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{{United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has lauded success achieved by the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) in saving thousands of lives across the continent saying ALMA has offered a good model for tackling social ills.}}

Ban Ki-Moon made the remarks while addressing guests at ALMA event in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on the secondary event of the summit meeting of the African Union.

“The African Leaders Malaria Alliance is breaking down barriers, forging partnerships and getting supplies to families in record time,” Ki-Moon said in his remarks.

“This is remarkable progress. We need to encourage it and use the response to malaria as a model for battling other illnesses and social ills,” he added.

Malaria kills almost one million Africans every year and affects over 200 million more, mostly pregnant women and children under five years of age, resulting in at least $12 billion of costs every year through lost development and opportunity.

Launched in September 2009 in New York, ALMA is a high-level forum set up to oversee the efficient procurement, distribution, and utilization of malaria control measures, with the aim of ending unnecessary deaths from the disease by 2015.

“This alliance against malaria is stopping the disease and saving thousands of lives.It is a great success story. You are bringing us closer to our Millennium Development Goal on malaria and showing how we can reach all the MDGs: with commitment at the highest level,” Ki-Moon added referring to the goal of halting and reversing the incidence of malaria by 2015.

Just last month, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) announced that malaria deaths declined by 10 per cent between 2008 and 2009.

In 11 African countries, the disease’s deadly toll has been cut by more than half since the year 2000.

“Just as malaria is carried by a mosquito that goes from person to person, so does our campaign seeks to reach people just as directly,” said the Secretary-General.

“We want to give every community health worker, every family, every child the tools and protection they need.”

“We’ve delivered over 290 million nets to Africa since 2008. More nets and treatments are on their way. Universal coverage is not just a hope; it is within our reach.”

They are leaders of nations that have banned the importation and use of oral artemisinin-based monotherapies, which cause drug resistance that weakens the effectiveness of recommended malaria treatments, and that have removed tariffs on essential commodities used in the fight against malaria.

“All ALMA countries, by joining the Alliance, have demonstrated their commitment against malaria, and many have made important progress. The four recipients of the 2011 ALMA Award for Excellence have led the way with decisive actions to accelerate the saving of lives, and I commend their response,” said Ray Chambers, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Malaria.

“Africa has never led a more unequivocal initiative against malaria, with the Secretary-General’s deadline of ending malaria deaths by 2015 just five years away.

Now is the time to overcome any barriers toward making that goal a reality,” he stated.

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{{Rwanda has been recommended for her efforts in accelerating and sustaining access to malaria control and treatment.}}

Rwanda emerged among the seven African countries that won the prestigious 2012 African Leaders Malaria Alliance awards.

The award was presented to President Kagame on this Monday during ALMA forum held on the sidelines of 18th Ordinary Session of the African Union.

In his acceptance speech, President Kagame noted that the reduction of malaria is a result of the numerous efforts geared towards improving the welfare of the Rwandan people. “Thank you for the award, which I receive on behalf of Rwandans who work so hard to make their lives better” Kagame said.

“The efforts recognized today are proof of what can be done with the resources at our disposal, relevant policies, and a great deal of commitment.” Current figures indicate that deaths due to malaria in Rwanda dropped to only 7% from 60% following years of a rapid scale-up.

The battle against Malaria in the country was characterized by massive distribution of insecticide treated bed nets, indoor residual spraying and a combination of therapies.

Addressing the high profile gathering, that included Heads of State and governments, attending the AU summit, President Kagame called for collaboration among countries in the fight against malaria.

“Shared information translates into shared and reduced costs thus helping countries to overcome the issue of insufficient funds,”

“If we work together and direct more domestic resources to malaria control, I believe this challenge can be overcome, and we can make even greater strides towards a healthier African population.” Kagame said.

Adding that cross border anti-malaria efforts are needed in areas such early detection of drug resistance and harmonization of control interventions. Award recipients were grouped into two categories.

The awards’ recipients were grouped into two categories.

