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Tag: Rwanda

  • DR Congo to free Rwandan soldiers amid tensions

    Angolan President João Lourenço says the Democratic Republic of Congo has agreed to release two Rwandan soldiers it detained last week, amid rising border tensions.

    Mr Lourenço – who’s acting as a mediator – made the announcement after separate talks with his Congolese and Rwandan counterparts.

    His office said Félix Tshisekedi and Paul Kagame had agreed to meet face-to-face in Angola, but didn’t give a date.

    Rwanda and the DR Congo have accused each other of aiding armed militias in the border region and encouraging attacks.

    Source: BBC

  • Rwandan genocide fugitive Protais Mpiranya confirmed dead

    The death has been confirmed of the last major Rwandan fugitive indicted by a war crimes court for his role in the 1994 genocide.

    Protais Mpiranya was head of the presidential guard and was accused of ordering the murder of the then-Prime Minister, Agathe Uwilingiyimana.

    His officers also murdered the 10 Belgian UN peacekeepers guarding her.

    Investigators tracked him down to Zimbabwe, where a recently exhumed grave confirmed he had died in 2006.

    They found that Mpiranya had used various aliases whilst on the run to evade capture for over 12 years.

    In the immediate aftermath of the genocide – in which about 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed by ethnic Hutu extremists in 100 days – he moved to Cameroon

    Others accused of taking part in the genocide had fled over the border to the Democratic Republic of Congo, forming a rebel group known as the FDLR.

    Mpiranya joined them in 1998, commanding a brigade that fought alongside Zimbabwe’s army, which had become embroiled in a conflict in DR Congo involving several nations often dubbed “Africa’s world war”.

    French troops driving past Hutu militiamen
    Image caption, French forces in Rwanda were accused of not doing enough to stop the killing

    He adopted the name Alain Hirwa and became known as “Commander Alain” – and was well respected by senior Zimbabwean officers, the investigation found.

    It was his Zimbabwean allies who organised refuge for him in Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare, after his indictment was made public in 2002 by the international tribunal set up to bring to justice those responsible for the genocide.

    He was charged with eight counts, including genocide, murder and rape, for “having instructed, supervised, encouraged, and assisted the crimes” carried out by the presidential guard.

    The “challenging and intensive” investigation to track him down was conducted by a UN body that handles outstanding war crimes cases for Rwanda and Yugoslavia.

    “For the victims of his crimes, Mpiranya was a feared and notorious fugitive, leader of the presidential guard during the genocide and later a top commander in the FDLR,” said the prosecutor of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT), Serge Brammertz.

    “Confirming his death provides the solace of knowing that he cannot cause further harm.”

    According to the IRMCT, during his four years in Zimbabwe, Mpiranya ran a business with his sister-in-law and was still connected with FLDR associates – and had a Ugandan passport under the name James Kakule.

    His wife and daughters went to live in the UK, but visited him in Harare.

    When he fell seriously ill in 2006, aged 50, with tuberculosis he was using the name Ndume Sambao – and this was the name on his gravestone when he was buried in a cemetery outside Harare.

    “Since October 2006, Mpiranya’s family and associates have gone to great lengths to conceal his death and place of burial,” the IRMCT said.

    “They have repeatedly provided false statements to investigators, and coached those who knew of Mpiranya’s presence and death in Harare to lie if questioned. His tombstone was purposefully designed to thwart its discovery.”

    How did the Rwandan genocide unfold?

    On 6 April 1994, a plane carrying then-President Juvenal Habyarimana – a Hutu – was shot down, killing all on board.

    Hutu extremists blamed the Tutsi rebel group, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), which denied the accusation.

    In a well-organised campaign of slaughter, militias were given hit lists of Tutsi victims. Many were killed with machetes in acts of appalling brutality. Little was done internationally to stop the killings.

    Eventually the RPF, backed by Uganda, marched on the capital Kigali. Some two million Hutus fled, mainly to DR Congo.

    Dozens of Hutus were convicted of roles in the killings by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, based in Tanzania, and hundreds of thousands more faced trial in community courts in Rwanda.

    Source: BBC

  • One-way ticket to Rwanda for some UK asylum seekers

    Some asylum seekers who cross the Channel to the UK will be given a one-way ticket to Rwanda under new government plans.

    The pilot scheme will focus on single men arriving on boats or lorries.

    Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the £120m scheme would “save countless lives” from human trafficking.

    Refugee organisations have criticised the plan as cruel. They questioned its cost and impact and raised concerns about Rwanda’s human rights record.

    Mr Johnson said action was needed to stop “vile people smugglers” turning the ocean into a “watery graveyard”, with the plan designed to break their business model.

    “Our compassion may be infinite but our capacity to help people is not,” he said. “We can’t ask the British taxpayer to write a blank cheque to cover the costs of anyone who might want to come and live here.”

    Those who succeed in making it to the UK “will be taken not to hotels at vast public expense”, the prime minister said, and instead would be housed in detention centres.

    Speaking in Kent, he said the new plan would “over time prove a very considerable deterrent”.

    Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer described the scheme as “unworkable” and “extortionate”, claiming it was an attempt to distract from Mr Johnson’s “partygate” fine.

    Last year, 28,526 people are known to have crossedin small boats, up from 8,404 in 2020. About 600 people made the crossing on Wednesday – the figure could reach 1,000 a day in coming weeks, Mr Johnson said.

    The number of people who can be relocated will be “unlimited”, said Mr Johnson.

    Rwanda will have the “capacity to resettle tens of thousands of people in the years ahead”, including those who have arrived “illegally” since the start of the year, he said.

    Migrants arrive in Dover on Thursday after being rescued while crossing the English Channel Migrants arriving in Dover after being rescued crossing the Channel

    “We cannot sustain a parallel illegal system,” said the prime minister. “Our compassion may be infinite, but our capacity to help people is not.”

    Home Secretary Priti Patel, who travelled to Rwandan capital Kigali to sign the deal, said it was a “global first and it will change the way we collectively tackle illegal migration”.

    She said the “vast majority” of those arriving in the UK “illegally” would be considered for relocation to Rwanda.

    Recent research by Ipsos Morisuggested 60% of the public were dissatisfied with the government’s migration policy – more than half of which cited Channel crossings.

    Line graph showing numbers of people crossing the English Channel between 2019 and 2022

    BBC home editor Mark Easton, reporting from Rwanda, said ministers would face legal hurdles and substantial costs to launch the scheme.

    Precise details of the plan are yet to be confirmed – but he said the trial would be restricted to mostly single men.

    Under the proposal, Rwanda would take responsibility for the people who made the more than 4,000-mile journey, put them through an asylum process, and at the end of that process, if they were successful, they would have long-term accommodation in Rwanda.

    The BBC has seen accommodation the asylum seekers would be housed in, thought to have enough space for about 100 people at a time and to process up to 500 a year.

