Author: Nicole Kamanzi Muteteri

{Remains of over 5000 victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi have been exhumed in a 24.6 meter-deep mass grave in Kiziguro sector of Gatsibo district.}

The activity carried out by Gatsibo district in partnership with IBUKA (umbrella organization of genocide survivors) lasted over one month from 12th October was completed on 18th November 2020.

The President of IBUKA in Gatsibo district, Sibomana Jean Népomucène has told IGIHE that it was a difficult activity that bulldozers were utilized to exhume remains in the mass grave.

“As we exhumed remains, we reached a rocky- surface. We were obliged to utilize a bulldozer to exhume remains from the 24.6 deep-meter mass grave. We estimate the number of remains to be over 5000. Some of them have been damaged; others mixed with soil that it is not easy to precise the exact figure,” he said.

Sibomana revealed that they are spraying chemicals especially on damaged remains to ensure safety of people cleaning them.

“We will concurrently cleaning clothes and remains and hope to have completed the new memorial under construction at the beginning of the next commemoration period in April where we will lay them decently,” he noted.

Sibomana appealed on people to reveal whereabouts more victims are dumped to accord them decent burial and soothe relatives’ hearts.

He explained that they are negotiating with families who laid 253 remains of relatives at homes in Bugarura of Remera sector so that they can be relocated to the decent memorial being constructed.

Kiziguro memorial being upgraded is home to 142,000 remains of genocide victims killed in former Commune Murambi.

Jean Baptiste Gatete, the mayor of former Murambi commune who was behind the killings of Tutsis in the area was convicted and handed 40-year sentence which he is serving in Arusha.

“The death of former president Pierre Buyoya is confirmed. There is no more doubt,” head of information and communications division at the office of Burundi’s President Willy Nyamitwe said in a tweet.

A relative of Buyoya, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Reuters Buyoya had died on Thursday en route to Paris for medical treatment. She did not give any further details.

Buyoya served as president for 13 years in total during two stints, from 1987-1993 and from 1996-2003.

In October, he was convicted in absentia by the Supreme Court for the killing of Melchior Ndadaye, the country’s first democratically elected president, whose death in 1993 after just three months in office triggered a 10-year civil war which claimed at least 300,000 lives.

From 2012, Buyoya served as the African Union’s envoy for Mali and the Sahel region but he resigned in November.

Buyoya first took power in 1987, ousting president Jean-Baptiste Bagaza in a coup, but lost an election in June, 1993 to Ndadaye.

Three years later, he mounted another military coup to regain power.

Germain Ntigurirwa, 39, was at the time transporting the minerals on a motorcycle RF 940I, which was also impounded. The minerals had just been smuggled into Rwanda from the neighbouring Uganda, through an illegal border point in Gikunyu Village, Nyagatabire Cell in Musheri Sector.

Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Hamdun Twizeyimana, the Police spokesperson for the Eastern region, said that Ntigurirwa was seen and reported by a resident of the borderline village of Gikunyu, who got suspicious after seeing him loading a sack on a motorcycle.

The suspect hails from Kayonza District, Kabarondo Sector in Kabarondo Cell, Munini Village.

“Following a phone call by a suspicious and vigilant resident, Police tracked and arrested Ntigurirwa at about 5pm. After a thorough search, they found that the sack he was transporting contained cassiterite minerals weighing 170kgs,” said CIP Twizeyimana.

Following his arrest, Ntigurirwa disclosed that he normally buys the minerals from another illegal dealer in Uganda.

He disclosed that he wires the money by phone before his supplier finds a way to smuggle the equivalent quantity of minerals across into Rwanda at an agreed point, where he collects them.

“We have established that this was the third time he has received the minerals in a similar setting, and sells them to a registered dealer in Kigali,” CIP Twizeyimana said.

Ntigurirwa has since been handed over to RIB at Musheri station.

The spokesperson thanked the resident who exercised the community policing rights to report the unlawful act, and called upon the general public to always share informatiom about anything suspicious.

Article 54 of the law on mining and quarry operations, states that; “any person, who undertakes mineral or quarry exploration, exploitation, processing or trading without a licence commits an offence.”

Upon conviction, the offender is liable to imprisonment for a term of between two and six months and a fine of not less than Rwf1 million and not more than Rwf5 million or only one of these penalties.

The court also orders confiscation of any seized minerals or quarry in storage, trading or processing without a license.

According to information from MINAFFET’s twitter account, the occasion was an opportunity to discuss ways to further strengthen bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

Rwanda and Senegal enjoy strong relations rooted on brotherhood between President Paul Kagame and his counterpart, Macky Sall.

Senegal accommodates many Rwandans for education or other purposes for the past 40 years.

Since 2016, RwandAir launched flights to various destinations of Western Africa including Cotonou, Abidjan, Douala and Dakar inn Senegal among others.

Rwanda is represented by Amb Karabaranga Jean Pierre in Senegal.

Besides being exactly where the Congo Nile trail begins, in its proximity, one of Africa’s oldest rainforest ‘Nyungwe National Park’ is found. In addition to that, you can spot the plush Green Hills Tea Estate and its factory Shagasha, Cyamudongo Chimp’s Forest, Mashyuza Hotsprings, the Bugarama Valley amongst other attractions.

Emeraude Kivu Resort welcomes you to a fresh and unique atmosphere from its mixture of African and contemporary decor to its rooms and facilities. The rooms vary in size with the view of a lush and well-maintained garden and the majestic Lake Kivu.

If you allow it to brag, the hotel has a spa—Sauna, Steamer and Massage Room—indoor and outdoor restaurant and bar, a fitness centre and conference rooms, all to compliment your stay. Whether you wish to wind down and relax, or simply need to work in a charming and cosy place, t Emeraude Kivu Resort offers it all.

