Through cabinet resolutions, it was announced on Wednesday the creation of a new “Ministry of National Unity and Civic Engagement’ for strengthening national unity, historical memory and citizenship education.
The formation of the new Ministry is part of resolutions of the virtual cabinet meeting held on the same day and chaired by President Paul Kagame.
“The Ministry of National Unity and Civic Engagement has been created. The new Ministry will focus on national unity, historical memory and citizenship education,” reads part of the cabinet statement released today.
This new Ministry will merge responsibilities of the National Commission for the Fight Against Genocide (CNLG) and the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission (NURC).
The reason for creation of the Ministry has not been revealed but it is expected to support the country’s ongoing efforts to promote unity and patriotism among Rwandans.
It is formed at a time when different reports show that Rwandans have made a step further to live in harmony without ethnic discrimination which characterized the country in the past.
The 5th Reconciliation Barometer released by NURC in 2020 indicated that reconciliation among Rwandans stands at 94.7 percent from 92.5 in 2015.
The report also shows that the percentage of citizens perceiving themselves as Rwandans instead of basing on ethnic lines increased from 95.6 per cent in 2015 to 98.2 per cent in 2020.
With the new ministry, Rwanda now has 20 ministries responsible for different dockets.
