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{{Agricultural experts meeting in Kigali have warned that Great Lakes region could face increased conflict and greater instability in coming decades due to available food grown to less land.}}

The experts convened in a four-days conference of consortium for Improving Agriculture-based Livelihoods in Central Africa (CIALCA) to examine challenges and opportunities for sustainable improvement of farm production in Central Africa.

“Unless there is widespread use of farm approaches and innovations that can grow more food with less land, countries in Central Africa’s densely populated Great Lakes region could face increased conflict and greater instability in coming decades,” Experts warned.

A press release from CIALCA has indicated that most of the agricultural land has extremely high population densities up to 400 people per square kilometer in Rwanda and Burundi and severely degraded soils.

According to the release, there is a highest rate of malnutrition and extreme poverty in sub-Saharan Africa.

The eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has been in a state of almost continual instability and periodic violence since 1996.

The International Rescue Committee has estimated that 5.4 million excess deaths resulted between the start of the second Congolese war in 1998 and 2007.

A decade of conflicts in Burundi and the 1994 genocide in Rwanda are responsible for widespread displacement and regional instability.

“Previous conflicts have been indirectly driven by the ability of the land to support the food needs of Central Africa’s high population densities,” said Nteranya Sanginga, a Congolese scientist and Director General of International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA).

“In the future, a big question will be whether the land and the soils that underpin farm yields can support booming populations under new constraints like rapid climate change and other environmental factors,” Sanginga wondered.
“Without sustainable intensification of food production, there will be a high price. We will be going back to the situation of war and not because of ethnicity but war for food, war for space,” Sanginga warned.

The release say there is high-potential farming areas, small farm sizes, persistent civil conflicts, poor infrastructure and political instability have left the region plagued with chronic food insecurity regardless of other favorable factors.

The effects of climate change in the region have become a major concern for the already resource strained, landlocked countries of Rwanda, Burundi and Democratic Republic of Congo.

Recent research by the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) has shown that the ability of farmers to grow coffee in Rwanda is severely affected by rising temperatures, hence more vulnerable to pests and diseases.

Earlier on Hans Herren, president of the Millennium Institute and World Food Prize Laureate, had said that many current approaches to farm production are harmful to the environment and not accessible enough for farmers to adopt on a broader scale.

Participants at the CIALCA conference shared examples of sustainable farm approaches that can increase yields and alleviate land pressure in the region.

These include the widespread adoption of higher-yielding climbing beans in Rwanda that improve soils and the availability of dietary protein and intercrop high-value coffee plants with banana in Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi.

Staple crops such as maize, millet, beans, sweet potato and cassava are being produced at 60 percent to 90 percent below their potential.

{{Rwanda is hosting a four-day international conference aimed at scrutinising challenges and opportunities for intensifying farm production in sub-Saharan Africa’s humid tropical regions.}}

The conference has been organised by a Consortium for improving Agriculture-based Livelihoods in central Africa(CIALCA) and Research on the Humid Tropics (CGIAR).

Nteranya Sanginga, Director General of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IIATA) notes that the dense population facet portrayed especially by Rwanda and Burundi demands an immediate sustainable agricultural intensification, otherwise, a war over food and space will be inevitable.

“Rwanda is the only country in the region not confronting the food crisis,” Says Earnest Ruzindaza– Permanent Secretary in the Rwandan ministry of Agriculture and Animal resources. All of Rwanda’s districts are food secure, and the surplus is exported to neighbouring countries.

The 1995 World Food Prize winner and Director of the Millennium Institute, Dr. Hans Herren called for a Green revolution that embodies a transition to sustainable, organic and ecological agriculture.

Herren argued that scientific research has not been linked to policymaking and consequently imbalanced food productivity prevails across the globe. He invited all the agricultural experts present to invest more in research and education.

Dr. Daphrose Gahakwa revealed an overview of Agricultural research for the past ten years which elucidates Rwanda’s achievement in developing nutrient rich crop varieties to combat malnutrition and poverty at large.

The research also aimed at sensitizing Rwandans about the core value of indigenous vegetables that had not been well marketed thus less preferred to exotic vegetables.