    Inside a reception centre in Rwanda
    Journalists were given a tour of a typical government refugee facility in Rwanda

    The Rwandan government said migrants would be “entitled to full protection under Rwandan law, equal access to employment, and enrolment in healthcare and social care services”.

    The UK Home Office believes existing asylum law will be enough to implement the plan, but questions remain about the legality of the scheme.

    Mr Johnson said the plan was “fully compliant” with international law, but acknowledged he expected it to be subject to challenge in the courts and from a “formidable army of politically-motivated lawyers”.

     ‘Something’s got to give’

     

    • “What’s crueller – that or being drowned? If it saves one life, surely it’s got to be better than what’s happening with these migrants now” – Lorraine, Dartington
    • “How are we treating these humans? Are we suddenly saying those coming from Ukraine, their lives are better value than those coming from certain other countries? I think it’s abhorrent” – Hamid, Bicester
    • “I feel it’s a real shame. We seem to have eroded this idea of fairness in our nation. We seem to no longer want to be the nation that wants to help other people. It seems a shame we’ve lost those values in our country” – Chris, Devon
    • “Let’s forget about the optics and actually look at the reality. People smugglers will keep trying to find different ways until we break it. That’s the cruel part here… I applaud the government for having some backbone” – Martin, Bedford
    line

    British Red Cross executive director Zoe Abrams said the humanitarian network was “profoundly concerned” about the scheme and that “the financial and human cost will be considerable”.

    Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, said the charity was “appalled by the government’s cruel and nasty decision”, which it said would “do little” to deter people from coming to the UK.

    Miranda Butler, a barrister who specialises in immigration law, said there were “serious questions” about the risks faced by migrants under this “expedited process”.

    The Lib Dems said the government was “slamming the door” in the face of refugees, while the SNP’s Ian Blackford described the plan as “absolutely chilling”.

    Map showing the distance from the UK to Rwanda

    Questions have been raised over the human rights record of the Rwandan government and its president, Paul Kagame.

    Last year, the UK government expressed concernat the United Nations over “continued restrictions to civil and political rights and media freedom” in Rwanda.

    But Mr Johnson described Rwanda as being one of the safest countries in the world.

    Other countries – including Ascension Island and Gibraltar – had also been considered.

    The prime minister also announced:

    • Asylum seekers who are resettled in the UK will be spread more evenly across local authorities
    • Plans to hand operational control of the Channel to the Royal Navy
    • £50m in funding for new equipment and specialist personnel for Channel operations
    • A new government facility to house migrants, described as a reception centre, in Linton-on-Ouse, North Yorkshire
    • A maximum sentence of life imprisonment for people smugglers

    The government’s Nationality and Borders Bill is making its way through Parliament, but time is running out to pass it into law after a series of defeats in the House of Lords.

    MPs are currently on a break, but when they return, they are due to review a series of amendments, including one about powers to offshore asylum claims.

  • Rwanda marks 28 years since the 1994 genocide

    Rwanda is holding a subdued memorial at the Kigali genocide memorial, for the 1994 genocide that left about 800,000 Tutsis and Hutu moderates dead in just 100 days.

    Similar events are being held at sites across districts – but they have been restricted to not more than two hours.

    Rwanda has been holding low-key memorials of the genocide following the outbreak of the Covid pandemic.

    Previously the government held weeklong events to commemorate the genocide.

    This year the famous ‘Walk to Remember’ and night vigil at the Kigali main stadium have been suspended “to limit the spread of Covid”, the government said.

    The genocide was sparked by the death of the Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana, a Hutu, when his plane was shot down above Kigali airport on 6 April 1994.

    Source:  bbc.com 

  • Ghanaian Professor appointed acting Vice-Chancellor of University of Kigali

    A chartered marketer, Professor Robert Ebo Hinson has been appointed Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University of Kigali in Rwanda,

    His appointment took effect from Wednesday, January 19, 2022.

    Prof Hinson replaces Professor Gustave Tombola, the immediate past Vice-Chancellor until a substantive Vice-Chancellor is appointed.

    As a skilled University Administrator, Professor Hinson started his academic career in the year 2003.

    He was also ranked the leading Marketing Scholar in Africa in 2021.

    Until his appointment, he was the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic at the University of Kigali and served as external examiner to several notable Universities in Africa and Europe.

    He has acted as Director of Institutional Advancement at the University of Ghana, Head of Department, Head of Hall and Coordinator of the MSc. International Business Degree Programme in the same University.

    He also had the privilege to serve as Rector of the Perez University College in Ghana in 2018.

    The appointee holds a doctorate degree in Marketing from the University of Ghana and a second in International Business from the Aalborg University Business School in Denmark and a Chartered Marketing qualification from the Chartered Institute of Marketing, UK.

    Source: MyJoyOnline.com

  • Rwanda launches largest treatment centre amidst coronavirus surge

    Rwanda has launched its largest treatment centre for Covid-19 patients, which is expected to provide relief for overwhelmed hospitals across the country.

    The new centre has the capacity to admit 140 patients under its intensive care unit and comes at a time when the country is desperately trying to control a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic that had by January 8 claimed 115 lives, with 2,313 active cases.

    The treatment centre is housed within the newly launched Nyarugenge District Hospital in Kigali City, built to the tune of about $10 million.

    “The facility is expected to improve Covid-19 case management. It offers the highest standard of oxygen therapy and its ICU capacity allows to admit 136 patients,” Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) said on Twitter.

    Prior to its launch, Rwanda had a total of 114 intensive care unit beds, 90 fixed ventilators and 130 portable ventilators prioritised for Covid-19 patients, according to the Rwanda Biomedical Centre.

    More than 50 patients needing oxygen and intensive care are slated for transfer to the centre from other treatment centres in Kigali.

    Experts anticipate a third wave of the virus infection before the vaccine is accessible to much of the population.

    “Covid-19 has some factors in common with the previous respiratory pandemics such the 1918 Spanish Flu. It takes three waves for us to be able to manage it. Since the vaccine will not take effect immediately everywhere at the same time, we might have another wave of infections this year,” Dr Menelas Nkeshimana told The EastAfrican.

    Dr Nkeshimana, a member of Rwanda Joint Task Force for Covid-19 with experience in handling pandemics, added that the country faces the risk of rising infections because of its young and mobile population which facilitates contagion.

    In mid-December, Rwanda authorised up to 42 private clinics to begin Covid-19 tests using the rapid antigen tests. This was done to ease access to testing services and relieve pressure on public testing facilities.

    As of Friday, Rwanda had recorded 9,368 total coronavirus infections and 6,940 recoveries, out of 760,897 tests done since the virus was reported in the country in March.

    As the pandemic rages, Rwanda last week temporarily restricted movement of people between its capital city Kigali and other districts in its latest bid to curb surging coronavirus infections and deaths.

