Report on Citizenship Law: Rwanda 3.5. Conflicts of nationality For cases involving persons with more than one nationality one of which is Rwandan, only the latter is considered when the case involves compliance with Rwandan laws. Thus, Rwandan nationals are subject to Rwandan laws even when they have acquired other nationalities unless they have renounced their Rwandan nationality in accordance with the law. In a case where it is unclear which nationality should be applied to determine the applicable law, the nationality of residence is considered. Otherwise, consideration is given to the nationality of the country with which the person has the closest relationship.87 3.6. Nationality management and control The government of Rwanda has put in place measures to manage Rwandan nationality through a centralised National Identification Agency (NIDA). In addition, procedures have been put in place to document non-Rwandans in the country to enable proper management of nationality matters. More specifically, the following measures have been put in place. 3.6.1. Registration of births Registration of births is mandated by the law88 and coordinated by the Ministry of Local Government (MINALOC), the custodian of civil registration. The registration mechanisms include registration by the national identification service, registration during the national population census, registration for a health insurance coverage scheme and registration of birth at hospitals. According to official statistics, the birth registration rate is currently 56%, a reduction from 85% in 2005.89 This happened when at least 91% of Rwandan children were being born in hospitals. The decrease is attributable to, among other things, the overlapping child registration mechanisms and associated fees paid by parents when registering their children.90 Once a child is properly registered, he/she is issued with a copy of the birth certificate as evidence. This certificate clearly mentions the date of birth, the place of birth, the names of the parents and their nationality. 3.6.2. Identity cards and passports Rwandan nationality is evidenced by a national identity card, an ordinary passport or a certificate of citizenship, which is an official document issued by the DGIE to evidence the acquisition of nationality. While children may be issued with ordinary passports and citizenship certificates regardless of their age, they must be at least 16 years old to acquire a national identity card. Before this age, they rely entirely on the identification of their parents, and when necessary they are required to produce their birth certificates. It is the duty of every Rwandan to present one of these documents to a competent authority that requests them. However, in the case of contestation it is for the contesting authority to 87 See Article 33 of the 2008 Nationality Law. See Articles 100, 101, 102, 103 and 104 of the Law governing persons and the family. 89 See the Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) 2014-15, p. 28. 90 IPAR & World Vison (2016: 24). 88 RSCAS/GLOBALCIT-CR 2020/10 - © 2020 Author(s) 17