# Valentine Rugwabiza

Valentine Sendanyoye Rugwabiza (born 25 July 1963) is a Rwandan businesswoman and politician who has served as the country's Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 2016 to 2018. She now is the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of MINUSCA, the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic.

## Quotes

* Good leaders change bad attitudes, and open up opportunities. I recommend that countries with high numbers of peacekeeping forces, such as Rwanda, should collaborate and share best practices and strategies. Success stories bring other success stories
** ["Rwanda makes case for greater women’s role in peacekeeping"], The New Times (07 May 2018)
* "I made a point of asking for a readjustment of the concept of our force (...) The main thing is to adopt a proactive and preventive posture of exactions on civilian populations based on reliable information,"
** ["CAR: New UN Rep calls for readjustment of MINUSCA to protect civilians"]], The new Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in the Central African Republic, Valentine Rugwabiza, called Wednesday for a "readjustment" of the UN force to protect civilians, victims of "abuses by all parties to the conflict" in the country. (19 May 2022)
* I wish to express our most sincere appreciation to all of you for your selfless service and dedication to duty, that has earned you the medals; this is illustrative of your character and performance in the execution of your mission.’
** ["RWANDAN PEACEKEEPERS IN CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC DECORATED WITH UN SERVICE MEDALS"]], RWANDAN PEACEKEEPERS IN CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC DECORATED WITH UN SERVICE MEDALS (25 November 2022)
* We wish to call for an expedited trial so that the justice that has been delayed for more than two decades can finally be delivered
** ["Rwanda implores UN to back arrest of Genocide fugitives"], The New Times (09 June 2021)
* These developments are a clear demonstration that justice can be rendered where there is political will to extend judicial cooperation to bring to justice those responsible for crimes against humanity
** ["Rwanda implores UN to back arrest of Genocide fugitives"], The New Times (09 June 2021)
* Failure to comply with the UN and AU resolutions and decisions to cooperate and bring to justice genocide fugitives has a negative impact on the maintenance of peace and security, which should be obvious to this Council
** ["Rwanda implores UN to back arrest of Genocide fugitives"], The New Times (09 June 2021)
* The government of Rwanda welcomes the prosecution of those who interfere with witnesses with an aim to revise established facts. We agree with the Prosecutor that such contempt of court is a form of genocide denial and those found guilty of it must face the force of the law,
** ["Rwanda implores UN to back arrest of Genocide fugitives"], The New Times (09 June 2021)
* "The task of fighting impunity and denial is the responsibility of all member states. It should be at the heart of the United Nations."
** ["Genocide ideologues now target international justice system - Rwandan UN envoy],The New Times (09 April 2021)
* We applaud member states who have put in place laws that criminalize the trivialization of the Genocide against the Tutsi and all crimes against humanity. We call on others to enact such laws
** ["Genocide ideologues now target international justice system - Rwandan UN envoy"],The New Times (09 April 2021)
* I can’t think of a more deserving awardee for the first Raphael Lemkin Award than yourself. By reminding us all there is no genocide without the participation of neighbours, it means that there is also no prevention of genocide without the active involvement of neighbours
** ["Rwanda honours Father Desbois for his role in fighting Genocide"], The New Times (29 March 2019)
* “It’s been 25 years, and people tend to forget or think that maybe with time it gets better, but healing and time are two different things.” For survivors, the genocide is as clear as yesterday,"
** ["Rwanda honours Father Desbois for his role in fighting Genocide"], The New Times (29 March 2019)
* "The credibility of the MICT and its legacy and contribution to the fight against impunity for crimes of genocide are at stake"
** ["Rwanda presents suggestions to save MICT from credibility crisis"], The New Times (08 June 2018)
* The purpose of the annual commemoration at the United Nations is to continue to raise awareness of the international community about our collective responsibility to prevent genocide from happening anywhere in the world
** ["Preventing genocide is a shared responsibility, says UN chief"], The United Nations secretary-general, Antonio Guterres, has paid tribute to the Genocide victims, saying the best way to honour their memory and the resilience of the survivors is to ensure that genocide never happens again anywhere in the world. (20 April 2017)
* Last but not least, we need to ensure that our post conflict reconstruction and peace building capabilities are properly deployed to ensure institutional capacity that would help prevent the relapse into conflict
** ["AU is more efficient in responding to African conflicts, Rugwabiza tells UN"], Experience in conflict prevention has shown that the African Union is better positioned in terms of knowledge, proximity and the capability to mobilize and respond quickly, Rwanda’s Permanent Representative to the UN has said (January 11 2017)
* "Rwanda would be a different story today, if the post-genocide Government did not invest much in forging a new Rwanda, successful in ensuring inclusivity and equal opportunities of all its citizens, overcoming ethnic divisions, engaging reconciliation and restorative justice as well as recover trust in state institutions"
** ["AU is more efficient in responding to African conflicts, Rugwabiza tells UN"], Experience in conflict prevention has shown that the African Union is better positioned in terms of knowledge, proximity and the capability to mobilize and respond quickly, Rwanda’s Permanent Representative to the UN has said (January 11 2017)
* We should focus on adding value to our products, with a view to increase the exportation of high-end products and increase competitiveness. We want our manufacturing sector to grow, we want to be able to tap into the regional market, to consume more of what we produce,
** ["New EAC rules of origin ‘will spur regional manufacturing industry’"], The New Times (02 October 2016)
* All these actions show that justice is possible if there is a political will to cooperate in bringing to justice all people who are involved in acts that attack humanity.(Ibi bikorwa byose biragaragaza ko ubutabera bushoboka ahari ubushake bwa politiki bwo gufatanya mu gushyikiriza ubutabera abantu bose bagira uruhare mu bikorwa byibasira inyoko muntu”.)
