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{{Farmers in Rwanda have been advised to put extra efforts on subsistence farming as a way of enhancing food security and also reduce on imports of cereals such as rice, beans, maize among others.}}

In order to achieve this, Francoise Kanimbla, the minister of Trade and Industry (MINICOM) emphasized that the ministry intends to strengthen cooperatives dealing with agriculture produce.

The support includes easing their access to credit, training farmers on latest technologies as well as supporting them with latest technology.

He added that the above strategies have worked well for some crops; rice for instance is progressing in several regions particularly in the eastern province, “We have enough rice in our galleries to sustain us for four years.”

Production of local food would also reduce on imports of the same hence reduction of food prices.

“Even though we import most of our foods from COMESA zone at no tax the transport fee still makes them costly,” he advised.

{{Congolese people are calling for urgent help following the intensified massacres that have left over 75,000 fleeing after 30 villages were burnt.}}

A statement released by the Hunde and Nyanga Congolese communities highlighting the situation on armed conflict and the dire humanitarian situation prevailing in the territories of Masisi and Walikale reads in part;

“We, the Hunde and Nyanga communities, are sorry to see that for months, the national and international community stand by and watch clashes between armed conflicts and the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda , and the movement of weapons variously called , or sometimes Peoples Self-defense Movement or sometimes.”

The statement explains that the fighting began in February 2011 in Masisi territory mainly the Nyamaboko groups I and II. They ranged in Walikale territory during the month of November 2011 in the groups Walowa-yungu, Walowa uroba and Walowa-lLoanda.

A small fire, they extend into the body of Luberike, Ihana and Ikobo in Walikale territory and to the groups Banyungu, Buabo and Bafuna in Masisi territory. Thus, both territories Masisi and Walikale are of fire and blood.

These fights, although deadly, have not attracted the attention of those who would help improve the situation.

Abandoned to their fate, the populations are found in the forests where they think they find shelter, but they face a greater threat from their executioners.

During their flight, some females are raped and young people are killed, parts are cut using machetes. These conflicts today present a serious negative impact on the lives of people.

Scattered in the forests, IDPs are exposed to extreme weather and diseases. There are currently thirty more abandoned villages and more than 74.000 displaced persons, but without any assistance.

The current count of those fighting disease is 73 dead. Children, the disabled, the elderly and pregnant women are the first victims.

Since the war began, these people are never assisted. The humanitarian situation is becoming more and more catastrophic if action is not taken we risk a humanitarian catastrophe.

This is why an appeal is launched to get the attention of all people of good will to please help the needy.

To do this, we proceed with the collection of donations and assistance to displaced persons. All Congolese are invited to bring goods or money to alleviate the misery of our people. An ad hoc committee has been set up.

We want to take this opportunity to condemn the actions of the belligerents. We demand the immediate cessation of hostilities; ask the intervention for the protection of civilian populations by MONUSCO to enable everyone to return to their own community and the Congolese government to cope.

{{The Permanent Secretary in the ministry of trade and industry, Emmanuel Hategeka, on Friday launched a new “Hanga umurimo” program in Rwamagana district in the eastern province. }}

Hategeka noted that projects approved of high quality will be selected in each district and sponsored by the ministry and its sponsors.

He told the citizens of Rwamagana that creating a work does not require much money.

The permanent secretary later visited a local entrepreneur Diogene Mutabaruka involved in the sell banana beer.

Mutabaruka said that he started his business project with only Frw 80,000 but now earns Frw147 million per month. Mutabaruka employs 120 workers whom he pays Frw 13000 per day.

Hategeka encouraged citizens to refer to their friends and neighbors that have established and succeeded in their projects and obtain advices from them of how they proceeded and succeeded.

He promised promised to support to any creative idea that can lead an individual’s progress and all the population in general.

{{Rwanda government has earmarked frw 9 billion to cater for teachers’ salaries at all levels. Teachers salaries have been very low compared to other jobs in the public service.}}

John Rwangombwa, the minister in charge of Finance and Economic Planning, declared during the special term for Deputies assembly that took place on 5th January 2012.

Rwangombwa revealed that the Frw 9 billion had been obtained from other institutions that failed to utilize it in the past 6 months.

He said that 1 billion and 4 million will be used to increase teachers’ salaries of A2 level; more than 4 billion for the newly recruited teachers of A0 level. The rest will be used in the regularisation of teachers’ salaries based on their experience.

During the assembly, law makers voted for a bill modifying and completing the law of the 2011-2102 budget.

The minister said, “the reason of this bill’s renewal is that there is an amount of money that was added to the budget 2011-2012; some of the money is from taxes and revenues, loans, funds and 3 billion from the shares which the government sold in BK and MTN.”

{{The National Police is holding a woman, Nganji Anastasie aged 21, for alleged abortion and dumping her premature baby in a pit latrine.}}

Nganji was in her ninth month of pregnancy and was about to give birth.

The police spokesman, Supt. Theos Badege told Press, “It is a serious crime punished by the law.”

Nganji told press that “I did not abort willingly as I was waiting for the birth date. My roomate refused to escort me to the toilet when I wanted to use it. I went alone. While in the latrine, I had a miscarriage forcing the foetus into the pit latrine and then I cried for help.”

This happened after Health Development Initiative (HDI) proposed the introduction of condoms in secondary schools which was rejected by the ministry of education and other individuals.

Dr. Mathias Harebamungu, the state minister in charge of primary and secondary schools says that as “a researcher”, they should have legally considered many things before taking such decisions like updated statistics.

Mgr. Smaragde Mbonyintege of Kabgayi Catholic Church, in the end of 2011 put out an announcement rejecting the decisions.

