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{{For the first time, the Arusha-based United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda has referred a Rwanda genocide suspect Jean Uwinkindi to be tried within the Rwanda court system.}}

This action has been welcomed by many Rwandans and this is a sign of confidence the UN tribunal has at long last put in the Rwandan judiciary.

Uwinkindi, born in 1951 in Rutsiro commune, Kibuye prefecture, was a former Pastor of the Pentecostal Church of Kayenzi, located at Nyamata sector, Kanzenze commune, Kigali-Rural prefecture.

He is accused of responsibility for attacks against Tutsi at Kayenzi Church, at Biyimana and Rwankeri cellules, in Cyugaro’s swamps.

His indictment included counts of genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide, and extermination as a crime against humanity.

He was arrested in Uganda on 30 June 2010 and transferred to the United Nations Detention Facility in Arusha, Tanzania on 2 July 2010.

According to the tribunal, a specially designated Referral Chamber composed of Judges Florence Rita Arrey, Emile Francis Short and Robert Fremr decided upon assessment of the submissions of the Defence and amici curiae that it was satisfied that the Government of Rwanda was prepared to receive its first referral from the ICTR.

The panel that took the decision considered the input of the Government of Rwanda, Human Right Watch, the International Association of Democratic Lawyers, the International Criminal Defence Attorneys Association, and the Kigali Bar Association.

While previous Referral Chambers were not inclined to grant similar applications that had been placed before them, this Chamber was convinced based on the evidence that Rwanda has the ability to accept and prosecute Uwinkindi’s case.

The Chamber expressed its solemn hope that the Republic of Rwanda would actualize in practice the commitments it made in its filings about its good faith, capacity and willingness to enforce the highest standards of international justice.

In reaching its decision, the Chamber noted that Rwanda had made material changes in its laws and had indicated its capacity and willingness to prosecute cases referred by the ICTR adhering to internationally recognised fair trial standards enshrined in the ICTR Statute and other human rights instruments.

In particular, the Chamber found that the issues which concerned previous Referral Chambers, namely the availability of witnesses and their protection, had been addressed to some degree in the intervening period.

The Referral Chamber also requested that the Registrar appoints the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to monitor Uwinkindi’s trial in Rwanda and that the ACHPR would bring to the attention of the ICTR President any potential issues that may arise throughout the course of the proceedings.

The Chamber emphasised its authority under Rule 11 bis to revoke the case from Rwanda as a last resort if necessary.

By: Randa Rugangazi

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has appointed Christine Lagarde, the French finance minister, as the new IMF Managing Director. Ms Lagarde is the fund’s first female head, also the fifth French pick out of the 11 heads in IMF’s history. Her term will begin on July 5.

IMF is an intergovernmental organization that oversees the global financial system, by specifically monitoring exchange rates and balance of payments of its member countries. It also facilitates development in poorer countries.

Lagarde travelled around the world trying to win the backing of world powers. Her win was assured after she earned the backing of America and China earlier this week. She was bidding for the IMF top position against the head of Mexico’s central bank, Agustín Carstens.

However, her bid has been criticized by many who think that the IMF is handicapped by the lack of diversity in its heads. All of IMF’s 11 heads have come from Europe. Lagarde’s appointment does not help quell criticism that the developing world doesn’t have much say in the IMF’s policymaking.

The IMF voting system has the U.S with the most voting shares of 16.74 percent, followed by Japan, Germany, France, and UK.

Ms Lagarde comes into office at a difficult time in the Europe. The IMF is currently overseeing the financial bailouts of three European countries- Greece, Ireland and Portugal. Greece’s economic woes have led to large public protests. A financial bailout is giving money to a country facing the danger of financial bankruptcy.

Emerging countries will not see Lagarde’s appointment as a favorable decision to their interests. A former IMF chief economist, Simon Johnson, pointed out in the New York Times that Lagarde’s appointment merely shows self interest by Europe- to sort out their own economic troubles.

She succeeds Dominique Strauss-Kahn who resigned from the position on May 18 due to sexual assault charges brought up against him.

Strauss-Kahn was appointed IMF chief in July 2007 with the personal support of French President Nicolas Sarkozy. He was formerly minister of economics, finances and industry from 1997 to 1999. It was speculated that he would be a presidential candidate from the French Socialist Party in the next French presidential elections.

