Rwanda has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening relations with Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states, with Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe emphasizing deeper regional cooperation as a pathway to peace, sustainable development and shared prosperity.
Nduhungirehe made the remarks on Friday, August 21, during celebrations in Kigali marking SADC Day, where he joined Heads of Diplomatic Missions representing SADC countries resident in Rwanda.
This year’s SADC Day was observed under the theme, “Resilient, Sustainable and Inclusive Industrialisation through Infrastructure Development, Agricultural and Critical Minerals Transformation in Pursuit of a Just World.”
The theme places particular emphasis on infrastructure development and the transformation of agriculture and critical minerals as key drivers of industrialisation and economic resilience across Southern Africa.
In his remarks, Nduhungirehe highlighted Rwanda’s strong commitment to its bilateral relations with individual SADC member states and reiterated Kigali’s determination to expand cooperation across areas of common interest.
He said Rwanda remains committed to working with countries in the regional bloc in pursuit of peace, sustainable development and shared prosperity, at a time when African economies are seeking stronger regional integration and greater value addition to their natural resources.
Although Rwanda is not a member of SADC, it maintains diplomatic, economic and political relations with several countries in the 16-member regional organisation. SADC brings together Angola, Botswana, Comoros, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The Kigali commemoration also provided an opportunity for Rwanda and SADC diplomats to underscore the importance of dialogue and cooperation as the continent confronts security challenges, infrastructure gaps and the need to accelerate industrialisation.
SADC Day is commemorated annually in August, marking the evolution of regional cooperation that began with the establishment of the Southern African Development Coordination Conference in 1980 and later became SADC in 1992.
