Author: IGIHE

IGIHE has learned that Baziga has been shot dead around 11:30 am as he drove to a tarmac road in Bike.

A credible source has said that two cars carrying people with guns barricaded Baziga who was driving himself and shot him dead in rapid-fire.
Rwanda’s ambassador to Mozambique, Claude Nikobisanzwe has confirmed to IGIHE that Baziga has been shot dead.

“It is true that he has been shot dead. The incident took place around 11:50 am. He was then head of diaspora here. Three people barricaded him along the way, got out their cars and shot him. We have not yet identified masterminds,” he confirmed.

It was not the first attempt to kill the man who survived another attack organized by a group of Rwandans living in the country in 2016.

In an interview with IGIHE on 25th March 2016, late Baziga said: “Fellow Rwandans wanted to kill me and negotiated with a policeman on the payments to have me killed.”

He explained that the policeman knew Baziga and alerted him on bad plans against him.

Three Rwandans living in Maputo of whom two are ex-soldiers were later in September 2016 taken to court on the accusation of attempts to kill Baziga.

These include Diomède Tuganeyezu, a pastor, businessman and ex-soldier; businessman Benjamin Ndagijimana and colleague Revocat Karemangingo who is also an ex-soldier.

The prosecutor alleged the three men of attempting to kill Baziga to become proprietors of Pentecostal Church in Revival Mozambique which they founded along with the deceased.

Ambassador Nikobisanzwe said the court case was continued though the defense lawyer was informed that it was to be put on hold.

Louis Baziga was a businessman in Mozambique capital city, Maputo where he had a supermarket and Pharmacy.

In March 2018, another Rwandan called Vital Hitimana running a business in Villa Olempique town was shot dead with rapid-fire and admitted to hospital over sustained injuries.

The market shall run from 26th to 30th August 2019 in Kigali city’s Car Free Zone.

Participants of the expo include fashion houses, exhibitors displaying decorations and ornaments as well as made in Rwanda foods and drinks.

The Manager of Made in Rwanda Market, John Migambi has told IGIHE that the monthly exhibition is aimed at bringing closer to clients lovers of Made in Rwanda items.

Buyers at the market get a 50% discount.

“The market is meant to bring together Made in Rwanda exhibitors from across the country and link them, ton clients. It also seeks to promote experience sharing among attendees of the market,” said Migambi.

Made in Rwanda Market was launched 2016, shortly after the country initiated Made in Rwanda policy.

Made in Rwanda Market has recently introduced ‘Made in Rwanda Hafi Yawe’ to be showcased through different Government and private institutions, embassies and non-profit organizations.

The market has also organized another exhibition scheduled on3rd to 8th September 2019 nearby Musanze modern market ‘Goico Plaza’.

The Government of Rwanda launched Made in Rwanda five years ago to reduce the trade imbalance.

The ceremony which took place on Friday 23rd August 2019 was attended by top Government officials from Nigeria led by the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Mustapha Lawal Sulaiman; head of diplomatic corps in Nigeria, Rwandans and their friends.

Rwanda’s ambassador in Nigeria, Stanislas Kamanzi reflected on Rwanda’s transformational journey where the country was hit hard by bad leadership characterized by racial discrimination which led to the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi that took lives of over 1 million victims and left quite a number of properties destroyed.

The genocide was stopped by RPF Inkotanyi soldiers and installed non-divisive leadership promoting unity, reconciliation, and inclusive development among Rwandans under the championship of President Paul Kagame.

Rwanda experienced serious economic collapse but has become a resilient country with impressive transformations in various aspects of life that it is seen as a role model for many countries.

“Today, Rwanda has become resilient. We are glad to affirm that we have a transformed country promoting inclusive development and unity among citizens. It was made possible by sacrifices of brave Rwandans who stopped the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, restored unity among people and rebuilt the nation,” said Kamanzi.

