Author: IGIHE

Gauthier and other 19 individuals were handed the medals by Reims Mayor, Arnaud Robinet for their role in different activities.

In 2001, Gauthier and his Rwandan wife, Dafroza Mukarumongi founded ‘the Collective of Civil Parties for Rwanda (CPCR)’ foundation with the goal of prosecuting those suspected of having participated in the genocide against the Tutsi living in France.

According to a statement released by CPCR Secretary, Gaël Faye, the medal is a mark of gratitude addressed to all members of the organization and those who support it for justice to the victims of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.

“Not to mention the lawyers who have been with us for so many years, without them, this fight could not have been possible. It is a tremendous recognition of the genocide against the Tutsi by the authorities of an important city of France,” the statement reads.

According to CPCR, since 2001 they have the goal of prosecuting without fear or favour genocide suspects living in France.

CPCR says that nearly thirty complaints were lodged on the Bureau of Investigating Judges of the Cries Against Humanity Pole of the Paris TGI. One judgment has been finalized where Captain Pascal Simbikangwa was handed 25 year for his role in the execution of genocide.

From May 2nd to July 6th, Paris court will hear the appeal trial of two former bourgmestres, Octavier Ngenzi and Tito Barahira who were sentenced in first instance to life imprisonment.

In November last year, Gauthier was awarded by President Paul Kagame with National Order of Friendship Medal (Igihango).

Belgian author of “Paul Kagame, un de Gaulle africain”, Philippe Lardinois has said Paul Kagame’s prowess inspired him to write the book which likens Rwanda’s President with former French President Charles de Gaule who is credited for building up the greatness of France.

Scholar and lawyer Lardinois published the 144-page book about the two Statesmen and army Generals in October last year, describing both as men of character, who never give up in hard times and strived for dignity of their respective nations.

The author of the book, loosely translated as “”Paul Kagame, an African de Gaulle”, wonders why can’t Kagame legacy be a model for African politicians as is Gaullist legacy among French and other European politicians. Lardinois says the phenomenal book has been brought closer to Rwandans, being available in Librairie Ikirezi Bookshop in Kigali.

In an interview with IGIHE, Lardinois elaborated on his inspiration for writing the book, similarities in character of the two Statesmen and what, he thinks, can improve Franco-Rwanda diplomatic relations. Below are excerpts:

{{Would you tell us what inspired you to write the book “Paul Kagame, un de Gaulle africain”? }}

The idea of writing this book came to me five years ago when I read books about General de Gaulle. What struck me at de Gaulle was, on one hand, the refusal of renunciation in extreme circumstances; we must remember the extent of the defeat of the French army in June 1940, and on the other hand, his fundamental attachment to the greatness of France. These are the two fundamental principles that marked the conduct and action of the General.

These two fundamental principles are found with Paul Kagame, the greatness of France being, of course, replaced by the dignity of the Rwandan people. I will add that both men share the same concern for efficiency and effectiveness. De Gaulle wanted “That it works!” The result was essential to him. I think for Kagame too, it has to work. Objectives must be achieved and if they are not, the strategy must be modified.

{{How long did it take you to write this book?
}}
It took me three years, considering that I was not working full time on this project. Initially, I was not sure that it would succeed. I started writing and as I progressed, I realised that my initial intuition made sense. For the record, before I started writing this book, I spoke to a Rwandan friend who lived in Belgium for a long time. He told me that he had the same intuition. He encouraged me to continue and was my first reader.

{{What do you find the two men have in common? Is it a military discipline or a vision for the destiny of their respective nations?
}}
It is obvious that they have in common military discipline and a vision for the destiny of their respective nations. They are also two men of character, in the Gaullist sense of the term, animated by unwavering determination. They do not give up. In very difficult circumstances, they do not shake, they face events.

{{Can we compare the circumstances that led these two Statesmen to power and their leadership, despite the decades that separate them?
}}
Yes, to the extent that both are certainly Statesmen, but they are more than that, they are great men. Initially, their ambition is not to become Statesmen. Both are first and foremost military. These are the events that will change their destiny because they will have the right attitude in very difficult circumstances. They will have the courage to make the choices and make the decisions that are necessary but that frighten others at the risk of their lives. That’s why they reach the top and become great men. It’s very rare.

De Gaulle is considered, rightly, as the most illustrious of the French. Who can compete with him in the history of France? They are not very numerous. I think we can say the same thing about Paul Kagame despite the criticism of his fierce critics. You know, de Gaulle was very seriously described as a dictator by François Mitterrand. It seems so ludicrous today.

