Kigali, Rwanda – Rwanda’s new nuclear cooperation agreement with Russia may look technical on paper, focused on science, nuclear medicine and energy, but it signals a deeper shift in the geopolitical balance across Africa.While Moscow is deepening its presence on the continent, Washington and other Western powers are increasingly viewed as inconsistent partners, leaving room for countries like Rwanda to explore new alliances.The agreement was signed on May 19 at the Nuclear Energy Innovation Summit in Kigali, where Rwanda’s government emphasised its ambition to become a regional hub for technology, innovation and advanced healthcare.The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) covers nuclear medicine and broader cooperation in health and nuclear science, including potential research reactor projects and training programmes.Rwandan government spokesperson Yolande Makolo told Al Jazeera that feasibility studies are under way for a small modular reactor (SMR)-based facility and a Centre for Nuclear Science and Technology.“In addition to Russian company Rosatom, Rwanda also signed MoUs with the US government on civil nuclear cooperation, as well as agreements with firms from South Africa and Austria,” Makolo said, highlighting Kigali’s strategy of engaging multiple international partners.The proposed centre would eventually host a research reactor, laboratories, training facilities and nuclear medicine infrastructure, though the plan remains in its early stages. For now, Rwanda is sending students to Russia for nuclear engineering programmes, laying the groundwork for domestic technical capacity. Advertisement A changing influence mapWes …
