Author: John Mbaraga

The road linking four districts of Northern Province; Rulindo, Gakenke, Burera and Gicumbi is being constructed in fulfillment of President Paul Kagame which he promised when he was campaigning for the first term back in 2003, according to the Province Governor Jean-Marie Vianney Gatabazi.

The 51-kilometer road is part of 125-kilometer-road linking Northern Province and Eastern Province through northern Rwanda.

IGIHE visited the construction works for Base-Gicumbi side and contractors confirmed that in the first phase, 46 out of 50 kilometers have been completed.

The phase was expected to have been completed by August 21st 2018 at a total cost of Rwf32 billion. However, Northern Province officials say that construction process encountered different challenges including heavy rains which delayed the activities and increased the budget.

Officials assure that construction works will be completed by December 2018.

Governor Gatabazi said that the road will boost transport services of Gicumbi.

“When it is completed, it will facilitate movement from Nyagatare District in East to Musanze District in North. None will need to pass through Kigali,” he said.

Gatabazi said that they cleared queries that had been raised by residents whose activities were affected by construction works.

“Some houses were relocated and residents through whose land the road passes have been compensated and whoever will be affected will also get paid,” he added.

{{People speak}}

Northern Province residents who wanted to travel from one district to another used to pass through Kigali.

Take an example of those to or from Gicumbi-Gakenke , it used to take them around a day to reach there.

For a person who used a motor-bike, transport cost to or from Gakenke—Gicumbi used to take them Rwf15.000. Currently, it has reduced to Rwf5000.

“Currently, we are using Rwf1200 in public bus to reach Byumba and takes us two hours. I believe that the time will reduce further when the road is fully completed,” said a Burera resident.

Traders in Base Centre in Gakenke District started to reap from the benefits of the road.

They say that a commercial room which was rented at Rwf20,000 today fetches Rwf40,000 currently.

{{A pledge by President Paul Kagame}}

Gatabazi said that the road was the remaining activity to be implemented among the pledges the Head of State had promised former Byumba Prefecture in 2003 presidential elections.

“I was there when President Kagame promised residents to construct this road, Kinihira Hospital, water, electricity and schools among others. Today, a majority have been done and this road is also nearing completion,” he explained.

Road users requested investors in public transport to increase the number of public service buses on the road to ease transportation.

Adele Nyirabishyimbo said that they used to walk for three hours from Ruhunde Sector of Burera District to Byumba Hospital but today it takes them thirty minutes in a bus.

The second phase construction works from Gicumbi to Nyagatare will start in 2018/2019 fiscal year, according to CHICO, a Chinese company contracted to build the road.

Car Free Day takes place every first and third Sundays of the month, bringing together city dwellers for physical fitness exercises.

In sports on Sunday, First Lady participated in the running exercise and stretching at Rwanda Revenue Authority premises.

Last year President Paul Kagame participated in the sports event and requested city officials to increase the hours of the sports so that it continues to contribute to the health of Rwandans.

Speaking to the press, NEC Chairperson Prof. Kalisa Mbanda said that they have invited electoral observers form inside the country, the region and overseas with representatives from government institutions, civil society organisations, Forum for Political Parties in Rwanda, Embassies and Faith-based organisations’ forum among others.

“We expect as many observers as possible of who about 400 will be foreign,” he explained adding that some have confirmed their participation with more expected to confirm in the last weeks of election preparations.

Mbanda added that the report from observers helps in improvement of next electoral preparations.

Preparations for September elections continue with independent and political representatives submitting candidatures to NEC, an exercise that has been on from July 12th ending July 25th. The final list of approved candidates will be announced on August 6th.

In Rusororo Sector of Gasabo District in Kabuga trading center at an area commonly known as Gahoromani, activities to unearth remains of victims of the Genocide against the Tutsi are ongoing.

Kabuga is a developing area located 16.4 kilometers from the seat of Rwanda Parliament in Kimihurura.

Information revealed during Gacaca Courts and local residents shows that in 1994, Kabuga trading center was a killing site for Tutsi from capital city, Kigali and surrounding areas including Ruhanga, Mbandazi, Muyumbu, Ndera, Remera, Kanombe, and Masaka.

The victims were fleeing to the Eastern parts of the country while others were heading to the Capital city.

