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{{The Indian-based telecommunication company that were earlier this month granted license to launch 2G and 3G mobile services in Rwand September 23 announced the appointment of the Country Manager, Marcellin Paluku.}}

Paluka, with over 15 years field familiarity at FMCG and telecom companies including Coca-Cola and Celtel, worked across the continent, has been the Commercial Director at Airtel DR Congo where he played a role in ensuring Airtel’s position in send largest country in Africa.

Jayant Khosla, CEO Anglophone Africa said of Paluka’s appointment: “Rwanda is a market with great growth potential. As with all our operations, the leadership team in Airtel Rwanda will be made up of passionate and experienced Rwandans who are committed to our goal of providing world class mobile broadband services.”

The Chairman and Managing Director of Bharti Airtel Limited Sunil Mittal had previously observed that Rwanda is a key telecom market in the Region.
He said that Rwanda’s market has immense growth potential noting that it will strengthen Bharti airtel’s footprint in East Africa.

“We are pleased to be part of the vision of the government of Rwanda to take telecommunications forward as a priority,” Mittal told the press after being awarded the license in Kigali.

Bharti Airtel becomes the third mobile telecommunication operator after MTN Rwanda, said to be with 2,824,874 subscribers and TIGO Rwanda with 1,300,159 subscribers in an over 10 million population.

One of the top world’s telecommunication services provider acquired Kuwait-based Zain Telecom for about US $10.7 billion.

Approximately Frw 59Bn is up to be invested for operations to set off.

This comes soon after commercial court of Nyarugenge ruled that Rwandatel should liquidate its assets in order to pay debts amounting to US$ 88.9 million.

This came after Rwanda’s Utilities Regulatory Agency (RURA) withdrew Rwandatel’s GSM Mobile license in April this year, where within weeks, the Office of the Registrar General had instituted insolvency proceedings against the company.

{{Theobald Mporanyi, the chairman of parliamentary commission in-charge of fighting HIV/AIDS has started a campaign to equip all schools with condoms including primary schools.}}

“As far as we’re targeting those in high school the awareness should also be spread to those in primary level since there are some who have reached their puberty stage and might be tempted to engage in unsafe sex,” the MP insisted.

He adds that, despite the fact that some are against his idea, the awareness should be harnessed in religious institutions and households.

In this campaign he’s not alone, a few NGO’s in charge of teaching the youth sexual and reproductive education are supportive, and they include Health Development Initiative-Rwanda (HDI), Amir Ihorere Munyarwanda and Rwanda’s NGO’s Forum on AIDS.

Christine Calouro from HDI noted that the teachings will focus more on abstinence, how to avoid unwanted pregnancies as well as Sexual Transmitted Diseases (STD’s).

“All these impediments can be avoided by the use of condoms and there’s no shame in encouraging the youth to take the precautions, and since most of them start having sex at a younger age, it’s a high time we stand as a community to emphasize the use of condoms”.

Mporanyi was also quick to point out that, children ought to be taught the importance of a condom at a younger age, even those who have not reached their puberty since it will improve their understanding on unsafe sex.

“Primary teachers who mostly are objective to the idea should include the use of condoms in their curriculum, like all my kids, some in primary school are aware of it and sometimes I give them the packets of condom to educate their peers,” he pointed out.

The team intends to meet with various leaders and policy makers, especially in the education sector to find relevant mechanisms to implement their agenda.

This follows the high rate of secondary students and a few in primary pupils contracting HIV while some drop out of school due to unwanted pregnancies.

“Statistics of 2005 show that only 13% of young women and 10% of young men aged 15-19 reported condom use, but now the figures have worsen due to inaccessibility of condoms.

{{Subject to provisions of the Rwandan Constitution, Article 82 of the 2003 Constitution, former heads of state are permitted to be members of the senate for a term of 8years however this is not in favor of the 5th Rwandan president Pasteur Bizimungu who lead the country from 19th July 1994 to 23rd march 2000 when he resigned.}}

Shortly after his resignation, Pasteur Bizimungu was convicted of serious crimes that threatened National Security and in July 2004 was sentenced to 15years in jail by the Supreme Court.

