Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (53 seats;
members elected by direct vote)
elections: last held 29 September 2003 (next to be held Chamber of
Deputies - NA 2008; Senate - NA 2011)
election results: seats by party under the 2003 Constitution - RPF
40, PSD 7, PL 6
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; High Courts of the Republic; Provincial Courts;
District Courts; mediation committees
Political parties and leaders:
Centrist Democratic Party or PDC [Alfred MUKEZAMFURA]; Democratic
Popular Union of Rwanda or UDPR [Adrien RANGIRA]; Democratic
Republican Movement or MDR (officially banned) [Celestin KABANDA];
Islamic Democratic Party or PDI [Andre BUMAYA]; Liberal Party or PL
[Prosper HIGIRO]; Party for Democratic Renewal (officially banned)
[Pasteur BIZIMUNGU and Charles NTAKARUTINKA]; Rwandan Patriotic
Front or RPF [Paul KAGAME]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Vincent
BIRUTA]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
IBUKA - association of genocide survivors
International organization participation:
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, CEPGL, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO
(correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Zac NSENGA
chancery: 1714 New Hampshire Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 232-2882
FAX: [1] (202) 232-4544
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Henderson
PATRICK
embassy: 337 Boulevard de la Revolution, Kigali
mailing address: B. P. 28, Kigali
telephone: [250] 50 56 01 through 03
FAX: [250] 57 2128
Flag description:
three horizontal bands of sky blue (top, double width), yellow, and
green, with a golden sun with 24 rays near the fly end of the blue
band
Economy Rwanda
Economy - overview:
Rwanda is a poor rural country with about 90% of the population
engaged in (mainly subsistence) agriculture. It is the most densely
populated country in Africa; landlocked with few natural resources
and minimal industry. Primary foreign exchange earners are coffee
and tea. The 1994 genocide decimated Rwanda's fragile economic base,
severely impoverished the population, particularly women, and eroded
the country's ability to attract private and external investment.
However, Rwanda has made substantial progress in stabilizing and
rehabilitating its economy to pre-1994 levels, although poverty
levels are higher now. GDP has rebounded and inflation has been
curbed. Export earnings, however, have been hindered by low beverage
prices, depriving the country of much needed hard currency. Despite
Rwanda's fertile ecosystem, food production often does not keep pace
with population growth, requiring food imports. Rwanda continues to
receive substantial aid money and was approved for IMF-World Bank
Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) initiative debt relief in late
2000. Kigali's high defense expenditures have caused tension between
the government and international donors and lending agencies. An
energy shortage and instability in neighboring states may slow
growth in 2005, while the lack of adequate transportation linkages
to other countries continues to handicap export growth.