Escaping Tutsi could come across five deadly roadblocks, where they were killed and their bodies dumped into several mass graves around Kabuga trading center.

The first roadblock was in front of Gatarama’s houses. The second one was close to houses that belonged to a one Mbambanyi. The third was located along the road to Bugesera, at a place known as Kwa Mayisha who was a renowned trader and a notorious Interahamwe together with his two sons Nshimiye and Rudomoro.

At Mayisha’s home, Interahamwe carried out all forms of killings including organizing themselves before setting off to carry out killings in the surrounding areas, issuing reports of the killings and giving instructions.

The fourth roadblock was located at a place known as Kuri Kariyeri by the home of Sibomana Faustin. At this home, it is where the first mass grave was discovered in the area which consisted of remains of more than 150 genocide victims.

The fifth roadblock was situated at the road heading to Gahoromani, which was codenamed ‘CND’, it was named after the Parliamentary building before 1994. It is at this roadblock that fleeing Tutsi were intercepted and told to have been taken to ‘CND’, insinuating that it’s a safe place yet it was a site for mass murder.

According to the Executive Secretary of National Commission for the Fight Against the Genocide (CNLG), Dr. Jean Damascène Bizimana, the residents in the area say that in 1992-1993, several ditches were dug in people’s homes around ‘CND’.

“There was also a big number of Interahamwe militia members including the head of the militia in the area known as Richard who had an MRND, former ruling party’s flag always flying at his home,” he said.

Other notorious members of the militia, Bizimana said include Kibuye, Rusangiza (Mbambanyi’s son), Kajinya, Rwamuhama Selemani, Kamali Abudarahamani commonly known as Gisaka, Maguru who was a soldier, Theogene Hakizimana, Jeanne a welder, counsellor of Rusororo sector, Mwongereza Bernard and his sons Mudakemwa and Satire who were drivers of Ignace, a genocide convict who completed his sentence.

It’s Hitamungu vehicle that used to transport the militia men to kill.

“This area experienced atrocious killings due to the fact that it was home to many republican guard soldiers including Chief Warrant Officer Gasana, Corporal Nsengiyumva, and other soldiers from Kanombe Military Barracks who came to give support to killers and prominent traders including Safari Heliminigiride, John also known as Gikapu, John Nduwamungu, Phenias and Corporal, a renowned potato trader among others,” he said in a statement.

To date, 17 ditches have been identified. Of them, eleven have been dug and six are remaining.

{{Findings in dug ditches }}

In ongoing activities to unearth the remains of the genocide victims, CNLG established that in some mass graves, killers burnt the bodies of victims with acid.

Others indicate that on top of the bodies, killers piled horns and jaws of cows, placed some old vehicle spare parts on top before they sealed the graves with concrete.

In some other mass graves, victims had their heads cut off and dumped the remaining parts into the mass graves together with the weapons used like machetes. After, the mass graves would also be sealed with concrete.

In one of the mass graves, remains of children were found, an indication that killers identified children and threw them in a separate mass grave.

In all mass graves, some tools belonging to victims including their clothes were discovered and helped relatives to identify them.

{{Survivors vividly recall the murder}}

Exhumation activities in the area started in April and remains of 150 victims were given decent burial in Ruhanga Genocide Memorial Site in Rusororo Sector.

Claudine Uwizeyimana, a survivor in the area vividly recalls how the genocide was cruelly implemented and facilitated by soldiers.

In her testimony at the burial ceremony on April 15th, Uwizeyimana said that she lost 30 family members including seven blood relatives in the area.

She said that in early days of the genocide, Tutsi in the area had managed to resist attacks by Interahamwe from surrounding areas, but later on republican guard forces intervened by throwing grenades in a crowd that had sought refuge in a church before burning their bodies using petrol.

“Luckily enough, I survived the attacks but left me with wounds on head,” she recounts.

Speaking at the event on Friday, Kagame congratulated new Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) Officers who successfully completely the training adding that those who join the force are trained to face the challenges of the times including unexpected ones.

“You are given the training and knowledge to protect the sovereignty of our nation, to fight wars and keep Rwandans safe. It is an important responsibility,” he said.

He said that officers can end their career without going to the battlefield, but their responsibilities in the country continue.