These crimes are what striped off his rights to join the Rwandan senate any time as told by the chairman of the Rwandan Electro Commission Prof.

Karangwa Chrysologue who said that Bizimungu was charged with serious offenses to the extent that he cannot be allowed a sit in the senate.

In a press conference with journalists this Friday Prof. Karangwa said “Our National Constitution permits former presidents to sit in the senate only if their term in office is not accused of grievances. But it’s not a guarantee that they will serve in the senate because they have to publicly request for it.”

Our constitution obliges former presidents who wish to join the senate to submit his candidature to the Supreme Court which will then decide on whether to give a green light to the candidate.

In 2007 Pasteur Bizimungu was released on presidential pardon after serving 3years.

On the other side, the commission noted that the campaigns for the senatorial aspirants in general went as planned and well with 58 candidates contesting for the 14 seats in the senate.

The election event is scheduled today Monday 26th and Tuesday 27th September 2011 with 12 candidates from their respective Provinces and the rest from public and private universities.

{{The Ugandan born initiative, Inspire Africa, that recently launched its operations in Rwanda and Burundi Sunday September 25, visited Kigali Genocide Memorial Center-Gisozi paying tribute to victims of the 1994 Tutsi genocide.}}

The initiative after the visit called for the African states to draw from Rwandan genocide and ensure that genocide never explodes elsewhere.

The co-founder and Chief Executive officer of Inspire Africa Nelson Tugume that led the youth delegation noted, “Personally what I have seen is groaning only and I don’t know the reason behind the cause because as Africans we are one.”

“As Africans I don’t see why genocide should be inevitable. We have to stand up together, stop riots like those in Tripoli and the rest as the root cause to genocide,” he added.

Tugume also said that all are caused by the poor leadership and that as Africans there is a need for good leadership that won’t take people back to the worst history.

The Inspire Africa principally targets young and successful entrepreneurs in Africa, whose desire is to enthuse other young people willing to make it to the summit of the business world.

Inspire Africa is a human capital development organization with the sole goal of engineering successful entrepreneurship in Africa through identifying the best business minds and supporting their entrepreneurial cause.

{{Nobel Peace prize winner Wangari Maathai of Kenya has died after a long battle with cancer. The first African woman Nobel Peace laureate passed away in Nairobi on Sunday, September 25 at 10:00 P.M. local time. }}

{{Youth Scouts at Kanombe in Kicukiro district are dedicated to environmental protection through nature gardening and tree planting in schools and other areas.}}

The scouts seek to leave the world with more beautiful sceneries like it was naturally created.

Over100 Scouts grouped in what they called {Groupe Buffre courage}, they say the initiative fits well in their main objectives as said by the leader Maulidi Nyandwi during the voluntary communal service that was done Sunday morning at Kasanze secondary school at Kanombe.

Nyandwi noted; “We participate in the program to create awareness about environmental protection and to provide more protection about it.”

Among other members; Yves Mugiraneza commonly known as Bonheur Okapi Docile as a Scout name said, “I am used to the program of planting trees because its among our objectives as Scouts to beautify the world better than we found it.”

Djuma Nsanzimana in charge of mobilizing Rwandans about the environment said that the campaign is for all Rwandans at all levels.

He said that REMA works with the MINEDUC on environmental protection in a government program; Green School. “The program will create awareness among the young people to understand the importance of environment.”

Scouts were formed together with Guides in 1907 by Lt. Gen Robert Baden Powell.

{{Carl Wilkens an American citizen who witnessed the Rwandan Tutsi genocide of 1994 will share his experience at Bellarmine University on Tuesday, September 27 at the Amy Cralle Theater.}}

Carl Wilkens is the former head of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency International (ADRA) in Rwanda that chose to remain in the country during the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.

Wilkens sent his wife and children away and remained to help prevent the massacre of 400 Rwandan orphans at the hands of the Hutu militia.

