L-R Coparal Molanga Jean Marie Eric and Sergeant Omar Muntu Jean, two officers that were extradited to DRC.

Congolese soldiers are still defying border demarcations and illegally crossing over into Rwanda.

Rwanda today handed over two FARDC soldiers who were arrested on its territory to DRC government.

Cpl. Molanga Jean Marie Eric and Sgt. Omar Muntu Jean, were arrested on November 12 and December 25, 2015 respectively.

The duo had trespassed into Rwanda through Rugerero and Gisenyi sectors of Rubavu district in Rwanda’s West Province.

“We were arrested here knowing we had not crossed into a foreign land. We were confused by the borders which are not well demarcated,” said Omar Muntu, before being sent back to DRC. The duo were arrested after leaving their military camp at Goma airport in Eastern DRC which borders with Rwanda.

The handover exercise was witnessed by Joint Verification Mechanism (EJVM) – launched by International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), as part of efforts to resolve recurrent conflicts in eastern DRC.

It’s not the first time Rwanda arrest DRC soldiers on its territory.  At least 20 FARDC soldiers, including a commander have been arrested for illegal entry into Rwanda.

While receiving the two FARDC soldiers at the countries border in Rubavu district, Col. Fulbert Okandza, commander of EJVM said, “We commend Rwanda for peacefully dealing with border issues.”

“FARDC should consider identifying their own borders. How can you pretend to protect a country you don’t know its borders?”

Lt. Col. James Cassius, who represented the government, said Rwanda is committed to work with EJVM to address border issues.

Most DRC soldiers arrested in Rwanda cross in civilian attires-an indication of a planned mutiny.

Residents of sectors bordering with Goma have also been reporting cases of lootings by FARDC soldiers.

Rwanda and EJVM Officers sign extradition documents.

Source : KT Press

Guverineri aha impano y’ishimwe umwe mubayobozi b’imidugudu

Abakuru b’imidugudu bane bitwaye neza kurusha bagenzi babo bahuje umurimo, mu tugari tune tugize Umurenge wa Gishamvu, bahawe impano y’ishimo.

Abahawe impano y’ishimo ni abagabo babiri n’abagore babiri, bayobora imidugudu ya Gasekebuye mu Kagari ka Ryakibogo, Kamabuye mu Kagari ka Nyakibanda, Umunyinya mu Kagari ka Shori, n’Agahaya mu Kagari ka Nyumba.

Umwe mu bakuru b’imidugudu bashimiwe

Bose bahawe imyenda yo kurimbana, ngo “kugira ngo nibazajya bayambara bajye bibuka ko bayikesha kuyobora neza” nk’uko byavuzwe na Emmanuel Ruti Bizimana, Umunyamabanga nshingwabikorwa w’Umurenge wa Gishamvu. Abagore bahawe impano y’igitenge, naho abagabo bahabwa imyenda yo kurimbana bita kositimu (costume cyangwa suit).

Abakuru b’imidugudu bahawe impano

Ubwo bashyikirizwaga izi mpano n’umuyobozi w’Akarere ka Huye ndetse na Guverineri w’Intara y’Amajyepfo bari babagendereye tariki 30/12, Ruti Bizimana yavuze ko bazikesha kuba bararushije bagenzi babo gukora ubukangurambaga no gukemura ibibazo by’abo bayobora, cyane cyane ibijyanye n’umutekano.

Ubwo bukangurambaga ni ubujyanye no gushishikariza abo bayobora gahunda za Leta nk’umuganda, igitondo cy’ababyeyi (ahandi bita umugoroba w’ababyeyi) n’ubuhinzi n’izindi gahunda zigenwa na Leta.

Ubwo bukangurambaga bunajyanye no gushishikariza abo bayobora kwitabira ubwisungane mu kwivuza, uretse ko iki gikorwa cyo abakuru b’imidugudu bo muri Gishamvu bagisangiye kuko muri uyu murenge ubwitabire ari 100% igihe cyose mu ntangiriro z’umwaka w’ingengo y’imari.

Ku kibazo cyo kumenya impamvu abahawe ishimwe ari abakuru b’imidugudu, hakaba nta mukuru w’akagari watekerejweho, Ruti Bizimana yagize ati “ni bo begereye abaturage mu bijyajye n’ubukangurambaga, mu kubegera, mu gukemura ibibazo bijyanye n’umutekano. Ni bo pfundo nyakuri ry’ubuzima bw’imiyoborere myiza.”

Kubaha impano byo ngo ni uburyo bwo gutuma na bagenzi babo baharanira ishyaka ryo kuzaba aba mbere ubutaha.

Abahawe impano z’ishimwe barabyishimiye. Umwe muri bo yagize ati “ kuba muduhembye turi abayobozi b’imidugudu, tugiye gukaza umurego kugira ngo tuzongere tube aba mbere mu Karere ka Huye. Kandi n’abandi bagenzi banjye batabashije kubona ibihembo na bo bagomba gukorana umurava bagatera imbere, ubutaha nabo bakazabahemba.”

Marie Claire Joyeuse

Alain Billen 

Le président Paul Kagame introduit le bulletin de vote dans l’urne davant sa fille Ange Kagame qui, elle aussi, venait juste de voter

« Vous nous avez laissés mourir. Alors, pourquoi venir nous dire maintenant comment nous devons vivre ? ».

Cette phrase, les rwandais la prononcent tous les jours au moment où l’appel lancé par la population au Président Kagamé est contesté par certains dirigeants occidentaux.

Et moi non plus, je ne vous comprends pas.

Sous une apparente bienveillance, vous nous parlez de « démocratie » mais vous bafouez la volonté de tout un peuple. Les rwandais viennent d’écrire une page démocratique de leur Histoire. Car le référendum sur la Constitution rwandaise est un exemple démocratique.

En effet, l’initiative de ce référendum émane de la population du pays qui a transmis au Parlement depuis 2 ans des pétitions invitant le législateur à amender la Constitution afin que Paul Kagamé puisse se représenter pour un troisième mandat. Ce sont les rwandais eux-mêmes, dans leur grande majorité, qui ont émis ce souhait. Ce sont les autorités qui l’ont exécuté.

S’agissant d’un mouvement peu habituel, c’est l’institut IPSOS qui a confirmé cette résolution populaire: plus de 90% des rwandais veulent garder Paul Kagamé à la tête du pays. Dans son récent rapport le sondeur précise :« Pratiquement tous les répondants, soit 92% de personnes interrogées, indépendamment de l’emplacement et des caractéristiques démographiques, désirent la réélection de leur Président ». Ces intentions sont même renforcées dans la réalité puisque le référendum sur la modification de la Constitution voit le « oui » l’emporter à plus de 98,3%. Ces chiffres donnent le tournis et chacun naturellement a envie de les malmener.

A un « ami » journaliste qui voulait m’ouvrir les yeux en écrivant : « Peut-être faudrait-il élargir le sondage aux innombrables Rwandais qui vivent en exil ? » j’ai indiqué qu’ils étaient plus nombreux encore puisque 98,7% ont souhaité que Paul Kagamé ait la possibilité de se représenter en 2017. La diaspora rwandaise, reste très proche et concernée par ce qui se passe au pays. Elle ne vit pas dans un autre monde et sait pertinemment ce qui est bon, non seulement pour le Rwanda, mais surtout pour leurs familles restées au pays.

Dès lors Pourquoi tant d’énergie pour dissuader le Président Kagamé de poursuivre la politique engagée ?