He said: “it would be miserable to spread condoms in schools because it promotes sexual intercourses and I do not think it can meet their target of pregnancy and HIV/AIDS prevention.”

According to many mothers, this situation sometimes occurs when a mother is about to give birth and doctors at hospitals cannot allow a mother to go to the toilet in such circumstances.

{{The Canada Border Services Agency has set January 12, 2012 for 1994 Genocide suspect Leon Mugesera’s deportation.}}

This follows years of Canadian immigration authorities decision that he was persona non grata on their soil.

It has been 16 years of legal and political relentless battles to extradite him to Rwanda to face charges related to inciting violence and crimes against humanity that climaxed into the 1994 Tutsi Genocide.

Both Rwandan government and Associations of Genocide Survivors (IBUKA) have welcomed Mugesera’s deportation whose incendiary speech in Gisenyi inciting masses early killings in Kibuye, Bugesera and the east of the country before 1994 Genocide in 1992 and 1993.

Mugesera is wanted for his role 1994 Genocide using an incendiary speech believed to have been behind the formation of the Interahamwe militia and subsequent execution of the genocide.

However, his former defence lawyer, Guy Bertrand, has launched a media campaign, claiming that once deported, would be killed insisting that Canada had made a grave mistake by extraditing him.

Rwanda’s Prosecutor General Martin Ngoga has dismissed the allegations terming them as baseless and misplaced and another desperate attempt to thwart a court decision using the media.

“There is not a single allegation on his perceived fate he is making now that he did not make before,”

“Similarly, his allegations are not fundamentally different from what other suspects make when faced with a similar situation,” Ngoga says.

He however, observed that the most important thing is that Canada has finally agreed to send him to Rwanda to face trial.

“What is important in our view is that finally, after a long time, Canadian law enforcement could be willing to implement what their courts decided,” Ngoga said.

“This comes at a time when, from the ICTR in Arusha, to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, a consensus is built on the need to get Rwandan fugitives to face trials in Rwanda. We remain determined and committed to conduct trials in a manner that meets required standards,”.

“National systems, Canada inclusive, have means and abilities to assess situations they need to, which are why media petitions meant to circumvent court decisions, are misplaced. If that was a practice to be condoned, court decisions would loose relevance,” he added.

Mugesera, a former lecturer at the National University of Rwanda and at Nyakinama campus, is known to have penned one of the most virulent speeches inciting Hutus to kill Tutsis.

He could have been deported in July 1996 after the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada decided that his 1992 speech was an incitement to violence and ethnic hatred, and ordered his deportation, but he kept fighting the decisions.

It is however, slated that his new lawyer, Johanne Doyon, who stepped in after Bertrand is expected to be in Federal Court in Montreal on Monday, according to Canadian press.

With only four days left, the much anticipated deportation of Leon Mugesera from Canada, looks imminent, after 16 years of legal and political battles

{{ENDS}}

{{By the end of this year Rwandans are expected to view more than two TV stations, thanks to the yet to be introduced Set Top Box (STB) a special decoder that facilitates reception of digital signal to analog TV sets.}}

The decoder is in line with the transformation of analog to digital TV viewing, that also involves construction of relevant infrastructure to support the latest technology.

Patrice Mulama, the executive secretary of Media High Council (MHC) noted that establishment of antennas and boosters to support digital signal is in final stages.

He added that the new technology will attract more television companies to start business in Rwanda.

“There was a delay in introducing new TV channels due to a requirement by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) demanding latest infrastructure and so far we have approved some companies both locally and regional.

The regional channels include Nation, Citizen, EATV, and Light House TV while those from local investors are Contact and Tele 10.

Eugène Nyagahene proprieter of Tele 10 and Radio 10 says that he’s ready to start broadcasting soon.

“Now we have everything in a place including a well equipped studio and our TV employees are being oriented on how to use some of the sophisticated equipments,” he remarked.

Nyagahene who was part of a team that spearheaded the transformation urged the government to step in and buy the special decoders and sell them at affordable rates so that early next year Rwandans would begin watching TV with clear signals.

Meanwhile, decoders won’t necessarily be used by those who have digital TV sets but rather favour those who still have the analog ones to get better images.

However, a digital TV cost is twice higher than Analog TV thus many would likely opt for a separate kit of STB to serve as an antenna.

{{Different passengers have informally requested for three-seat commuter taxi claiming they have for long time been disturbed with the current four-seats.}}

Felicien Mulinda found at Rwandex bus stop said his trouser was torn due to sandwiched way of sitting four in a row when he was trying to get out of the taxi.

“Why on earth can’t we sit three per row in Rwanda. What is so hard that Rwandan transport system cannot do when other countries have afforded it, if we not careful and take measures to day we may end up having poor transport system like that of Kenya,” Mulinda said in an interview.

Claudine Manishimwe who has been a driver for 15 years retaliated saying Rwanda still has inadequate commuter cars which require them to take as many as possible to solve a problem of passengers waiting for long on different bus stops.

“I do not see any problem in it for we are familiar with it. This is a system we have been operating in ever since, these are just wishes,” Manishimwe said.

Celestin Twahirwa the head of traffic police told IGIHE.com that that the number of passengers in every commuter taxi is determined by the authority of transport companies.

He said: “our intervention may come in for different dangers of traffic otherwise sitting 3 or 4 on each row are the transport companies’ decision.”

Comments from Rwanda Transport Development Agency (RTDA), was fruitless as they could not available at the time.

Fidele Ndayisaba, the mayor of Kigali city also says that any time people show it as a serious problem; they will look for a way to solve it collaborating with relevant authorities.

However many complaints come in as a reference to Rwanda’s joining the East African Community(EAC) where a number of member states like Uganda sit three in a row.

{{ENDS}}