The Gambia’s ambassador to Rwanda Salimata Touray.
KIGALI- The Gambia’s ambassador to Rwanda Salimata Touray, has outlined an immediate agenda for her country to learn from Rwanda’s internationally recognized progress in digital governance, public service delivery and security expertise.
Touray said that her government hopes to draw lessons from Rwanda’s flagship digital service platform, IremboGov, which has transformed access to government services by enabling citizens to process key documents online.
“We want to learn from Rwanda’s experience with the Irembo model and adapt that to our own system to streamline public service delivery and improve efficiency,” she said upon being admitted as a member of the diplomatic corps.
Speaking to journalists shortly after meeting the Rwandan Head of State, Ambassador Touray described Rwanda as a trusted partner whose development experience offers valuable lessons for her country.
President Paul Kagame on Friday, March 6, received letters of credence from 20 newly accredited ambassadors and high commissioners in Kigali, marking another positive step in the steady expansion of Rwanda’s diplomatic engagement across the globe.
The new envoys represent countries from Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas, including Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Ireland, Colombia, Kazakhstan, Namibia and The Gambia among others.
Other ambassadors are from Mali, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Sierra Leone, Lesotho, Georgia, Slovakia, Malta, Tunisia, Dominican Republic and Hungary.
The ceremony validated Kigali’s growing profile as a diplomatic hub in Africa, cementing Rwanda’s expanding partnerships and its increasing role in regional and international cooperation.
Rwanda, a Knowledge Partner
“For us in The Gambia, we view Rwanda as a partner, a knowledge partner and a brother. Not only a brother that supports other countries, but one we can rely on in terms of service delivery, Pan-Africanism and accountability,” she said.
The ambassador highlighted three key areas where cooperation between the two nations has already begun to take shape; security and defence, public service reform, and judicial cooperation.
Security collaboration has gained momentum in recent months, including exchanges between military institutions in both countries. According to Touray, a recent visit by the Gambian Chief of Defence Staff to Rwanda opened new avenues for cooperation between the RDF and the Gambian armed forces.
The partnership also includes training for Gambian police officers in tackling transnational organized crime and terrorism, a move she said reflects the high level of trust her country has in Rwanda’s security institutions.
The Gambia’s ambassador to Rwanda Salimata Touray hands over letters of credence to President Kagame.
Trade and Education Cooperation
The ambassador said both countries are exploring partnerships involving student exchanges in technical and higher education, particularly in fields such as Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Legal education cooperation is also under consideration, including exchanges between law schools and bar training institutions in both countries.
Looking ahead, Touray stressed that trade and investment will play an important role in strengthening bilateral relations, particularly within the framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
She said both governments are exploring ways to increase trade flows and encourage investment opportunities between businesses in the two countries.
Regarding migration management and diaspora engagement the ambassador noted that The Gambia, a country with a significant diaspora population, hopes to learn from Rwanda’s policies and strategies in managing migration and engaging citizens abroad.
“As High Commissioner of The Gambia, I am here to bolster relations between our two countries. Our aim is to ensure that this partnership continues to grow so that both nations and their people benefit mutually,” she said.
The arrival of new diplomats in Kigali confirms Rwanda’s expanding global engagement, with the capital increasingly serving as a meeting point for cooperation, diplomacy and African-led development partnerships.