He thanked Nigeria for walking together with Rwanda and supporting it along the resilience journey.

The Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Nigeria, Amb. Mustapha commended Rwanda’s progress over the 25 years after liberation including improvement of citizens’ welfare among other development projects.

He also thanked Rwanda for its incredible contribution to peacekeeping missions in different countries.

The head of diplomatic corps in Nigeria, Amb. Al-Hassan Conteh from Liberia commended Rwanda’s leadership and Rwandans for stopping genocide and making the country a role model with fast development.

The ceremony was also marked by exhibitions of RwandAir’s achievements expanding footprints to different destinations. Attendees participated in a draw in which three lucky winners won RwandAir flight tickets.

The luncheon was also attended by the President of Senegal, Macky Sall, Roch Kabore of Burkina Faso, Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat.

Kagame arrived in France yesterday morning where Rwanda joined Australia, Burkina Faso, Chile, Egypt, India, Senegal, and South Africa as the 8 non-member states taking part in this year’s G7 summit.

Later in the afternoon, Kagame participated in the G7 and Africa partnership meeting, Sunday afternoon.

The session discussed security in the Sahel region and also looked into the key achievements of the G7 and Africa partnership with a special focus on women entrepreneurship, digital transformation and the fight against corruption.

G7, also known as the Group of Seven, is made up of seven countries – which are among the largest economies of the world.

G7 is an international intergovernmental economic organization consisting of the seven largest advanced economies in the world: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Between 1997 and 2014, the group included Russia and was known as the Group of Eight, and had for a year been known as the Group of Six before the 1976 inclusion of Canada.

As of 2018, the seven countries involved represent 58% of the global net wealth ($317 trillion) and more than 46% of the global gross domestic product (GDP) based on nominal values, and more than 32% of the global GDP based on purchasing power parity.

President Kagame alongside Presidents @Macky_Sall of Senegal, @rochkaborepf of Burkina Faso, @CyrilRamaphosa of South Africa,AUC Chairperson @AUC_MoussaFaki are now attending a lunch hosted by AU Chairperson, President el Sisi ahead of the G7&Africa Partnership meeting #G7Summit pic.twitter.com/3hGALSySsu

— Presidency | Rwanda (@UrugwiroVillage) August 25, 2019

According to the Central region Police spokesperson, Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Marie-Gorette Umutesi, the two suspects were arrested in Kigali after information reached police about their illegal activities.

She explained that one of the suspects identified as Emmanuel Mutungire, 34, a motorcyclist was arrested red-handed in possession of several transport authorization documents.

He is currently detained at Kimironko Police Station as investigations continue.

The suspect confessed to the crime, adding that he was working with other people.

“After his arrest, he led Police to an internet café in Kimironko sector where his accomplice, Silva Kamali, was also arrested,” said CIP Umutesi.

“People are conned by such unscrupulous individuals who sell forged documents. I advise all those seeking a driving license and other official documents to follow proper channels, which have been made easier and brought closer to them,” she noted.

She thanked those who provided the information that led to the arrest of the duo and called upon the public to desist from taking shortcuts in seeking any service and report anyone they suspect to be engaged in any unlawful acts.

A transport authorization permit is issued by the Rwanda Utility Regulatory Authority (RURA).

The permit authorizes a person with a motorcycle or vehicle to use it in the business of transporting people.

Forgery is a criminal act under article 276 of the penal code.

If convicted, the duo faces a prison term of five to seven years and a fine of up to Rwf5 million.

The handover, which took place in Nyabihu District, Western Province, is one of 36 projects that the Government spent Rwf 1.5 billion on during the last fiscal year (2018-2019).

This is up from Rwf 741 million spent in 2017-2018. Overall park revenues reached over US$ 21.1 million (Rwf 19 billion) in 2018.

These projects have availed clean drinking water, milk, health centers, classrooms and housing to members of the communities living around the three national parks; Akagera National Park, Nyungwe National Park, and Volcanoes National Park.

