The tragedy happened Monday midday but the body was retried around 7pm.
The child drowned as he went to fetch water from the quarry which had not been in use for quite some time, thus becoming a deep cesspool.
Residents who spoke to IGIHE revealed that they had complained to local authorities urging them to earth-fill the abandoned open quarry that has been accumulating flowing water but nothing was done until the child drowned.
The executive secretary of Nkaka sector, Nsabimana Kazungu Alex said they are to summon the person who extracted stones from the quarry but failed to heed to the advice of refilling it.
“We sent a letter to the person who used to extract stones, instructing him to refill the quarry. We have decided to summon him to tell us why he neglected warnings, order him to fill it it at all cost and later follow up with insurance,” he promised.
Amb. Karabaranga was accompanied by the first and second secretaries to Rwanda’s embassy in Senegal respectively Guillaume Serge Nzabonimana and Anitha Kamariza.
Before presenting credentials. Amb.Karabaranga held talks with Mavky Sall that hinged about promoting bilateral relations.
He also conveyed greetings from President Paul Kagame who wished well the Senegalese and the Government officials.
Amb. Karabaranga promised to maintain cordial bilateral relations characterized by mutual cooperation to take it to greater heights.
Macky Sall also promised support during his tour of duty and reiterated commitment to strive for continued strong bilateral relations.
He commended Rwanda’s leadership under the stewardship of President Kagame which he considered a role model on African continent and expressed interest in promoting mutual cooperation.
Karabaranga is representing Rwanda in Senegal and other West African countries including Mali, Gambia, Cap Vert and Guinea Bissau.
Rwanda opened Senegal embassy in 2011. Senegal is represented in Rwanda by Doudou Sow with residence in Kigali.
Rwanda and Senegal enjoy strong bilateral relations rooted on brotherhood of both head of states, Kagame and Macky Sall.
Senegal accommodates many Rwandans for education or other purposes for the past 40 years.
In 2016, RwandAir launched flights to various destinations of Western Africa including Cotonou, Abidjan, Douala and Dakar in Senegal among others.
{The Ministry of Health has reported the 66th person who succumbed to COVID-19, 109 new cases out of 4149 sample tests and 63 recoveries.}
The deceased is a 28 year-old old man in Kigali.
According to a statement released last night the new cases were found in Kigali: 40, Gatsibo: 9, Rwamagana: 8, Ngororero: 8, Kirehe: 7, Musanze: 5, Rubavu: 5, Nyagatare: 5, Huye: 5, Muhanga: 4, Gakenke: 4, Kayonza: 3, Bugesera: 2, Rusizi: 2, Burera: 1 and Gisagara: 1.’
Rwanda confirmed the first CVOID-19 patient on 14th March 2020. So far, 7511 have been tested positive out of 698,599 sample tests, 6163 have recovered, 1282 are active cases while 66 have succumbed to the pandemic.
The Ministry of Health reports rates the prevalence of death tolls at 0.9% and new infections at 2.6%.
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.
Many countries have closed borders for people coming from England while a number of airlines have suspended flights to the country as part of efforts to curb the spread of new Coronavirus variant. Turkish Airlines has suspended flights to countries including England, Netherlands, Denmark and South Africa where the new virus has been reported.
A new variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) has been identified across the South East of England. The variant has been named ‘VUI – 202012/01’ (the first Variant Under Investigation in December 2020).
The country is acting quickly and decisively and shutting down the businesses to avoid the spread of the strain which is known to be highly contagious.
As of 13 December, 1,108 cases with this variant had been identified, predominantly in the South and East of England.
The new virus strains is said to spread 70% faster with similar lethal effect as per cases reported in South Africa, Australia, Italy, Spain and parts of Europe.
At least 50 countries from five continents worldwide have suspended air flights to and from England. People from England are banned from these countries.
President Kagame has said that Rwanda is set to assess the situation to make the right decision.