    A strict 8 pm to 4 am curfew was maintained while police and security agencies traverse the country to ensure that people adhere to social distancing and mask-wearing.

    The government announced plans to purchase vaccine doses from British-Swedish pharmaceutical AstraZeneca and American biotechnology firm Moderna.

    Rwanda expects to vaccinate 20 percent of its population in March 2021.

    Source: theeastafrican.co.ke

  • Ghana and Rwanda to explore business opportunities

    Government has called on the business community in Ghana and Rwanda to take advantage of their vast economic potentials to explore business opportunities in all sectors of the economy.

    The government also encouraged the Rwandan government and businesses to invest in Ghana for mutual benefits.

    Mrs Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration said this on Monday when Dr Vincent Biruta, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Rwanda paid a courtesy call on her in Accra.

    Both Ministers signed the General Cooperation Agreement to lay the foundation for the establishment of a Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation between the two countries.

    The visit was to herald the inauguration of the new High Commission of Republic of Rwanda in Accra, on Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

    She said Ghana was among the countries across the continent with a conducive investment climate coupled with good incentives provided under the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre Act 2013, Act 865.

    The Minister commended the longstanding and cordial relations which existed between the two countries over the past years.

    “Bilateral relations between the two countries reached a significant milestone in January 2020 with the establishment of the High Commission of the Republic of Rwanda in Ghana and appointment of Dr Aisa Kirabo Kacyira as the first resident High Commissioner of the Republic of Rwanda to Ghana”, she said.

    She mentioned that the establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) presented new opportunities to both countries to expand trade relations at the bilateral and continental levels.

    She acknowledged the invaluable support of Rwanda in championing support for Ghana’s successful bid culminating in the hosting of the AfCFTA Secretariat in Accra.

    Mrs Botchwey called on both countries to collaborate and support the African Union and other regional groupings to respond decisively to the current threats to peace and security on the African continent such as terrorism, piracy, illicit trade in small arms and light weapons, cybercrimes and human trafficking.

    She expressed Ghana’s desire to work closely with Rwanda to consolidate the existing relations and explore further areas of cooperation for the mutual benefit of the two countries.

    She assured Dr Biruta of Ghana’s commitment to ensure transparent, peaceful and free and fair elections in December 2020.

    Dr Biruta said his country was confident that cooperation agreement between the two countries would enhance Africa’s development for tangible outcomes as their relations would open more opportunities to explore and commended Ghana for its commitment to peacekeeping operations, saying during the 1994 genocide, Ghana stayed with her troops when other countries opted out.

    Source: GNA

  • Rwanda reduces night curfew hours

    The cabinet in Rwanda has reduced the night-time curfew by two hours as the country recorded a drop in new coronavirus cases.

    The curfew will now run from 22:00 to 04:00 local time.

    Public transport will operate at full capacity for sitting passengers and half capacity for standing passengers.

    People attending conferences will no longer be required to have proof of a Covid-19 negative test, but organisers will be required to adhere to social distancing guidelines by ensuring the attendance is 50% of the venue capacity.

    The cabinet said the penalties for not wearing masks and defying night curfew would remain.

    Those found without face masks in public places will be fined $10 (£7.50). The same fine will be imposed for violating the 2m (6ft) social distancing rule in public, or ignoring the night-time curfew.

    Some people who violated restrictions were taken to stadiums or school buildings where they were forced to sit all night or day.

    Rwanda has so far confirmed 4,905 cases of Covid-19.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Hotel Rwanda ‘Hero’ admits his role in Armed Group for Diplomacy

    The polarising hero of the oscar-nominated hit movie ‘Hotel Rwanda,’ Paul Rusesabagina — who is currently on trial on 13 charges including terrorism, financing and founding militant groups, murder, arson and conspiracy to involve children in armed groups, appeared in court in Kigali on Friday.

    He appealed the denial of his request to post bail last week and also admitted to helping form the armed wing, the National Liberation Front (FLN) — which has claimed responsibility for a series of attacks in Nyungwe, near the border with Burundi, of the Rwandan Movement for Democratic Change (MRCD), an opposition party based abroad which he co-founded.

    The accused told the court on Friday that he had helped form an armed group but denied any role in its crimes, “We formed the FLN as an armed wing, not as a terrorist group as the prosecution keeps saying. I do not deny that the FLN committed crimes but my role was diplomacy. The agreement we signed to form MRCD as a political platform included the formation of an armed wing called FLN. But my work was under the political platform and I was in charge of diplomacy.”

    Hotel Rwanda Hero On Trial for Terrorism Rusesabagina is famed for his depiction by Don Cheadle in the 2004 film in which a moderate Hutu is shown as saving hundreds of lives at a luxury hotel during the 1994 genocide that saw around 800,000, mostly Tutsi, lose their lives. The release of the film thrust him into the global spotlight, giving him a greater platform for his criticism of Kagame’s government.

    However, Rusesabagina left Rwanda in 1996 along with other moderates who believed the space for political opposition was fast shrinking and as he grew more critical, railing against his perceived Kagame’s anti-Hutu sentiment — a delicate subject matter in the country, his local image worsened as the regime attacked his character in turn.

    Detractors claimed he embellished his heroics, while some survivors groups accused him of profiting from their misery.

    Kagame, who has been in power since his troops flushed out the genocidal regime in 1994, is championed abroad for turning the country around. However, critics such as Rusesabagina accuse his government of authoritarianism, ruling with fear and oppressing the opposition. Several critics of his regime have even been assassinated abroad.

    An even more complex image of Rusesabagina has emerged since he appeared in police custody in Kigali under mysterious circumstances last month. This came after years spent in exile in Belgium and the United States.

    Rusesabagina’s family have said that he would never have willingly returned to Rwanda, and the details of his arrest are still murky. They also say that he has been permitted to choose his own lawyers for the trial.

    A ruling on his bail appeal will be made on October 2.

    Source: africanews.com

  • Hotel Rwanda hero arrested on terror charges

    The man whose role in saving people from the 1994 genocide was celebrated in the film Hotel Rwanda is being held in Rwanda on terror charges.

    Paul Rusesabagina was arrested abroad, where he had been living in exile. The Rwanda Investigation Bureau says he was arrested on an international warrant for forming and leading “terrorist movements” operating in the region.

    Mr Rusesabagina, 66, was awarded the US Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005, among other human rights awards.

    He has not commented on the current charges but has long been a critic of the Rwandan government.

    In 2011, he was accused of funding subversion in Rwanda, but no charges were brought.

    At the time, Mr Rusesabagina denied the accusation and said there was a smear campaign against him.

    The 2004 film Hotel Rwanda told the story of how Mr Rusesabagina, a middle-class Hutu married to a Tutsi, used his influence – and bribes – to convince military officials to secure a safe escape for the estimated 1,200 people who sought shelter at the Mille Collines Hotel in Kigali.

