Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo has demanded that the ongoing two-day retreat with the country’s diplomats come up with a solution to what she described as ‘irksome communication flaws’ between Rwandan foreign missions and the ministry.

She made the call yesterday while opening a two-day retreat in Kigali between the ministry and Rwandan Ambassadors and High Commissioners.

"My personal demands are very simple; I know we will come up with a number of things, but one of the most critical things I would like us to discuss fully and come up with is a solution on setting up a mechanism of fast and effective communication between the embassies and the ministry,” she noted.

Mushikiwabo told the diplomats that in the less than two months she has been at Minaffet, she has realized that this issue was a major challenge, one that must be overcome because it affects the whole team’s effectiveness.

"It is my sincere hope that by the time you go back, we would have agreed on how to set up a mechanism of fast and flawless communication.”

The minister urged the meeting not only to come up with the mechanism, but also identify who will monitor it once in place, saying that this communication should not stop at the minister, but also other people within the ministry.

Mushikiwabo also urged the meeting to find a solution to the health insurance of employees at the country’s embassies who are getting problems with the current insurance company covering them.

Rwandan diplomats are covered by Allianz Worldwide Care, a provider of international health insurance but some of them are being required by Allianz to meet their health costs and be reimbursed later.

"The other deliverable for this retreat, in my opinion, should be removing the bottlenecks to some of the administrative issues, starting with the issue of the health insurance.”

She suggested that if the provision that requires the diplomats to meet these costs and get reimbursed is not revoked, a decision be taken to drop the company.

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