Canada will open an embassy in Rwanda as part of efforts to combat the influence of Russia and China in Africa, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly announced on Wednesday shortly after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrived in the country to begin a 10-day overseas trip. “Yes, we know that Russia is present on the continent. Yes, we know that China is increasingly present also on the continent. We can’t be naive,” Joly told reporters in Kigali. “We need to make sure that we have the diplomats on the ground with eyes and ears listening to what’s going on, to make sure that we can play a positive role with Rwanda and the entire region.” (https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/canada-announces-embassy-in-rwanda-as-trudeau-arrives-for-10-day-foreign-trip/ar-AAYJkj9) She said Canada is setting up a permanent embassy in Kigali, with an ambassador, and will also name a new ambassador to the African Union, based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The prime minister’s plane touched down at sunset on Wednesday in Kigali, where he will gather beginning Thursday with the heads of government from the other 53 countries in the Commonwealth for the first time since 2018.