{{How do you rate Paul Kagame’s chances of succeeding in his ambition for the advent of an autonomous, strong and dignified Africa?
}}
This is a very difficult question because there are so many hazards. Being President of the African Union is not the same thing as being President of Rwanda. Kagame cannot and does not want to replace the leaders of other African countries. He always explains, rightly, that it is not up to him to tell them how to do it, but he can tell them that the new Rwanda is proof that it is possible as long as we have the will and perseverance.

There is no inevitability for Africa, I am convinced, but leaders must first consider the development of their country and be exemplary. This is also true for Western leaders. On this question, de Gaulle was intractable both for himself and his ministers.

{{With regard to these two Statesmen and the fundamental principles guiding them, you wrote “respect and dignity were not negotiable”, could you elaborate on this?
}}
The respect of a nation and the dignity of a people are principles on which we can never surrender. On June 18, 1940, de Gaulle launched his famous call to continue the fight precisely because he refuses the enslavement of the French nation (by Nazi Germans). Returning to power in 1958, he will be particularly attentive and attached to the respect of France at the international level. Paul Kagame is also uncompromising on these principles and he reminds every Rwandan that he must never be put down.

This requirement of respect and affirmation of dignity are essential for peoples who have undergone colonisation characterised by the fact that the great democratic principles, and especially that of the equal dignity of human beings, were trampled underfoot by the very people who claimed them. Today, it requires those nations which have become independent to refuse that the old colonial powers arrogate to themselves the right to deliver them, directly or indirectly, with the satisfaction of good governance, good democratic evolution, etc. The time of neo-colonialism is over.

{{As the author of this book, how do you perceive the current political opposition against Paul Kagame, especially in the Diaspora?
}}
First of all, I want to make it clear that the good functioning of democracy requires political pluralism and, by necessity, the existence of an opposition. In this regard, things can improve in Rwanda. That means, the opposition must be credible and constructive. Opposition by principle or resentment is stupid and without interest. The opposition must have as objectives the development of the country, the economic and social well-being of its inhabitants, stability and security. It must therefore explain how it could do better than the power in place. I do not feel that this is really the main concern of the current opposition within the Diaspora. Its only speech is to vilify Paul Kagame without any consideration of the successes of his reconstruction policy. For the rest, it is demagogic and partly revanchist. I fear that if this opposition were to come to power, the country would regress considerably in every point of view.

{{Relations between France and Rwanda have strained since 1994. In your opinion, what concessions should each of the two states make to break the deadlock?
}}
It is necessary, first of all, that France as a State make her mea culpa and acknowledge her mistakes and errings. In any case, sooner or later, the documents classified as defence secrets will speak. We can hope that President Macron will be up to the task in this respect. On the Rwandan side, I do not see what concessions there should be.

“The Advisory Board oversees the most important academic relationships of eLearnAfrica, including the Association of African Universities (AAU) and the Association of Arab Universities (AArU),” notes a statement from the company announcing Lwakabamba’s new responsibilities.

Lwakabamba said he is honoured by the opportunity, “The organisation is dedicated to providing solutions to the difficult issues faced by our universities. I am confident that our students will greatly benefit from the opportunity to study degree programs online. I am very excited to support this important work,”

The eLearnAfrica online educational platform offers an array of opportunities to African students at every stage of higher education and career development. It is accessible through desk-tops, as well as mobile devices.

Lwakabamba studied engineering at the University of Leeds in England, where he was awarded a Ph.D. in 1975. He then returned to Tanzania, where he joined the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Dar es Salaam, attaining professorship in 1981, and later rising to the post of Dean of the Faculty.

In 1997, he became the founding Rector of Rwanda’s Kigali Institute of Science and Technology now University of Rwanda College Science and Technology, and in 2006, he was appointed the Rector of former National University of Rwanda, the largest public institution of higher learning in the country.

He occupied this position until his appointment in February 2013 as Minister of Infrastructure. He also served as the Minister of Education from July 2014 until June 24, 2015, when he transitioned to become the Rector of University of Kibungo (UNIK).

Early last year, eLearnAfrica entered into a partnership the AAU to provide eLearnAfrica’s services to AAU member universities.

The agreement was intended to help African universities take advantage of the tools and delivery platform of the eLearnAfrica portal and mobile application for expanding educational opportunities.
The organisations sought to benefit approximately 10 million students across Africa.

In 2016, the company partnered with the Zambian Open University (ZAOU) with the expectation to double the number of students registering in 2017.

