Rwanda has assumed the chairmanship of the Council of Ministers of the Regional Centre on Small Arms (RECSA), taking over from Kenya during the organization’s 11th ministerial meeting held in Nairobi.
The official handover took place at the Safari Park Hotel between June 9 and 13, 2025, marking a strategic transition in the region’s efforts to combat the spread of small arms and light weapons.
Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Interior, Kipchumba Murkomen, presided over the symbolic ceremony, handing the RECSA flag and instruments of establishment to Rwanda’s Minister of Interior, Dr. Vincent Biruta, who will lead the council in the new term. Tanzania was appointed as Rwanda’s deputy in this rotational leadership.
The ministerial meeting, attended by high-level representatives from 11 RECSA member states, underscored the need for strengthened coordination to tackle the threats posed by illicit arms in the region.
Delegates from Burundi, the Central African Republic, Djibouti, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda participated in the deliberations.
A central outcome of the meeting was a collective reaffirmation to enforce the provisions of the Nairobi Protocol, the region’s main legal framework designed to curb the proliferation of small arms.
The ministers also called for harmonization of regional laws and regulations governing arms control, and enhanced cooperation in tracking and tracing illicit weapons.
The Council further resolved that upcoming RECSA events, the 17th Technical Advisory Committee and the 12th Ordinary Council of Ministers, will be hosted in Kigali in 2026 and 2027, respectively.
This decision highlights Rwanda’s increasing leadership role in shaping the regional security agenda.
The week-long meeting concluded with a strong commitment from all participants to strengthen collaboration among member states and align with international partners in order to advance sustainable peace and security.
Rwanda’s assumption of the chairmanship is expected to reinvigorate momentum in addressing the challenges related to illegal arms circulation across the Great Lakes and Horn of Africa regions.