Gahakwa also explained that Ex-Situ and In-Situ conservation of both plant and animal resources, exploitation of energy quality of some crop residues such as maize and rice, as well as the usage of Biotechnology in tissue culture and disease diagnosis have been the underpinning modes of increasing Agricultural production.

Research conducted by CIALCA revealed that Rwanda’s Agricultural limiting factor lies in the poor fertility of the soils, along with the financial and physical constraints of accessing fertilizers.

The conference will close on Thursday 27, 2011 with participants determining the way forward.

Currently, CIALCA is led by International Institute for tropical Agriculture (IITA), Biodiversity International, Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility Institute of the International center for Tropical Agriculture (TSBF-CIAT).

{{This Sunday seemed a special day right from its sunrise as a number of people realized it was the birthday of the president of Republic of Rwanda Paul Kagame.}}

Now 54 year old, President Kagame was born October 23, 1957 in Rwanda’s Southern Province.

Several messages on internet channels like Twitter have been extended by different member of public wishing him a happy birthday.

Some of the members of public congratulated him while adding that he has been a role model for them where also president responded thanking them.
They used Kinayrwanda, English and Swahili languages.

According to www.paulkagame.com Kagame was born in October 1957 in Rwanda’s Southern Province.

His family fled pre-independence ethnic persecution and violence in 1960, crossing into Uganda where Kagame spent thirty years as a refugee.

Determined to resist oppressive regimes, as a young man, Kagame joined Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni and his group of guerrilla war to free Uganda from dictatorship.

In 1990, Kagame returned to Rwanda to lead the Rwandan Patriotic Front’s (RPF) four-year struggle to liberate the country from the autocratic and divisive order established since independence.

Led by Kagame, the Rwanda Patriotic Army defeated the genocidal government in July 1994 and the RPF subsequently set Rwanda on its current course towards reconciliation, nation building and socioeconomic development.

Kagame was appointed Vice-President and Minister for Defence in the Government of National Unity on 19 July 1994, and four years later was elected Chairman of the RPF, a partner in the Government of National Unity.

On 22 April 2000 Paul Kagame took the Oath of Office as President of the Republic of Rwanda after being elected by the Transitional National Assembly.

Kagame has received recognition for his leadership in peace building and reconciliation, development, good governance, promotion of human rights and women’s empowerment, and advancement of education and ICT, and is widely sought after to address regional and international audiences on a range of issues including African development, leadership, and the potential of ICT as a dynamic industry as well as an enabler for Africa’s socioeconomic transformation.

President Kagame currently serves as co-chair along with Prime Minister Jose Luis Zapatero of Spain, of the UNSG’s Advisory Group on MDGs and as co-chair along with Carlos Slim of the ITU’s Broadband Commission.

He is married to Jeannette Nyiramongi and they have four children. He is a keen tennis player and football fan.

{{The former Rwandan Prime Minister Pierre-Célestin Rwigema above has been confirmed to have arrived into the country after many years in exile.}}

The Permanent Secretary in the Foreign Affairs ministry, Mary Baine confirmed to {igihe.com} that Rwigema was indeed in the country.

Another senior government official contacted by {igihe.com} revealed that Rwigema is in the country and is slated to hold a press conference on Monday.

Meanwhile Aneclet kalibata of the Directorate of Immigration and Emigration, told {igihe.com} that Rwigema returned to Rwanda on his own and wasn’t deported to the country.

‎Martin Ngoga the Prosecutor General told {igihe.com} today, “For the past few years, the National Public Prosecution Authority embarked on a campaign to track down Genocide Fugitives. This was accompanied by a general review of indictments to ensure we process only those that were strongly sustainable in terms of evidence”.

“Those that were found to be wanting were suspended. This exercise is continuous and it is in this context that Pierre Celestin Rwigema’s case file was suspended. As a general rule, the suspension and reopening of cases depends on availability of new evidence,”Ngoga explained.

Rwigema was born on 27 July 1953. He was Prime minister from 1995–2000 and Education Minister from 1994-1995.

In 2001, he was accused of alleged involvement in the 1994 Rwanda genocide and government issued an arrest warrant issued for him after his resignation as Prime Minister.

After his resignation, Rwigema fled to the United States where he sought political asylum.

