Nuclear Energy Innovation Summit for Africa in Ruanda

On Thursday, the second edition of the Nuclear Energy Innovation Summit for Africa (NEISA) concluded in the Rwandan capital, Kigali. At the invitation of Rwandan President Paul Kagame, numerous leading representatives from governments as well as the energy and business sectors gathered for the four-day event at the Kigali Convention Centre under the theme “Powering Africa’s Future: Turning Nuclear Energy Ambition into Investable Reality”. As key strategic partners of the summit, the heads of state of Tanzania, Togo and Niger, together with the heads of leading international and national nuclear energy authorities, took part in the event. The aim of the summit was to identify solutions to the financial and structural barriers preventing African countries from accessing nuclear energy and to strengthen regional cooperation in this field.

During the summit, Rwanda signed several significant agreements relating to future nuclear energy projects. On Tuesday, Dr Usta Kaitesi, Permanent Secretary at Rwanda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Renee Sonderman, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary at the the Bureau of Arms Control and Nonproliferation at the US Department of State, signed a memorandum of understanding on strategic cooperation in the field of the peaceful use of nuclear energy. On the same occasion, the US company Holtec International and Rwanda’s atomic energy authority, the Rwanda Atomic Energy Board (RAEB), signed a comprehensive development agreement to conduct a feasibility study and assess the deployment of Holtec’s SMR-300 reactor. Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are regarded as modern nuclear energy systems which, compared with conventional nuclear power plants, generate less electricity but are more flexibly scalable and require lower initial investment.

At the same time, Rwanda concluded a further agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to strengthen cooperation on integrating nuclear energy, including SMR reactors, into the country’s energy mix. The agreement, signed by Rwanda’s Minister of Infrastructure Jimmy Gasore and IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, aims to support Rwanda in preparing for the use of nuclear energy in key areas such as infrastructure development, energy planning, workforce training, financing and capacity building. Grossi also presented President Kagame with the official report of the Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review conducted by the IAEA in Rwanda in March. In the report, the IAEA gave a positive assessment of Rwanda’s preparations for implementing its nuclear energy programme. As a result, Rwanda officially enters phase two of its nuclear energy programme, which focuses on establishing key institutions, expanding technical expertise, and creating the necessary legal and regulatory framework for the development of nuclear energy.

In addition, Rwanda’s Minister of Infrastructure Gasore and Tanzania’s Minister of Energy Deogratius John Ndejembi signed a memorandum of understanding on deepening bilateral cooperation in the energy sector in the presence of President Kagame and Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan. The agreement covers, among other things, the expansion of energy infrastructure, renewable energy, institutional capacity building and cross-border energy cooperation. Gasore emphasised the central importance of sustainable energy for economic growth, industrialisation and social development in the region.

The summit underlined the growing importance of regional cooperation and coordinated investment in meeting Africa’s rising energy demand and strengthening long-term industrial development. According to the IAEA, the strong interest shown by African states in nuclear energy is reflected, among other things, in the fact that half of all new partner states joining the international agency come from Africa and that 13 countries are actively pursuing nuclear energy programmes. At the same time, according to Kagame, international political support for nuclear energy is increasing: at the 28th UN Climate Change Conference, several governments called for nuclear projects to be more strongly integrated into international financing portfolios, while last year the World Bank lifted its previous ban on financing nuclear power projects. Against this backdrop, Rwanda is pursuing ambitious goals: the country’s first nuclear reactor is expected to become operational in the early 2030s, and by 2050, 60 per cent of the national energy mix is to come from nuclear energy. At present, South Africa remains the only African country with an operational nuclear power plant, while in Egypt the Russian state-owned corporation Rosatom is currently constructing another one.