The program has existed since 2005 and over Rwf 5.2 billion has been spent on 647 community projects since.

Speaking to gathered residents of Nyabihu after the handover, Belise Kariza, the RDB Chief Tourism Officer said that tourism revenue share program helps improve the lives of communities living around the national parks and also makes them love the parks.
“Every year, these communities take ownership of the parks and their conservation more importantly and this is what makes our conservation initiatives succeed,” she said.
“This year, thanks to the collaboration with the local authorities, we were able to identify the vulnerable communities’ needs and are glad that the families will be drinking milk every day knowing that they earned it from tourism. It is also my hope that two years from now, the number of cattle we have handed over today will quadruple and benefit even more families,” added Kaliza.

The Governor of the Western Province, Alphonse Munyantwali thanked RDB for the revenue share program which has transformed residents’ livelihoods.

“When the revenue share program started, the communities surrounding the parks used to receive about Rwf 100 million. Today, the amount has grown to Rwf 1.5 billion, which is a big achievement. I appreciate the fact that today a person that used to set traps for animals in the parks is now able to get milk and other basic needs on a daily basis. Let’s continue protecting the parks so that our region can continue earning more from tourism which will improve people’s lives,” he said.

Every year, RDB uses 10% of revenues generated from tourists visiting the country’s national parks to fund projects aimed at improving the livelihoods of communities living around the parks.

The visit by the Joint-Task Force Commander was in line with the inspection of all units under the MINUSCA to assess their readiness, effectiveness and the challenges they encounter in the execution of their peace support mandate.

The delegation also included the JTFB Chief of Staff, Maj. Ahmad Abdel Salam Aladwan and Lt. Col. Ngom Aissatu, JTFB Gender advisor, among others
They were received by the PSU acting contingent commander, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Alex Fata.

In a brief presentation, SSP Fata highlighted the overview of the unit’s capacity, readiness and the challenges encountered since their arrival in Bangui in January.

’’We acknowledge the support and closeness that MINUSCA offers us in making our duties possible,” SSP Fata said.

’’We are always committed and keeping our steadfast efforts in accomplishing our duties,” he added.
He, however, highlighted the need for the elaboration of the standard operating procedures for the unit’s specialized tasks.

In his remarks, Brig. Gen. Bamoro commended the Rwandan peacekeepers for their “resilience and determination” and their impact on restoring peace and security in CAR.

“We appreciate the Rwandan peacekeepers for the resilience, teamwork, and discipline portraying the force personnel since you joined the MINUSCA mission,” Brig. Gen Bamoro said.

He added: “You have been performing your duties exceptionally and played a big role in the restoration of peace and security in CAR despite the challenging situations faced.”
He went on urging them to keep up the spirit of sacrifice, determination and he assured them that challenges raised will be addressed.

Rwanda started deploying Police peacekeepers to CAR in 2014.

PSU is one of the three Rwandan Police contingents currently serving under MINUSCA, each composed of 160 officers. Two other contingents serve as Formed Police Units (FPU)s.

The PSU is particularly in charge of security for CAR and UN high-profile officials as well as other special duties assigned under the JTFB command.

RDF men’s football has emerged the best overall team after securing 9 points and only losing one game, whereas the basketball side won all games and the women’s volleyball team scooped the bronze medals.

President Uhuru Kenyatta presided over the closing ceremony of the EAC Military Games and Cultural Events 2019.

Also present at the ceremony was the RDF Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen Patrick Nyamvumba.

President Kenyatta underscored that EAC Military Games and Cultural Event has become a fundamental pillar of regional integration.

“It has helped in deepening and widening cooperation among partner states which resonates well with our efforts to build bridges of unity and fraternity within our region as well as our continent,” he said.

South Sudan will host the next edition of the annual military games in 2020.

He made the advice during talks organized by Panafrican Movement Rwanda (PAM- Rwanda) aimed at enhancing youth’s skills through Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to drive African development.