The accuser in Strauss-Kahn’s sexual case hasn’t been identified in the media. But it has been revealed that she is a recent immigrant from Guinea to the U.S. She is charging Strauss-Kahn of sexual assault and attempted rape at the Sofitel New York Hotel where he was staying. She is a housekeeper at the New York hotel.

Strauss-Kahn posted bail of $1million with additional $5million bail bond; he is under house arrest with electronic monitoring. He pleaded not guilty on 6th June; the next court date is set for 18 July.

{{Reports from Africa’s youngest state, southern Sudan indicate that in preparation for the official ascendance to independence in July, the government of south Sudan has announced that a new currency (south Sudanese Pound) will immediately roll into circulation.}}

Minister for Finance and Economic Planning David Deng Athorbei this weekend announced the printing of the currency was kept secret but the government of South Sudan is preparing herself to assume all monetary responsibilities of the nation with a new currency.

Athorbei disclosed that some of the features on the South Sudan Pound will include the face of Dr. John Garang, the culture, heritage and wealth symbols of the new southern Sudan.

John Garang had been a figurehead for the southern sudan revoliutionary struggle against segregation by the wealthy arab north.He was a charismatic military leader who spent more than 20 years at the head of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army. He was appointed Sudan’s first vice-president but died in a mysterious helicopter crash in 2005.

According to the minister, the face of the revolutionary leader will remind Sudanese of the long road to independence.

The finance minister has assured the people that Sudanese pound won’t be in use in the south after independence, “use of Sudan currency would undermine the independence of the south as the Bank of South Sudan would be rendered functionless to the country,” He explains.

The Bank of South Sudan will ninth of July release the new currency to the market and will receive all Sudanese pounds for storage and for final destruction.

The minister however assured traders and civil servants that the use of Sudanese pounds will not be dampened immediately the new currency is issued but, “there will be a grace period given by the Bank of South Sudan to return the currency.”

Athorbei urges continuation with economic activities and that the new currency will not affect trade and market exchange rates.

The government of southern Sudan has contracted a European Company for the printing adding that it will release the new currency once USA or UK acknowledges the independence of South Sudan. He added that the North may also issue a new currency on July 9, 2011.

Meanwhile the south Sudan Army has stated that former deputy chief of general staff that defected from the army, General George Athor Deng, is organizing his forces to launch massive attack inside the South to undermine the states declaration of independence on July 9.

Gen. Athor, who recruits most of his supporters from his home state of Jonglei, was the first high ranking officer in South Sudan army to rebel against the government since its formation in 2005 following the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended 21 years of war between North and South Sudan.

He rebelled in May 2010, citing elections rigging in Jonglei state, after independently losing to his rival, Kuol Manyang Juuk, the current state governor who was backed by the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement.

{{The National Police Spokesman Chief Supt Theos Badege has warned Rwandans to regulary scrutinize their currency notes because fake notes are in circulation especially denomination notes of 5000,2000 and 1000. }}

Police is holding four suspects including three men and a woman seized for possessing counterfeit cash of 2million Rwanda currency and US $200

The fake rwanda currency notes are in denominations of 5000frw,2000frw and 1000frw notes. From the samples of the adulterated notes seen by Igihe.com, the 2000frw note looks perfectly copied whereas the fakeness of the 5000frw note is vividly noticeable with deeper red colouration.

The suspects have been identified as Joseph Misago an ex- soldier at the rank of corporal resident at Remera in Nyabisindu sector, Selemani Nyagisaza 56 resident of Gikondo’s Magerwa area and the lady identified as Florentine Murekatete a former hair dresser who resides at Muhima and Sulaimani Ryaruhanga a foreigner from Uganda.

Misago confessed that he joined the clique because he had no other option and has been living in poverty and selling the fake currency was the only way to feed his family.

He disclosed that he bought the fake currency from Kampala at a price of US$ 300 which is equivalent to one million Rwandan francs which he was supposed to make a profit of Frw 500,000 inform of valid currency.

“I was supposed to bring a fake million in exchange of original Frw 500,000 but the bad luck was that the fake amount hadn’t reached a million so I started distributing to individuals,” he confessed.

Meanwhile, Murekatete29, says that she got into the scandal after being convinced that she would benefit from the fake money deal.

By press time the interrogations of suspects hadn’t yielded the mastermind of the fake money project but the seized suspects all agree that the fake currency was bought by Ryagihanga from Kampala.

