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Rwanda appoints new foreign minister, internal security minister
Rwanda's President Paul Kagame arrives for the inauguration of Cyril Ramaphosa as South African president, at Loftus Versfeld stadium in Pretoria, South Africa, May 25, 2019. PHOTO BY REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko
05/11/2019
KIGALI (Reuters) - Rwanda's President Paul Kagame has appointed a new foreign affairs minister in a cabinet reshuffle, a statement read on state broadcaster Radio Rwanda late on Monday said.
The central African country's new top diplomat, veteran politician Vincent Biruta, will replace Richard Sezibera who has not been seen in public for months.
Sezibera's absence from public view has fuelled speculation that he could have fallen ill.
Calls by Reuters on Tuesday to the president's office and other government officials for comment on the reshuffle were not answered.
Biruta has been serving as Rwanda's minister for environment since August 2017 but held other roles including head of the senate between 2003 to 2011.
He is also the head of Social Democratic Party (SDP) which is in a coalition with the ruling Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) party headed by Kagame.
Other changes in the reshuffle included Patrick Nyamvumba who was appointed minister of internal security. He has been working as chief of defence forces.
(Reporting by Clement Uwiringiyimana; Editing by Elias Biryabarema; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
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