Rwanda to join Commonwealth
Nov 12, 2009
Rwanda’s application to join the Commonwealth is set to be approved at the summit of heads of state and government scheduled for Trinidad and Tobago later this month.
By Felix Osike
Rwanda’s application to join the Commonwealth is set to be approved at the summit of heads of state and government scheduled for Trinidad and Tobago later this month.
Rwanda, a Belgian colony, applied to join the Commonwealth in 2003 but its application has been pending.
Madagascar, Yemen, Algeria and Sudan have also applied to join the association that brings together former British colonies.
The Commonwealth secretary general, Kamalesh Sharma, told journalists in London on Monday that Rwanda’s application had reached a final stage.
Rwanda will become the 54th member of the Commonwealth. Currently Fiji is suspended, while Zimbabwe withdrew its membership.
Applicant countries must have had historic constitutional association with the Commonwealth, save in exceptional circumstances.
Although most Commonwealth countries are English-speaking, some bilingual nations, notably Canada, have overlapping membership in the rival Francophone organisation spearheaded by France.
Rwanda broke ranks with France over the investigations into the murder of President Juvenal Habyarimana. Rwanda would be following the examples of French-speaking Cameroon and Portuguese-speaking Mozambique, both active members.
During the 2007 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kampala (CHOGM), Rwanda’s application was delayed, pending a review of rules for new members.
Recently, the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative said Rwanda’s adherence to international law, its speech and press freedoms and community justice system were not up to global standards and recommended against accepting its bid to join the Commonwealth this year.
But Rwanda’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Rosemary Museminali, told Reuters that the accusations had no basis. “Rwanda should be looked at in the context of where it has come from,†she said.
This year’s CHOGM will address global warming, electoral management, energy, economic and food security crisis among other things.
President Yoweri Museveni, the current Commonwealth chairman, hands over to Trinidad and Tobago premier Patrick Manning on November 29.
Rwanda’s application to join the Commonwealth is set to be approved at the summit of heads of state and government scheduled for Trinidad and Tobago later this month.
Rwanda, a Belgian colony, applied to join the Commonwealth in 2003 but its application has been pending.
Madagascar, Yemen, Algeria and Sudan have also applied to join the association that brings together former British colonies.
The Commonwealth secretary general, Kamalesh Sharma, told journalists in London on Monday that Rwanda’s application had reached a final stage.
Rwanda will become the 54th member of the Commonwealth. Currently Fiji is suspended, while Zimbabwe withdrew its membership.
Applicant countries must have had historic constitutional association with the Commonwealth, save in exceptional circumstances.
Although most Commonwealth countries are English-speaking, some bilingual nations, notably Canada, have overlapping membership in the rival Francophone organisation spearheaded by France.
Rwanda broke ranks with France over the investigations into the murder of President Juvenal Habyarimana. Rwanda would be following the examples of French-speaking Cameroon and Portuguese-speaking Mozambique, both active members.
During the 2007 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kampala (CHOGM), Rwanda’s application was delayed, pending a review of rules for new members.
Recently, the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative said Rwanda’s adherence to international law, its speech and press freedoms and community justice system were not up to global standards and recommended against accepting its bid to join the Commonwealth this year.
But Rwanda’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Rosemary Museminali, told Reuters that the accusations had no basis. “Rwanda should be looked at in the context of where it has come from,†she said.
This year’s CHOGM will address global warming, electoral management, energy, economic and food security crisis among other things.
President Yoweri Museveni, the current Commonwealth chairman, hands over to Trinidad and Tobago premier Patrick Manning on November 29.