Hon. Tobias Ellwood
The British Minister for Africa in the commonwealth office is expected in Rwanda this afternoon.
Hon. Tobias Ellwood will lay a wreath of flowers at the Kigali Genocide Memorial in commemoration of over a million lives lost during the 1994 genocide against Tutsi. About 250,000 victims of Genocide against Tutsi lay to rest at the memorial.
According to a communiqué, Hon. Ellwood has just concluded an official visit in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo; “While in Rwanda, Hon. Ellwood will meet officials from the Government of Rwanda at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation.”
In November 2009, Rwanda was admitted to the Commonwealth of Nations as its 54th member.
With very close ties, UK provides nearly £70 million a year to support Rwanda’s developmental progress and poverty reduction.
For example between 2011 and 2015 UK aid supported 3.8 million Rwandans to obtain land titles and through support to the Vision Umurenge Programme.
UK aid enabled 390,000 of the poorest Rwandans to boost their income. The same support provided 355,000 with access to financial services, and enabled 354,000 children to attend primary school.