Bellomo took over the docket replacing Michael Ryan who was representing the union in Rwanda in the last four years.

Speaking in an interview with the local TV Station, Flash TV, Bellomo discussed his agenda for strengthening EU partnership with Rwanda, expectations about President Paul Kagame as the Chairman of African Union and African migrants problem, among other topics. Below are the excerpts.

{{What was your first impression in Rwanda?}}

As you have mentioned, I’m the new EU Ambassador in the country and I have recently arrived in Rwanda. I was privileged to present my letters of credence to his excellence President Paul Kagame recently. I am new in the country but I would say that I am not new in the region and the continent, so I am very much aware of issues concerning this country.

I must say that I’m really impressed by the sense of purpose that I see in the country. When I look at ambitions and development strategies and the vision behind these development strategies, my initial feeling is that this is real shared vision and the implementation is something that is taken with a serious level.

I can also appreciate the order and the cleanliness in this town. It is something which is exciting to external visitor and this again I understand it is the commitment of all citizens in contributing to this state of the city.

{{What will be your focus in terms of relationship and partnership?}}

The nature of our relations is quite wide and of course we look at bilateral relations, but we look at regional and continental relations, this is quite relevant at this very moment.

I would like to congratulate again President Kagame on the changes in the African Union. I think that continental relations are on our agenda and we have a lot of expectations in the leadership of President Kagame in EU-AU relations.

When it comes to bilateral relations, as EU is contributing to ambitions and development objectives of the country, we are investing quite a lot in our partnership focused on agriculture and energy infrastructure, so we will continue of course to support this process and at the same time beyond our development systems, we also engage in politics of the country which is also the opportunity to address wide range of issues which is of course relevant to the country, but also relevant as the country and the EU and our member states are part of what we call the international community.

As member of the international community, we have from both sides taken some commitments in some international treaties and conventions and we are also open to this horizontal one way sort of dialogue, so, we are ready to engage in constructive and respectful way in order to address a number of issues in full respect of laws and responsibilities but again as responsible partners and members of international community.

{{What do you expect from President Paul Kagame during his chairmanship in African Union?}}

Well, this shared opinion of continental organization is a huge potential. We, as European Union, went a long way when it comes to regional integration and the creation of what we call European Inter market which involves the free movement of people, goods and services and we see the potential of regional and continental integration in Africa. So, of course in order to stir this process you need strong and credible institutions, now, there has been a lot of progress, efforts and investments including the AU.

In order to generate that kind of work engagement at the AU level, then President Kagame is being tasked to chair a special task force to look at possible institutional reform of the organization, we hope that he will be able to push forward and move forward and speed up the implementation and the agreement on this reform agenda which again will impact on the relations of African Union and develop the rest of the international community and with our case as EU.

As European Union, I am also personally experienced to this process, I’ve been recently involved in the Heads of State and Governments AU summit which is being an element to this partnership. I hope we will be able to deliver in the near future and also for Rwanda to take advantage of this continental partnership.

We know exactly the challenges, we don’t say is an easy process also considering the number of states in the African Union. We appreciate the complicity of this process and at the same time we are fully aware of the potential of this process, so our hope is, it will be the light and the African internally economic space, so we sincerely hope that this process will move forward.

Considering the bilateral relations of continent to continent, what do you think can be done to harness opportunities which are there to have a win-win partnership between AU and EU?

What we are really doing at this very moment is to move away from that old style ‘donor recipient logic’. You have mentioned win-win partnership and strong political partnership, so, this is what we are really aiming at the very moment and I think that all the conditions are there for this partnership to deliver interests of African citizens but also to the European citizens.

There are a number of opportunities in trade, security and stable Africa. This means something for Europe and stable Europe means something for Africa, there are endless opportunities for us to strengthen and develop this partnership.

Trade is the most visible one because is in some areas of the continent but hopefully this will develop also in this region, we are developing new generation of trade agreement that will allow not only facilitating the exports from African countries to the EU to have duty free access, but also to promote and facilitate the import from the European Union and the complementarity among what is exported, what is imported is likely to play a very big role to the development of the country.

In industrialisation, investors are likely to come here, these days they need to pay a lot of taxes, duties, but if we go ahead with this new generation of agreement it would be easier for investor to decide to invest in any African country because the cost of investment will be reduced because of this trade regime.

{{Is European Union feeling concerned with the issue of African migrants?}}

Yes, definitely. This issue is on top of our Agenda. We are looking at comprehensive solutions and the shared solutions. This being said I think that human impact on this phenomenon is costing a lot of life and this is unacceptable in these days; so we are doing our best to address the root cause of this migration issue by trying to promote investment, to create good conditions in the country of origins to avoid this situation.