Les dirigeants occidentaux ont toujours eu la fâcheuse tendance de placer leurs candidats au pouvoir dans de nombreux pays africains, pour préserver des positions, accroître des intérêts, s’adjuger des marchés aux dépens souvent – dit on – des populations elles-mêmes. Cette ingérence permanente a contribué à la paupérisation du continent, et elle a trouvé sa justification dans le respect d’une prétendue « démocratie ». Une vertu qui n’est pas opposée à des pays démocratiques comme l’Arabie Saoudite, la Corée du Nord, la Chine et bien d’autres.

C’est ainsi qu’au nom de la démocratie, les dirigeants occidentaux souhaitent que le Président de la République du Rwanda quitte le pouvoir. Or, Paul Kagamé, est plébiscité. Il possède un bilan exceptionnel que peu et peut-être aucun dirigeant ne pourrait revendiquer. Son influence sur le Continent africain ne fait plus aucun doute. De nombreux pays africains veulent « copier » l’exemple du Rwanda au développement économique, social et politique unanimement reconnu. On donne de l’écho à son crédo en faveur d’une plus grande indépendance à l’égard de l’Occident et d’une véritable unité africaine.

Le Rwanda est un État souverain, faut-il le rappeler ? Certains dirigeants occidentaux semblent l’avoir oublié et se positionnent en « donneurs de leçon ». L’heure est venue de comprendre que ce temps-là est révolu.

Imaginez un instant un Président africain critiquer ouvertement le fonctionnement des institutions d’un pays occidental. « Pour juger les autres, il faut d’abord être irréprochable ». Or, pour ne donner qu’un seul exemple, regardons le cas de la France et le dernier référendum sur la Constitution Européenne dont la décision a été balayée par un vote en sens contraire du Parlement. Avez-vous entendu un seul dirigeant africain s’exprimer sur ce déni de démocratie ?

Les Rwandais savent pourquoi ils tiennent tant à leur Président. En effet, les progrès de développement qui ont eu lieu sous la présidence de Paul Kagamé sont nombreux, et je n’en donnerai ici que quelques exemples :

- Le Rwanda occupe la 1ère place en termes de Progrès de Développement Humain sur les 25 dernières années, selon le dernier rapport (14 décembre 2015) des Nations Unies ;

– Le « World Economic Forum », dans son dernier rapport sur la bonne gouvernance mondiale, estime que le Rwanda est le 7ème pays le mieux géré de la Planète ;

-Le Rwanda est en 6ème position Mondiale pour l’égalité « homme / femme », selon le rapport du « Global Gender Gap Report ». Pour ce qui concerne l’implication de la femme dans la vie politique, le Rwanda occupe la 1ère place Mondiale avec 64% de femmes au Parlement ; – Le Rwanda est classé par la Banque Mondiale 3ème pays du continent africain selon le rapport « DOING BUSINESS 2015 ».

Au delà de ces reconnaissances internationales, le Président Paul Kagamé a réussi le difficile pari de la réconciliation nationale dans un pays victime d’un génocide qui frappe encore chaque famille. De plus, les rwandais bénéficient aujourd’hui d’une sécurité sociale, d’un congé de maternité payé, d’une lutte anticorruption en constante progression, d’une scolarité obligatoire jusqu’à l’âge de 18 ans, d’une sécurité absolue dans tout le pays, d’une propreté supérieure à la plupart des villes européennes, d’infrastructures médicales modernes, d’un réseau Internet 4G et de la fibre optique, etc.

Si ce Président visionnaire fait à ce point l’unanimité, c’est grâce à sa gouvernance, saluée par ses concitoyens.

Il suffit de passer la frontière de la République Démocratique du Congo ou du Burundi pour se rendre compte du décalage de développement, car cela saute aux yeux. Beaucoup d’expatriés ayant voyagé dans toute l’Afrique le disent : « le Rwanda est un havre de paix et de tranquillité ; c’est un cas unique sur le Continent africain », allant jusqu’à affirmer : « le Rwanda, ce n’est plus l’Afrique ».

Évidemment, tout n’est pas parfait puisque les inégalités et la pauvreté sont loin d’être totalement éradiquées. Mais le chemin parcouru est exceptionnel et c’est pour continuer ces actions que les rwandais veulent garder celui qui les a amené là où ils sont aujourd’hui.

Une fois de plus, des responsables politiques occidentaux veulent intervenir dans les affaires intérieures d’un pays africain et demander en l’occurrence aux rwandais de trouver un successeur à Paul Kagamé. Mais qui subira les conséquences d’un tel changement imposé de l’extérieur et non choisi par le peuple ?

Demandez aujourd’hui au peuple libyen ce qu’il en pense. Pourquoi des dirigeants occidentaux mettent-ils plus d’énergie à dissuader Paul Kagamé que d’agir au Burundi qui pourrait basculer dans une guerre entre communautés ethniques, comme vient de le rappeler le HCR ?

En Allemagne, Angela Merkel assure pour la troisième fois – et serait pressentie pour un 4ème mandat ! – ses fonctions de chancelière à la tête de la première économie européenne et sans comparaison avec la France. Helmut Kohl a été à la tête de l’Allemagne fédérale puis de l’Allemagne réunie pendant 16 ans. Aux États-Unis, Franklin Roosevelt, a été réélu pour quatre mandats au moment du 2ème conflit mondial. Margareth Thatcher a sorti le Royaume Uni du déclin d’une société et d’une économie cogérées.

Un Chef d’État qui marque l’histoire de son pays est chose rare. Mais il obtient toujours la confiance de son peuple. Dans le cas du Rwanda, Paul Kagamé achève de sortir le pays du génocide de 1994.

Pour connaître les rwandais, il ne suffit donc pas de descendre quelques jours dans un de ces magnifiques hôtels de luxe qui poussent à Kigali comme des champignons.

Pour parler du Rwanda, il ne suffit pas de reproduire en quelques lignes des idées préconçues sans jamais avoir posé le pied sur le sol rwandais.

Pour juger le Rwanda, il faut prendre certaines précautions, surtout si ceux, qui jugent ce pays, gouvernements ou experts, ont « failli » par le passé, ou pire, ont aggravé le « crime » par une complicité aujourd’hui dévoilée, dans l’un des pires homicides contre l’humanité : le génocide perpétré contre les Tutsi en 1994.

Alain BILLEN est un observateur de cette partie de l’Afrique. Fin connaisseur du Rwanda, il partage son temps entre Bruxelles et Kigali où il réside. abillen2@gmail.com

Cet article d’opinion a été publié pour la première fois sur le site web de l’agence d’information News Press

Abaturage n’ubuyobozi bishimira ibyagezweho muri 2015

Abaturage n’ubuyobozi bw’akarere ka Gakenke barishimira ko mu mwaka wa 2015 bageze kuri byinshi bitandukanye byiganjemo iterambere rigenda rikataza iwabo.

Bimwe mubyo bishimira ko bagezeho mu mwaka wa 2015 nuko abahatuye barimo kurushaho kugenda biteza imbere bikabafasha kwikura mu bukene, hamwe n’ibikorwa remezo bagiye bagezwaho nk’amashyanyarazi, amavuriro, imihanda byarushijeho gutuma bitezimbere.

Nkunzurwanda Leonidas utuye mu murenge wa Nemba, avuga ko ntacyo abona yagaya umwaka wa 2015 kuko aho atuye hagejejwe amashyanyarazi kuburyo asanga byaragenze neza muri 2015.