    Rwandan genocide survivors’ group Ibuka has in the past said that he exaggerated his own role in helping hotel refugees escape the 100-day slaughter in 1994.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Shops in Rwanda’s capital to operate at half capacity

    Shops and malls in Rwanda’s capital, Kigali, have been ordered to operate at 50% capacity and on on rotational basis following a surge in coronavirus cases.

    Public transport between the capital and other districts has been prohibited.

    A dusk-to-dawn curfew has been extended by two hours – it will now start at 19:00 local time.

    Rwanda’s coronavirus infection has been rising with nearly 1,000 new cases confirmed in the last seven days. Most of the cases were from markets in Kigali.

    Market vendors have said the new restrictions will affect their earnings.

    A market vendor, Immaculée Dushime, told the BBC she was worried about her survival.

    “My children and I eat when I have gone to sell, I am afraid,” she said.

    Rwanda has so far recorded 3,625 cases and 15 fatalities.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Rwanda arrest warrant for genocide suspect in France

    Rwanda has issued an international arrest warrant for a former senior Rwandan military official, Aloys Ntiwiragabo, who is under investigation in France for his alleged role in the country’s 1994 genocide.

    France opened a probe after a French publication, Mediapart, found Mr Ntiwiragabo in the city of Orleans.

    He had been identified by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) as one of the architects of the genocide.

    Neither the ICTR, Interpol, France nor Rwanda were actively seeking him, having dropped arrest warrants years earlier.

    The revelation of Mr Ntiwiragabo’s whereabouts came barely two months after another suspected genocide architect, Felicien Kabuga, was arrested on the fringes of Paris.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Rwanda uses robots to fight against coronavirus

    One of the challenges being faced worldwide is the rate of infection of health professionals while treating COVID-19 patients. 2016 statistics show the following picture of Rwanda’s health sector: 1/50,505 ground ambulance/population ratio; 1/10,055 Doctor/population ratio; 1/1,094 Nurse/population ratio; 1/10,500 Laboratory technicians/population ratio.

    Although Rwanda is on track to meeting most of the required quota, the country cannot afford the set back that a pandemic like COVID-19 among health professionals would cause.

    To minimize contact time with confirmed cases and therefore reducing the risk of contamination of health professionals in COVID-19 treatment centres, robots were deployed. At Gatenga and Kanyinya treatment centres in Kigali City, visits by medical staff to patients went from 3-4 to 2 per day since May 2020.

    The 5 human-size robots are programmed to perform temperature screening, take readings of vitals, deliver video messages and detect people not wearing masks then instruct them to wear masks properly.

    On Tuesday, May 19 at the Kanyinya COVID-19 Treatment Centre, the 5 robots were launched by the Ministry of Health. Named in Kinyarwanda, Akazuba, Ikirezi, Mwiza, Ngabo, and Urumuri are made by Zora Bots, a Belgian company specialised in robotics. They were acquired through a partnership between the UNDP Rwanda Accelerator Lab (AccLab) and the Ministry of ICT and Innovation. Each robot costs about $30,000.

    Urumuri is currently deployed at the Kigali International Airport with the capacity to screen 50 to 150 people per minute and report abnormalities to officers on duty.

    As Rwanda is reopening Kigali International Airport for commercial international flights from 1st of August, Urumuri will allow to speed up mass screenings of fever for passengers as they land.

    Smart anti-epidemic robots have been used in Asia to help flatten the COVID-19 curve. The pandemic has proven to be a crosscutting challenge affecting Rwanda in all sectors (Health, Economy, Education, Agriculture, …). It therefore requires different sometimes innovative solutions with available resources like robots.

    Source: allafrica.com

  • Rwanda’s coronavirus recovery count hits 900

    Rwanda, on July 24, discharged 11 new Coronavirus patients after full recovery, bringing the COVID-19 overall recovery count to 900.

    According to the Ministry of Health’s daily update on COVID-19, the same day also saw 19 new Coronavirus cases identified, bringing the tally of confirmed cases to 1,729 total.

    The 19 new cases included 12 from Kigali, five from Rusizi District, one from Nyamasheke District and one from Kirehe District.

    Friday results were drawn from 2,491 samples tested in 24 hours, whereas the country has conducted 233,677 total sample tests since the outbreak of the global pandemic.

    Five people have so far succumbed to the virus in Rwanda, two of which were peacekeepers serving on a UN mission.

    The global track of coronavirus stands at 15,842,118 infections, of which 9,649,208 have recovered and 639,892 have succumbed to the virus.

    Source: allafrica.com

  • Ex-Rwanda PM in court for writing invalid cheques

    Former Rwanda Prime Minister Pierre-Damien Habumuremyi has appeared in court in the capital, Kigali, on charges of issuing cheques that were not backed by funds in the bank.

    Mr Habumuremyi, in office between 2011 and 2014, was arrested a few weeks ago. In court, he denied the charges and applied for bail.

    The former prime minister, who also served as education minister, owns a private university. He is accused of failing to pay suppliers and writing cheques that could not be cashed.

    The former prime minister told the court he was in the process of paying his accusers, and asked to be released to be able to carry on.

    The court will decide on his bail application next week.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Coronavirus: Rwanda extends lockdown in new areas

    Rwanda’s interior ministry has ordered selected areas in the south-west of the country back into lockdown from Wednesday after a rise in coronavirus cases.

    Movement restrictions for two weeks have been put in place in Nyamasheke and Nyamagabe districts – including in a refugee camp which hosts thousands of Congolese.

    Authorities said the measure, which is being enforced by security forces, was taken “after assessment of the pandemic in those districts”.

    Last week, the authorities extended a two-week lockdown in some parts of the capital Kigali as cases were said to be rising.

    Movement has been restricted to essential workers, those going to seek medical care, and to shop for food.

    In the past 10 days, Rwanda has recorded 324 cases and one death, taking the total tally to 1,416 cases.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Rwanda testing for coronavirus on the streets

    Police are randomly stopping people in Rwanda’s capital, Kigali, seeking their consent for coronavirus testing.

    The exercise kicked off on Thursday morning on some roads and entry points.

    Rwandan health authorities say this “will provide factual information about the Covid-19 status in the capital”.

    From March, Rwanda has conducted more than 140,000 tests. More than 1,000 have recorded positive results.

    Officials in Kigali told the BBC that they will be focusing on morning hours as people go to work and in the evenings as they return home.

    Some are however complaining that they are being forced to consent to the testing.

    A motorcyclist told the BBC he was forced by police to cooperate, while another said he was “happy to easily get tested on street” and carry on his activities.

    Last week, the Rwandan authorities re-introduced a lockdown in parts of Kigali as dozens of cases were confirmed.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Rwanda’s rising virus cases dampens plan for a full reopening

    Rwanda’s surge in Coronavirus cases this week could dampen plans to fully opening up the economy soon.

    The increasing numbers, according to the Health Ministry, is attributed to increased testing across the country.