“It is an emerging virus stemming from the existing one. People are following up to get enough information about it. Concerning suspended flights, we are also going to assess the situation and make decision. We cannot disregard the reason pushing others to suspend flights. We will do situational analysis to find out if we can suspend or reduce [flights] but more information about the virus will be clearer during the process,” he said.
The UK has issued harsher restrictions to tackle the emergence of a new, more infectious strain of coronavirus that is spreading rapidly in southeast England. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the new strain was up to 70% more transmissible than other variants, with it already accounting for over 62% of COVID-19 infections in London.
Researchers have not yet confirmed if produced COVID-19 vaccines can be effective for the new variant of the virus.
The cabinet meeting of 14th December 2020 issued new COVID-19 preventive measures that prohibited all forms of social gatherings including wedding ceremonies in public or private settings.
Following the decision, some people were caught for organizing weddings. They were educated and fined for violating instituted guidelines.
The statement released yesterday signed by the Minister of Local Government, Prof. Anastase Shyaka indicates that only people who entered Rwanda from abroad for wedding purposes can be allowed to proceed after presenting tangible reasons.
“ We would like to inform you that people coming from abroad for wedding plans, can be allowed to do civil marriage and religious wedding in a ceremony that must not attract more than 10 participants including the bride and groom,” reads the statement in part.
It further reads that participants should go for COVID-19 test and present negative results ahead of ceremonies. The reception is not allowed.
“The application for wedding permission is submitted to the mayor of the district citing reasons for the emergency [passport, visa or booked ticket among others],”adds the statement.
Others have been urged to postpone wedding ceremonies until further notice as the pandemic reduces.
Rwanda confirmed the first case in March 2020. Since then, 7402 people have been tested positive out of 694,450 sample tests of whom 6100 have recovered, 1237 are active cases while 65 have succumbed to the virus.
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.
This was during inspection and operations on compliance with COVID-19 directives conducted jointly by the Police and local authorities in Jenda Sector, on December 19-20.
They were arrested in two separate bars owned by Emmanuel Kubwimana, 45, and Felix Niyoyita, 32 in Nyirakigugu and Kabatezi cells respectively.
Some of the violators turned violent in the process as the Police and local authorities were enforcing the directives.
Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Bonavanture Twizere Karekezi said that on December 19, as the Police and local leaders were carrying out inspection on COVID-19 prevention compliance in Jenda, Nyirakigugu cell, they found 43 people drinking in the bar owned by Kubwimana.
“At about 11am, Police and the local authorities found 43 people drinking an illicit brew called Umufwe. They were congested, drinking from one pot and sharing straws, meaning if there was direct contact for one infected person he or she could infect everyone who was there,” said CIP Karekezi.
On Sunday, December 20, the spokesperson added, seven other people were caught in the bar owned by Felix Niyoyita located in Kabatezi Cell, Jenda Sector. Niyoyita is among those arrested as he was also serving Umufwe substance, to his clients.
According to CIP Karekezi, some violators and local residents became violent when the Police and local leaders were enforcing the directives at Niyoyita’s bar.
“Residents started pelting stones at Police and local leaders to prevent the arrest of some of their relatives and friends, but the situation was contained and violators were held accountable,” CIP Karekezi said.
He cautioned the public against breaching the national health and safety guidelines against the pandemic and warned those who attempt to obstruct enforcement of the directives.
All the violators were educated on the pandemic and health guidelines.
The bars were closed and owners fined accordingly, while the illicit substances were disposed of.
The number of deaths continues to increase where the pandemic has killed six people within two days.
The deceased include a 39-year old woman from Kigali and 58-year old man from Gicumbi district.
The statement released last night also reported 109 new cases out of 4229 sample tests. They were found in Kigali: 56, Ngororero: 12, Rubavu: 12, Nyabihu: 8, Muhanga: 5, Huye: 4, Rusizi: 4, Kamonyi: 3, Gicumbi: 3 and Musanze: 2.’
