Role Of Parliament In Implementing Foreign Policy In Africa: The Case Of Parliament In Rwanda

Abstract

The fact that no state in the world is self-sufficient cannot be over-emphasized. To the extent that states are interdependent and thus, a particular state’s policy detailing how it will relate to international actors (states, international organisations, etc.) affect the lives of its citizenry, the involvement of the of the legislature in that policy formulation process should be paramount. In Rwanda, the act of foreign policy making rests with the Executive and legislative arms of government. The processes involve start from setting of the agenda through to consultations and then approval for execution. This study was aimed at analyzing the role of parliament in the conduct of Rwanda’s Foreign policy making after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi specifically between 2003 and 2017, investigating the factors that stem against effective involvement of parliament in Rwanda’s foreign policy making as well as proffer recommendations towards enhancing parliaments role in Rwanda’s foreign policy, the study involved the use of both primary and secondary data for analysis. For the secondary source the major stakeholders, thus members of the parliamentary standing committee on foreign Affairs, cooperation and security were interviewed and information collected was analyzed. Results from the study showed that in as much as the parliament plays a monumental role in the making of Rwanda’s foreign policy by scrutinizing Rwanda’s foreign policy direction through constructive debating of issues, it has not fully utilized its mandate to ensure that actions of the executive arm of government regarding foreign policy is fully examined and monitored. Implications of the study have been thoroughly discussed.