Government scrutinising NGOs more closely

The government has indicated that international NGOs operating in Rwanda should submit thorough plans of action to assure that their activities benefit ordinary Rwandans. Local Government Minister Desire Nyandwi has also indicated that NGOs operating in Rwanda without license, or with expired contracts, should register by 31 March in order to continue to operate, RNA reported. “There is security in the whole country, which is beneficial not only to Rwandans but also those staying in the country. The government is ready to support NGOs in their activities as long as they fulfil all operational requirements,” it quoted Nyandwi as saying.

These public warnings symbolised “an attempt to monitor NGOs more closely”, which included the government getting “very, very specific about the information they wanted” in plans and reports, humanitarian sources told IRIN on Monday. Underlying the increased scrutiny of NGOs was an ongoing bid by the authorities to have them contribute towards security costs in the country; this was pressure to which the NGO forum in Rwanda was strongly opposed, since it considered the provision of adequate security an essential operating condition, the sources in Kigali said. There are about 84 international NGOs in Rwanda, most of which are reported to be registered in line with government requirements.