Ati “nkubu jye ntuye iriya ruguru mu misozi, ariko ahantu ntuye habashije kugera umuriro turacyana nta kibazo, batwegereje gutura ku midugudu dutura ahantu hamwe nabyo usanga tubyishimiye nta kibazo kandi no mungo zacu hari byinshi twiyongereyeho”.

Nubwo ariko abatuye mu karere ka Gakenke haribyo ibyo bishimira,basanga ibijyanye n’ibikorwa remezo bikwiye kwongerwamo imbaraga kugirango bakomeze kurushaho kwitezimbere.

Ntizimpanza Augustin ati “ubuyobozi bugomba gukomeza kutuba hafi, bugakomeza kutugezaho ibikorwa nkibyo by’iterambere, kuko nka hariya iwacu dukeneye imihanda kandi tuyibonye yadufasha byinshi kuko hari igihe dusarura imyaka iyo hejuru tukabimanukana ku mitwe kandi imodoka yakagombye kugerayo tugapakira”.

Umuyobozi w’akarere ka Gakenke Nzamwita Deogratias, nawe asanga hari byinshi byagezweho mu mwaka wa 2015 kandi bikwiye kwishimirwa.

Ati “icyambere twishimira nuko abaturage b’akarere ka Gakenke bashoboye gukora kiriya gikorwa kijyanye na referendum aho n’akarere kacu kagaragaye neza kuko mu gutora neza bemeza “yego” twashoboye kugera kuri 99.6%, icya kabiri nuko mu bijyanye na mituweri kugeza ubu ngubu turi aba kabiri mu rwego rw’igihugu”.

Ubuyobozi bunishinira kandi ko mu bijyanye n’ubuhinzi ikawa yo mu murenge wa Muyongwe yabashije guhiga izindi ikanabihemberwa muri uyu mwaka kuburyo n’izindi zo mu yindi mirenge nka Muhondo na Ruli zashoboye kuza mu myanya icumi ya mbere yi kawa zimeze neza. Ubuyobozi ariko bwanababajwe n’uburyo akarere ka Gakenke kabaye akanyuma mu kwesa imihigo ya 2014-2015.

Kamali yatashye n’umuryango we uwo batahanye yanga kwinjira mu Rwanda

Abarwanyi ba FDLR bari mu nkambi Lubumbashi barasaba Leta y’u Rwanda kubasabire Leta ya Congo kubareka gutaha mu Rwanda.

Kamali Karemera, umuyobozi w’abarwanyi ba FDLR bari mu nkambi ya Kisenge Manganese mu gace ka Kasaje ku mupaka wa Congo n’Angola , avuga ko hari abarwanyi ba FDLR 40 bahejejwe mu nkambi kandi bashaka gutaha mu Rwanda.

Kamali Karemera n’abo mu muryango bakirwa mu Rwanda

Ataha mu Rwanda kuwa 31 Ukuboza 2015, Karemera yadutangarije ko atashye mu Rwanda atorotse ubuyobozi bwa Komini ya Kisenge bwari bwaramubujije gutaha mu Rwanda.

Agira ati:”Abanyarwanda bari mu nkambi bashaka gutaha ariko bafite ikibazo cy’inzira. Njye nifuje gutaha mu kwezi kwa kabiri 2015 ubuyobozi bwa Komini bufatira munzira buramfunga. Niyambaje Monusco biba iby’ubusa bavuga ko badashaka ko abarwanyi ba FDLR bataha, keretse Leta itanze uburenganzira.”

Premier Sergent Kamali yahunze 1994 ari umusirikare mu ngabo za FAR afite ipeti rya Cpl, mu mwaka 2010 yitabiriye ibikorwa byo gushishikariza abarwanyi gushyira intwaro hasi muri gahunda ya PAREC (Programme œcuménique de paix, transformation des conflits et réconciliation).

Muri gahunda ya PAREC abarwanyi 208 nibo bashyize intwaro hasi, umurwanyi watangaga intwaro yahabwaga amadolari 50, abarwanyi ba FDLR 54 bakaba barashyize intwaro hasi bajyanwa mu nkambi ya Kisenge.

Kamali hamwe abantu bo mu muryango we 11 batashye mu karere ka Nyarugenge muri Nyamirambo, avuga ko Leta y’u Rwanda yavugana na Leta ya Congo abarwanyi b’abanyarwanda basigaye mu nkambi bagataha kuko babishaka.

Naho we kuba yageze mu Rwanda avuga ko yishimiye kugera mu Rwanda kuko yabyifuje ariko akabura uburyo kubera kubona amayira.

Ubwo Kamali n’umuryango we bari bazanywe na Monusco, undi murwanyi wari uvuye muri FDLR witwa Kwizera yageje ku mupaka w’u Rwanda yanga kwinjira mu Rwanda Monusco imusubizayo.

Kamonyi district has officially inaugurated its new office building that is expected to enable residents to access district services with ease.

The offices worthy over Rwf992million are located in Gihinga zone in Gacurabwenge sector, which is located on the main highway and in the center of the district unlike the previous offices which were located in Rukoma sector, which is 25 km off-road.

The Kamonyi district Mayor, Jacques Rutsinga said that the old district offices were also located in former Taba sector office block, which made it hard and expensive for residents to access local government services.

“The new offices will bring services closer to the people who have had to spend a lot of money and time to reach us since 2006. This is a new beginning and a promise of better service delivery to citizens”  Rutsinga said.

Finance Minister, Ambassador Claver Gatete officially opened the state of the art offices on January 8, 2016, who commended the district for implementing projects which drive the country into a developmental vision.

This structure inauguration of the new office building marks the beginning the new vision2050 that President Paul Kagame called on us to focus on in the next year during the national dialogue” Gatete said.

The Governor of the southern province, Alphonse Munyantwari also said that his province has eight districts which still operate under old structures which have been outdated and don’t reflect the vision of the country.

Munyantwari said that other districts should emulate the example and build better structure

Eastern African Regional countries of Kenya, Uganda, DRC, Ethiopia and S. Sudan have agreed to cooperate in infrastructure and trade projects to boost their economies.

Barely a month since 2016 took off and the prophesies of doom have begun casting a ‘troubled’ outlook for Africa.

BBC Africa’s Business Report said last week that “2015 was a tough year for African economies…and it could get worse this year, from lack of demand for the continent’s commodities, to lack of rain, from falling currencies to political instability.”

It suggested that ‘things will get worse’ and a few countries expected “to call on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for help this year.”

But this has not attracted positive feedback from the continent. Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame tweeted yesterday evening dispelling the negativity.

He said, attracting over 500 reactions in support of his comment in a short moment, that “#Africa: It [economy] will be just fine!”

Kagame said Africa’s economy will thrive if Africans work hard to add value to their products, “and a lot more trade and investment/cooperation among African people.”

Already, Rwanda is looking into expanding trade relations between African countries.

Imports from neighbouring Uganda overtook India’s becoming the second after China and Kenya being the third.

Analysts are suggesting 2016 will be a hostile year for most African economies due to price declines of exports to international markets, especially minerals and agricultural products.

But such an observation is misguided. Some African economies ended the year 2015 with a positive outlook and a stable inflation, despite a biting dollar that has deflated most currencies.

Rwanda’s inflation rate has now dropped 0.5% to 4.5% in less than three weeks with food prices stabilizing as rains seem to be blessing the usually dry and unpredictable season.

Meanwhile, European stores have already expressed massive desire and demand for horticultural products. Turkey is interested in Africa’s tasty tropical fruits as Netherlands’s thirst from flowers grows even wider.

