On Wednesday, January 14, the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) dispatched a team of military engineers to Jamaica to help rebuild infrastructure damaged by Hurricane Melissa in 2025.
The mission follows President Paul Kagame’s commitment, made during his visit to Jamaica in April 2022, to support the Caribbean nation’s post-disaster recovery efforts.
But Rwanda and Jamaica’s partnership goes far beyond disaster response. Over the years, the two countries have built a solid relationship through diplomacy, humanitarian support, trade, and cooperation in tourism, technology, and governance.
Diplomatic Relations
Rwanda and Jamaica maintain formal diplomatic ties, with Rwanda currently under the jurisdiction of Jamaica’s High Commission in Abuja, Nigeria.
In 2024, President Kagame received Jamaica’s Ambassador to Rwanda, Lincoln G. Downer, who described Rwanda as a “brother country” and reaffirmed Jamaica’s commitment to strengthening the partnership.
“So far, Rwanda and Jamaica have signed two bilateral agreements on political consultation and tourism. Our next step is to put these agreements into action with local partners in Rwanda,” Downer said.
Humanitarian Cooperation
Rwanda has also shown solidarity with Caribbean nations during times of crisis. In 2024, the government donated $1.2 million (over Rwf1.5 billion) to countries affected by Hurricane Beryl.
Each of the four nations — Grenada, Jamaica, Barbados, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines — received $300,000 to support recovery efforts, according to Rwanda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
High-Level Visits Strengthening Ties
President Kagame has been a key advocate for closer Africa–Caribbean relations. During his 2022 visit to Jamaica, he addressed Parliament and highlighted the importance of direct cooperation between the two regions.
That visit resulted in the signing of two Memoranda of Understanding on political consultation and tourism, laying the foundation for deeper engagement.
Kagame has also visited Barbados, the Bahamas, and Trinidad and Tobago, promoting cooperation in trade, tourism, agriculture, aviation, and sports.
Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness, on his part, attended the 26th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Kigali in 2022.
Tourism and People-to-People Exchange
Tourism has become a key area of collaboration, with Rwanda seeking to learn from Jamaica’s well-developed tourism industry.
During discussions, President Kagame emphasised the value of people-to-people connections, especially for young people and entrepreneurs.
“We have already welcomed several Jamaican professionals to Rwanda, and they’ve made meaningful contributions,” he said.
He also highlighted trade, investment, and citizen development as priority areas for future cooperation.
Prime Minister Holness welcomed the growing partnership, saying he looked forward to “an even more vibrant relationship” between the two nations.
Trade, Investment, and Technology
Economic and technological cooperation has also gained momentum. In 2025, Rwanda secured a $4.6 million contract to design and implement Jamaica’s Integrated Electronic Case Management System (IECMS).
The project, signed between the Rwanda Cooperation Initiative (RCI) and Jamaica’s Ministry of Justice, aims to modernise Jamaica’s justice system through digital solutions.