KIGALI, Rwanda — August 26, 2026: President Paul Kagame held a series of high-level meetings at Urugwiro Village on Wednesday with prominent African leaders and institutional figures visiting Rwanda for the inaugural Africa Mindset Reset Forum, as discussions in Kigali focused on continental trade, governance, education and opportunities for Africa’s young people.
Among those received by President Kagame was Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). According to the Rwandan Presidency, their discussions addressed implementation of the continental trade agreement and the importance of African states meeting their commitments as part of efforts to expand trade within the continent.
The meeting comes as African governments continue working toward deeper economic integration through AfCFTA, an initiative designed to strengthen commercial links across national borders and create a more integrated continental market. The wider Africa Mindset Reset Forum, held in Kigali on August 25 and 26, brought together senior political figures, policymakers, academics, private-sector representatives and emerging leaders to examine African-led approaches to the continent’s development.
President Kagame also met former South African President Thabo Mbeki, who was in Kigali for the forum. According to the Presidency, their discussions centered on the objectives of the gathering and the importance of good governance in supporting a broader change in how Africa approaches its development.
Mbeki has long been associated with ideas of African political and economic renewal, while the Kigali forum sought to move discussions from traditional Pan-African solidarity toward stronger institutions, practical implementation and greater African ownership of development. Organizers described the gathering under the theme “From Pan-Africanism to Meta-Africanism,” with an emphasis on translating continental ambitions into measurable outcomes.
Another meeting brought President Kagame together with Monica Geingos, former First Lady of Namibia and Chancellor of Kepler College. Their discussions focused on education and expanding opportunities for young people in Rwanda and across Africa. Geingos, who participated in the forum’s leadership discussions, emphasized the connection between people, ideas and institutions, saying, “If we want to scale leadership across the continent, we need to invest in individuals, ideas and institutions together.”
Youth participation was a significant component of the forum. Organizers expected approximately 1,000 participants, with young and emerging leaders making up about 80 percent of attendees. Discussions included stronger African institutions, management of the continent’s natural resources, freer movement, improved air connectivity and practical approaches to economic development.
President Kagame, a co-founder of the African School of Governance, also participated in high-level discussions on translating African unity into practical action. The forum brought together figures including Mbeki, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, Ghanaian Vice President Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang and former Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn.
The separate meetings at Urugwiro Village reinforced Kigali’s role as a venue for continental dialogue at a time when African leaders and institutions are increasingly debating how to strengthen economic integration, governance and self-reliant development. For Rwanda, the discussions also aligned with its continued emphasis on implementation, institutional effectiveness and investment in young people as important components of Africa’s long-term transformation.