Simon Ethang’atta, a consultant with Floramats, a flower export company told this website that he is expecting two million flowers to be shipped at the Flora Holland, the global auction of flowers based in the Netherlands.

The far East and middle Europe economies are increasingly demanding for Tea and Coffee, of which Rwanda’s is on high demand.

The discussion on Africa of 2016 suggests Africa will need radical economic reforms or “funds from the likes of the IMF’ and ‘welfare of its citizens’.

Yet, the Brookings Global Report published on Tuesday indicated most African countries scoring above 70% in human development and 40% to 60% in economic stability.

“Rwanda exceed many of democratic counterparts in growth and socio-economic progress,” the report said.

Indeed, the report explained, Africa’s economic and political trends are not a one shoe fits all. “What is evident is that there is no single pathway, especially as regards political regimes, for launching growth and development in contemporary Africa.”

Rwanda is currently looking East to explore and attract investment from the Arab nations. On January 4, 2016, President Kagame met with HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces during a Sea Palace Barza.

Anjan Sundaram has authored a book – Bad News: Last Journalists in a Dictatorship – that is full of things about Rwanda and its leadership which not only bear very little resemblance to facts on the ground, but are outright fictions and distortions.

Sam Gody Nshimiyimana.

I worked with the author, Anjan Sundaram at Internews/EU Kigali for three years and was not surprised to learn he had published a book on Rwanda. He had told me about it. But what I didn’t know was that I would feature heavily as a character in his book under the fictitious name, Moses. That’s how I know that most of the events and dialogue in this book, at least those that concern me, are completely fabricated.Sam Gody Nshimiyimana who is one of the supposedly harassed Rwandan journalists frequently mentioned in the book as ‘Moses’ and who knows Sundaram and his wife very well refutes the many allegations in “Bad News”.-

The Internews project was led by Sundaram’s wife, Nathalie Blaquiere, who had made her hatred of Rwanda known. She manifested it against employees, where she would inexplicably want to set salaries based on your nationality. Rwandans received less. She would say she knew who was a Tutsi or Hutu, though Rwandans generally are not in the habit of advertising what ethnicities they belong to. She frequently moved around Kigali on motorcycle taxis, in a country she said was full of bad people.

When we had training for journalists, Anjan would come and assist as a trainer, since his wife was the boss. In the end she couldn’t convince sponsors about budget implementation, because we didn’t properly utilize the money they were allocating to us, instead we were always recycling projects. That is how grants from the European Union and DFID were stopped.

Coming back to Sundaram, he used to send articles on Rwanda to The New York Times and Associated Press. I noted that Anjan was intelligent and daring. He left the US after finishing his studies and went to DRC at a time when those who lived there were leaving the country due to insecurity. He later followed his wife to Rwanda where he concocted events that have no resemblance to what was happening.

Anjan Sundaram.

In the book Anjan claims that some of the students we taught were so intimidated they didn’t write, others are jailed, others exiled, and other are ‘bought’ for well-remunerating jobs.”

Concerning those jailed, we always had chats with Sundaram on that subject. There were those who were jailed after extorting people, by threatening, “If you don’t give money I will write a story about you!”

Another allegation is of a female journalist that was jailed. I remember that particular case prompted us to subscribe to all news outlets to help with analysis during the trainings. The conclusion of all the journalism students at the time was what that individual had done was not journalism, but defamation and insults.

I asked Sundaram what would happen where he comes from, if a journalist were to superimpose a swastika – the Nazi symbol – on an image of their president. He told me that would never happen. In developed countries newspapers avoid defaming to prevent fines or expensive lawsuits.

At that time, Bosco Gasasira of Umuvugizi had gone into self-imposed exile. I explained to Sundaram what Gasasira was in the habit of writing in his newspaper: violent lies that would never see the light of day in any professional newspaper or magazine.

I told Sundaram of other journalists like that, and the list was long. Most of these were people who when they sense an opportunity to reach Europe, which is their estimation of paradise on earth, they grab it! Once there they get welfare, which is superior to the life their poverty can afford them here. It is the sad reality of quite a few that have been joining journalism.

The book “Bad News”

Integrity has generally been low in Rwandan journalism. Any of these journalists upon being bribed for instance, would overlook their training of reporting well-investigated facts. I thought I had made Sundaram see that. I think he did, except that as his writings indicate he chooses to ignore it for some reason.

This disingenuousness is at its utmost in the way Sundaram treats the subject of Alphonse Nsabimana who turned up one day claiming he was being intimidated because he worked for Umusesonewspaper. Nsabimana – whom Sundaram disguises in his book as “Gibson” – was one of the trainees in our journalism program and had plans of setting up a newspaper. He thought Internews would give funds to people wanting to set up a newspaper or magazine. However the only support we were mandated to provide was offices and Internet.

So when the broke and badly off Nsabimana realized no money would be forthcoming from Internews he changed tactics, and invented a story to leave Rwanda. He secretly talked to Sundaram and Blaquiere telling them that he was “wanted” because he was a journalist of Umuseso; that he had just been released by the secret services; that he was held in a secret place by unknown people.

Apparently Sundaram and Blaquiere wanted to believe this story; they wanted to believe it badly enough that they offered a place in their house for the supposed wanted man to hide out. He spent a month there. It was only much later that Sundaram thought of cross checking his hero’s story with me. It turned out Nsabimana had been in the hands of security forces alright, except it was for far different reasons than the yarn he had been spinning to his benefactors.

On the morning of his finding refuge in Sundaram’s house he had been in custody for one night at Nyamirambo Police Station. A sex worker had gone to police alleging that Nsabimana had beaten her up because he thought she had infected him with HIV. Despite learning of this, Sundaram and Blaquiere made the decision to send Nsabimana to Uganda where, apparently with their recommendation Nsabimana was received by humanitarian organizations including Amnesty International.

This is one of the people that features prominently in Anjan Sundaram’s book Bad News as “Gibson”, one of the “endangered journalists” in Rwanda, as one of the “last journalists in a dictatorship”! The interesting thing is that even when this “endangered journalist” returned from Uganda after that too turned out to be a dead end, no one, no police or other security services touched a hair off his head.

Sundaram and Blaquiere would later tell me that those they had recommended to help Alphonse said they had investigated him and found out that he had lied to them.

What could they gain by sending Gibson aka Alphonse Nsabimana away even after they knew that his stories of persecution were dubious at the least? I can only conclude they wanted to have a journalist refugee to fill the need for such in the planned book. And all Nsabimana wanted was a one-way ticket to anywhere in Europe or beyond.

Sundaram who lived in Rwanda for three years and observed the journalism profession here knows that the main problem of journalists is not “state intimidation” or harassment. Journalists in Kigali regularly wrote really incendiary stuff; criticizing the president and other high-ranking officials every day and no harm came to them.

Rather he should have been asking, what were these people writing about and how come they would write it again and again even with their constant claims of harassment?

Maybe he knew the main problem was a life of poverty; of failing to make ends meet; failing to pay the rent, buy food, etc? That sad situation is brought about by factors, such as ours still being a young economy with a very small readership or audience, and an even smaller advertisement market that cannot support all aspiring journalists. Those are the main reasons why many who graduate from schools of journalism opt for careers in PR in government or other institutions where there is a salary for a living.

“Bad News” conveniently skips over such facts in its eager search for bad news.

Umuyobozi wa njyanama ngo asanga akarere bagasize heza

Inama isanzwe ya Njyanama y’akarere irangiza igihembwe cya 2 cy’umwaka 2015/2016 yateranye kuwa14/01/2016 abagize njyanama bishimira ibyo bagezeho muri manda y’imyaka itanu bashoje.