In the First category, Rwanda alongside Burundi and Mozambique were recognized for having banned the importation and use of oral artemisinin which is a herbal treatment for parasitic infections and malaria and removal of tariffs on all essential commodities used in the fight against Malaria.

In the award acceptance speech, President Kagame said the reduction of Malaria in Rwanda results from efforts put in improving Rwandans’ welfare.

He added that the efforts recognized are proof of what can be done with the resources at one’s disposal, relevant policies, and a great deal of commitment.

ALMA award is presented to Rwanda at a time when the Country is drawing praises from all over the World for having reduced Malaria significantly.

Current figures indicate that deaths due to malaria in Rwanda have dropped to only 7% from 60% following years of a rapid scale-up.

The battle against Malaria in Rwanda was characterized by a massive distribution of insecticide treated bed nets, indoor residual spraying and a combination of therapies.

Addressing a high profile gathering including Heads of state and government who attended the AU summit, President Kagame also called for collaboration among countries in the fight against malaria saying that shared information translates into shared and reduced costs thus helping countries to overcome the issue of insufficient funds.

The second category of 2012 ALMA awards winners include Benin, Cameroon, Kenya and Tanzania.

The four countries were recognized for having made outstanding progress in malaria control over the last year.

ALMA whose chairperson is Liberia’s President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was launched in September 2009 to serve as a forum through which African Leaders work together to combat Malaria on the Continent.

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was announced the new chair person of ALMA replacing Tanzanian President, Jakaya Kikwete.

The Alliance comprises heads of state and government of 35 countries across the Continent.

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{{Umurabyo journalists, editor and a reporter have appealed before Supreme Court this Monday over their sentence of 17 and 7 years for Genocide denial and inciting civil unrest.}}

Agnes Uwimana Nkusi, the editor of the Umurabyo a monthly local tabloid, was convicted in February 2011 of defamation, causing divisions and denying Rwanda’s 1994 genocide, and sentenced 17 years in jail.

Saidati Mukakibibi, the Umurabyo reporter, was also found guilty of incitement to civil disobedience and handed seven years in prison.

“The judgment was kind of out-of-pace with the rest of the policies Rwanda is developing,” Nani Jansen of the London-based Media Legal Defense Initiative, who is part of the seven-member team representing Nkusi and Mukakibibi, said Monday.

“The country is claiming they want to promote freedom of press, have an open, democratic society but to do that you have to have a strong media,” Jansen said.

Prosecutors had asked for a 33-year sentence for Nkusi and 12 years for Mukakibibi.

The charges stem from various articles published last year criticizing land reforms and the local grass-roots courts, known as gacaca, trying genocide suspects.

Lead defense counsel is London-based attorney John Jones and the legal team also includes lawyers from London-based freedom of speech group Article 19 and Brussels based Lawyers without Borders.

{{Fifty police officers have graduated from a 3 month special training on crime investigation, it has emerged.}}

The trainings are in line with the force’s initiatives to be equipped with skills not only reducing crimes but also to improve service delivery.

It took place at the police main training institute locate in Musanze District, equipped the trainees with special skills in tackling crimes related to commercial, human rights and computer technology.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Stanley Nsabimana pointed out that the police ought to be aware of latest crimes which emerge as a result of the country’s development.

“Some people are taking advantage of the technology and their ill motives can be limited by competent investigators, that’s why I urge each and every one of you who took the trainings to put the skills into practice,” he said.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Felix Namuhoranye who is also the director of the training institution agreed with Nsabimana that periodic trainings were essential since it promoted professionalism within the force.

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{{Women living with HIV/Aids in Gasabo and Nyanza districts are being denied their rights to inherit family property by their spouses and other relatives, report say.}}

According to findings conducted by the Women’s Network for Rural Development, commonly known as Reseaux Des Femmes, carried out in three sectors in each of the districts presented above, husbands say they cannot offer property to someone destined for death, leaving women stranded.