The government of Rwanda reportedly told the U.S. government that Rwigema had been involved in the genocide and asked that he be arrested.

However, lateron an immigration judge cleared Rwigema and was eventually granted political asylum by the United States immigration court in Detroit.

{{Ambassador Jonnie Carson, a United States Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, met President Paul Kagame to discuss regional security.}}

Carson was completing his two days official visit to Rwanda at president’s office Village Urugwiro where he said that they also talked the country’s peacekeeping role in the region, especially in the Darfur, Southern Sudan.

“I had the opportunity to talk about regional affairs, issues related to peacekeeping in Africa, some of the conflicts that continue to persist in the Horn of Africa and in the Eastern DR Congo,” Carson said.

Carson hailed Kagame for his persistent peacekeeping missions in Darfur and Haiti and progress in the country.

“It has given me an opportunity to renew an old friendship with the President and to see the enormous progress that has been made in this country since the tragic events of 1994. The government should be complimented and applauded on the work it has done in health, in agriculture, in providing IT services and in the work that it’s doing to improve the schools,” he said.

Carson noted that President Kagame has demonstrated commitment to doing the right thing, as evidenced by the good services provided to the citizens, adding, “US-Rwandan relations are very good and we are just trying to make it better.”

Earlier on amb. Carson visited Kibagabaga Hospital with health Minister Dr. Agnes Binagwaho where he commended Rwanda’s development in health sector.

Amb.Carson said that he was impressed with the improvement made in Rwanda’s health care system.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mary Baine, said that Ambassador Carson came to Rwanda to discuss US-Rwanda relations as well as issues in the region.

{{The file of four murder suspects that were arrested and detained recently at Nyagatare Police Post has been transferred to Nyagatare prosecution head office.}}

According to Alain Mukurarinda the spokesman of Rwanda Public Prosecution Authority (RPPA) after a thorough investigation the file intends to be transferred to RPPA head offices in Kigali.

“Such heavy crimes are not tried elsewhere but here at the RPPA head office which has the competence to try them,” Mukurarinda said.

Mukurarinda said that the file will be transferred after seven days.

Four men were arrested for allegedly beating up a 37-year-old man to death. The incident occurred on in Gitenguhe Cell, Tabagwe Sector of Nyagatare District.

Nyagatare police identified the deceased as Francois Nshimamugabe while the murder suspects were identified as as Eric Musengamana, Moses Mbarushimana, Richard Twagirumwami and Ernest Niyonsenga.

Before the deceased killed, the eye witness said he was accused of stealing a mattress from his ex-wife’s home.

“He was a notorious thief in the area. He raided his former wife’s home and stole a mattress. On his way, he met some people and tried to fight them but was overwhelmed,” one residents reportedly said.

Meanwhile, sources have said that investigations of whereabouts of Vianney Murasandonyi – now on run, another murder suspects in the same District still continues.
The suspect is reported to have murdered a 47-Year old man in Mimuli Sector, Nyagatare District over what is believed to be a longstanding land dispute.
According to Police, the deceased was murdered, using a machete.

“He disappeared immediately after committing the crime. We are still hunting him down but we assure residents he will be arrested and brought to justice,” a police officer at Nyagatare Police Post reportedly said.

{{In a highly waited ‘{{Alga plus-size fashion show}},’ 30 heavy weight amateur models have registered to participate, the organizer Aline Gahongayire has said.}}

Speaking to igihe.com, Gahongayire said they had received 100 applicants of whom they only screened and selected only 30 models.

“We used experienced jury had to scrutinize and select people who can atleast express themselves so that they can also be nominated for public interest drives like health campaigns and the like,” Gahongayire said.

Gahongayire said the selected heavy weight models have between 80kgs and 167kgs.

This the first time such a fashion show happens in Rwanda contrary to slim slender girls that commonly attract people across the world.

According to Gahongayire, this fashion show is also aiming at giving value to large ladies who usually face discrimination in their respective communities.

She said it is a way of advocating for their rights saying; “these are also people who can contribute a lot to the society other than underrating them”
Gahongayire said that some of these models were abandoned by their husband when they turned heavy weight.

One woman who did not want to publicize her name confessed to igihe.com that she has been abandoned by her husband due to becoming over weight.