Rwagasana Ernest, Perezida wa Njyanama y’akarere yavuze ko manda y’imyaka itanu Njyanama ishoje hakozwe byinshi mu iterambere ry’akarere.

Ati “kuvuga ibyo twakoze aka kanya ntibyoroshye kuko ni byinshi,turi gutegura n’igitabo tuzahanahana ho ibitekerezo kikazamurikwa dusoza manda, kizaba gikubiyemo ibyo twakoze k’uburyo Njyanama nshya na Nyobozi y’akarere bashobora kuzacyifashisha”.

Yakomeje avuga ko muri manda barangije bazize akarere kameze neza kuko bakoze neza inshingano zabo.

Ati“akarere tugasize mu nzira nziza, mu rwego rw’ubukungu mu mibereho myiza y’abaturage mu imiyoborere myiza hari byinshi byakozwe hari ibikorwa remezo nk’imihanda amashuri hari ibikorwa by’ubuhinzi, uburezi,ubuzima n’ibindi”.

Avuga ko nta kintu bicuza ko kitagezweho kuri manda yabo nubwo ntawakora byose icyarimwe ngo abirangize.

Nyanama yishimira ibyo bagezeho

Ati“ntacyo twicuza ko kitagezweho kandi ntawakorera ibintu rimwe, gusa Kirehe ni akarere keza kandi tugasize heza ku buryo Njyanama izajyaho itazigera igira ikibazo kuko izakomereza ku byo dusize nta kintu twumva dufitiye ipfunwe ko kitagezweho akazi twagakoze uko bikwiye”.

Iyo nama yasuzumiwemo ibibazo bitandukanye bimwe bikaba ibibazo by’ubutaka bijyanye no kudahabwa ingurane k’ubutaka bw’abaturage bwubatswemo ibikorwa remeza by’akarere ndetse n’ibindi bijyanye no gukurikirana abanyereza ibya Leta.

Ibindi bibazo byibanzweho ni ibijyanye no gusuzuma aho imihigo igeze ishyirwa mu bikorwa nk’igikorwa cyo Kubaka isoko rya Rusumo(Closs border market) kikiri inyuma.

Hari n’urwibutso rwa Nyarubuye rwahizwe kuzaba rwuzuye muri Mata n’ibindi bikorwa by’ubuzima bijyanye n’isuku mu baturage, gutanga ubwishingizi mu kwivuza aho akarere kari kuri 89% kakaba kivuza kugera muri Gashyantare kari ku 100% ubu kakaba k’umwanya wa Gatatu mu gihugu nyuma ya Kamonyi na Gakenke.

Njyanama y’akarere ishoje manda y’imyaka itanu ahategerejwe amatora ashyiraho manda nshya.

Urangije manda muri Njyanama aba yemerewe kongera kwiyamamaza yagirirwa icyizere agatorwa agakomeza muri manda ikurikira.

Bangui, 16 January 2016
United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) decorated Rwanda Peacekeepers (Rwabatt2) with UN Peacekeeping Medal in recognition of their commitment, professionalism and discipline on duty while serving in the Mission in the Central African Republic (CAR).

The medal parade ceremony to RDF battalion (Rwabatt2), MINUSCA Military Observers and Staff Officers was held in Bangui SOCATEL MPOKO Military Camp on 16 January 2016 and presided over by Deputy UN Secretary General Special Representative in CAR Ambassador Diane Corner.

The Chief Personnel (Chief U1) Lt Col Mensah, while reading MINUSCA Citation, lauded Rwanda Defence Forces Peacekeepers who thwarted the attempted attack on CAR Presidential Palace on 28 September 2015. At the time, the demonstrators tried to capture Catherine Samba Panza Palace when she was on Official mission abroad. The Peacekeepers contained the demonstration professionally and foiled the attack on Presidential Palace.
“You firmly stand and protected State Power Organs and the Presidential Palace, now all the Government Institutions are on good move, thank you for this courageous act”, he said.

The colourful medal parade ceremony was graced by Minister in CAR Presidency Office Charles Kenguembat, MINUSCA Force Commander Maj Gen Balla Keita, Joint Task Force Commander Brig Gen Francis Kasempa, local population and other invited guests.

First Lady Jeannette Kagame (First row middle) with Same Sky graduates

An initiative started by Rwanda’s First Lady connecting 17 local women jewelry producers to US and European markets, has turned them into business managers.

The women are members of Rwanda’s association of Genocide widows (AVEGA). For the past seven years, they have been making local jewelries and supplying them to Europe and US through Same Sky a cause-based trade initiative.

Same Sky secures deals from US, Australia, Denmark and others to supply jewelries and then sends materials to the Rwandan widows to make them and get paid.

At least every widow earns Rwf 10,000($13) daily depending on volume of production.

“The business does not come very often in a year, but when it comes, we take four days to produce one jewelry each,” Thérèse Mugorewera, told KT Press.

Same Sky which brings in the deals earns between $20 to $100 from a single jewelry made in Rwanda.

Most of the jewelries include necklaces, arm bands and ear rings among others depending on specifications of the order.

The widows use the income from this initiative to cover most of their family and personal needs.

However, Same Sky has trained the widows on skills including; cooperative organization, loan management, designing business plan, computer literacy and many others.

“We were used to spending on only food and home equipment. We are now thinking business,” said Clementine Nyirahabimana, from Kimihurura Sector, Gasabo district.

The training was conducted by Indego Africa, a nonprofit organization that empowers women in education and entrepreneurship.

“When you train a woman, you train a whole nation,” Benjamin Gasamagera, the chairman of Private Sector Federation told News of Rwanda.

Gasamagera said women put 90% of their earnings into the family investment, compared to estimate 40% of men earnings.

Genocide widows working with Same Sky

In an event attended by Rwanda’s First Lady Jeannette Kagame, Mugorewera and her colleagues were today awarded a certificate of accomplishment by Same Sky.

Same Sky Founder Francine LeFrak says their choice to work with Rwanda was motivated by country’s good policy towards women.

“There is no other country in the world where over 60% of parliament seats have gone to women. We also know several other initiatives that promote the vulnerable women in Rwanda,” she said.

“This makes women to be proud of their country and we wish to bring our contribution to that cause.”

The ladies who have been supplying locally made jewelries to US and European markets say the sky is the limit.

“We are now equipped with basic skills that will enable us save what we are already earning, and to use it for other projects,” says Mugorewera, mother of five.

First Lady with Francine Lefrak of Same Sky

Le Président Kagame au Forum Economique Mondial de Davos en Suisse

Le Rwanda veut attirer plus d’investisseurs dans ce forum économique mondial qui se tient à Davos en Suisse du 20 au 23 janvier. « Stabilité politique, sécurité des investisseurs, Etat de droit », telles sont les raisons que le Président Kagame a expliquées aux participants. Ces raisons font que le Rwanda occupe la 2^e place en Afrique pour faire les affaires.

Le Président Kagame devient de plus en plus incontournable dans ce forum économique mondial annuel avec des présentations sur le secret des réalisations du Rwanda. Dans le panel d’aujourd’hui qui parlait de la « Transformation de demain », Kagame était avec Sheryl Sandberg- une américaine chargée des opérations au Facebook, Satya Nadella, Secrétaire Exécutif de Microsoft, Anand Mahindra, PDG de Mahindra Group et Zachary Bookman- Zac Bookman, Co-Fondateur.