Worse, they are threatened and, at times, thrown out of their marital homes once the husband dies, says the report, made public at a workshop in Remera, Kigali last week.

The survey, sponsored by UN Women, focused on issues related to women’s property and inheritance in the context of HIV/Aids.

Nutritional needs were highlighted as the other challenges facing the women, it said the research was carried out as part of efforts to mitigate the impact of women’s vulnerability to HIV/Aids through enhanced advocacy and increasing their access to property.

According to Beata Busasa, the National Coordinator for Women’s Network for Rural Development, “The research provides broader understanding of the challenges to women infected with HIV. People living with HIV need a lot of support to live their full lives just like anybody else.”

In case of discordant couples (where one partner is negative), the report says, women are mistreated and accused of being responsible for bringing the virus.

With an estimated 3% of the adult population infected with HIV, Rwanda is less affected than other regional countries.

The National Strategic Plan on HIV and Aids 2009 to 2012 provides that people infected and affected by HIV have the same opportunities as the general population.

However, grassroots leaders are not keen to resolve issues of violation of the inheritance rights of women infected with the virus, the report indicated.

Most women, especially in rural areas, are ignorant of where to seek appropriate help in case their rights are abused, the researchers said.

{{The World Bank Vice President for Sustainable Development, Rachel Kyte has commended the Government of Rwanda’s vision and commitment for implementing successful growth-driving policies.}}

“Rwanda has been a great development success story over the last decade, now as Rwanda builds on that success, making the transition from aid to more investment, we stand ready to support this transformation” said Kyte.

She highlighted the need for the Rwanda Government to continue enhancing Foreign Direct Investment, facilitate public-private partnerships to maximize opportunities from existing growth sectors, and to focus public expenditure on the key bottlenecks for economic growth especially transport and energy.

She emphasized that with infrastructure investments that are efficient, realistic, and sustainable, Rwanda will achieve its medium-term growth targets.

Kyte, who wrapped up her three -day visit to Rwanda yesterday, met with the Prime Minister and various senior government officials, representatives of the private sector and the donor community, and visited World Bank-funded projects.

On the field trip to Gatsibo District, the Vice President appreciated sustainable land management and agricultural intensification activities supported by the WB-financed Land Husbandry, Water Harvesting and Hillside Irrigation (LWH) and the third Rural Sector Support projects under the Ministry of Agriculture.

In addition to the scale and replicability of the activities supported by these projects, the purposeful design to maximize environmental and socio-economic benefits was remarkable achievement.

In her dialogue with community members present, Kyte said, “Our job in the World Bank is to lend a hand –a hand that can lend you money and which can lend you technical support. However, what makes our job wonderful is when we all step back and watch you –the community–carry out this work and achieve such incredible and sustainable results”.

In Nyagatovu Village, Kyte joined residents in the nationwide community work known as Umuganda and assisted with the construction of a household vegetable garden and participated in the distribution of milk to children under the Government’s Milk for the children initiative.

She also visited the Government’s low-cost household electricity connection program which the Bank-financed Electricity Access Project intends to scale up.

Kyte has overall responsibilities for the World Bank Group’s global work in infrastructure, agriculture, environment, energy, climate change, urban development, and social development, among others.

This is her second visit to Rwanda since 2008 when she was Vice President for Business Advisory services at the International Finance Corporation, the private sector arm of the World Bank Group.

{{The minister in charge of Human Rights in Congo Brazzaville announced that refugee status on Rwandans currently staying in Congo-Brazaville reaches an end on 30th June 2012.}}

According to Afriquinfos, the government of Congo Brazzaville in collaboration with United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) agreed on sensitizing Rwandan refugees to return back to their native country.

Alice Tsoumou Gavouka, the minister said, “the refugee status on any Rwandan living in Congo will be over on 30th June 2012 instead of being 31st December, and later on the government will be working on the issue of Rwandans wishing to remain in Congo Brazzaville.”

