Commonwealth countries set to meet in Rwanda: What to expect

The summit comes amid souring relations between Rwanda and DR Congo which have reignited decades-long animosity.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson shakes fingers with Rwandan President Paul Kagame throughout a bilateral assembly on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Authorities Assembly (CHOGM) on the Workplace of the President in Kigali, Rwanda [Dan Kitwood/Reuters]

Heads of presidency from Commonwealth international locations will meet within the Rwandan capital, Kigali, on Friday and Saturday to deal with challenges from local weather change and poverty to the meals safety disaster triggered by the battle in Ukraine.

Listed here are some key information concerning the Commonwealth Heads of Authorities Assembly (CHOGM) and the Kigali summit, which had been speculated to be held in 2020 however had been twice delayed due to the COVID pandemic.

What's the Commonwealth?

It's a voluntary affiliation of 54 international locations that developed step by step from the British Empire and has existed in its fashionable kind since 1949.

Who're its members?

• The Commonwealth contains 13 international locations within the Caribbean and the Americas, 19 international locations in Africa, three in Europe, eight in Asia and 11 within the Pacific.
• It has a mixed inhabitants of two.5 billion.
• India accounts for 1.4 billion of its residents, whereas 32 members have populations of 1.5 million or much less, the smallest being Nauru, which has 10,000 inhabitants.

Are all of them former British colonies?

• Most of them are, however that's not a situation for membership. The final two international locations to affix, Rwanda and Mozambique, haven't any historic ties to the British Empire.
• Gabon and Togo, each former French colonies, are anticipated to use to affix on the Kigali summit.

What does the Commonwealth do?

• It presents itself as a community for cooperation on widespread objectives corresponding to defending the surroundings, boosting commerce, supporting democracy, selling schooling and gender equality, and giving small states a louder voice on the world stage.
• Though it's not a free commerce zone, it calculates that its members discover it 21 % cheaper to commerce with different members than with non-Commonwealth international locations that are the same distance away, based mostly on an evaluation of World Financial institution knowledge. Elements embody a typical language and comparable authorized and business frameworks.

Who heads it?

• Queen Elizabeth II has been head of the Commonwealth, a largely symbolic function, since her reign started in 1952.
• The organisation says the British monarch just isn't routinely its head, however its members nonetheless agreed at a gathering in London in 2018 that Elizabeth’s son Prince Charles would succeed her within the function. Charles is attending the Kigali summit, representing his mom.

Charles, Prince of Wales, attends a Commonwealth Enterprise Discussion board exhibition on the Kigali Cultural Village throughout a Commonwealth Heads of Authorities Assembly (CHOGM) in Kigali, Rwanda [Ian Vogler/Reuters]

Who runs it?

• It has a secretariat based mostly in London and a secretary-general, presently Dominica-born Patricia Scotland.
• Commonwealth leaders will determine in Kigali whether or not to reappoint her for a second time period or substitute her with Kamina Johnson Smith, the Jamaican international minister. Britain has criticised Scotland’s management and is backing Johnson Smith, as are India and Belize.

Who's attending the Kigali summit?

• Most heads of presidency of Commonwealth international locations might be there, together with Nigeria’s Muhammadu Buhari, Britain’s Boris Johnson and Canada’s Justin Trudeau.
• However South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, India’s Narendra Modi, Pakistan’s Shehbaz Sharif, Australia’s Anthony Albanese and New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern are usually not anticipated, elevating questions concerning the relevance of the organisation for these international locations.
• Just a few international locations like Zimbabwe have left the alliance or signalled their will to go away it. Others like The Gambia, Pakistan and Maldives beforehand left however have rejoined the physique.

What's prone to be mentioned?

• Leaders are anticipated to debate souring relations since Could between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo as insurgent teams – which Kinshasa accuses Kigali of supporting – have launched their most sustained offensive in a decade. On Monday, Kenya introduced the deployment of the Japanese African Neighborhood’s regional drive in DRC to quell the violence.
• Local weather motion can even be on the agenda as local weather change stays a serious concern for the bloc. Latest climate occasions and long run local weather traits, together with warmth waves, excessive temperatures, droughts, cyclones, floods and rising sea ranges, afflict most of its member states.
• Commerce amongst member nations, a recurring matter of debate, might be included, too.
• The approaching presidential elections in Kenya, scheduled for August 9, are additionally anticipated to be mentioned.