« Au Rwanda et en Afrique, nous sommes dans la transition de ne pas seulement consommer cette technologie…», a rassuré Kagame, parlant de l’utilisation des nouvelles technologies. « Nous avons vu l’effet multiplicateur de la technologie sur la croissance, le développement et reliant les personnes les solutions », a ajouté Kagame.

Le gouvernement du Rwanda s’assure que les femmes sont impliquées dans l’utilisation de la technologie afin de servir la société. Et le rôle du gouvernement n’est pas de lancer la technologie seulement, plutôt de créer la technologie et l’appuyer pour qu’elle évolue dans la bonne direction.

Amb. Gatete, Ministre des Finances et de la Planification Economique du Rwanda (MINECOFIN), a dit que c’est une occasion pour le Rwanda de présenter son évolution économique actuelle afin d’attirer les investisseurs.

« Comme le sommet de Davos attire divers décideurs économiques, les académiciens et autres personnalités influentes de l’économie mondiale, ça va nous aider à montrer le progrès économique du Rwanda afin d’attirer les investisseurs internationaux au Rwanda. C’est une opportunité d’exposer ce que nous avons au Rwanda », a fait savoir l’Amb. Gatete un peu avant ce forum.

Dans la dernière publication de «  The Rise of Africa », le Rwanda est le 8^e pays le plus influent sur le continent africain. Cela a été réalisé par grâce au leadership puissant, l’engagement pour la paix et le développement du Président Paul Kagame et son gouvernement.

La délégation rwandaise comprend les ministres Louise Mushikiwabo (MINAFFET), Amb. Claver Gatete (MINECOFIN), Dr Vincent Biruta (MINERERA). Est present dans ce forum, Francis Gatare qui dirige l’Office Rwandais de Développement (RDB).

Abatozwa ubutore ngo bazaba intangarugero

Abanyeshuri 1800 bo mu Karere ka Huye barangije amashuri yisumbuye, nyuma yo gutozwa ubutore ngo bazahindura imibereho y’aho batuye bihereyeho.

Muri rusange, imihigo bahize ni iganisha ku gukangurira abaturanyi babo guhindura imyumvire no kwitabira gahunda za Leta zibaganisha ku kubaho neza.

Nka Chantal Umurerwa wari ukuriye intore 410 zo mu Mirenge ya Kinazi, Rusatira, Rwaniro na Ruhashya, agaragaza imihigo yabo ubwo basozaga itorero yagize ati “nk’intore z’Inkomezabigwi twiyemeje kuzakangurira abaturage guhuza ubutaka, gukoresha inyongeramusaruro, gukurikirana imihigo mu muryango, kwitabira ubwisungane mu kwivuza, gukangurira ababyeyi gushyira abana mu ishuri …”

Na none ariko ngo nta wutanga icyo adafite. Ati “ijya kurisha ihera ku rugo. Ntabwo wajya kubwira umuntu icyo gukora ngo kimugirire akamaro nta rugero agufatiraho. Twebwe tuzabanza tube intangarugero.”

Ibi binajyanye n’ibyo umuyobozi w’Akarere ka Huye yabasabye agira ati “Mbere yo kureba iby’ahandi, hera iwanyu mu rugo. Data abanye ate na mama. Niba ari neza ukavivura, niba ari nabi ndakora iki kugira ngo bahinduke? Ko turi kunywa amazi mabi kandi yakabaye atetse? Ugashaka igisubizo. Ko tutari guhinga, abandi bari guhinga, inzara izatwica. Ugashaka igisubizo.”

Mu byo biyemeje gukora rero, ngo bazahera iwabo mu rugo, hanyuma banitegereze ibikenewe kugira ngo ubuzima bugende neza mu gace batuyemo.

Chantal Umurerwa ati “muri iyi minsi hariho ikibazo cya marariya yiyongereye, ahanini bitewe no kuba abantu batarara mu nzitiramibu: bamwe usanga barazubakishije urugo, abandi inzu z’inkoko. Nzakangurira abanturanyi kurara mu nzitiramubu .”

Gisa Rwigema bari kumwe muri Lycée de Rusatira na we ati “iwacu mu giturage hari ababyeyi batagirira isuku abana babo, bamwe ntibanitabire ubwisungane mu kwivuza. Nzabegera mbashishikarize gusukura abana babo, n’abatitabira mituweri mbereke akamaro kabyo.”

Fidélité Muguyeneza we ngo ahangayikishijwe n’uko mu gace atuyemo abantu banywa ibikwangari cyane bigatuma batiteza imbere. Ati “nzafatanya n’abatangiye urugamba rwo kubirwanya kugira ngo tubice burundu.”

President Kagame has stabilised the country and citizens want him to continue leading.

“To arrive at a contradiction is to confess an error in one’s thinking; to maintain a contradiction is to abdicate one’s mind and to evict oneself from the realm of reality”. Ayn Rand.

During his State Visit to Ghana, many Africans felt that US President Barrack Obama in particular, understands Africa that Africans want. In his remarkable remarks that included that “Africa’s future is up to Africans,” and that “Development depends upon good governance”, many, myself Rwandan included kept a utopia that the African Black American President, Mr. Barrack Hussein Obama, can critically contextualize the African issues.

Yes, definitely he can, but the recent US positions to Rwanda’s developments proved to be embodying significant discrepancies.

The recent statement issued by John Kirby, US State Department spokesman said that the US was “deeply disappointed” by President Kagame’s decision to run for re-election in 2017. Earlier the EU Foreign Policy Chief had said in a statement that the constitutional reform process in Rwanda undermines the principle of democratic change of government”.

However, Rwanda’s President’s acceptance, now locally popular as “I can only accept”, came when the constitutional referendum had been voted by more than 98% of Rwandans.

In addition, the constitutional referendum process arose after a petition calling for Article 101 of the constitution to be amended gained over 3.7 million signatures, equivalent to over 60% of registered voters in Rwanda. Later, the constitutional amendments were also approved by the relevant institutions in the country.

Clearly, two sides have come into the play: the western political actors who felt a disappointment caused by a decision by Rwandans to propose to amend the constitution and by the President Kagame’s “I can only accept”.

However, in international relations, there is nothing wrong with any political actor to express any view or feeling like a disappointment over a decision of another State. But, it is difficult to understand the disappointment feelings those actors have over the national sovereignty of Rwanda and the President Kagame’s acceptance, which also came as ‘a yes answer’ to the peoples of Rwanda’s choice.

In the view of many, and mine particularly, the US statement, is so questionable at least for many of us who are conversant of what should be the essence of the Westphalia Peace in our word’s modern era.

Of course a disappointment always comes after a failed expectation. Recently, many in the world, were disappointed by the United Nations Security Council’s failure to resolve on Burundi crisis, when Diplomats from Russia and China blocked a proposal to intervene in Burundi, arguing that it’s not the business of the U.N Charter to get involved in constitutional matters of sovereign states, while acts of genocide are until today being committed by the current regime in that African State.

Clearly, this shows the level of conflict of interest between international relations actors’ intent and their resolutions or positions: in some cases like the Rwandan referendum case, positions were issued when they were not necessary while in some other cases like in Burundi a resolution to intervene to stop acts of genocide was blocked when it was so necessary and urgently needed.

Rwanda is a rational state actor whose choices and decisions are based on first of all its goals, priorities and strategic options, secondly national interest maximization mingled with a foresighted assessment of consequences.

In the unique history of Rwanda, Rwandans know where they have been and where they have reached today.