    On Monday, the country recorded 59 new infections, the highest single-day spike since the pandemic was reported in March.

    The cases are spread over five districts in Kirehe, Rusizi, Kigali, Nyamasheke and Rubavu, largely attributed to truck drivers from the region and their contacts.

    Kirehe District, which borders Tanzania and Burundi in the east, has recorded 41 cases mainly due to cross-border activities at the Rusumo One-Stop Border Post.

    “The Kirehe District cluster is a controlled group of truck drivers and their contacts; this is different from community transmissions,” Dr Sabin Nsanzimana, the Director-General of Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC), told The East African.

    As of Wednesday, Rwanda’s Covid-19 tally stood at 830 with this week alone recording 100 new cases. The cases were from over 10,000 tests, according to the Health Ministry.

    Since the first case in mid-march, Rwanda has tested over 121, 527 people, according to Health Ministry statistics. Two people have died from the virus.

    But the surge in infections now coincides with Rwanda’s decision to reopen sections of the economy as the government is planning to partially lift the lockdown every after two weeks of assessment.

    It has stepped up health campaigns urging citizens to observe safety measures including physical distancing, washing hands and mask-wearing in public is mandatory.

    According to the Health Ministry, the elderly – considered the most vulnerable – are encouraged to test especially in the two districts still under total lockdown Rusizi and Rubavu.

    “All people above 60 years in the sectors still under lockdown are invited for testing at the village testing hubs or at district hospitals. This also goes out to individuals with underlying conditions who are generally registered in respective health facilities,” Dr Nsanzimana added.

    Rwanda’s economic growth is expected slowdown as a result of Covid-19 impact which has highly disrupted its tourism activities.

    Economic recovery is expected to begin in 2021, according to the Ministry of Finance, with a set of economic measures put in place by the government to ensure that growth fully rebounds by 2022.

    In order to boost growth during the pandemic, mobile money charges were reinstated last week after a suspension period of 100 days.

    Hotels are also allowed to host conferences and tourists are allowed to jet into the country on chartered direct flights.

    However, tourists must have tested negative 72 hours before travel and are tested again on arrival at their own cost. Public transport, including the popular use of commercial motorcyclists, has also resumed with the exception of Rusizi and Rubavu Districts which are still under total lockdown.

    Source: allafrica.com

  • Rwanda reinstates lockdown in parts of capital

    Rwandan authorities have imposed a stay-at-home order in parts of the capital, Kigali, following a rise in new cases of coronavirus.

    People living in Gikondo Hill in Kicukiro District, and some parts of Mount Kigali in Nyarugenge district, have been ordered to “immediately stay home for a period of at least 15 days,” according to statement from the interior ministry.

    The order was announced on Thursday night and many residents woke up on Friday unaware of it. Clarisse Mutamuliza, who lives in Gikondo, was ordered back to her house by police as she headed to work.

    “I hadn’t seen it in the news, it was announced late last night. I didn’t even know there were coronavirus cases in my neighbourhood,” Ms Mutamuliza told BBC Great Lakes.

    The interior ministry said it reinstated the lockdown “based on analysis by health officials over coronavirus status in Kigali”.

    Rwanda has in the past seven days recorded 204 new cases, 21 of them in Kigali.

    Most of the recent cases were recorded in an eastern town bordering Tanzania, and in another western town bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo.

    The East African nation became the first in sub-Saharan Africa to order a total shutdown after confirming its first coronavirus case on 21 March. The restrictions were eased 45 days later, in May.

    The country has so far confirmed 850 cases, 385 recoveries and two deaths.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Rwanda woman fighting against expensive periods

    Blandine Umuziranenge is determined to make affordable sanitary pads for girls and women in Rwanda.

    A packet of 10 pads costs around $1 (£0.80) in Rwanda. Despite the government promising to drop vale added tax (VAT) in December, the prices have not yet fallen.

    “I wanted a sustainable, safe and affordable solution for us,” she told the BBC.

    Her organisation, Kosmotive, started making reusable sanitary pads three years ago called KosmoPads.

    “After each use, the pad can be washed and reused. One can last for two years,” Ms Umuziranenge said.

    A pack of five sells at between $3 and $6, saving users money over the long term.

    Health experts warn there are risks in reusing a piece of cloth during menstruation, but Ms Umuziranenge says the KosmoPads are made with menstrual hygiene in mind.

    Production has slowed since the outbreak of coronavirus as the cost of importing materials from China has tripled.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Rwandan government to establish sex offenders’ registry

    Rwanda Public Prosecution Authority (NPPA) has started the process to a national registry of all individuals convicted for offences of rape and defilement.

    In a letter seen by The New Times, the Minister of Justice, Johnston Busingye requested the public prosecutor to leverage existing electronic platforms to get the registry ‘up and running’ as soon as possible.

    The registry will be open to the public.

    Busingye explains that the registry will help law enforcement and justice to track repeat offenders and contribute wherever background information is required about a particular individual for particular administrative and/or legal reasons.

    “Individuals who get convicted for attempted or actual rape and /or defilement need to be put on notice that Government, the justice system and the public will do what it takes to ensure they transform, they are prevented from or they will pay heavily for raping or defiling again,” he said.

    He reminded that sexual crimes continue to plague society and uniquely inflict lifelong harm on their victims.

    “It is therefore imperative that in addition to current policy and operational measures in place, we need to think constantly about more deterrent measures. These offences should be fought relentlessly until they become too scary to commit,” he said.

    Rwandans have recently taken to social media to criticise Members of Parliament, particularly women, for being silent on the continuous rise of rape and defilement cases.

    According to official statistics, 17,849 underage girls were impregnated in 2016.

    The number slightly eased to 17,337 in 2017 before jumping to 19,832 in 2018.

    From January to August last year, teenage pregnancies increased to 15,696, which translates to an average of 1,962 a month. Based on this, an estimated 23,544 children were born to teen mothers in 2019.

    Broken down by leading districts in 2018, Nyagatare registered 1,465 teen pregnancies, Gatsibo 1,452, Gasabo 1,064 and Kirehe 1,055.

    For MP Suzanne Mukayijore, a member of the Rwanda Parliamentary Network on Population and Development, there is a need to take the fight against teen pregnancies to the grassroots level.

    ‘Culture of silence’

    Drawing from the success story of the ‘Gerayo Amahoro’ road safety campaign by Rwanda National Police, Mukayijori said that the same resources and zeal can be used to intensify the battle against teenage pregnancies.

    “Why can’t we invest the same energy in campaigns to fight teenage pregnancies? Let us involve every teacher, religious and local leader, parent and every child. Let us tackle this issue from the bottom,” she suggested.

    One of the challenges that have come at the forefront of the reasons behind the rise in the number of teenage pregnancies is the ‘culture of silence’.

