Rwandan President Paul Kagame, leader of one of Africa's most Israel-friendly states, hinted on Tuesday that flourishing ties would be a 'plus' for Israel in traditionally hostile forums like the United Nations Human Rights Council and the African Union.
In an exclusive interview with i24NEWS during his two-day visit to Israel, Kagame noted that the small Eastern African state will be a member of the UN Human Rights Council until 2019, and next year will take the helm of the African Union.
"All these institutions are built to tackle global issues. Some of them come up, involving Israel, involving other countries … having a relationship is always going to be a plus," Kagame said.
The President - who is running for a third term in August after a national referendum altered the previous two-term limit - indicated, however, that support would not be automatic.
"I don't like relations between Rwanda and Israel to immediately attract [the] interpretation, that Rwanda is siding with Israel against Palestine - it doesn’t work like that in my view," he said.
"We don't make friends to have them as enemies of somebody else. When we are friends with somebody it doesn't mean we are enemies with somebody else."
In March, Kagame became the first African leader to speak at the annual pro-Israel America Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference in Washington DC, where he declared that "Rwanda is, without doubt, a friend of Israel."
During his visit to Israel during Sunday and Monday, Kagame met with and was praised by Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin.
"We see how you stand up for Israel in international forums, and you already expressed a simple principle that we did which is that bilateral relationships should be reflected in multilateral forums," Netanyahu said, in reference to an 2014 Security Council vote admonishing Israel, from which Rwanda abstained.
The Prime Minister added that Kagame is "a great friend of Israel, a great personal friend ... I think Israel is very fortunate to have him as a friend, I think Rwanda is very fortunate to have him as their leader."
In public remarks the President's residence in Jerusalem, Rivlin said of Rwanda: "we are two nations who understand the horror of genocide, and we must show what humanity can achieve with cooperation and understanding."
Kagame took up the theme in the i24NEWS interview.
"Look at Israel, where it has come from and where it is now, or even Rwanda in a small way, 23 years now from genocide. We've made good progress. We've been reconciling the people, we've made good progress in social and economic transformation."
President Paul Kagame of Rwanda (L), meets with Israel's President Reuven Rivlin in Jerusalem, 10 July 2017.
He also stressed that Israeli prowess in agriculture, technology and energy are the chief interests that Rwanda has in the Middle East, rather than any desire to take positions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
"This problem between Palestine and Israel is a complex one, it's been there for a long time, it's not one that me or Rwanda or Africa all put together are going to address. I think it would be an exaggeration, or even a pretense if you will," he said.
"But can we make a contribution, when the right time is there or when there is a call for us to make a contribution? Yes we can, but we cannot give a solution. We can give a small contribution, maybe."
Despite the lauding of Kagame for bringing stability and relative prosperity to the state in the aftermath of the 1994 genocide that left an estimated 800,000 people dead, the veteran leader has been criticized by human rights groups for a string of arrests and disappearances of opposition activists.
There have been several reports of Kagame's administration being behind plots to assassinate emigres abroad who have spoken out against his leadership.
Despite the evident warmth and affection during the visit, mutual trade between the two states remains sluggish. Last year Israel exported a modest $13 million of goods to the central African state, the bulk of which was electronic and communications equipment, according to Israeli trade figures.
Israel imported a miniscule $13,000 during the same period.
In 2013, $13 million worth of Israeli arms were sold to unknown buyers in Rwanda, according to a database compiled by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, although the statistics do not show any weapons sales since then.
A view of the centre of the Rwandan capital, Kigali, pictured on March 11, 2014
Kagame's trip comes almost exactly a year after Netanyahu flew to Rwanda, where he proclaimed that he was "deeply impressed with Rwanda. It's a vibrant country. It's a resolute country. And you've accomplished amazing things. And these achievements are even more impressive given the horrors that you had to overcome."
In April, Israel's Border Police posted a clip on Facebook showing their instructors helping train local police in Rwanda.
Rwanda is also reported to be one of two destinations to which Israel has struck agreements with to offload thousands of Eritrean and Sudanese asylum seekers who came to Israel illegally in recent years.
An investigation last month in Foreign Policy magazine – confirming earlier reporting - found that the promises made to the asylum seekers that they would gain work rights and be allowed to stay in Rwanda were not being fulfilled and many people were being smuggled out of the country soon after arrival.
Both Israel and Rwanda refuse to confirm any arrangement on the issue.
President Paul Kagame was interviewed by i24NEWS diplomatic correspondent Ellie Hochenberg