Observably, Rwanda’s goals and priorities are embodied in the consolidation of the achieved peace, stability and prosperity. These were achieved through the service of different stakeholders, particularly President Kagame who discharged them with dignity, determination and distinction.

In some situations in politics, solutions which worked better or service providers who served well the purpose of a nation are not worth rejecting. In Rwanda, the constitutional referendum and the President “Can only accept” constitute a strategic option to the goal and priorities of Rwanda for its better future and survival.

If this is not acceptable to all, Chancellor Angel Merkel would not be campaigning for the 4th term, Tony Blair would not have led England for 12 years, Lee Kuan could not have prevailed for almost 40 years, etc.

Additionally, Rwanda has interest to protect at maximum. Apart from its struggle for its internal successful thrive, Rwanda has to challenge any disturbance from abroad, in the region or anywhere else.

As reiterated by President Kagame during the Interpol conference in Kigali, “security is the foundation for everything”. Rwanda knows for example how the indecisive behavior of the international community has been giving a fertile ground to an almost security dilemma situation in the Great Lakes Region.

As matter of fact, the conspiracy of the international community on FDLR; the tolerance of their free movement in the region, their integration into the armed forces for neighboring states with intention to destabilize Rwanda are clear indications that Rwanda should not welcome any foreign actors’ positions due to the anarchy they can made to prevail locally.

Miracles are no longer happening; our era is not like the times when the people of Israel were crossing from Egypt to God’s Promised Land. That time Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night and turned the sea into dry land, and so the waters were divided. Then the sons of Israel went through the midst of the sea on the dry land, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.…”

Like anywhere else, in the Rwanda of today, everyone has a share of efforts invested in the good progress of the country but President Kagame owns a special share into that and Rwandans are in full awareness about it. So, should any foreign actor’s position make Rwanda depart from their journey for survival? NO.

Definitely, none among Rwandans is under any illusion that good choices are every time pleasant to all. Non-compliance with some positions of other people can attract punishment like sanctions, aid cuts, etc.

In Rwanda almost everything is done after a foresighted assessment of consequences. Rwanda has been deciding to take some risks whenever felt it was right. Contrary to the idea of the recent East African article that “Rwanda looks East after changing term limits”, it should rather be  emphasized that  any responsible state should never confines its foreign relations policy to one part of the World; the West.

“National sovereignty is an obligation as well as an entitlement. A government that will not perform the role of a government forfeits the rights of a government”. Richard Perle.

At about 4am, yesterday Hakizimana together with one John Harerimana allegedly broke into a house in Nyanza of Gatenga Sector as occupants were asleep.

However, as they were collecting the targeted electronics that include a flat television set and a home theatre, after breaking the door into the house, the occupants heard them and made an alarm, which attracted the neighbours, who rushed for rescue.

As the suspects who were armed with metallic objects, attempted to flee, they were surrounded by the residents who managed to capture Hakizimana and Harerimana escaped, and recovered all the stolen electronics they were fleeing with.

Area residents, who had earlier called police as they rushed to help their neighbor, said that the suspects attempted to engage them in a fight to find their escape route.

A thief has only 40 days, so the saying goes. Bosco Hakizimana’s 40 days literally run out on January 21 when he attempted to break into a residential house in Kicukiro District.

Hakizimana was shortly taken into custody by Police and currently detained at Gikondo police station as investigations are still underway to also apprehend his accomplice, who’s still on the run.

Supt. Modeste Mbabazi, Police spokesperson for the City of Kigali thanked the residents for the spirit of community policing and neighbourhood watch.

“Community policing is a vital tool that can break the criminal chains and ensure total safety and security in communities. It is my hope that this cooperation between police and the public sends strong message wrongdoers” Supt. Mbabazi said.

He said that this kind of house break-in by use of violence is punishable under articles 304 and 305 of the Rwandan penal code.

Article 304 defines armed robbery as theft carried out by a person in possession of any instrument, utensil or any other sharp, piercing or blunt object which can be used to kill, injure or strike.

Under article 305, A person who commits armed robbery in an occupied house or its outbuildings, even if it is temporarily occupied or used for carrying out tasks, shall be liable to an imprisonment of eight to ten years.

Police in Kigali are holding two men who were arrested allegedly attempting to bribe an officer on duty.

The men, Emmanuel Utabarutse 25 and Omar Dushimiyimana, were arrested on January 23 in Niboye Sector of Kicukiro district.

Police said the duo attempted to bribe the officer after the latter found them with 70 pellets of cannabis.

According to the Central Region Police Spokesperson Superintendent of Police (SP) Modeste Mbabazi, Niboye residents had tipped the police about the Utabarutse being a drug dealer.

Police mounted an operation and arrested him. “However, upon his arrest, Utabarutse hastened to call Dushimiyimana and asked him to bring Rwf50,000 so as he could bribe his way out of the police custody.‎”

Indeed, Dushimiyimana brought the money and the two were eventually arrested red handed as they attempted to bribe an officer.

According to SP Mbabazi, “At Rwanda National Police, we have adopted a zero tolerance policy toward corruption, so it’s high time people understand that attempting to bribe a Police officer, is no wisdom.”

He warned the public against such malpractices, adding that “bribery or corruption has no breeding ground either in Rwanda National Police (RNP) or in the country.”

“RNP taken a number of measures and will continue to stand against such conduct so the public should take that into account and remain law abiding instead of taking shortcuts and illegal channels.”

Article 641 of the Penal Code stipulates that any person who directly or indirectly offers a gift in order to get an illegal service or refrain from carrying out their duties shall be liable to a term of imprisonment of between five and seven years or a fine of twice to 10 times the value of what they had offered in bribes, or both.

Remarks by Ambassador Belaynesh Zevadia at the Kigali Genocide Memorial

Ambassadors, government and non-government as well as United Nations officials, Excellences, colleagues, friends,

It’s an honour to have you all here today as we remember the millions of lives lost due to an act of hard-hearted cruelty and murder “The Holocaust”.

This place we are gathered in today, the Kigali Genocide Memorial, also reminds us of the brutal murder of about 800,000 people in Rwanda, a massacre that was stretched for months.

For the first time in the history of mankind, in the period of 1941-1945, industrial plants were used to kill people. A total of six extermination camps were established for the genocide of Jews, where the Nazis carried out mass murder of 6 million victims of the Holocaust. The use of gas chambers was the most common method of mass murder.

Alexander Werth, a journalist during the time wrote:

“Jews, men, women and children, naked, were driven into these dark concrete boxes – about five yards square. 200 or 250 people were packed into each box – and it was completely dark except for a small light in the ceiling and the spyhole in the door. Then the process of gassing began. First some hot air was pumped in from the ceiling and then the pretty pale-blue crystals of Cyclon were showered down on the people, and in the hot wet air they rapidly evaporated. In anything from two to ten minutes everybody was dead.”

Nevertheless Jews who survived the death camps did not come out of the ashes aspiring to take revenge or to waste the lives of their future generations on the past. Those impoverished refuges immediately set to build themselves a homeland – Israel, which I am proud to represent.

Seven decades later, we take time to remember the Holocaust so that we don’t forget the lessons that history has taught us, as we see the terrifying consequences. The human cost of the loss of six million lives is incalculable. The Holocaust is more than an alert call from the past.

In the present day, Germany is one of the most reliable allies of the State of Israel. The two states have been enjoying robust bilateral exchanges since the establishment of their diplomatic relations in 1956. Furthermore the countries have set priorities for the employment of trilateral ties with Africa in the fields of water management, agriculture and health. Israel and Germany together with our African allies are jointly pursuing development projects in Ethiopia, Kenya, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon and Burundi to make people’s lives more manageable.