** ["LONI (UN) nishyireho akayo ubutabera bwihute – Valentine Rugwabiza"], Inyarwanda.com (09 June 2016)
* some member countries of this community have difficulty working with the Prosecutor's Office so that the suspects of supernatural crimes are arrested and brought to justice, but they consider it normal to get the money from the taxes of their citizens to be used for the well-being of those who have been opened for many years and after being acquitted.Together, the dependents and other beneficiaries have been paid by the ICTR, which later became the Ministry, for more than ten years. How the continued payment is made by the Department itself is unclear. Rwanda feels that it is unclear and therefore should be stopped.(Ibihugu bimwe bigize uyu muryango bigorwa no gukorana n’Ibiro by’Ubushinjacyaha ngo abakekwaho ibyaha ndengakamere bafatwe bashyikirizwe ubutabera, ariko bikabifata nk’ibisanzwe kubona amafaranga ava mu misoro y’abaturage babyo akoreshwa mu kubeshaho neza abafunguwe mu myaka myinshi na nyuma yo kugirwa abere.Hamwe na hamwe ibibatunga n’ibindi bagenerwa byagiye byishyurwa na ICTR nyuma biza kuba Urwego, mu myaka isaga icumi. Uko gukomeza kubyishyura bikozwe n’Urwego ubwabyo ntibyumvikana. U Rwanda rwumva ko bidasobanutse bityo bikwiye guhagarara)
** ["https://rugali.com/nta-gitangaza-kumva-amagambo-ya-valentine-rugwabiza-gusa-ikibabaje-nuko-abivuga-nawe-yarabyaye-akanaheka/"], Rugali.com (3 years ago)
* MINUSCA continues to support Government efforts to “decentralize” the peace process with armed groups, including recent initiatives to extend state presence in areas that have been stabilized through the Mission’s assistance.
** International support critical to forge lasting peace in Central African Republic UN News (29 October 2023)
* The strength and commitment of international financial partners and development actors in this regard remains central in order to build on the security gains that were so dearly obtained, be that through investments or stabilization programmes aimed at providing basic services, or through socio-economic lasting subsistence measures for the population,
** International support critical to forge lasting peace in Central African Republic UN News (29 October 2023)
* These results once again illustrate the effectiveness of concerted efforts, even if much remains to be done, including with regard to strengthening the capacities of national security and defense institutions,
** International support critical to forge lasting peace in Central African Republic UN News (29 October 2023)
* In order to preserve the values of the United Nations and maintain the trust of the population everywhere that we operate, MINUSCA will continue to strengthen prevention and risk management of risks of sexual exploitation and abuse by working with the country team at the United Nations in order to assist victims that have been identified,”
** International support critical to forge lasting peace in Central African Republic UN News (29 October 2023)
* MINUSCA is planning to implement recommendations made in a recent global assessment of logistical capacity “if we are given the budget”, appealing to the Council for support.
** International support critical to forge lasting peace in Central African Republic UN News (29 October 2023)
* I'm deeply grateful to the government of Rwanda because what has been achieved in this country, what is being achieved, or some of the achievements, as I just shared with you, are achievements of Rwanda. And Rwanda should be proud of [the achievements].
** VIDEO: MINUSCA boss Rugwabiza on need to build CAR’s internal capacity The New Times ( November 30, 2023)
* The Central African population is a very resilient population. It has gone through a lot. But whenever I have the opportunity, and I create those opportunities and make it a point of creating those opportunities – every month, I undertake a visit to the field outside Bangui.
** VIDEO: MINUSCA boss Rugwabiza on need to build CAR’s internal capacity The New Times ( November 30, 2023)
* Without a single doubt, it is appreciated by the population because they are the beneficiaries of those activities. But to be fair, we do have a number of other contingents that undertake activities such as having medical days where they provide medical services to people in the communities where they are deployed. So, we do have a few other contingents that provide such activities. And it is appreciated by the population. I believe that while it is appreciated, those are ad hoc activities. We need, and that is the other part of my responsibilities as Special Representative of the Secretary-General, to make sure that we also mobilize all the agencies of the UN country team. They are doing quite a lot, but [we need to] mobilize and mobilize resources so that they can do much more, and instead of having ad-hoc activities, make sure that we all work together to empower the population to conduct the activities for themselves.
** VIDEO: MINUSCA boss Rugwabiza on need to build CAR’s internal capacity The New Times ( November 30, 2023)
* I think looking at, you know, thinking about your question more specifically, one needs to look at [the fact that] peacekeeping cannot do everything. Peacekeeping has its own limitations. And one needs to look, more specifically, at the limitations of peacekeeping, and then be able to leverage some bilateral partnerships where peacekeeping cannot act. I do believe that members will have to start thinking about that. But again, not my call.
** VIDEO: MINUSCA boss Rugwabiza on need to build CAR’s internal capacity The New Times ( November 30, 2023)
* A peacekeeping mission can never be a substitute to what is the primary responsibility of the country, which is to secure its territory and to secure its people. Now, having said that it is clear that it takes time.
** VIDEO: MINUSCA boss Rugwabiza on need to build CAR’s internal capacity The New Times ( November 30, 2023)
* it is to ensure that we really implement optimally the mandate that is given to us. That mandate is a mandate of support to the Central African authorities and to the Central African people. We cannot support the Central African authorities and people without working with the Central Africans. So, I'm also very regularly in touch with the authorities at all levels of the governmen
** VIDEO: MINUSCA boss Rugwabiza on need to build CAR’s internal capacity The New Times ( November 30, 2023)