We are also working on partnership with different countries and regions but also with the UN systems where we are developing a sort of triangular cooperation between AU, UN and EU to also address the traffic dimension, monitor and to sanction this whenever it’s needed.

Once again, our main objective beyond everything to saving the lives of people trying to go in different countries is to address the root causes, let’s not look at the fact that majority of migrants remains in Africa, they move from one country to another, there is internal displacement of people mainly for crisis.

So, we need to have a shared approach which is not EU to work on something or an African country or other development partners or other members of the international community. I strongly feel that this is something that need to be addressed together.

We cannot find solutions on our own; this requires collective and strong commitment of countries and political will of leaders in order to address this situation. I must say that we appreciate strong commitment of African leaders to address this issue and that Rwanda has announced that she will play a special role to this process and we are ready to explore any opportunity to support, to accompany and to advise into this process, but once again it is not a single state or a single entity that can address this issue.

Uwihanganye was speaking to the media yesterday in Rubavu shortly after the meeting that he held with families that will be affected by the airport expansion activities.

He told the media that the airport will be expanded to the international level with capacity to receive big aircrafts.

“We are planning to start expansion works with the next national budget opening in July. We need to make it regional airport that is able to receive big airplanes such as Boeing and Airbus. We shall expand tracks from where planes take off,” he said.

He explained that they expect to have finalised construction works by 2021 and start to use it by receiving and flying big airplanes from inside the country and the region.

The compensation of properties in the space in which the airport will be expanded, officials have pledged that payment process will be done by August.

“People yet to be compensated are 97, but others have been paid. For those remaining, we are still processing the payment and all will be done by August,” said Rubavu District Mayor, Gilbert Habyarimana.

Gisenyi airport is currently receiving small planes only belonging to the national career, RwandAir.

The Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund will be a permanent, specially designed facility for scientists who are helping to save one of the world’s most at-risk species.

The developments were announced as DeGeneres received a stunning 60th birthday surprise from her wife, actress Portia de Rossi, a gift she said is an incredible support for building the facility in Rwanda. De Rossi surprised DeGeneres, whose birthday was January 26th, during a taping of The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

“I’ve always been passionate about helping animals,” DeGeneres said. “These gorillas are so incredible and so closely linked to us, sharing 98 percent of our DNA. There are only 880 of these majestic creatures left on this planet. I’m beyond excited to get to work with the Fossey Fund to support their work and help protect these amazing animals.”

Rwanda has welcomed the gorilla conservation boost with Clare Akamanzi, the CEO of RDB tweeting, “The Rwanda Development Board welcomes this excellent conservation initiative. We will support the Ellen DeGeneres Wildlife Fund to meet its objectives in Rwanda. Welcome!”

DeGeneres has always said the person she would most like to interview would be Dian Fossey was she alive.

As a girl, DeGeneres devoured every word of a January 1970 cover story on Fossey in National Geographic that detailed how she set up a research camp in the Virunga Mountains of Rwanda in 1967.

Fossey, who named the camp Karisoke, immediately began studying several dozen gorillas, devoting her life to research on their behalf. Karisoke has since become the world’s centrepiece for gorilla research and conservation, producing much of the scientific knowledge about this species.

While not yet finalised, plans for the Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund currently call for a multi-acre project in shadow of Fossey’s beloved Volcanoes National Park.

The campus will help expand science, research and conservation activities; enhance educational programs; and engage people from Rwanda and the world to join the effort on behalf of wild gorillas. Its design will include laboratories, classrooms, meeting space, an interactive exhibit focusing on Fossey’s work, and housing for visiting researchers and students.

“Fossey Fund leaders are currently exploring funding options for the rest of the project, which not only will build on our successful fieldwork, but also will strengthen our deep connection to Rwanda as we train the next generation of African conservationists,” reads the statement.

The campus will support the Rwandan government’s strategic priorities, serving as an important hub for the newly established Centre for Excellence in Biodiversity Conservation and Natural Resource Management.

MASS Design Group, which has offices in Boston and Kigali, Rwanda, is designing the campus using sustainable architecture, local resourcing, and environmentally responsible practices.

Fossey started wildlife exploration in Africa in 1963 and later settled in Rwanda’s volcanoes where she was murdered in 1985 from her mountain cabin at the camp but her work continued through the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, which was established by Fossey herself to raise money to support her conservation efforts.