of the largest tungsten mines in Africa. The forest area is about 620000 hectares, accounting for 24% of the national area.

In 2023, the industrial output value of Lu will account for approximately 23.2% of the gross domestic product. In addition to processing factories for agricultural and livestock products such as coffee and tea, there are also factories for cigarettes, beverages, matches, papermaking, soap, batteries, cement, etc. The vast majority of industrial products rely on imports. Lu Gongye suffered huge losses in the 1994 civil war. The government of Later Lu implemented a new industrial policy, accelerated the privatization process, promoted investment, expanded the mining industry, and the industrial output value recovered quickly. The Kalumatin smelter has become one of the largest tin factories in Africa.

In 2023, agriculture in Lu will account for approximately 29.1% of the country's gross domestic product. The employed population accounts for about 87% of the total labor force. The total arable land area in China is approximately 2.173 million hectares, with 1.2 million hectares already cultivated. Natural pastures account for one-third of the total area of the country. The main economic crops include coffee, tea, cotton, pyrethrum, and cinchona, most of which are exported. More than 50% of farmers own less than 1 hectare of land, while the remaining farmers, especially post-war refugees, cultivate state-owned land and pay taxes to the state. The 1994 civil war caused damage to agricultural and livestock production. In recent years, the Lu government has adopted new agricultural policies, increased agricultural investment, increased grain production, and promoted the development of animal husbandry. The total output value of agriculture and animal husbandry has exceeded pre war levels. 4% of farmers engage in beekeeping, with an annual honey production of 3500 tons, accounting for 41% in southern provinces. In June 2018, Lu launched the fourth phase of its agricultural transformation strategy, investing 2.7 trillion Lu Lang over five years to significantly increase agricultural production and increase product added value.

In 2023, the service industry will account for approximately 47.7% of the gross domestic product. Employees account for 6% of the total labor force. The communication industry is developing rapidly. At present, there are three operators in the wireless communication market in Rwanda: MTN, TIGO, and AIRTEL. Among them, MTN is the largest operator in the wireless communication market in Rwanda, with a market share of over 59%. The tourism industry has recovered rapidly and was rated as one of the countries with the greatest tourism potential by the World Economic Forum, World Bank, and African Development Bank in 2011. Starting from January 1, 2018, citizens of all countries are eligible to travel to Rwanda without a visa and for a period not exceeding 30 days after obtaining a visa on arrival.

Transportation: There is no railway, transportation relies on roads and air. Import and export cargo channels: firstly, from Kigali via Uganda to Mombasa Port in Kenya, covering a total distance of 1721 kilometers; The second is from Kigali to Bujumbura in Burundi, and then from water to Kigoma in Tanzania to railway to Dar es Salaam Port, with a total distance of 1762 kilometers; The third route is from Kigali to Rusumo via Ithaca in Tanzania to Dar es Salaam Port by railway, with a length of 1638 kilometers.

Highway: The total length is 13100 kilometers, including 1100 kilometers of asphalt roads. Commercial transportation is mainly controlled by private individuals.

Air freight: Kigali has an international airport that can take off and land large passenger planes such as Boeing 747. During the civil war, air transportation in Lu was temporarily interrupted. After the war, Kigali International Airport quickly reopened and has now attracted nearly ten airlines to operate. In 2002, Lu announced the establishment of Rwanda Express Airlines, which was renamed Rwanda Airlines in March 2009. In 2015, it was rated as one of the safest airlines in the world by the International Civil Aviation Organization. At present, it has 17 aircraft, including 5 Boeing 737s, and operates 20 routes (including carrier and code sharing) to Belgium, South Africa, Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi, Congo Brazzaville, Benin, Ghana, Gabon, Nigeria, C ô te d'Ivoire, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Sudan, the United Arab Emirates, India and other countries. In October 2015, the Lu government approved the establishment of Air Travel Logistics Limited (ATL Ltd).

Taxation is one of the main sources of fiscal revenue. In June 2023, Lu announced the 2023/2024 fiscal budget, with a total amount of 5.03 trillion Lu Lang (approximately 4.404 billion US dollars), an increase of 265.3 billion Lu Lang or 6% compared to the previous year. The main commercial banks in Rwanda include: Commercial Bank of Rwanda, Kigali Bank, African Continental Bank of Rwanda, Trade, Development and Industry Bank, and People's Bank.

As of the end of June 2023, Lu's foreign exchange reserves exceeded 1.8 billion US dollars. The total external debt in 2021 was 8.9 billion US dollars (World Bank).

Long term trade deficit in foreign trade. The import and export situation in recent years is as follows: (Unit: 1 billion Rwandan francs)