In 1999, Rwanda received a total of 372.9 million bilateral and multilateral aid of which 287.4 was in grants.¹

Rwanda received 30.2 million dollars in donor aid for debt servicing.² Recognizing Rwanda as a special case, the World Bank and donors agreed in June to provide $250 million dollars in support for its economic reform project. In 1998, Rwanda received a total of 349.9 million dollars of which 260.4 million was grant.³

The donor conference did not take place in 1997. However, Rwanda received at least 178.7 million in bilateral and 50.4 million in multilateral financial assistance, of which 181.5 million was grants.¹

The second donor conference was held in Geneva on June 20-21 1996 in which 30 donor countries participated and pledged 617 million dollars to rehabilitate the country. Although, Rwandan government had called on donor countries to provide more than 800 million dollars to the end of 1998. Among the pledges, the EU promised 228 million, the Netherlands promised 100 million over a three year period and the World Bank had promised 50 million dollars.⁴ Rwanda received a total of 466.5 million dollars in bilateral and multilateral financial assistance of which 423.9 million dollars was grant money.⁵

A donor two-day conference funded by UNDP and attended by some 20 countries concluded in Geneva on 23 January 1995. In the conference, donor countries pleaded US$ 587 million dollars in aid to find the country’s recovery program in the year 1995-6.⁵ In May, donor countries like the United States, Great Britain, Spain, Belgium, Germany and Norway, among others agreed to fund the international tribunals.⁶

Donor agencies which pleaded for funding in January met in Rwanda for two days in July to review progress on disbursement of reconstruction funds. According to a report, only 92 million of total 430 million expected had been disbursed.⁷ Donor representatives again met in November for the repatriation and resettlement of refugees and agreed that their pledges made at the Geneva conference would be reassessed soon. Some countries also made new aid pledges to help Rwanda.⁸ Rwanda received a total of 702 million bilateral and multilateral assistance of which 662.6 million was grant assistance.⁹

In order to help the repatriation program and with rebuilding the war-torn economy, representatives from about 40-donor governments met in Geneva on 2 August 1994, in which the UN was asking for US$434 million.2¹⁰ It was not clear whether the donor countries met the request. Also, the poor funding stalled the UN genocide probe projects that required a deployment of human rights monitors across Rwanda.¹¹

The Arusha Accord asked for donor supports to implement the repatriation program as well as for rebuilding war-shattered economy. Unrelated to the repatriation program, the UN appealed for aid to Rwanda to help nearly 1 million people at risk of starvation.[fn]”UN Appeals for Aid to Rwanda, Warns of Donor Fatigue,” Associated Press, April 17, 1993.[/efn_note] Further information on funding is not available.

The government’s program of rebuilding social and economic infrastructure continued in 2002. Much of the activities were supported by funding from donor agencies. In this regard, the IMF provided financial support Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) programs, which contributed rebuilding economic and social infrastructure.¹

Not much information available on economic activities. However, donor agencies and countries continued to help to rebuild socio-economic infrastructure of the country. In 2003, the transitional phase ended with the holding of the election for the president and the national assembly in which Kagame was elected president and his party the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) won the majority of seats in the assembly.¹²

The government’s program of rebuilding social and economic infrastructure continued in 2001. Much of the activities were supported by funding from donor agencies. According to a report, macroeconomic performance during 2001 was strong. A growth in manufacturing, construction, transportation, and communications activities was reported.¹³

Little information is available. Nevertheless, the economy grew at the rate of 6 per cent in 1999 compared to 8 per cent in 1998.¹⁴ Poverty and AIDS were hindering the Rwanda’s economic rebuilding initiatives.