RWANDA Trends and Developments Contributed by: Aimery de Schoutheete and Penina Ngabire, Liedekerke Great Lakes
Digitalisation and Traceability During the first EU-Rwanda Business Forum in Kigali in June 2023, the RMB and the German development agency ( Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit – GmbH or GIZ) launched the “Sustainable Development of the Mining Sector in Rwanda” project, underscoring their commitment to driving sustainable growth in the country’s mining industry. Through its partnership with the EU and GIZ, the RMB is working on the digitalisation of vari - ous mining services. In particular, the RMB and GIZ have developed an online mining cadastre system, known as GIMICS (Geological Informa - tion Mining Cadastre System), which is currently operational and accessible to potential inves - tors. Moreover, the RMB intends to develop a digital system to improve the traceability of min - erals in the near future, in accordance with the OECD guidelines. Environmental Protection and the Fight Against Climate Change Rwanda has also recently revamped its envi - ronmental legal framework to better tackle cli - mate change and protect the environment. It has also launched a series of initiatives as part of its “Vision 2050” and its aspiration to be a green, carbon-neutral and climate-resilient country by 2050. These recent developments should con - tribute to more responsible development of the mining industry, which is set to grow rapidly in the coming years. Against this background, the relevant laws and regulations impose general and specific obliga - tions to tackle climate change and protect the environment. On the one hand, all administra - tive entities are required to preserve the environ - ment and prevent the adverse effects of climate change, and all socio-economic sectors (includ -
mining sector a priority and is counting on for - eign investment and know-how to achieve its objective. In parallel, the RMB has entered into a partnership with the EU to boost the digitalisa - tion of its services. It is also worth highlighting Rwanda’s commitment to developing its min - ing sector while preserving the environment, which has been and remains the country’s most precious resource and its best ally in the fight against climate change. Focus on Exploration, Large-Scale Mining and Value-Addition Processing In 2017, Rwanda conducted an airborne survey that revealed 52 potential target areas (PTAs) for mineral resources. The government and the RMB are now actively seeking to attract inves - tors to pursue exploration efforts with the aim of better assessing these PTAs. Rwanda is also diversifying its mineral portfolio to encompass new resources such as lithium and beryllium, complementing the extraction of the 3Ts, gold, rare earth elements and gem - stones, which have formed the backbone of the mining sector over the past decades. Rwanda currently has three processing and val - ue-addition facilities: the Gasabo Gold Refinery, the Power X Refinery (refining tantalum), and the LuNa smelter (smelting tin). The RMB is now actively seeking to attract investors wishing to establish other processing plants, in particular for tungsten and lithium, as well as cutting and polishing facilities for gemstones. Lastly, the University of Rwanda and Rwanda Polytechnic have both proposed mining pro - grammes that will prepare graduates for geol - ogy, environmental protection and other related earth sciences.
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