Author: IGIHE

Nyamvumba tips regional senior officers on peace keeping operations

Nyamvumba was speaking yesterday in Kigali while presiding over the opening of two-week long course on ‘Genocide, Mass Atrocity Crimes and Transitional Justice in Peace Support Operations’.

The course is being attended by 24 military and Police officers as well as civilians from Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Ghana and Zambia.

The training was organised by the Rwanda Peace Academy and funded by the British government through its subsidiary organisation, the British Peace Support Team (BPST).

Nyamvumba said that the Rwanda Peace Academy provides a unique and contextual environment to learn about Genocide, Mass Atrocity crimes and Transitional Justice in Peace Support Operations.

“As future peacekeepers, you will be expected to provide advice on the measures to prevent genocide and mass atrocity crimes. You will also be expected to contribute to capacity development of judicial institutions and mechanisms particularly those of the Host Nations,” he said

He also cautioned course participants on the nature of contemporary peace keeping operations.

“I wish, however, to caution you on the nature of contemporary peacekeeping operations. They function in constantly changing and unpredictable environments with different actors characterised by different and sometimes conflicting interests. Cooperation and engagement with the host government and the opposing party or parties is sometimes not forthcoming. In addition, members of the local population and international community usually have high expectations in peacekeepers both in the protection of civilians, and in administration of justice. This course is therefore important and relevant,” he added.

He told course participants that violence against civilians, war crimes, mass atrocity crimes and crimes against humanity are probably as old as war itself.

Citing examples of Syria, Iraq and some African countries, Nyamvumba said that human atrocities continue to occur in many parts of the world and on a daily basis.

“Violence against civilians and in particular, women and children continues to characterise a number of peacekeeping missions despite many of them having protection of civilian’s mandate,” he said.

The former Force Commander of UN Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, retired Lt Gen Romeo Dallaire is participating in the training.

October 11, 2017
WISeKey and Microsoft collaborate to support Rwandan Government make secure transactions using Blockchain Technology

This solution incorporates WISeKey’s identity management capabilities with Microsoft Azure Blockchain capabilities to enable secure transactions, digital authentication and legally binding signatures – all aligned to the Rwandan Government’s Blockchain project.

The objective is to bring the Rwandan government and its private sector closer to realising the benefits of digital transformation with a more open, transparent and publicly verifiable system that will fundamentally change the way value-exchange, assets, enforcement of contracts, and sharing of data across industries will be experienced.

The Rwandan Blockchain project which was established earlier this year in partnership with WISeKey’s Blockchain Centre of Excellence aims to position the country as a key player in digital transformation by providing citizens and businesses access to policy, technical and business expertise which ultimately aims to facilitate growth in the country.

In the first phase, the Rwanda Land Registry will be digitised to ensure control of authenticity. Using WISeKey’s WiseID suite of mobile applications – a secure semiconductor solution – the system will digitally store necessary data to enable authenticity of identification and the validation of assets. Applying Azure’s capabilities will ensure that all personal data is protected and secured.

This solution will benefit the Government of Rwanda and any future Microsoft Azure and WISeKey client leveraging a broad portfolio of familiar and security-enhanced software, partner solutions, devices and services.

Microsoft has long been committed to enabling both the public and private sectors of the African continent to digitally transform. Becoming a technology partner to WISeKey’s solution seems to be a natural fit. Microsoft believes this collaboration will enable them to be a part of a solution that will facilitate private and public collaboration in Rwanda.

“We are delighted to form this new partnership with Microsoft by combining our technology to provide trusted blockchain solutions. This will cover technology gaps in the private and public blockchain infrastructure for enterprise and governmental projects, facilitate secure transactions and also verify the identity of the parties participating in these transactions, said Carlos Moreira, Founder and CEO of WISeKey.

“Microsoft is proud to be WISeKey’s technology partner of choice. We trust this solution will bring the Rwandan government and its private sector closer to realising the benefits of digital transformation with a more open, transparent, and publicly verifiable system that will fundamentally change the way value-exchange, assets, enforcement of contracts, and sharing of data across industries will be experienced,” said Dr. Ashraf Abdelwahab, Chief Technical Officer, Microsoft 4Afrika.

October 11, 2017
RDF gets new spokesperson

Lt Col Munyengango was appointed on 26th September 2017, but officially started the job this Tuesday.

Speaking to the media Lt Col Munyengango said that he will serve properly as his predecessors did.

“I will start from my predecessors’ good successes like working closely with media and linking population with the army. I will do all my best to promote cooperation with population we serve” he said.

