Angola, Rwanda to strengthen ties in Education and Research for social-economic development
By Elias Hakizimana.
The Embassy of Angola in Kigali, Rwanda has committed to continuous support in advancing education and research through a bilateral relationship with Rwanda Government as a way to strive for a common social economic development.
The commitment was made by His Excellency Ambassador Edouardo Filomeno Bárber Leiro Octávio of the Republic of Angola to Rwanda on Monday, November 14, 2022, during a press conference at the Embassy’s Headquarters.
The press conference was to announce the commemoration of the 47th anniversary since Angola got independency. The event will take place tomorrow, November 15, 2022, in Kigali, bringing together various dignitaries including Academicians, politicians and other various officials from both countries to discuss issues surrounding the region and to find tangible solutions as well.
Angola’s independency day is celebrated every year on November 11th, but the current will be officially commemorated on November 15, 2022, following the prompt change of the schedule that made it necessary on November 11, 2022, to have in Kigali, H.E Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, the President of Angola for the discussions about mediation of Rwanda and DRC in the on-going conflict issues.
“Through a technical and scientific session, we will have an opportunity to exchange knowledge between Rwanda’s academicians and those from Angola, we will meet lecturers and professors as well as students from the University of Rwanda and, hopefully we will be able to strengthen our relationship for Academic and research purposes,” said H.E Eduardo Octavio.
The scope of the war situation in the Eastern-DRC has been also a subject of discussion during the press conference. H.E Eduardo Octavio said that on November 11, 2022, Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, the incumbent president of Angola was in Rwanda with other leaders to see how to help countries resolve war and conflicts being escalated.
“Our President is pitting efforts for greater understanding and trying to enter into mediation of the countries in this region, but we have hope that we are going to achieve peace in this region,” said H.E Eduardo Octavio.
Other areas of bilateral interventions
Agriculture and Livestock
Among the nine (9) Memorandum of Understanding between Angola and Rwanda, Agriculture is among the fields that both countries will move to strengthen.
H.E Eduardo Octavio said that the main objective of collaboration in this sector is to exchange knowledge and to co-operate in practice through joint investment; and in entrepreneurs- investments.
“We will be able to exchange knowledge with experts for better results in the development of Livestock and Agriculture, and of course the objective of this is to eradicate hunger. We have hope that this bilateral tie will achieve greater results,” he said.
Other fields in which both countries will work together include health, oil and gas, human rights, and legal assistance in criminal matters among others.
Trade
“In May 2008, we signed An MoU in Aviation development, which states connection between the Republic of Angola and Rwanda, we are also preparing to establish a chamber of trade between the two countries,” H.E Eduardo Octavio added.
José Octávio Serra Van-Dúnem, Director of the Center for Legal, Economic and Social Studies of the Law School of the Agostinho Neto University (CEJES) said that the relationship between Angola and Rwanda will help to strengthen Excellency in Academic performance for both countries.
Dr. Ismael Buchanan, CEO of Rwanda International Affairs Institute (RIAI) based in Kigali and Senior Lecturer of Politics and International Relations at University, Huye campus said that
“As academicians from Universities and Higher-learning Institutions, having strong relationship is an opportunity to exchange knowledge and teachers from Angola and Rwanda to analyze Africa’s key challenges and see how to share available opportunities especially at education level. We will manage to share ideas and research.” Dr. Ismael Buchanan noted.
“Our students will also benefit from various programs from Angola, in Technology, engineering, laws, Agriculture sector, and it is an opportunity to learn Portuguese language that Angolans use to communicate, which is an added asset to our current four official languages.” He added.
“We want to start implementing Pan-Africanism with Angola so that we manage to learn and benefit from each other. This will benefit our students, lecturers and teachers; as well as traders following the new chamber of trade to be established soon,” Dr. Ismael Buchanan said.
About Angola
Angola is the largest and wealthiest of the Portuguese-speaking African Countries. It is located in south-central Africa and is known formally as the Republic of Angola. It is surrounded by Democratic Republic of Congo to the North, Zambia to the East, and Namibia on the South.
With an area of 1,246,700 square kilometers and a population of about 34,789,024, Angola is the one of the richest countries in Africa, one of the largest oil and diamond mining countries in the world. The capital of this country is Luanda, whose citizens speak the Portuguese language.
The traditional local languages are Kimbundu, Umbundu, Chokwe and Kikongo. The dominant tribe in that country is called the Ovimbundu. The population of Angola includes Chinese (1%), and Europeans (1%). The majority are Christians as they make up more than 90% of the country’s population.
Angola gained independence on November 11, 1975.The gross domestic product of the people of Angola is $210,034 billion and the average citizen of this country earns $7,360 per year.
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