He is the author of I’m Not Leaving (2011), a memoir about his experience while in Rwanda in 1994, and was featured in Frontline’s “Ghosts of Rwanda”.

His humanitarian work has been recognized with a 2005 Medal of Valor from the Simon Wiesenthal Center.

Wilkens’ visit is cosponsored by the QEP and the Bellarmine chapter of STAND, a student anti-genocide coalition.

Jean de Dieu Mucyo, the Executive Secretary of Rwanda National Commission against Genocide had recently in an interview with igihe.com recommended on Wilkens’s genocide testimonies and documentation.

Mucyo said, “wilkens came to Rwanda during the 15th genocide commemoration and gave us testimony about his life in Rwanda during the genocide. His speeches and writings are really based on the truth about the 1994 mayhem”.

Bellarmine University is an independent, private, Catholic university in Louisville Kentucky. The liberal-arts institution opened on October 3, 1950, as Bellarmine College, established by Archbishop John A. Floersh of the Archdiocese of Louisville and named after the Cardinal Saint Robert Bellarmine.

{{Rwanda has always been ready to welcome home all Rwandan refugees living in Cameroon.}}

Ambassador Gerard Ntwari (below)requested the Rwandan community in Cameroon to return back home assuring them that there was no need of fleeing the country because no Rwandan should remain a refugee.

Rwandan refugees in Cameroon presented their problems to the government delegation headed by Rwandan Ambassador to Senegal; Gerard Ntwali.

“Since 2003 the government of Rwanda has been ready to welcome you back home.Till now government is willing to welcome back all Rwandan refugees all over the world,” said Ambassador Ntwali.

Rwanda in partnership with the UNHCR agreed to process the returning of Rwandan refugees to Rwanda.

Ntwali added that since 2003, 2004, 2005 until now refugees are still coming back home safely.

Rwandan refugees in Cameroon suggested that the UNHCR should send to Rwanda a team to check whether what the Ambassador said is real.

The Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs (MIDIMAR) says that no Rwandan should remain a refugee effective January 2012.

{{Rwanda Peace Academy is organizing training aimed at gathering in a report of all Rwanda’s peace missions since 2004.}}

It’s planed that about 40 military officers and 10 police officers that are still in a peace mission or ended their mission will attend this training.

The officers will gather all techniques and peace actions that were done and called Peace Support Opperations (PSO).

The attendants of the training slated to take place at Nyakinama (Musanze district); will study the UN’s contribution and its organs to strengthening peace actions, actions on human rights and prevailing peace conflicts.

The training also explore what has been achieved and the problems faced in Rwanda’s peace actions in UN missions since 2004 when it contributed to peace mission in Sudan that ended in 2007.

The training that will start on 26th to 30th September; is to make in files four actions carried out by the Rwandan military and police in UNAMID in Darfur, MINUSTAH in Haiti, UNMIL in Liberia and UNMIS in Sudan that started last July.

{{The Natural Fire 11 training aimed at military cooperation in the East African Community closed today with a graduation of 37 RDF soldiers in 300 attendants.}}

The training started September 16th 2011 in Zanzibar, RDF was led by Brig.Gen. Mushyo Kamanzi who also was coordinating a group called Combined Joint Task Force.

During the closing ceremony, the second Vice President of Zanzibar; Ambassador Seif Idd urged that actions aimed at developing the community should be announced publicly for people to know of their importance.

“Seeing us great because of our community, our people do not know about it. For that reason, its benefits should be announced,” added Ambassador Seif Idd.

He emphasized that military cooperation was necessary because of security problems at boarders.

Seif demanded that cooperating within the community armies could expand and reach development actions like rail way constructions and other infrastructure.

The Tanzanian Minister in charge of army and public services, Dr. Hussein Mwinyi said that Natural Fire 11 training was a test to see whether the region could overcome its own problems.

The USAFRICOM, Gen. David Hogg said that the exercise showed the EAC need to promote security in countries and the region in general.

During training officials from Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and USA exercised on rescue operations, fighting against disasters, terrorists and bandits.