Rwanda confirmed the first case in March 2020. Since then, 7402 people have been tested positive out of 694,450 sample tests of whom 6100 have recovered, 1237 are active cases while 65 have succumbed to the virus.
The Minister of Health, Dr Daniel Ngamije recently said that strict measures need to be embraced to control the up surging cases.
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.
On Sunday night, the Government of Rwanda announced that it has deployed force protection troops to the Central African Republic, under an existing bilateral agreement on defense. According to a statement released by the Ministry of Defense, the deployment is in response to the targeting of the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) contingent under the UN Peacekeeping force by rebels supported by François Bozize who was president between 2003 and 2013.
During an interactive session with members of the press yesterday at the occasion of delivering ‘State of the Nation Address,’ Kagame said, the country already has forces in CAR for peace keeping mission but the situation is changing due to upcoming elections.
“We have forces serving under UN peacekeeping effort in CAR. The country is in the process of carrying out elections, scheduled on 27th December. This is a good thing since it legitimizes leaders. There have been many armed groups that recently came together and made pacts, some under the former president Bozize leadership, where they invaded the country from the outside. Their aim was to disrupt elections, but we also learned that some of those rebels wanted to attack our forces. All because we have been uncompromised and forceful in ensuring that citizens were well-protected,” he said.
On Saturday 19th December 2020, President Faustin-Archange Touadéra accused former president of the country, François Bozize of planning a coup-plot to dethrone the Government in collaboration with armed rebels. However, the ex-president of the Central African Republic has denied the allegation.
Tensions rose after Mr Bozizé’s candidacy for this week’s national elections was rejected by the country’s highest court. The UN said on Friday it had deployed peacekeeping forces to the country. President Faustin Archange Touadéra has insisted the poll will go ahead, saying the presence of the army and UN peacekeepers means people have nothing to fear.
But opposition parties, including that of Mr Bozizé, have called for the vote to be postponed “until the re-establishment of peace and security”.
President Kagame said, there had been no confrontations to Rwanda’s forces in CAR peacekeeping mission amidst their mandate to protect civilians.
As he explained, the rules of engagement for recently sent forces are forcibly different from other forces’ rules due to being sent under a different mandate.
“In this particular case, we’ve had an agreement with the CAR government, in which the rules of engagement are different. Our additional forces will be able to protect citizens and our existing force already there, without being limited by other rules of engagement [UN],” said Kagame.
The President also underscored that there are police troops protecting civilians camps in CAR that are attacked sometimes. He said that forces sent under different mandate will reinforce security to ensure smooth elections and protect Rwanda’s forces against any attacks.
Rwanda has been a main contributor to United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) since it first deployed in 2014. MINUSCA’s Rwandan contingent is notably in charge of the security of Central African Republic President Faustin-Archange Touadera and the presidential palace.
MTN Rwanda has two main shareholders, MTN Group Limited and Crystal Telecom Limited (Crystal). As part of the introductory listing, 20% of MTN Rwanda shares that are currently held by Crystal are expected to be held directly by the public. To this end, Crystal issued a public announcement to its shareholders today regarding the proposed transaction.
“It gives me great pleasure to announce our intention to list MN Rwanda’s shares on the RSE in early 2021. The listing reaffirms our commitment to Rwanda”, said MTN Rwanda CEO Mitwa Ng’ambi. “This is a transformative event in the MTN story, and one that we are certain we could not have reached without the support of our stakeholders, partners and customers”, she continued.
The listing is expected to broaden public ownership over time, supporting sustainable growth for national development.
“This is an important first step towards increasing local participation in the company, and building the capital markets in Rwanda,” said MTN Group President and Chief Executive Officer Ralph Mupita.
The listing is subject to applicable regulatory and governance approvals as well as conducive market conditions. This press release does not constitute a formal listing announcement of MTN Rwanda. MTN Rwanda will make further announcements at appropriate intervals on progress in this regard.
MTN Rwanda started operating in 1998. As of November 2020, it had 6,5 million subscribers, of which 3,2 million were active Mobile Money users in the previous 30 days and 1,6 million were active data users.