Prior to new appointment, Munyengango worked in different positions including Logistics Officer in RDF’s Air Force and an instructor at Nyakinama Military Academy.
Munyengango also commanded a troop 165 of RDF’s Air Force soldiers that were on peace keeping mission under UNAMISS in South Sudan. The troop started their mission in August 2016.

Brig Gen Ferdinand had been the RDF acting spokesperson from 17th July 2017 replacing Lt Col René Ngendahimana who retired from service.

October 11, 2017
11 envoys present credentials to Kagame

Among presented their credentials to president Kagame include Bishop Andrzej Jozwowicz, the Vatican’s envoy to Rwanda.

Jozwowicz promised to strengthen bilateral relations with Rwanda’s Catholic Church to promote reconciliation and general development.

He said that he’s committed to help Catholic Church write new history of partnership with the government as Pope Francis promised president Kagame during his visit to Vatican early this year.

“To the best of my ability, I will help the Church to take forward this cooperation especially reconciliation. We will do our best in both spiritual and economic development,” he said.

Other ambassadors presented their credentials are AnvireDjabia Joachim from Ivory Coast, Yevhenii Tsymbaliuk from Ukraine, Raza Bashir Tarar from Pakistan, Antonio Louis Pubillones Izaguirre from Cuba, Elizabeth Taylor from Colombia, Benson Keith Chali from Zambia,
Benoit Ryelandt from Belgium, Elman Abdullayev from Azerbaijan, Oliver Wonekha from Uganda and Adamu Onoze Shuaibu from Nigeria.

Ukraine’s Ambassador to Rwanda, Yevhenii Tsymbaliuk, pledged to promote bilateral relations between both countries, be in trade, investment and education.

He promised to share with Rwanda expertise in Agriculture especially in wheat, Maize and Horticulture farming.

Tsymbaliuk will have his residence in Nairobi, Kenya. He is the first Ukraine’s ambassador to Rwanda.

Cuba’s Ambassador, Antonio Louis Pubillones Izaguirre said that his country wishes to contribute to Rwanda’s development.

Speaking to the media, Ivory Coast’s Ambassador to Rwanda Anvire Djabia Joachim said that both countries are prepared to extend cooperation in terms of trade, culture, tourism and education among others.

“We already have RwandAir’s f lights to Cotonou via Abidjan. We need to extend partnership in knowledge and culture,” Anvire said.

October 10, 2017
Rwamagana teacher appointed to FAWE Africa General Assembly

At 31, Uwizi hiwe is the youngest ever member to be appointed to join the assembly.

The organisation’s members include female ministers of education, university vice-chancellors, education policy-makers, researchers, gender specialists and human rights activists

Uwizihiwe, also a former student of FAWE Girls’ School, teaches at Luther School, Rwamagana.

She went through former Kigali Institute of Education, now University of Rwanda College of Education where she obtained a degree in education.

During her education journey Uwizihiwe used to advocate for promotion of girls’ education as their brothers’.

Uwizihiwe is also among founders of FAWE Rwanda organization.

Speaking to IGIHE, Uwizihiwe said that after founding the Rwanda’s organisation, they combined efforts and started to advocate for female children who had no access to education.

“We started different activities like assisting street children, advocating for female children and visiting victims of gender based violence among other activities,” she said.

Over her passion to combine all activities with teaching, Uwizihiwe was invited by FAWE Africa in a meeting that took place in Zambia on 23rd August 2017.

She says that she left a good image of the country. In the meeting, she was an interpreter in secondary school Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) competition organized on the sidelines of the meeting where ten countries participated.

{{Entering in FAWE Africa General Assembly}}

The mother of three says that her advocacy for women in the meeting is the reason behind being named the member of the organization at continent level.

Uwizihiwe says that she will not leave her teaching job as a career that enables her interact with Rwandan youth that she want to prioritize in advocacy.

“Indeed I was surprised but later realized that I deserve the appointment. I will work hard to represent my country because I am selected among more than 30 member countries,” she added.

October 10, 2017
Tigo Rwanda powers Live2Lead 2017 Simulcast

The Live2Lead 2017 is an annual leadership training livestreamed from Atlanta, U.S.A, that hosts world-renowned leadership expert John C. Maxwell as well as other leaders including Dave Ramsey, Cheryl Bachelder, Don Yaeger and Warrick Dunn. The annual event’s simulcast is broadcast to 300 licensed venues in 32 countries. Rwanda was once again one of few countries in Africa streaming the leadership training.