This occurs after His Excellency the President of Rwanda on his visit in Congo Brazzaville in 2010 had sensitized, in collaboration with HCR, all the Rwandans to go back to their mother land.

Rwandans estimated on 7800 started living in Congo-Brazzaville as refugees in the beginning, during and after 1994 Tutsi Genocide.

This is among the first steps after, UNHCR in collaboration with the government of Rwanda have decided to abolish the refugee status to all Rwandans living abroad in different countries where the end date set is the 30th June 2013.

{{The government has allocated Rwf 66 billion to support development activities in Nyaruguru district, aimed at eradicatinbg both malnutrition and poverty through promoting agriculture and construction of relevant infrastructure.}}

Francois Habitegeko, the mayor of Nyaruguru district noted that he had already received part of the amount which he proposed that the first phase of the fund to be used in buying fertilizer and supporting other irrigation schemes.

Other developmental proposals raised by various leaders include, construct of infrastructure such electricity power plants and building of factories after which they are likely to offer job opportunities to residents.

Kibeho town will also be upgraded since it has shown the potential of attracting tourists who are interested to see the ghost of Jesus mother, Mary.
“We would want to paint the houses, create stalls to be used for selling tourist materials such as curios and uduseke (traditional basket used as a decoration),” said Habitegeko.

However, much emphasis will be put in eradication malnutrition which is affecting the majority of vurnarable people, latest statistics from the district indicate that 254 households have malnourished members due to lack of proper diet.

In a recent visit to the district, Prime Minister Pierre Damien Habamuremyi noted that the government is yet to embark on a program aimed at eradicating malnutrition within six months.

The premier further urged leaders to utilize the fund wisely adding that it was a promise fulfilled by president Paul Kagame during his previous presidential campaign in Nyaruguru district.

{{Last year, Rwanda’s pyrethrum flower production increased from 209 to 700 megatons, while export revenues increased by 380% and global market share surged from 6% to 15%.}}

Rwanda has been actively working to revive this once near-collapsed industry, and for good reason. With 70% to 80% of the pure active ingredients, Rwanda’s rich volcanic soil has the potential to produce some of the world’s best pyrethrum.

Australia, Kenya, and Tanzania are the major countries that grow pyrethrum, a flower refined into a highly demanded, natural, flower-based pesticide.

According to Karisimbi Business Partners, a Kigali-based consulting firm that is working with SOPYRWA, Rwanda’s only pyrethrum refinery, this also significantly contributed to the household incomes of over 8,000 farmers and increased land under pyrethrum cultivation.

Things weren’t always this great. “At the time the current owners stepped in to take over, [SOPYRWA] was on the brink of bankruptcy,” reports Karisimbi, the result of “historical issues and challenges: international customer relations had deteriorated; erosion of regional production market share; financial challenges led to strained relations and broken trust with critical farmer communities, etc.”

The pyrethrum plant, introduced to Rwanda by Europeans in 1936, is a safe, natural pesticide alternative to harmful synthetic chemical pesticides currently used to control a wide range of insects.

In 1963, the Rwandan government took interest in expanding the pyrethrum industry, and granted two hectares of land to each individual farmer in a belt around the Parc National Des Volcans (Volcanos National Park) in northwestern Rwanda.

Farmers were contracted to dedicate 40% of their land to cultivating pyrethrum, and the remaining 60% could be used at their own discretion.

In the 1970s, the government merged a “planters association”, which was comprised of the pyrethrum cultivating farmers, with an industrial facility that could process the flowers for export as raw, pyrethrum extract, into a company called OPYRWA. Unfortunately, at the same time the global pyrethrum market suffered a downturn.

The rise of low-cost synthetic pesticides (Pyrethroids) in the 80s and 90s, their harmful effects not yet entirely known, turned the market’s attention away from pyrethrum.

The export of organic pyrethrum from Rwanda began to plummet. In an effort to add value to the product locally, OPYRWA began building a refinery to further process the raw pyrethrum extract into pure pyrethrene, which could be added to pesticide formulas without any further processing.

