Author: IGIHE

Those arrested include three, who entered into the country from Uganda through an illegal border post and two others, who had travelled to Kigali from Rusizi.

Borders are closed and no one is allowed to go or leave Rusizi and Rubavu districts, as per the government directives. Only cargo vehicles are permitted use commute to or through these districts and borders.

Meanwhile, 12 other people were arrested on Saturday for violating the curfew, with some of them found driving while drunk. Others were operating bars and those found drinking in these bars.

Vedaste Uwabarengeye, who had travelled to Kigali from Rusizi, said that in the week hours of June 13, he secretly walked to Nyamasheke from Rusizi, where he boarded a vehicle to Kigali.

“I was called by a friend, who told me that there was a job in Musanze District. I managed to get to Nyamasheke unnoticed, but I was arrested on arrival to Kigali before boarding another vehicle to Musanze,” Uwabarengeye said.

Ezra Niyonkuru, who had also travelled from Rusizi, was a taxi-moto operator in Kigali, who was in Rusizi when the country was put under lockdown in March.

In the morning of June 13, Niyonkuru was helped by a cargo truck driver, who transported him and his motorcycle to Huye District.

It’s in Huye that Niyonkuru rode his motorcycle to Kigali, where he was identified and arrested on arrival.

RNP spokesperson, CP John Bosco Kabera said that those who had travelled from Rusizi and Uganda have been isolated.

He warned against undermining the directives and derailing national efforts against the pandemic.

“No one is immune to COVID-19, be where you are supposed to be and in the right time. For those in Rusizi and Rubavu, they are required to remain in their respective homes and communities until the government directs otherwise,” CP Kabera said.

He advised Rwandans living out of the country to go through the legal border points so as to go through the medical process for Coronavirus instead of being arrested for illegal cross-border as well as putting their lives and those of others at risk.

The spokesperson also sternly warned those who operate bars in this period or those who go there to drink as well as shops which have been turned into bars.

Bars are still closed in this period of the pandemic.

He further urged the public to respect the curfew adding that 9 pm is the time to be at home but not going home.

Vedaste Hakizimana, 38, was using his shop as cover to sell cannabis to consumers.

He was arrested on Thursday after 98 pellets of cannabis were recovered from his shop located in Rusumo Cell of Gatumba Sector.

Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Bonaventure Twizere Karekezi, the Police spokesperson for the Western region, said that Hakizimana had used his shop as address for cannabis abusers.

“Residents reported Hakizimana to local leaders that he sells cannabis in his shop; local authorities in turn called the Police,” CIP Karekezi said.

“We later conducted an operation recovered the pellets in his shop, which were concealed in other goods,” he added.

“It is said that Hakizimana was a retailer of cannabis in Gatumba Sector and is connected to a ring of drug traffickers; some of them have been arrested and others still at large.”

CIP Karekezi said that there is a ring of cannabis traffickers and retailers, some of whose particulars have been discovered through information sharing with the public, including Hakizimana.

He warned that operations are continuous for any drug dealer to “face the wrath of the law.”

“The law is very clear and the punishment for engaging in drug related crimes is severe. We appeal to the public to maintain the spirit of information sharing so as to prevent such people from poisoning Rwandans and the young people in particular, who are the majority of victims,” CIP Karekezi warned.

Anyone convicted of trafficking and selling narcotic drugs faces a sentence of between 20 years and life in prison, and a fine of up to Rwf30 million, as stipulated under article 263 of the penal code.

Vedaste Hakizimana, 38, was using his shop as cover to sell cannabis to consumers.
He was arrested on Thursday after 98 pellets of cannabis were recovered from his shop located in Rusumo Cell of Gatumba Sector.

Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Bonaventure Twizere Karekezi, the Police spokesperson for the Western region, said that Hakizimana had used his shop as address for cannabis abusers.

“Residents reported Hakizimana to local leaders that he sells cannabis in his shop; local authorities in turn called the Police,” CIP Karekezi said.

“We later conducted an operation recovered the pellets in his shop, which were concealed in other goods,” he added.

“It is said that Hakizimana was a retailer of cannabis in Gatumba Sector and is connected to a ring of drug traffickers; some of them have been arrested and others still at large.”

CIP Karekezi said that there is a ring of cannabis traffickers and retailers, some of whose particulars have been discovered through information sharing with the public, including Hakizimana.

He warned that operations are continuous for any drug dealer to “face the wrath of the law.”

“The law is very clear and the punishment for engaging in drug related crimes is severe. We appeal to the public to maintain the spirit of information sharing so as to prevent such people from poisoning Rwandans and the young people in particular, who are the majority of victims,” CIP Karekezi warned.

