Ambassadors present credentials to President Kagame

Ambassador Minata Samate Cessouma of Burkina Faso presents her credentials to President Kagame. (photo Village Urugwiro)

Five new ambassadors from African countries have on Monday presented their credentials to President Paul Kagame at Village Urugwiro.

They are Salah Amed Elsalih Elguneid, ambassador of Sudan with residency in Kigali; Minata Samate Cessouma who represents Burkina Faso from Addis Ababa; Nyolosi Mphale, ambassador of Lesotho also with residence in Addis Ababa; Christopher Ella Ekogha, ambassador of Gabon to Rwanda with residence in Kinshasa; and for South Sudan, ambassador Samuel Luate Laminsuk who resides in Kampala.

Amb Elguneid of Sudan to Rwanda said that he was greatly honored to meet President Kagame and convey greetings from Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.

“During my tenure as Sudanese Ambassador to Rwanda, my first priority will be strengthening bilateral relationship between the two countries especially in terms of investment by encouraging the people of Sudan to come and invest in Rwanda,” he said.

Nyolosi Mphale from Lesotho remarked that there are similarities between the two countries. “I wish to promote cooperation in all aspects of life between Lesotho and Rwanda,” he said. “There is a need to further promote and strengthen cooperation among African countries rather than looking to Europe for assistance.”

Ambassador Salah Amed Elsalih Elguneid of Sudan is received by the Guard of Honor at Village Urugwiro. (photo Village Urugwiro)

Minata Samate Cessouma of Burkina Faso hailed the government of Rwanda for putting in place good policies, for instance the ban on polythene bags to protect the environment.

“I want to congratulate the people of Rwanda and in particular President Paul Kagame for his visionary leadership which has enabled Rwanda to be among the fastest growing economies in the world, and for promoting gender balance in the country which has a majority of female parliamentarians,” she observed. “This is great achievement for a country which has just come out of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsis, and all Africans should emulate this.”

Samuel Luate Laminsuk from South Sudan noted that the people of Rwanda and South Sudan have been very close especially during their liberation struggles.

“Rwanda to us is a brother country and we will focus on seeing how the two countries can work together in various economic and political activities,” he said.

He also noted that his country has submitted an application to join the East African Community (EAC), which he said will boost trade and free movement of people and goods from South Sudan and among other EAC member states. “I am optimistic that the government of Rwanda will strongly support our application,” he said.

Ambassadors present credentials to President Kagame