This, they hoped, would drastically reduce the transportation costs of the operation, which given Rwanda’s landlocked location, are significant.

When the 1994 Rwandan genocide occurred, it caused the entire industry and infrastructure to collapse. Farmers fled their lands, the factory was abandoned, and the new refinery was left unfinished while the country descended into chaos.

The northwestern region, where OPYRWA was located, was especially hard hit, with refugees fleeing to the Congo, and the military mostly overtaking the area in their absence.

From 1994 to 2001, the northwest region of Rwanda was an area of instability and conflict. It wasn’t until 2001 that the government focused on providing security and making a push towards privatisation of industries as an engine for economic growth, decided to promote a resurgence of pyrethrum production by privatizing OPYRWA, renamed SOPYRWA.

Ten years on, the global pyrethrum market has picked back up. “As one of only three refineries in the EAC region, SOPYRWA is now strategically positioned to play a major role in the global market,” says Carter Crockett of Karisimbi Business Partners.

In early 2011, Gabriel Bizimungu, general manager of SOPYRWA, said in an interview that the exports were valued at about US$1.63 million.

“Rwandan pyrethrum is selling high compared to the same products in the region because of its good quality and modern processing,” Bizimungu said.

A decade ago, Kenya dominated the production of pyrethrum, raking in about 70% of the global trade. Yet over the past six years, mishandling, corruption and delayed payments to farmers has caused a massive drop in Kenyan production. Industry experts claim that Kenya can still make nearly $135 million annually, but only if they renew their focus as well.

When Horizon Group took over SOPYRWA in 2008, the refinery was running at only 6% of installed capacity, producing just 4 metric tons of extract. In just two years, the company was producing 15.8 metric tons of extract.

SOPRYWA is now focusing on re-building the 15,000+ network of small farmers and their families who are key to their supply chain.

By re-engaging private cooperatives, which deal directly with the local farmers and serve as collection points for dried pyrethrum, and offering farmers higher prices, immediate payment, and stronger high-yield seeds, SOPRYWA hopes to bring Rwanda’s share of the global pyrethrum market up to 20%.

At the same time, SOPYRWA is now developing additional value-added products for the local region through a venture with a UK based industry partner.

With government backing, and an expansion of global partnerships, SOPYRWA appears poised for another big year. Yet Crockett adds that the growth has as much to do with what SOPYRWA and the Government of Rwanda has done, as with the global market demand itself.

Demand still outpaces supply by about 4:, and the trend towards organic (e.g. anti-synthetic pesticides) coupled with Kenya’s collapsed pyrethrum sector puts Rwanda at a distinct advantage.

Given the ideal climate, both in terms of Rwanda’s improving business environment and its actual soil conditions, the potential for Rwanda’s pyrethrum production and refinement is vast.

{{Police in Remera are holding a man for breaking into a house at Kimironko sector. Pascal Nshimiyimana, 20 year old, is currently detained at Remera Police station while two accomplices are still on the run, police reports.}}

According to police sources, Nshimiyimana was apprehended by a local patrol team on January 28, at about 5 AM, when he and his accomplices tried to break into Eliabu Muhawenimana house.

While at it, Muhawenimana who had noticed the raid, called on Irondo (night patrol team) who got to his house only to arrest one of the trio while the rest run away.

The local patrol team found Nshimiyimana in possession of different tools including a spade, machete, torch, screw driver and a pruning scissors.

The suspect conceded his role in the crime but explained that he was deceived by his friends who promised to pay him Frw 10,000 after he broke the door.

Police Spokesperson Superintendent Theos Badege commended the patrol team saying the arrest of criminals showed citizen’s policing contribution.

“Security organs have always regarded citizens as watchdogs as far as security is concerned. Their support has ensured that Nshimiyimana and his family are now safe”, Badege said.

Police is currently pursuing the suspects on the run.