Today we remember the day with the theme “The Holocaust and Human Dignity” that links the founding principle of the United Nations that reaffirms faith in the dignity and worth of every person. As we recall the spiteful deeds of the Nazis, and reminisce on the Rwandan Genocide we also celebrate the power of forgiveness and positive thinking. We must unite in dismay at the way in which so many were stripped of their humanity and we must work together to educate people and show them the barrenness for their prejudices, to create a world in which there is no need for the maliciousness.

Source: Kigali Genocide Memorial Center www.kgm.rw

Hangijwe ibiyobyabwenge byiganjemo kanyanga, chief waragi hamwe n’urumogi

Urubyiruko rurangije amashuri yisumbuye rwo mu mirenge itandukanye igize akarere ka Gatsibo rurakangurirwa kuba umusemburo wo kurwanya no kwirinda ibiyobyabwenge.

Uru rubyiruko rwabikanguriwe n’ubuyobozi bwa Polisi ikorera mu karere ka Gatsibo kuwa 22 Mutarama 2016, ubwo hangizwaga ibiyobyabwenge bya kanyana n’urumogi bifite agaciro ka miliyoni 4,250,000 z’amafaranga y’u Rwanda.

Umuyobozi wa polisi mu karere ka Gatsibo Spt Eric Kabera, yasabye urubyiruko kuba imboni y’abaturage bakajya batanga amakuru ashobora kwangiza umutekano bafite, akenshi uterwa no kunywa cyangwa gucuruza ibiyobyabwenge.

Yagize ati:” Ibiyobyabwenge byangiza ababikoresha bakagira imitekerereze itari iya kimuntu, ari nayo ibatera gukora amarorerwa, niyo mpamvu buri wese aho atuye akwiye kubirwanya kandi mugatanga n’amakuru aho mubona babikoresha kugira ngo turusheho kubirwanya.

Gasana Richard, Umuyobozi w’Akarere ka Gatsibo, nawe wari witabiriye iki igikorwa cyo kwangiza ibiyobyabwenge, yasabye urubyiruko ko rugomba kuba umusemburo muri bagenzi babo birinda ibiyobyabwenge.

Ati:” Mukwiye gushishikariza no gukangurira abaturanyi banyu banywa bakanacuruza ibiyobyabwene kubireka kuko byangiza ubukungu bwabo ndetse n’Igihugu muri rusange, kuko abenshi bajya kubicuruza bafashe inguzanyo muri za banki.”

Meya Gasana yakomeje avuga ko ababicuruza, iyo bafashwe n’inzego z’umutekano ku bufatanye n’abaturage bahomba bikabaviramo guteza imitungo yabo kugira ngo banki yisubize amafaranga yayo bityo bikabateza ubukene.

Ni kenshi abatuye akarere ka Gatsibo bagiye bashishikarizwa kwirinda ibiyobyabwenge, ubuyobozi bwo bukaba buvuga ko iki kibazo kuba kidacika burundu ari uko abaturage badatanga amakuru uko bikwiye ngo bikumirwe.

Abagize biro ya njyanama y’akarere ka Nyagatare. Hagati Kamanzi Alicade umuyobozi wayo.

Njyanama y’akarere ka Nyagatare yateranye kuri uyu wa 24 Mutarama, yemeje ingengo y’imari ivuguruye ingana miliyari 13,016,000frs yagabanutseho 5.2%.

Ingengo y’imari yari yaratowe mbere yari miliyari 13 na miliyoni 735, ivuguruye yemejwe n’abajyanama mu gusoza igihembwe cya 4 cy’umwaka ni miliyari 13 na miliyoni 16, miliyoni 719 zavuyemo bingana na 5.2%.

Kamanzi Alicade umuyobozi w’inama njyanama y’akarere ka Nyagatare avuga ko kugabanuka kw’ingengo y’imari byatewe ni uko amafaranga yari ateganijwe yabuze.

Agira ati “ Habaye impamvu nyinshi amafaranga ntiyaboneka bitewe n’aho ava. Byatumye hari imishinga imwe n’imwe duhindura.”

Ubundi amafaranga menshi ngo ava mu misoro  akarere kemererwa kwakira, ariko nyuma ngo nayo yaje gusubizwa RRA kuko hari aho byakorwaga nabi.

Mu mishinga yahindutse, harimo kuzitira ibitaro bya Nyagatare kuko amafaranga yabuze.

Ayabonetse nayo ngo habayeho kwihutira kuziba icyuho cya mutuelle hishyurwa imwe mu myenda, mutuelle ifitiye ibitaro bya Nyagatare no kwishyurira abatishoboye.

Mu myenda akarere kishyuye ibitaro hakaba harimo n’abantu bakurwa ku mihanda kubera impanuka bakavurwa, ubwishyu bugatanga n’akarere.

Commandants of Police colleges, academies and schools in Eastern Africa seek to harmonise the curricula of the major regional police colleges.

The network formed during their meeting in Kigali on January 25, brought together commandants from South Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia and Rwanda.

It was in line with the directives of the 17th council of EAPCCO police chiefs held in Naivasha, Kenya that directed continuous and harmonized skills development of law enforcement agencies for effective policing.

Commandants of Police colleges, academies and schools in Eastern Africa, established a new network that would come up with mechanisms of harmonizing police training modules as means to jointly counter contemporary and cross border crimes.

The meeting was held under the auspice of Eastern Africa Police Chiefs Cooperation Organization (EAPCCO), a regional body that brings together 13 countries.

While presiding over the meeting, the Inspector General of Rwanda National Police, Emmanuel K. Gasana noted that the contemporary crime trend should match with our training because the way we train is the way we perform.”

“We need to move away from the traditional training and align it with currently policing demands. Today, criminals are using asymmetric concepts and available tools to destabilize our nations. Therefore, the responses, prevention and approaches that we have to apply should match with the new trends,” said IGP Gasana.

To fix the gaps in career training, he said, there is need to hamonise and standardize policing activities.

Although it might not be possible to harmonize all areas or customize all the training modules at the moment, he emphasised the need to cooperate in specific areas, have standard generic training modules that will be agreed on as EAPCCO so as to have common understanding of the approaches, concepts, standard operating procedures and the rules of engagement, among others.

Gasana told the commandants that there is need for a mutual understanding in ensuring working together. noting that cyber-crime is to be one of the areas to have harmonized training modules.

“EAPCCO recommended that each member state establishes a cyber-crime unit – this is very important since that the unit will support scientific evidence when it comes to investigations.  There are many crimes that are connected to cyber, starting from human trafficking, money laundering and terrorism. This means we should have advanced training in computer skills,” IGP Gasana said.

The formed network will be endorsed by the council of EAPCCO Police Chief in their upcoming general assembly to be held in Tanzania later this year.

“This kind of association that is about to be established will be a framework to address issues of the changing times and facilitate understanding of the required modern equipment, the skills required so that we are ready to confront the security challenges,” he said.

Judy Jebet Lamet, the Commandant of CID training school in Kenya pointed out that the region is experiencing sophisticated crimes that cannot be addressed independently, but rather collectively.

“We have crimes that is crosscutting, there is massive use of internet so people are able to communicate to perpetrate crimes, spread hate speeches, to commit gross financial crimes, human trafficking, narcotics and terrorism; we need to have a uniform and modern approach to combat these crimes,” she said.

“From this new mechanism, we will be able to tap from each country’s best practices and be able to work out a strong harmonized strategy,” Lamet said.