“Tigo Rwanda was delighted to work with Solutions Africa in delivering seamless connectivity for the yearly Live2lead simulcast. With this digital initiative Tigo Rwanda is further cementing its reputation as a highly reliable technology partner for large scale events of all sorts. Working in partnership with the public and private sector, we are committed to demonstrating the endless digital possibilities that exist”, said AmitChawla, the Chief Business officer of Tigo.

Lauding Tigo Rwanda’s stable high-speed internet that made the simulcast possible as well as its business partnership, Julius Lukwago, CEO of Solutions Africa, the company licensed to deliver the event, said “We thank Tigo for powering the event, and for once again demonstrating the power of internet in creating opportunities for learning, training, and for business”.

October 10, 2017
Study on new minimum wage policy in final stages

The move was announced Monday while unveiling findings of Labor Force Survey conducted by the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR).

Statistics show that 84% of people eligible to work already have jobs. The survey points out that the government still uses labor law of 1974 determining Rwf100 for every employee per day.

The law has been criticized by different non-government organizations advocating for rights of employees saying that the cost of living is very high and doesn’t match the current salary policy.

Kayirangwa told the media that wage policy reform discussions were held and completed.

“Restructuring was completed; we are waiting for the completion of new labor law and consider policies in setting up minimum wage” Kankindo said

October 10, 2017
Rusizi heavy rains kill two, sweep 50 houses

The dead child has been identified as Chance Niyokwizera while the old woman has not been identified. ?Speaking to IGIHE, the executive secretary of Bugarama Sector confirmed the tragedy saying that the violent rains also damaged different properties.

“It rained around 1:30 pm on Monday. Two other people sustained injuries and are hospitalized at Bugarama Islamic Health Center,” he said.

In Muganza sector, a total of 50 houses were destroyed.

October 10, 2017
RDB-tourism targets $800 million by 2024

According to the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), tourism receipts register an annual growth of 10% but the target is to increase the growth rate to 25%.

The Chief Tourism Officer at RDB, Belise Kariza says that Tourism in Rwanda is making this long jump in a short spell of time because of the explicit policies and approaches initiated and consistently nurtured, implemented with diligence and, where need be, adjusted to guarantee the harvesting of best possible results.

She says they are putting in place strategies that will attract more visitors, receipts, high value tourism products and, eventually, double by 2024.

“We need to position Rwanda as the international tourism destination of choice,” she said.

“The first system is to understand how foreigners perceive us, do they perceive us only as a country that passed through the genocide or they know something else?” she added.

That positioning will go hand in hand with promoting the country using social media platforms as they connect billions of people across the World. Other activities will include developing touristic sites, and investing more efforts in different tourist attractions across the country.

“We shall implement Kivu Belt master plan by promoting investment in that region. The areas surrounding Kivu Lake will be the model of tourism activities,” she said.

“We shall also highlight good service delivery as well as proper monitoring of tourism sector in the country. Two months ago, we started providing operational certificates to institutions offering tourism services in Rwanda to create a clear working vision,” she added.

The revenue sharing scheme will also be enhanced by distributing 10% of tourism revenues to support community projects around National Parks. RDB will continue with sensitizing people about the importance of sustainable biodiversity,

October 10, 2017
Mushikiwabo receives copies of credence letters from Envoys

Mushikiwabo assured them support in promoting cooperation.

“I wish you success in your assignments. I assure you support to upgrade bilateral relations and promote cooperation” reads Ministry’s twitter account.

All five envoys had been admitted by different Cabinet Meetings.
Envoys that presented their copies of credence letters are of Ukraine, Colombia, Azerbaijan, Pakistan and Nigeria.

The extra-ordinary meeting of 3rd November, 2015 approved Ambassador Yevhenii Tsymbaliuk to represent Ukraine in Rwanda with residence in Nairobi, Kenya. The Cabinet Meeting of 9th December approved Ambassador Elizabeth Taylor to represent Columbia in Rwanda with residence in Nairobi Kenya.

The Cabinet Meeting of 26th May, 2017 approved Ambassador Elman Abdullayev to represent Azerbaijan in Rwanda with residence in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and the Cabinet Meeting of 8th December, 2015 approved Ambassador Raza Bashir Tarar to represent Pakistan in Rwanda with residence in Nairobi.

Mushikiwabo also received copies of credence letters from Ambassador Adamu Onoze Shuaibu to represent Nigeria in Rwanda with residence in Kigali. Shuaibu had been approved by the cabinet meeting of 12nd September, 2017.

October 10, 2017