    Some families continue to cover up for the people involved in impregnating teenage girls; owing it to family ties, fear of social alienation and financial incentives.

    Mukayijori told The New Times that speaking up is still a challenge in the Rwandan society, especially in rural areas, but holding families and society accountable will significantly contribute to lowering the numbers.

    “The people making these girls Pregnant are known to society but no one is willing to speak up. Families keep silent, neighbours follow suit and in the end, you have a society that is covering for people who in some circumstances end up being repeat offenders,” she said.

    Mukayijori suggested that authorities should find a way to hold such families or members of the society accountable for their silence.

    Source: allafrica.com

  • Rwanda, France launch digital project to curb coronavirus

    Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC) on Thursday, June 11, 2020, launched a project aimed at equipping community health workers with digital technology and data tools to facilitate response and prevention of Coronavirus.

    This project, which is worth Rwf 223 million, is co-funded by the French Agency for Research on AIDS and viral hepatitis (ANRS) and by the French Embassy.

    Two other French research institutes namely Institut Pasteur and INSERM will take part in the project implementation and evaluation.

    RBC said the project will promote wider and faster detection of cases, help in contact tracing, support social reintegration of recoveries and ensure a link between the population and the health system in Rwanda.

    The project is an outcome of a collaboration between the Medical Research Unit from RBC and the Nancy Center for Clinical Investigation based in France, according to the French Embassy.

    The project will be piloted in four districts across the country: two in Kigali, as well as the districts of Gicumbi and Nyamasheke. It will see 400 community health workers equipped with a smartphone application that enables larger and quicker detection of cases, especially in rural areas.

    Over three months, the mobile app is expected to strengthen the surveillance of pandemic and patient care. After assessment from the Health Ministry, the technology will be rolled out across the country.

    Rwanda’s use of digital technology in the health system has been on the rise since the virus broke out. This project adds to the use of robots, drones, data modules among other new technologies currently used in the national strategy against Covid-19.

    The project designers said it will rely on the network of the community-based health practitioners whose role in primary health care is remarkable. Also, with their Ebola experience, they are identified as health heroes who can play an undisputed role in the control and prevention of the pandemic.

    Jeremie Blin, the Chargé d’Affaires of France to Rwanda said in a statement the project will strengthen cooperation between both countries, especially in the health field as the entire world grapples with unprecedented effects of the virus.

    The Health sector, he added, is one of the bilateral priorities of the French Embassy in Rwanda, in regard with this year’s signing of a memorandum of understanding between the French Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM) and the Rwandan Ministry of Health.

    Source: allafrica.com

  • Rwanda denies expelling Chinese nationals

    The Rwandan government has denied reports that it expelled 18 Chinese nationals for making employees work long hours.

    The reports circulating online said that President Paul Kagame had ordered for the deportation.

    However, the ministry of foreign affairs tweeted that the reports were “fake news”:

    Source: bbc.com

  • Rwanda bans charcoal for cooking in Kigali

    Rwanda is banning the use of charcoal for cooking in the capital, Kigali, and restricting supplies to the city from rural areas.

    The ban is aimed at protecting forests by clamping down on the illegal trade in charcoal. In future people will be encouraged to use gas.

    Rwanda follows Kenya and Uganda in taking action to discourage the use of charcoal, which is blamed for causing breathing problems for tens of thousands of people every year.

    The trade is also damaging forests and causing carbon emissions, which are blamed for global warming.

    Of the 1.4 million people living in Kigali, 85% rely on wood fuel for cooking.

    Most of this is charcoal produced illicitly in and around the protected Virunga wildlife reserve, an area shared with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.

    In DR Congo the production is controlled by militias, which means the Rwandan and Ugandan authorities can only intercept supplies after they are transported across the border.

    Rwanda’s government will encourage people to use gas, by offering it at affordable rates for poor people, who can also use a hire-purchase scheme to buy a gas cooker.

    In 2018, Uganda banned exports of charcoal to curb demand, while Kenya stopped transportation of the commodity from some areas.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Rwanda investigates grenade explosion in barbershop

    Police in Rwanda’s capital, Kigali, have opened investigations into a grenade explosion in a barbershop on Thursday evening that killed one person and injured 11 others.

    In a statement, they said the victim, a 25-year-old man identified as Tunezerwe Jean Paul, had tried to show the barber, Niyikiza Pacific, something he was carrying in his pocket before the explosion.

    “Inside his pocket was a smoke-emitting grenade. On seeing the grenade Nyikiza immediately told Tunezerwe to get out of the salon and in the process the grenade detonated,” the police statement said.

    Two children aged eight and 12 were among those injured, the police said.

    They ruled out terrorism as a motive.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Rwanda reopens after 45-day coronavirus lockdown

    Rwanda has loosened restrictions after 45 days of coronavirus lockdown, even though a nationwide night-time curfew will be enforced and movement in and out of the capital, Kigali, is prohibited.

    On Monday, roads in Kigali were busy again, in a city considered to be a hotspot for infections. People are adhering to mandatory mask wearing and social distancing.

    Many are happy that normal life has resumed but there is discontent that fares in public transport have been hiked after buses were ordered to carry half of their capacity to ensure social distancing.

    Source: bbc

  • Rwanda announces plan to lift lockdown

    Rwanda’s government has announced plans to partially ease strict measures imposed six weeks ago to stop the spread of coronavirus.

    A highly awaited government announcement said the restrictions will be lifted from 4 May even though some measures will be maintained.

    A curfew will be enforced from 20:00 local time (18:00GMT) to 05:00.

    All schools will remain closed until September and border crossings will remain closed except for cargo and returning Rwandan citizens and legal residents.

    Markets will reopen at half capacity, while hotels and restaurants will close by 19:00 local time. Sports facilities, gyms, bars, places of worship will remain closed, but individual sporting activities are allowed in open spaces.

    Commuters will have to adhere to social distancing in public transport, but travel across provinces is not permitted.

    Rwanda has so far confirmed 243 coronavirus cases, 84 of which were reported in the last seven days.

    The ministry of health says the spike in cases is due to cargo truck drivers who were allowed in from Kenya and Tanzania.

    Rwanda was the first sub-Sahara African country to enforce total lockdown measures in efforts to halt the spread of coronavirus.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Rwanda accuses Burundi army of fighting in DR Congo

    Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame has accused Burundi’s army of fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, as he denied claims of deploying his own troops to the region.

    Tens of thousands of residents have been displaced in the South Kivu province of DR Congo in a conflict that has escalated in the past few days.

    Rwandan and Burundian troops have been accused by locals and foreign non-governmental organisations of fighting alongside rival militia groups in eastern DR Congo.

    In a video press conference on Monday, Mr Kagame told journalists that NGOs and observers “don’t look at what is happening there, but want to see Rwandan army presence”.

    “Our intelligence collection tells us [that] we have forces from Burundi, government forces, operating in that region.