And that’s not all!

Among the activities that you can do while in your touristic stay at the hotel includes Nyungwe Forest National Park and Tea Garden’s tourism, bird-watching, Bugarama Hot Spring, Kamembe City Tour, Lake Kivu “Singing Fishermen” Experience, Hiking Trails, Cyamudongo Chimps Experience, Canopy Walkway, Nkombo Island and Gihaya Island visit, and more!

Suppose you book at least 2 nights from the 23rd December 2020 to the 3rd of January 2021 the hotel has a Christmas Promo of 30% off on all its regular prices for individuals, 35% and 40% for a group of five (5) and ten (10) people respectively. No wonder it’s one of the partners in “A Traveler’s Story” contest. They are also offering a two-night stay full board for the winners, they genuinely care about Rwanda tourism and the travellers!

So, welcome to Emeraude Kivu Resort! A perfect venue for a comfortable stay, nature experiences, business meetings, training workshops and really amazing views of Rwanda.

The statement released last night shows that new cases were found in Kigali: 36, Huye: 17, Musanze: 13, Rubavu: 5, Burera: 1, Muhanga: 1, Nyanza: 1, Nyamagabe: 1, Gicumbi: 1, Kayonza: 1 and Nyagatare: 1.

Rwanda confirmed the first COVID-19 patient on 14th March 2020. As of today, 7032 people have been tested positive out of 679,132 sample tests of whom 6089 have recovered, 886 are active cases while 57 have succumbed to the virus.

MoH figures indicate that the prevalence of recoveries, deaths and new cases respectively stands at 86.5%, deaths at 0.8% and 2.5%.

Coronavirus symptoms include coughing, flu, and difficulty in breathing. The virus is said to be transmitted through the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract.

Rwandans are urged to adhere to COVID-19 health guidelines, washing hands frequently using soaps and safe water, wearing face masks and respecting social distancing.

The Director General of Rwanda Land Management and Use Authority (RLMUA), Esperance Mukamana has explained that Rwanda has no gain in taking over people’s land and encouraged them to rush for registration.

“The Government has nothing to gain from taking over anyone’s property. We want people to do the necessary to register their land. If you fail to do so, the Government will temporarily takeover the land and return it when you have had it registered,” she said.

Mukamana explained that people registering the land temporarily owned by the Government will not be subject to fines and pointed out advantages of land registration.

“Land registration has played a critical role in solving land related disputes. For instance, land dispute cases taken to court have reduced. Moreover, land owners can use their land documents to acquire bank loans,” noted Mukamana.

The Government of Rwanda launched land registration in 2009 completed 2013 but some people have not yet registered their properties.

In January 2020, RLMUA released a statement informing the general public that everyone should have registered his/her land within six months.

The deadline set on 30th June 2020 was extended to 30th December 2020 due to COVID-19. After the deadline, unregistered land will be considered abandoned properties.

The article 20 of the Law No 43/2013 of 16/06/2013 determining land use in Rwanda shows that land registration is obligatory.

Figures from RLMUA show that 9,965,648 plots of land have been registered since 2009 when the land registration exercise began that remaining ones without registration equal to 1,561,201 across the country.

Aligned with the objectives of the country’s National Strategy for Transformation (2017-24), the First Programmatic Human Capital for Inclusive Growth Development Policy Financing marks the start of a series of three operations to be delivered between 2020 and 2022. It will support the Government-led multisectoral reform program that includes mutually supportive policy and institutional reform actions for effectively delivering social sector services to families across the lifecycle.

This operation will help the government of Rwanda in strengthening the resilience of families, supporting a promising start for young children, enabling a better learning environment for students in school, promoting equitable access to health services, and enhancing the delivery of human capital focused social protection benefits and services to the poor and vulnerable.

“I am thrilled about this operation, which supports Rwanda’s strong commitment to investing in people and accelerating progress on human capital development. It supports policy reforms that promote close collaboration among various ministries and agencies across different sectors to better serve families, women, and children in order to unleash the full potential of all Rwandan citizens,” said Rolande Pryce, World Bank Country Manager for Rwanda. “This is one of the first such efforts in Africa sharply focusing on human capital and acknowledging its important role in the inclusive economic growth agenda.”

The program promotes Rwanda’s long-term fiscal sustainability and enhances local capacity and accountability for social services delivery. It recognizes women’s empowerment as a fundamental condition to boost the human capital of future generations and to leveraging untapped potential for increased productivity.

“This program represents an important step forward as Rwanda strives to ensure a level playing field for all citizens and strengthens the quality and availability of social services. It advances the Government’s commitment to unlock policy and institutional bottlenecks in maximizing the returns on investments in education, health, and social protection,” said Iftikhar Malik, World Bank Senior Human Development Specialist and the Task Team Leader for this operation.

“The program design ensures that poor and vulnerable families are not left behind and receive due support for their welfare as well as enhanced nutrition and learning to ensure a better future for their children.”

At the end of this three-year reform program, it is expected that emergency cash transfers will be delivered to 100,000 households to help them cope with the impact of COVID-19-related shocks and that the coverage and share of low-income beneficiaries receiving support from human capital-focused social protection programs and from the community-based health insurance scheme will increase.

It is also expected that there will be a greater share of qualified teachers in primary and secondary schools, and the presence of doctors and nurses in the public sector health facilities will be improved.

Rwanda is an early adopter of the World Bank’s Human Capital Project, a growing global network of 78 countries of all income levels that focuses on more and better investments in people for greater equity and growth. Finance ministers from these countries meet regularly to report progress and discuss human capital related issues. Government officials also work together across the country network to exchange ideas and knowledge.