Opposition in Cabo Verde wins parliamentary elections

In Cabo Verde, the country’s largest opposition party, the Partido Africano da Independência de Cabo Verde (PAICV), has won Sunday’s parliamentary elections with 46.8% of the vote, according to provisional results from 99% of polling stations. Party leader Francisco Carvalho, currently mayor of the capital Praia, is therefore expected to be elected as the new prime minister by parliament, replacing the incumbent head of government, Ulisses Correia e Silva. His party, the Movimento para a Democracia (MPD), received 43.7% of the vote, whilst the União Cabo-verdiana Independente e Democrática (UCID), as the third-strongest force, secured 5.1% of the vote. Two other parties, the Partido do Trabalho e da Solidariedade (PTS) and the Partido Popular (PP), also stood in the election but failed to win any seats in parliament. It remained unclear at first whether the PAICV would also secure an absolute majority of 37 seats in the 72-seat parliament. Although Carvalho had already announced this on Sunday evening, the provisional results on the Electoral Commission’s website still showed 36 seats for the PAICV and 32 seats for the MPD on Thursday. Experts nevertheless consider an absolute majority likely, as the outstanding diaspora votes are likely to benefit the PAICV, according to previous polls.

Correia e Silva, who had led the West African island nation for the past ten years, congratulated Carvalho on his election victory as early as Sunday and stepped down as leader of the MPD even before the vote count was complete. In a statement to the press, he said his party would form a “responsible opposition” in parliament. Also on Sunday, in his victory speech outside the PAICV headquarters in Praia, Carvalho stated that the population had sent a “clear message” for change and announced the dawn of a “new Cabo Verde”. Alongside the fulfilment of his election pledges, Carvalho emphasised the PAICV’s willingness to cooperate with all political parties and highlighted the “exceptional” relations with Portugal. Carvalho was critical of the MPD, accusing it of influencing votes through food programmes. The MPD is alleged to have distributed food parcels worth 200,000 escudos (approx. 1,800 euros) each to eligible voters. Carvalho accused the National Electoral Commission and the Attorney General’s Office of inaction in this regard.

Cabo Verde is regarded as a stable democracy; in the Freedom House index, the country once again achieved a high score of 92 out of 100 in 2026. Since the introduction of the multi-party system in 1991, the political landscape has been characterised by a series of changes in government between the two dominant parties, the MPD and the PAICV. Voter turnout, however, fell to a record low of 46.5 %, down from 57.4 % in 2021 – for some, a sign of growing disillusionment with the parties. The country faces significant economic and social challenges, including a high cost of living, youth unemployment and structural problems in the transport and tourism sectors, on which Cabo Verde is heavily dependent. During the election campaign, the PAICV pledged, among other things, free access to public universities and healthcare, domestic boat journeys for 500 escudos (€4.53) and flights for 5,000 escudos (€45.35), as well as measures to tackle corruption and promote social housing. The MPD also promised reforms in social and economic policy, including higher wages and improvements to the healthcare system. Whilst some observers view the PAICV’s election victory as a political shift, others doubt that there will be any fundamental political changes, as the two major parties are said to differ little in terms of policy. Presidential elections will also take place in Cabo Verde in November. Incumbent José Maria Neves of the PAICV is seeking a second term.

In other news

From Saturday to Tuesday, the ninth edition of the Cosmetista Expo North & West Africa took place in Casablanca. Held annually in Morocco since 2016, the trade fair is regarded as one of the leading industry events for cosmetics, beauty and wellness in North and West Africa. A total of 143 exhibitors from around the world, including Brazil, China, Egypt, France, India, South Korea, Spain and Turkey, showcased more than 700 brands and products. More than 18,000 visitors attended lectures and presentations, while the exhibition also provided industry professionals with a platform for exchange and networking. In addition, the Cosmetista Expo offered insights into current and emerging industry trends: gentler and more natural products are becoming increasingly important, while new technologies are also being adopted more widely. The Moroccan company Specta, for instance, introduced DermaView, an AI-powered application for skin analysis. Meanwhile, the Lebanese permanent make-up artist Faisal Harkous presented microblading as a technique for restoring eyebrows following chemotherapy.