He said that the army is not trained for starting wars, but to fight them back when others have launched them.

“RDF is trained and prepared to fight wars but not to start them with others. But if others make us their problem and choose to start a war with us, that is when we use judgment, determination and training to fight and finish it for them,” he noted.

The Head of State told new officers to be proud of their profession adding that it will help them build the country.

“The profession you have chosen is a great one. One you should be proud of. You can build your country and yourself the way the country and you deserve,” Kagame added.

The Training Commandant, Lt. Col. David Mutayomba said that commissioned officers graduate in the 7th intake.

He said that they started with a big number of recruits but some did not manage to complete the course due to different reasons including indiscipline, physical and mental performance which could not enable them accomplish the force’s job effectively.

The prime mission of Rwanda Military Academy in Gako is to develop young military leaders through multidisciplinary training that enables them to inspire, motivate, and effectively command men and women in times of war and peace.

The Head of State was speaking Thursday in Kigali while meeting 80 members of the Young Presidents’ Organisation (YPO) from 17 countries.

The discussions revolved around different topics including leadership, technology, fighting corruption and Rwanda’s transformation among others.

The visitors are in the country as part of the YPO Rwanda Life Changing Experience trip.

Speaking about Rwanda’s renewal journey after the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, Kagame said that the country started by investing in people, health, education, security and stability.

“The challenge for us is how do we sustain this progress. How do we reach everyone, make sure people can feed themselves and that we are getting investments that make everything sustainable. 24 years ago, life expectancy was 41 years old, now it is 67 years old. We want to sustain that, keep that as a minimum but also go beyond,” he said.

Speaking about investing in technology, Kagame said that many people considered the ambition as wrong, though it later became part of solutions to problems.

“We were asked how you can think about technology when your people don’t have food. We didn’t see technology as a burden but as a solution to problems we had,” explained.

He said that facing challenges need people not to celebrate too much but look ahead.

“When you address a challenge, don’t celebrate too much because another one is coming. That is how you keep the balance,” he urged.

Speaking about fighting corruption, the Head of State said that accountability is key towards good results. He said that they cannot allow corruption as it can give non-affordable results.

On overcoming challenges, Kagame said that when people have aspirations for tomorrow, they don’t have to be afraid, rather they should stand up and face the challenges.

On Rwanda’s transformation, he emphasized that Rwandans have left the fate behind and started new page of life.

“We have left the emergency situation behind us. We are no longer trying to survive, we are living,” he noted.

The Young Presidents’ Organization is the largest global network of business leaders with more than 24,000 members in 130 countries. The Rwanda Life Changing Experience trip will allow the 80 YPO members to visit Rwanda and learn about investing opportunities.

Mushikiwabo who is in Antananarivo, Madagascar submitted her interest to President Hery Rajaonarimampianina who is also the sitting president of the organization currently.

In Madagascar, accompanied by Donald Kaberuka, Mushikiwabo also met the Minister of Foreign Affairs Dovo Eloi Maxime and discussed the future of La Francophonie.

They also discussed the bilateral relations between Rwanda and Madagascar.

Mushikiwabo submits her candidacy, few days after she was supported by African Union Heads of States and Governments in a summit that was held in Nouakchott, Mauritania early this month.

Her candidacy was also supported by France President Emmanuel Macron in May.

On the position, Mushikiwabo is competing Canadian, Michaëlle Jean who heads the organization currently.

OIF Secretary General Elections are expected to take place in the organisation’s summit scheduled to take place on October 11th -12th in Erevan, Armenia.

Venkaiah also serves as the chairman of Rajya Sabha, the Upper House of the Parliament of India.

On twitter, Rwanda Parliament announced that both officials discussed relations of both countries.

“This meeting focused on relations between India and Rwanda. Both officials appreciated the existing political ties between the two countries and they committed to strengthen them as a basis for more economic and investment partnership,” a tweet reads.

At the meeting, both officials also signed cooperation documents between both countries’ senates.

“Makuza and Venkaiah also signed a Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation between the senate of Rwanda and the Rajya Sabha of India,” reads a tweet.

Makuza visits India when Rwanda expects India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi visit to Rwanda this month.

The Indian community in Rwanda is comprised of about 3,000 people.