First, the Session unveils China’s new development stage.
China now stands at a historical juncture. 2020 is the last year for the implementation of the 13th Five Year Plan (FYP). In 2021, China will embark on a new journey of building a modern socialist country in all aspects.
The Plenary Session highlighted China’s achievements in economic, scientific and composite national strength under the leadership of the CPC. The value-added output of China’s manufacturing industry has topped the world for many years and the investment in R&D ranked No. 2 in the world. China’s high-speed railway network accounts for more than two thirds of the world total. By the end of this year, China’s GDP is set to exceed 100 trillion RMB ($15.27 trillion). The development targets set in the country’s 13th FYP will be attained on schedule.
The Plenary Session pointed out that from next year, China will strive for a modern socialist country by 2049 when China celebrates its 100th centennial. During this period, we will uphold and improve the socialist system with Chinese characteristics and continue to modernize the system and capacity for governance.
Second, the Session unveils China’s new development philosophy.
The most important outcome of the Fifth Plenary Session is the adoption of The Proposals of the CPC Central Committee Regarding the Formulation of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for National Economic and Social Development and the 2035 Long-Range Objectives. The documents set out the guiding principles, major objectives, key tasks, and major measures for China’s development during the 14th FYP period and envisage the long-range objectives of basically realizing socialist modernization by 2035.
The new development philosophy embodied in the Proposals answers the question of what kind of development China should pursue in the new era and how to achieve. It articulates that efforts must be made to promote transformation in quality, efficiency and growth drivers for high-quality development, greater efficiency and more sustainability. The new development vision should be upheld throughout the whole process of development and in all sectors.
Third, the Session unveils China’s new development pattern.
The Proposals approved by the Session suggest that China should accelerate the building of the “dual circulation” growth pattern in which the domestic market will play a leading role, with international and domestic markets reinforcing each other. This new development pattern aims to meet the demand of China’s new development stage and shape the new edge in international cooperation and competition.
It should be reiterated that this new development paradigm emphasizes both domestic and international circulations, not China’s domestic circulation alone. China will participate in the international circulation in a more in-depth manner, boost higher-quality opening-up, further expand market access to foreign countries and improve outbound investment.
Fourth，the Session unveils China’s new development requirement.
“Common prosperity” is an essential requirement of socialism and a shared aspiration of all Chinese people. Just like the RPF’s “People First” ideology, the CPC believes that development is of the people, by the people and for the people. Development outcomes shall be shared by all — no one left.
By the end of 2019, the average life expectancy of Chinese people reached 77.3 years and the rate for nine-year compulsory education was 94.8%. The issue of absolute poverty, which has beset China for millennia, will be resolved once and for all. All the goals concerning people’s livelihood in the 13th FYP will be achieved.
In the Session’s Proposals, notable and substantial progress in common prosperity is clearly marked as a long-term goal. It’s a brand new expression included in the documents of the CPC Central Committee plenary sessions for the first time. The principal contradiction in China now is the gap between unbalanced and inadequate development and people’s ever-growing aspiration for a better life. Therefore, tangible progress must be made to ensure common prosperity. Major requirements are raised in employment, income, education, culture, sports, health, elderly care, and social security. China’s modernization should be the one with Chinese characteristics for 1.4 billion people.
Fifth, the Session unveils China’s commitment to building a new type of international relations.
As we have noticed, the world is facing profound changes unseen in a century as well as the raging pandemic. Against this background, instead of solidarity and cooperation, some countries push for unilateralism, protectionism and hegemony, causing instability and insecurity to the international community. The Session’s Proposals emphasize that China will hold high the banner of peace, development and win-win cooperation with all the partners, adhere to an independent foreign policy of peace, advance external exchanges in all areas and at all levels, and promote a community with a shared future for mankind.
China is firmly committed to the path of peaceful development. It never seeks expansion or sphere of influence, let alone start so-called “new cold war” or “neocolonialism”. In this regard, our Rwandan and African friends have the say.