    “There is not a single soldier of Rwandan Defense Force that has gone to that territory…[and] the government of DRC knows the fact that not a single soldier of RDF is there,” Mr Kagame said.

    Burundi’s president spokesperson Jean Claude Karerwa denied Mr Kagame claims on Burundi army.

    He told the BBC that: “Unless requested by AU or UN, Burundi can’t deploy troops to another country.”

    The East African neighbours fell out in May 2015 when a coup attempt against President Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi failed, amid claims that some of the plotters fled to Rwanda.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Coronavirus: Rwandair cuts salaries by up to 65%

    Rwanda’s national carrier, Rwandair, has announced it will cut the net salaries of its employees by between 8% to 65% as it seeks to deal with the effects of coronavirus pandemic.

    In a memo to its staff, Rwandair said the decision was made to “avoid laying-off staff”.

    It has also extended the suspension of contracts for pilots and non-essential staff until further notice.

    “This was an extremely tough decision, however, the choice we made is the best option at this time,” the memo stated.

    An air hostess, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the BBC Great Lakes that the pay cuts was not a surprise.

    “It is very sad, we are always expecting the worst this time around. This is the hardest time I am going through in my four years with Rwandair,” she said.

    The carrier that flies to 26 international destinations in Africa, Asia and Europe stopped flights on 19 March after Rwanda announced restrictive measures to halt the spread of the virus.

    The country reported eight new cases of coronavirus on Sunday taking the total tally to 191 with 92 recoveries and no fatalities.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Rwanda starts trial by video

    Rwanda’s courts have started to conduct trials through video link-up in an effort to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

    In a room at Kigali metropolitan police station suspects sat separated, in masks and handcuffed.

    Everyone waited their turn in front of a TV screen to face the prosecution and judges, who were in different rooms across the capital.

    It is week three of the lockdown in Rwanda, where 110 people were infected by the virus.

    Courts had closed during the lockdown but crimes continued to be committed so people kept being added to the list of those awaiting trial.

    The spokesperson for Rwanda’s courts, Harrison Mutabazi, told journalists that they wanted to reduce the backlog.

    When it is their turn, a suspect is freed from handcuffs and goes in front of the unusual trial.

    Mr Mutabazi said this technology would be used in other courts in Rwanda during the lockdown.

    Last week, the prosecution service started releasing those suspected of petty crimes to avoid holding too many people and risk speeding up the spread of Covid-19, the respiratory illness caused by coronavirus.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Rwanda coronavirus cases rise to 50

    Rwanda has announced nine new cases of coronavirus, bringing the total to 50 cases in less than two weeks since the first case was reported.

    Of the latest cases, five came from Dubai, one from the Netherlands and one from the US. All were quarantined on arrival.

    Two others were infected within the country, the country’s health ministry said in a statement.

    Rwanda has set up three health centres to deal with the coronavirus pandemic – two in Kigali and one in the south of the country.

    The patients being treated are recovering and many of them are not showing symptoms, the ministry said.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Rwanda confirms one new case of coronavirus

    Rwanda on Wednesday recorded one new coronavirus case, taking the total number of those infected to 41 in the country.

    According to a statement released by the Ministry of Health on Wednesday evening, the new case is a traveller who arrived from Dubai, on a date that the officials did not specify.

    On an optimistic note, the ministry yet again provided an update on all the patients, saying they “are under treatment in stable condition” and none of them is in critical situation.

    The health officials also said that the tracing of the contacts of the infected have been conducted for further management.

    The Ministry called upon the public to observe heightened vigilance and respect for the enhanced prevention measures announced by the government.

    Among the preventive measures in place, the government last week announced a 2 week country wide lockdown, in which non-essential movements of people outside their residences is prohibited, as well as travels between cities and districts.

    The lockdown also saw businesses suspended, except for those selling essential commodities like foodstuffs, fuel, and medicine.

    The COVID19 pandemic has continued to menace nations, and as of Wednesday, statistics showed that a total of 454,000 people had been diagnosed with the disease globally, and of these, more than 113,000 have recovered, and about 20,500 people had died, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University.

    Source: newtimes.co.rw

  • Rwandan police shoot 2 people defying Coronavirus lockdown orders

    Police in Rwandan are said to have shot and killed two people who defied lockdown orders imposed by the government to curb the spread of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

    According to a report by Bloomberg, the two men in their twenties “attempted to tussle with officers.”

    A Rwanda National Police spokesman John Bosco Kabera told Bloomberg via phone on Wednesday, March 25, 2020.

    Rwanda began a two-week lockdown on March 22, 2020 restricting travel between towns and cities and asking people to stay indoors.

    Its measures are among the most stringent in Africa.

    The East African nation has 40 confirmed Covid-19 cases.

  • Rwanda imposes shutdown, suspends ‘unnecessary movements’

    Rwanda has suspended all “unnecessary movements” outside the home and clamped down on travel across its borders, in one of the toughest measures yet imposed in sub-Saharan Africa to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

    “Unnecessary movements and visits outside the home are not permitted,” the government announced in a statement late Saturday, excusing trips for healthcare, food, or banking.

    All borders are closed except for the passage of goods and cargo and returning Rwandan citizens, read the statement, which also announced the closure of all but the most essential markets and restrictions on travel between cities and districts.

    Rwanda as of Saturday had recorded 17 confirmed cases of coronavirus, the highest number in the East Africa region.

    All commercial flights to the country had already been suspended, and all bars closed.

    Anyone arriving in Rwanda will be subject to 14 day quarantine at designated locations.

    International visitors for tourism and trade shows are a major source of revenue for Rwanda and the capital Kigali in particular, which markets itself as an attractive location for global conferences.

    But authorities moved quickly to curb fears of a coronavirus outbreak, banning large outdoor events such as concerts and political gatherings before the country had even confirmed a case of the illness.

    Source: AFP.com

  • Rwanda confirms first case of coronavirus – health ministry

    Rwanda has confirmed its first case of coronavirus, an Indian citizen who arrived in the East African nation from Mumbai on March 8, the Health Ministry said on Saturday.

    He had no symptoms on arrival but presented himself to a health facility on March 13, the ministry said. Rwanda joins a string of African nations to report the presence of coronavirus.

    Source: af.reuters.com

  • Rwandan women take up 55% of cabinet seats

    Women now constitute 55 per cent of cabinet seats, up from 52 per cent. The development follows Wednesday’s cabinet reshuffle which saw eight new faces, including four women, join cabinet.

    Members of cabinet have also increased from 27 to 29 following the creation of two new positions at the level of state minister.

    The new cabinet line-up includes 16 women.

    The constitution requires that either gender must be represented at any decision-making organ at no less than 30 per cent.

    Three of the four new full ministers named Wednesday are women.

    They include Valentine Uwamariya (Education), Jeannette Bayisenge (Gender and Family Promotion) and Inès Mpambara (Cabinet affairs).

