“While Africa works to build resilient digital economies, we are reminded that peace and stability remain the cornerstone of progress,” Minister Nduhungirehe said. He noted that recent economic, geopolitical, and climate-related crises have disproportionately affected the continent, threatening to reverse development gains.

The Minister pointed to positive steps taken at the continental level, including the African Union Peace Fund reaching its $400 million target, bolstered by increased private sector participation. Rwanda, he emphasized, continues to play an active role in supporting peace across Africa.

At the request of partner countries, Rwandan forces have been deployed to the Central African Republic and Mozambique, while contributions continue in South Sudan and CAR peacekeeping operations.

“These efforts reflect Rwanda’s commitment to African solutions for African problems,” Minister Nduhungirehe said, recalling the Kigali Principles on the Protection of Civilians adopted in 2015, which provide a framework for accountable and people-centered peacekeeping.

He also highlighted the critical role of regional economic organizations in addressing the root causes of insecurity. In the African Great Lakes region, initiatives led by the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), coordinated by the African Union, are advancing sustainable peace solutions, with support from diplomatic tracks such as the Washington Peace Agreement and the Doha Process.

Minister Nduhungirehe expressed optimism that Africa can achieve the goal of “Silencing the Guns” by the end of the decade, while stressing the need to tackle the underlying causes of conflict, including bad governance, corruption, discrimination, and lingering genocide ideologies, particularly in countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Concluding his remarks, the Minister urged renewed collective action, emphasizing that Africa’s stability is integral to global growth and innovation. “TICAD offers a unique platform to address these challenges, whose impact is felt worldwide. Now is the time to act,” he said.