The discussions took place at the headquarters of Southern Province on 21st August 2019 attended by over 700 participants of whom the majority was the youth from TVET schools.

Governor Gasana explained that the world is at a high pace of digital migration requiring everyone to embrace advanced knowledge and skills.

“The world has become a boundary-less. Someone might have taken my picture and sent it to Canada yet I am in Rwanda. To live better tomorrow will require advanced knowledge, skills, expertise, and equipment,” he said.

Gasana told the youth that education is not enough and reminded them to ensure they are able to apply acquired knowledge.

“We don’t have enough time to work slowly. We should be asking ourselves what we know and how are do we fit into implementation skills,” he said.

Governor Gasana urged the youth to strive to take the lead towards achieving the 2063 economic agenda.

The Commissioner for the youth at PAM- Rwanda, Shyaka Michael Nyarwaya said the discussions were meant to mobilize the youth and encourage them to take the lead towards the transformation of their country.

“We wanted to remind the youth that the development of the country should be founded upon us.

We, however, need specific knowledge and skills and expertise among Rwandan youth that can capacitate them to do great things or make cars and satellites, phones. When a Rwandan is able to make a phone, he/she won’t ask a job from the governor but rather will present his product (phone) and request for payments,” he said.

PAM Rwanda’s three years’ agenda encloses activities meant to encourage citizens particularly the youth to develop patriotism spirit for the nation and the continent, promote home grown solutions, promoting integration and security in Africa.

This has been revealed in a statement released today by Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

UN also promised necessary support towards initiatives to advance peace, cooperation, and integration in the region and urged both parties to implement signed agreements in good faith.

“The Secretary-General welcomes the signing on 21 August 2019 in Luanda, Angola, of a Memorandum of Understanding between Presidents Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and Paul Kagame of Rwanda, with the aim of normalizing bilateral relations between the two countries,” reads the statement in part.

“He encourages the parties to implement the agreement in good faith, with a view to restoring friendly relations and cooperation between the two neighboring states, in the interest of peace, stability and sustainable development in the region,” adds the statement.

Dujarric revealed that the Secretary-General also recognizes the important role of Presidents João Lourenço of Angola and Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in facilitating the signing of the Memorandum.

The statement further reads that the Secretary-General stands ready to support the momentum generated through this and other initiatives to advance peace, cooperation, and integration in the region.

President Kagame and his counterpart of Uganda, Museveni signed a Memorandum of Understanding committing to regional cooperation and security promising to end political turbulence between both countries on Tuesday 21st August 2019.

The pact was signed in Luanda, Angola during a quadripartite summit bringing together the host President of Angola João Lourenço; the President of Uganda, Museveni, President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Felix Tshisekedi and President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame.

The signing was also witnessed by President Denis Sassou Nguesso of Congo Brazzaville.

It was the second quadripartite summit hosted by Angolan President; João Lourenço aimed at strengthening regional security and cooperation.

Precursors that followed the signing of agreements rose mixed reactions over Uganda’s decision to ban readership of some leading Rwanda’s online media from Rwanda.

The agreements were signed, two years after Rwanda, Uganda relations worsened.
Uganda has been deporting different Rwandans who accuse it of inhumane imprisonment and torture on false accusations by Uganda’s Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence and rebel groups against the Government of Rwanda.

Over 900 Rwandans have been reportedly detained in Uganda which saw the Government of Rwanda advising Rwandans not to travel to Uganda for their security until the situation gets back to normal.

Rwanda also accuses Uganda of conspiracy with rebel groups intending to destabilize state security.

Following the signing of the pact, Olivier Nduhungirehe, the state minister for East African Community in an interview told the media that all Rwandans who were illegally arrested in Uganda should be freed in the spirit of the agreement signed Wednesday in Angola before the government of Rwanda lifts the travel advisory on Rwandans traveling to Uganda.