    Another woman appointed during Wednesday’s reshuffle is youthful Claudette Irere, who is the new state minister for Technical and Vocational Education and Training in the Ministry of Education.

    Two other female ministers – Solina Nyirahabimana and Marie-Solange Kayisire – were switched to new ministerial positions.

    Speaking to The New Times on Thursday, Rwanda Women’s Network founder and director, Mary Balikungeri said she was happy with the changes noting that the cabinet is composed of highly qualified and competent individuals.

    She welcomed the increased representation of women at the highest level, underlining that more and more young women are coming through to assume key leadership roles across government.

    “It proves that women can,” she said.

    “Because they can’t appoint you to such an important role if you are not qualified. It means the younger generation has women who are able and academically qualified, and that puts us (women) in a place that we deserve.”

    Source: allafrica.com

  • Uganda and Rwanda sign extradition treaty

    The foreign ministers of Rwanda and Uganda have just signed an extradition treaty at the conclusion of the summit at the common border presided over by the two countries presidents.

    The summit welcomed the release of dozens of each other citizens detained in both countries in the past few weeks.

    The current wave of tensions between the two countries has lasted for well over a year, and it led to the Rwanda side of the Gatuna border being closed to people and business.

    One of the most serious causes of tension has been the trading of accusations regarding security.

    Rwanda accuses Uganda of harboring anti-Rwanda rebel forces, while Uganda accuses its southern neighbour of infiltrating its security agencies.

    Uganda has now agreed to investigate and verify claims by Rwanda that anti-Rwandan rebel forces have been recruiting and training within Uganda.

    It also committed to stop and prevent such activities from happening again.

    The meeting agreed that when this has been settled, another summit will be convened within 15 days, to re-open the common border.

    Tensions between the two leaders seem to be thawing as well. Presidents Paul Kagame and Yoweri Museveni were seen shaking hands and smiling as they arrived for the meeting.

    This was the fourth time the two were meeting for negotiations brokered by the presidents of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola.

    Uganda and Rwanda are closely interlinked, with a significant number of citizens residing in either country.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Rwanda’s president Kagame hints at firing more ministers

    Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame has hinted at firing more ministers in the coming days, accusing them of lying, carelessness and indiscipline.

    At the Leader’s Retreat on Sunday hosted at the Gabiro Military Training Centre, Kagame warned that some officials “could be next”, following the firing of three top officials over the last three weeks, among them Minister of Health Diane Gashumba.

    Dr Gashumba, who has served as Minister of Health since 2016, was sacked on Friday evening following “a series of habitual gross errors and repeated leadership failures,” the Prime Minister’s Office announced.

    But speaking at the National Leadership Retreat, President Paul Kagame accused Dr Gashumba of lying to him about the availability of kits to test individuals for the deadly Coronavirus, Covid-19.

    “One morning, I called one of the leaders and the Prime Minister about the Coronavirus and asked that they examine each one of us ahead of the Leader’s Retreat. I told them to tell the minister of health to ensure this.

    “She responded that we have 3,500 kits, and that using 400 of them to test leaders would seriously deplete the number of kits we have. The person I sent told her that the message is an instruction, and that if she has objections she should call me.

    “Later we discovered that we do not have the kits as she said. We have kits for only 95 people and not 3,500. I asked her about this and she started giving excuses in a long story. You leaders, you cannot even speak the truth; how do you expect to solve problems?” President Kagame said.

    He then accused former State Minister for Education, Isaac Munyakazi, of accepting a bribe of Rwf500,000 (about $550) to doctor school rankings.

    “Munyakazi met officials of some school that had been ranked last and they asked him to rank it among the top schools. He complied by putting the school among the top schools. He was awarded just Rwf500,000 for it. If I had not fired him, he would be here with us and none of you would come up to ask me why. That is how you have normalised bad behaviour,” President Kagame told the officials.

    He said he sacked the Minister for Justice, Evode Uwizeyimana, for displaying “bad manners on several occasions.”

    “Evode parked his vehicle in a place that people are not supposed to park and then tried to enter a building without being checked. The security guard followed him and politely told him that he must be checked but he instead beat her and threw her to the ground,” President Kagame said.

    “But it was not the first or second time. This is how he has been conducting himself and some of you knew this and you were quiet about it. You had shown him that he could get away with such behaviour. Which kind of people are you?”

    President Kagame has hinted that more officials could be heading out the door.

    Among the embattled ministers include Minister of Defence Major Gen Albert Musasira and Minister of Internal Security Gen Patrick Nyanvumba.

    The President said the two ministers must explain a case regarding the state of national hospitals and warned that they could also be on their “way out”, without divulging further details.

    In December last year, President Kagame fired Ms Seraphine Mukantabana, former chairman of Rwanda Demobilisation and Reintegration Commission, over mismanaging the commission. Mr James Musoni, a long-serving top official, was dismissed as Minister of Infrastructure in March 2018.

    Mr Musoni, however, returned to government in October last year when he was appointed ambassador to Zimbabwe. In October 2018, President Paul Kagame sent home four senior officials for “gross misconduct” and also sacked an entire unit at the Ministry of Health for “wasting public resources”.

    Source: allafrica.com

  • Rwandan gospel singer found dead in police station

    A Rwandan gospel musician who was taken into custody last week after he reportedly attempted to flee the country has taken his own life, police say.

    Kizito Mihigo was found dead in a police cell at Remera police station in the capital, Kigali, early Monday morning..

    They had expected to charge him with bribery and attempting to leave the country for the purpose of going to join a rebel group.

    Rwanda’s news agency tweeted a police statement about the death.

    Five year years ago Kizito was sentenced to 10 years in jail after being convicted of planning to kill President Paul Kagame and inciting hatred against the government.

    He was pardoned by the president in 2018 on condition he only leave the country with judicial permission.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Rwanda denies rebels ‘killed and stole army uniforms’

    Rwanda has denied claims by a rebel group that at least 20 government troops operating in the south-west of the country near the border with Burundi had been killed and their weapons stolen.

    Army spokesman Lt Col Innocent Munyengango told the BBC Great Lakes Service that he would not comment on the “baseless social media posts”, adding that the region in question was safe.

    Read:Rwandan police kill two Ugandans at border

    The attack happened on Friday night near Nyungwe forest in Rusizi district, said Herman Nsengimana, spokesman for Front de Libération Nationale (FLN) rebel group, to the BBC.

    “We killed 20 of them and we lost one of ours… the Rwandan army uniforms you saw us wearing, their identity cards we have shown [on several pro-opposition websites], where do you think we got them from? We have moved them from their position and collected all their belongings,” Mr Nsengimana said.

    Read:Phone-spying software too expensive for me Rwandan president

    FLN opposes the government of Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame.

    They staged their first attack last year and say they operate from the Nyungwe forest in Rwanda.

    Source: bbc.com