From judicial cooperation to diaspora gatherings, Rwanda’s relationship with the Netherlands brings diplomacy into contact with people’s lives. The twentieth anniversary of the Embassy of the Republic of Rwanda in The Hague in 2026 offers an opportunity to reflect on that relationship and consider its future.
Ambassador Lambert Dushimimana, who took up his role in June 2025, brings a background in law and public service to this work. He holds a master’s degree in International Law from the University of Pretoria and previously worked in legislative drafting and university teaching. Before becoming Governor of Western Province, he served as Senator and Chairperson of the Committee on Political Affairs and Governance.
His own links with the Netherlands began well before his diplomatic appointment. In 2009, he participated in curriculum development activities at Utrecht University concerning criminology and regional human rights protection. Today, his responsibilities connect bilateral relations with Rwanda’s engagement in The Hague’s international institutions.
A partnership grounded in justice
The Embassy’s establishment in 2006 built on Dutch support for Rwanda following the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. During his official working visit to the Netherlands in October 2015, President Paul Kagame recognised the Netherlands as one of Rwanda’s earliest development partners.
The visit included a meeting with King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima, alongside discussions with Foreign Minister Bert Koenders and Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Lilianne Ploumen. President Kagame also met Senate President Ankie Broekers-Knol and House of Representatives Speaker Anouchka van Miltenburg, who expressed their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations.
Judicial cooperation remains a substantial part of this partnership. In March 2026, Rwanda’s Minister of Justice, Dr Emmanuel Ugirashebuja, met Dutch Minister of Justice and Security David van Weel. Their discussions reaffirmed a shared commitment to justice, particularly in cases involving genocide suspects.
That work has a deeply personal significance for survivors and their families. In April 2023, a memorial to the victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi was inaugurated in Amsterdam’s Beatrixpark through collaboration involving the Embassy and IBUKA Netherlands, with Dutch institutional support.
On 7 April 2026, the Walk to Remember led to the memorial. More than 150 guests attended the commemoration, where Hans Docter, Deputy Secretary-General of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, delivered the keynote address.
Alongside bilateral engagement, the Ambassador represents Rwanda in multilateral discussions. In October 2026, he delivered a statement on behalf of the Africa group at the Executive Council of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
People shaping the relationship
The diaspora has helped give the relationship continuity beyond official meetings. The Embassy supported the integration of independent organisations into the Rwandan Community Abroad in the Netherlands, strengthening community participation and ties with Rwanda.
A significant gathering took place in Amsterdam on 3 October 2015, when more than 5,000 Rwandans from across Europe and friends of Rwanda discussed their contribution to the country’s socioeconomic transformation. President Kagame called for Rwandans at home and abroad to work together, emphasising young people’s responsibility to carry Rwanda’s legacy forward.
That engagement continues through practical community initiatives. At a women’s gathering at the Embassy in March 2026, participants committed to supporting a cervical cancer awareness and prevention campaign. A youth session during February’s Heroes Day celebration in Breda encouraged Kinyarwanda learning and engagement with Rwandan heritage.
The Embassy also creates opportunities to discover Rwanda through travel and business. In October 2025, Dushimimana opened the Visit Rwanda travel trade roadshow in Utrecht, bringing Dutch travel professionals together with Rwandan tourism representatives.
His message to the readers of Diplomat Magazine is of a resilient, forward-looking Rwanda pursuing its vision of becoming a high-income country by 2050. Economic growth provides part of that picture: GDP increased by 8.9% in 2024, while services and industry each expanded by 10%.
As the Embassy enters its third decade, Ambassador Dushimimana wishes to deepen existing relations and explore further opportunities with partners. Encouraging exchanges between young people in Rwanda and the Netherlands offers one possible direction, extending a relationship that successive generations will help shape.