Anyone convicted of trafficking and selling narcotic drugs faces a sentence of between 20 years and life in prison, and a fine of up to Rwf30 million, as stipulated under article 263 of the penal code.

The vehicle, plate RAC 526F Hiace was intercepted in Rugabano Sector, Gitega Cell loaded with the jerrycans of illicit drinks. Three people, who were aboard were taken into custody. The seized psychotropic substances were also disposed of.

Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Bonaventure Twizere Karekezi, the police spokesperson for the Western region identified the suspects as Damascene Niyomugabo, 29 (driver), Pascal Habineza, 34, and Hamisi Iraguha, 44.

“The suspects had ventured into this business and were collecting the illicit brew from different distillers in the area. They were at the time going to sell them to local bars located in the trading centres of Rambura, Rutovu and IDP Model Village in Kabuga, Rugabano Sector,” said CIP Karekezi.

He commended the “general sense and understanding” among the public to fight crimes and drug abuse in particular.

“These are harmful substances, seizing and destroying them is in the general interests of ensuring a healthy living, preventing other crimes these drugs bring along especially after consumption.”

The spokesperson noted that most cases of assault and domestic violence recorded are related to the consumption of such illicit substances.

All drinks with alcoholic content above 45 percent or with unknown alcoholic content are considered as a psychotropic substance.

Article 263 of Rwanda penal code stipulates that any person who, unlawfully, produces, transforms, transports, stores, gives to another or who sells narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances commits an offense, with a sentence upon conviction, ranging between seven years and life in prison, and a fine of between Rwf20 million and Rwf30 million.

This change also made Rwanda the fourteenth most peaceful country in Africa, from the 17th position in the previous report.

GPI is a peace metric produced by the Institute of Economics and Peace (IEP), a global think tank dedicated to analyzing peace and quantifying its economic benefits.
The index defines peace as the harmony achieved by the absence of violence or fear of violence.

It uses qualitative and quantitative indicators grouped into three key domains: ongoing conflict, safety and security, and militarization.

The 2020 GPI released Wednesday revealed that Rwanda performed best in militarization with a score of 1.6, ranking 34th globally; this domain includes various indicators such as military expenditure, weapon imports and armed forces rate among others.

According to the report, the economic cost of peace in Rwanda was $1.4 billion or 5 percent of its GDP.

Regionally, Rwanda is the second most peaceful country after Tanzania which has maintained the top position since 2008.

Uganda, Kenya and Burundi follow in that order.

The Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia and South Sudan came in the nine least peaceful countries in the world.

Mauritius is the most peaceful country on the continent and 23rd globally, followed by Botswana, Ghana and Zambia.

Worldwide, Iceland leads the global ranking, a position that it has held since 2008.
It is joined at the top by New Zealand, Austria, Portugal, and Denmark. Afghanistan remains as the least peaceful country, a position it has held for two years, followed by Syria, Iraq and South Sudan.

The 2020 GPI shows that the world is now less peaceful than it was in 2008. Civil unrest has doubled since 2011, writing a sustained rise which is set to worsen with the economic impact of COVID-19 take hold.

IEP says the economic downturn as a result of the pandemic pause a significant threat to peace. Many African countries are expected to face famine conditions, creating further stress in fragile populations.

However, the report notes that countries able to maintain peace have higher resilience to absorb, adapt and recover from shocks, such as COVID-19 and the ensuing recession.

The president who was participating in a virtual Africa Union meeting Thursday, where heads of task forces fighting coronavirus in different African countries exchanged views, said that the as EAC,

“We still have problems in addressing coronavirus challenges for which collective action should be sought and implemented to make sure that this problem of the pandemic is squarely defeated.”

He, however, appreciated the current cooperation among the EAC countries in getting together to prevent the spread of coronavirus but emphasized that more needs to be done in strengthening crossborder trade and assuring the health of the Community citizens.

As this month began, the governments of Rwanda, Kenya and Uganda established standard operation procedures in enabling cross-border truck drivers carry out their duties without interruption including pre-cross testing, among other interventions.

Currently, the three countries have established standards and uniform procedures in testing, sharing information and designated parking lots for trucks and drivers in transit, among other actions.

Among other standards agreed upon among the EAC, every truck driver embarking on a cross-border is tested and given a health certificate that he carries along and valid for j14 days.

Some EAC member states including Tanzania, Burundi and South Sudan have not yet joined this solidarity of testing and information sharing.