Senior Rwandan officials have called for stronger African cooperation in addressing the continent’s security and development challenges, stressing that African nations must take greater responsibility for their own future.

The remarks were made during a high-level discussion focusing on the themes “Foreign Interference in African Affairs: Challenges and Solutions” and “Natural Resources and Sustainable Development: Opportunities for Africa.”

Speaking at the event, Rwanda’s Minister of Defence, Juvenal Marizamunda, said Africa’s security problems require collective action among African countries.

Using 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi as an example, he noted that the international community failed to stop the killings while more than one million people were murdered.

“No one will care more about your country than you do yourself,” Marizamunda said, adding that Rwanda’s recovery was made possible because citizens chose to take responsibility under the leadership of Paul Kagame.

Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olivier Nduhungirehe, also emphasized the need for stronger cooperation among African states to reduce the effects of foreign interference.

He said Africa’s future should be determined by Africans politically, economically, and militarily, urging countries across the continent to prioritize collaboration over conflict.

The annual conference was organized by the Rwanda Defence Force Command and Staff College in partnership with University of Rwanda. It aims to equip senior military officers with a deeper understanding of Africa’s evolving security challenges and future threats.