Ryagihanga denied making the money locally but rather claimed he had obtained it from a Ugandan friend and his role was to supply the amount within Rwanda, “they would give me US$ 350-400 in return for Frw1 million,” he disclosed.

Police spokesman Chief Supt Theos Badege explained that the crime is associated with lazy people that don’t want to work for their own income and that the crime was highly punishable in court.

If found guilty in the courts of law, the suspects risk punishment of magnitude of 3 years to 20 years in jail and high fines or both.

{{The Libyan government has dismissed an arrest warrant issued against President Muammar Gaddafi wanted by the international criminal court for rape and other war crimes saying that the court is politically biased.
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Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Kaaim says the ICC is a political court that serves its European paymasters, “Our own courts will deal with any human rights abuses and other crimes committed in the course of conflict in Libya.”

Britain, another leading member of the UN-mandated effort to protect civilians against Gaddafi’s forces, has also welcomed the decision, “Individuals throughout the regime should abandon Gaddafi,” Foreign Secretary William Hague said.

The US government describes the ICC warrant against Gaddafi as “another indication” that Gaddafi has lost all legitimacy.

The Australian Government said the warrants should serve as a warning to other leaders who commit grave crimes.

“These warrants reflect the real readiness of the international community to take action when grave crimes are suspected,” Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd said today. “The ICC’s action should serve as a warning to those who violate international humanitarian law that they can no longer commit crimes with impunity.”

However, the ICC still lacks credible evidence that rapes have taken place in Libya’s civil war and cannot for the moment prove that Gaddafi ordered for the rapes.

prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo says that the ICC is still trying to link Gaddafi, his son Saif Al-Islam Gadhafi and brother in law Abdullah al-Sanussi to the rapes. Ocampo says that the first investigation focuses on the three individuals but will include other names.

The warrants are “for crimes against humanity,” including murder and persecution, “allegedly committed across Libya” from February 15 through “at least” February 28, “through the state apparatus and security forces,” the court said in a news release.

In a related incidence, Presidents Yoweri Museveni of Uganda,South Africa’s Jacob Zuma, Congo’s Dennis Sassaou Nguesso, Amadou Toumani Toure from Mali and Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz from Mauritania are meeting in pretoria for a speedy resolution of the libyan criss.

The African Union has mandated leaders of South Africa, Mauritania, Congo, Mali and Uganda to form a high-level committee to handle the Libyan crisis through engaging conflicting parties in an inclusive dialogue.

The decision to form the committee resulted from a meeting of the AU’s peace and Security Council recently held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

{{Hiring children to perform inappropriate work could land faulting Rwandan employers into jail following the recent deliberations aimed at designing a new policy that seeks to control child labour in the country.}}

Subject to international standards, children below 15 years are prohibited from employment or engaging in any family related work, unless they are allocated light tasks for less hours to avoid jeopardizing their education.

In Rwanda majority of children especially those aged from 10-14 are involved in menial work. National statistics conducted three years ago show that 83.2% are in agriculture while domestic work constitutes 51.3% others include manufacturing 3.8% and services 5.3%.

Two thirds of children work in family related duties and only 14.6% get allowances. Child labour is prevalent in Kigali city compared to provinces. Most jobs in the city given to minors could instead be assigned to youths .The report shows that the employers opt for kids since there paid less and easy to manage.

The Ministry of Public Service and Labour (MIFOTRA) is currently involved with stakeholders with the objective to design a policy that would address child labour in the country.

Scott Lyon, an expert with Understanding Child Works (UCW) advises that among priorities to consider in a child labour policy is incorporating adequate social protection. Enough support to those living in poverty conditions and once they have a better welfare their children should be taken back to school. This involves giving a second chance to school dropouts. Those that cannot return to class can be referred to vocational schools to obtain working skills.

It is not clear though about the effectiveness of punishing such employers that violate the children’s rights by exposing them to poor working conditions. Most of the employed children work for over 50 hours a week a fact that affects their health and reduces their school life expectancy.

In most cases, the employed children do not have a choice since they have to assist their poor families despite existing government initiatives that would address the issues if consolidated.

Moses Kayihura the human resource assistant at Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA- Rwanda) explains that they facilitate with feeding school children through the support from World Food Program (WFP) to improve class attendance. ADRA has also patterned with UNICEF to provide financial assistance to vulnerable households, the same funds are also used to buy scholastic materials to support pupils.