In closing out the year 2025, Rwandan President Paul Kagame delivered a message to the nation highlighting the country’s economic performance while calling for greater self-reliance in development financing. The head of state also reflected on major international events hosted by Rwanda, from the UCI Road World Championships to the African Nuclear Energy Forum, which he views as levers for the country’s visibility and credibility. Finally, he addressed regional security challenges, notably the implementation of the Washington agreements signed with the DRC.
In his year-end message for 2025, Rwandan President Paul Kagame presented an overall positive assessment, particularly of the country’s economy, while acknowledging persistent challenges. Official data shows a notable increase in Gross Domestic Product, with growth of 7.8% in the first quarter of 2025 accelerating to 11.8% by the third quarter—levels that demonstrate the resilience of the services, industry, and agriculture sectors.
“The year 2025 has been a period of significant growth and opportunity for our country, though not without its major challenges. I extend my gratitude to all Rwandans for the trust and collaboration they have shown throughout this year. Our economy has demonstrated its robustness. Our primary objective now is to maintain and amplify this growth momentum while efficiently utilizing our resources. This requires us to innovate and find new solutions to stay focused and ambitious. It is fundamental to emphasize that the financing of our development and well-being depends solely on us.”
Speaking of self-financing, for the 2025/26 fiscal year, approximately 58% of the national budget funding comes from domestic resources, particularly tax revenues generated by the local economy—a share that has increased significantly in recent years, driven by greater taxpayer mobilization and a more effective tax strategy.
President Paul Kagame also addressed the crisis with the Democratic Republic of Congo and the mediation efforts to end it.
“In December 2025, Rwanda and the DRC signed the Washington agreements. I thank the United States and Qatar, as well as our African institutions, for supporting this peace process. This is a crucial step to address the root causes of the conflict in eastern DRC and restore regional stability. Rwanda is fully committed to implementing this agreement, but any threat to the peace and security of our people is unacceptable.”
While Rwanda asserts its desire for these agreements to pave the way for lasting peace, the DRC for its part insists on the need to respect its territorial sovereignty and end all foreign interference. Despite numerous diplomatic efforts, fighting between the M23 and the FARDC has persisted, and accusations of violations of commitments have continued from both sides, illustrating the complexity of the issue and the persistent instability in the Great Lakes region.