During the past decades, China and Africa have enjoyed profound, long-standing friendship, no matter in the struggles for national liberation and independence, or in the endeavors of pursuing social and economic development. China and African countries have demonstrated a partnership of mutual respect and support, as well as an example of promoting global peace, stability and development. China calls for the respect for other countries’ choices of development paths and models.
China insists on a multilateral approach in global affairs. We will uphold the international system with the United Nations at its core, the international order based on international law and the multilateral trade system with the WTO at its center. China also advocates the building of a global community of health for all.
During the past three years and ten months as the Chinese ambassador to Rwanda, I’m honored to be a witness，a participant and a promoter of China-Rwanda friendly cooperation and exchanges. In the 14th Five-Year Plan period and beyond, China will bring more opportunities for China-Rwanda cooperation. To this end, I would like to make three proposals.
First, we should strengthen mutual learning and exchanges for a better bilateral relationship.
Both China and Rwanda agree that making national development plans is the major way to translate version into reality. Only by upholding a strong leadership throughout formulation and implementation, can national development plans be on the right track. We should further step up exchanges and cooperation in pursuit of a new type of bilateral relations which seeks to expand common ground while reserving differences and enhances mutual respect, trust and understanding.
Second, we should dovetail China’s 14th FYP, Rwanda’s 2050 Version and development strategies for win-win results.
The Session not only provides strong driving forces for China’s growth, but also can boost the confidence of Rwanda’s economic recovery. China will be a major powerhouse for global growth in the post-pandemic era. With a population of 1.4 billion and a middle-income group of 400 million, the Chinese market is considered the most promising and probably will become No.1 in the world very soon. Besides, China’s “dual circulation” development pattern will guarantee a more efficient connection and sharing of production factors and resources among cooperative partners. Rwanda’s success story on e-WTP has been a good example. Last May, at an online promotion event organized by Alibaba Group and the Rwandan embassy in China, 3,000 bags of Rwandan coffee beans, totaling 1.5 metric tons, were sold out in less than a minute. Rwandan farmers now can earn an additional $4 per kilo by selling directly to Chinese consumers through this platform.
On Sept 28, the eighth session of the Rwanda-China Joint Committee on Economic, Technical and Trade was successfully held. This session was the first such meeting held under a trade and economic mechanism between China and an African country since the Covid-19 outbreak began. Last month, Rwanda actively participated in the Third China International Import Expo (CIIE) and the City of Kigali inked a MoU with Yiwu City of Zhejiang province to enhance cooperation in areas of tourism, trade, science and technology among others. I’m sure these platforms will contribute to Rwanda’s sustainable development and broad prosperity.
As China enhances the high-quality development and innovation during the 14th FYP period, new technologies, new industries, new models and new forms of business can lend more impetus to Rwanda’s sustained growth and economic transformation. More cooperative projects are expected in infrastructure, manufacture, agriculture and ICT sectors.
Third, we should become defenders of independent development, contributors to the global peace development, and upholders of international order.
It’s proved that sound guiding principles must be combined with true understanding of a country’s history, cultural traditions, national conditions and the call of the times. Only in this way can a government translate its blueprint into reality. After all, no others can understand our nations better than ourselves. No others can offer better solutions to our issues than our own people. The successful practices of Rwanda and China can serve as the reference to all developing countries in their pursuit of independent progress.
In the wake of the outbreak of Covid-19, China and Rwanda, together with other African countries, held a Special China-Africa Summit on Joint Fight against Covid-19 by video, which has played an important role in garnering people’s support and pooling people’s strength to fight the pandemic. With the same version and spirit, we should work together for the improvement and update of global governance system, mitigating inequalities in rights, opportunities and rules. We should adhere to the principle of extensive consultation and contribution for shared results. We should promote multilateralism and jointly respond to global challenges. We should build a better world with lasting peace and common prosperity.
{{RAO Hongwei Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the Republic of Rwanda}}
