Author: Nicole Kamanzi Muteteri

The suspects include one Emmanuel Nzayisenga, 25, who was arrested red-handed in Murambo, Miyove Cell of Miyove Sector, Gicumbi District with 28kgs of cannabis.

Two others; Bizibu Cyiza, 40, and Jeannette Mukabutera, 48, were arrested in Kigarama Village, Kigabiro Cell of Nyabitekeri Sector in Nyamasheke District with 1,073 pellets of cannabis.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Jean Bosco Minani, the District Police Commander for Gicumbi, said Nzayisenga was arrested in partnership with other security organs and local leaders.

“On Wednesday, at around 11pm, while security organs were conducting a night patrol, they stopped two people, who were traveling on a motorcycle plate number RD 689A and carrying two bundles. One of them who was later identified as Mukiza got off the motorcycle and run away but Nzayisenga was apprehended.

When security organs checked, they realized the two bundles contained pellets of cannabis weighing 28kgs,” SP Minani said.

Nzayisenga, the DPC added, also had pellets of cannabis wrapped around his thighs and covered with a trouser.

Upon his arrest, Nzayisenga, who hails from Rukozo Sector in Rulindo District, disclosed that he left to Uganda on April 4, through a porous border to bring a new consignment of narcotics.

He further narrated that he was making one trip to Uganda every week to bring the narcotics.

According to Nzayisenga, he had other people in Rulindo, who were facilitating him in distribution.

In Nyamasheke District, Cyiza and Mukabutera were arrested on the shores of Lake Kivu with the 1,073 pellets of cannabis.

Cyaza had just delivered the narcotics to Mukabutera after sneaking them across into Rwanda from DRC, by boat through Lake Kivu.

Police had acted on credible information that Mukabutera would meet her supplier Cyiza on the shores, before trailing her and arresting them red handed.

Article 3 of the Ministerial order nº 001/MoHo/2019 of 04/03/2019 establishing the list of narcotic drugs and their categorisation, classifies cannabis among the “very severe narcotics.”

Article 263 of the law determining offenses and penalties in general, provides a sentence of between 20 years and life in prison for anyone convicted of dealing in “very severe narcotic drugs” and a fine of between Rwf20 million and Rwf30 million.

The majority of new cases were found in Nyaruguru: 27, Kigali: 20 and Nyamagabe: 20.

Rwanda confirmed the first Coronavirus case on 14th March 2020. Since then, 23260 people have been tested positive of whom 20 991 have recovered, 1955 are active cases, 6 are critically ill while 314 have succumbed to the virus.

A total of 348,926 people have been vaccinated since Rwanda began countrywide inoculation program on 5th March 2021.

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 ceremony that took place on Friday 9th April 2021, coincided with the commemoration of Genocide victims killed in Nyundo Catholic Church’s Cathedral on 9th April 1994.

The Bishop of Nyundo Diocese, Mwumvaneza Anaclet said that the consequence of bad leadership highlighting that it won’t happen again because Rwanda currently has good leadership.

He explained that Tutsi were heinously killed in Nyundo and requested relevant authorities to build a particular house dedicated for exhibition of Genocide history in the area.

“There was massive bloodshed here in Nyundo. Perpetrators killed Tutsi with intentions to exterminate all of them. What happened was the consequence of bad leadership that fueled racial discrimination but we currently have good leaders and soldiers that stopped Genocide. I would like to request relevant authorities to build a house featuring displays of Genocide history in Nyundo,” he said.

The mayor of Rubavu district, Habyarimana Gilbert said that the relocation was needed to ensure genocide victims are decently buried.

“The program to integrate memorials is aimed at honoring Genocide victims especially those in mass cemeteries to be accorded decent burial. That is why we upgrade memorials. I would like to tell Rutsiro residents that Rubavu is also their home. This place facilitates better preservation of history. They will be joining us to commemorate,” he said.

Nyundo Genocide Memorial is accommodates remains of 1059 victims including 30 killed clerics.

Under its Peaceful Nuclear Energy Program, the UAE has entered a historic new era of clean electricity production with the launch of ‘Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant’ which paves the way for significant economic, social and environmental benefits.

The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) has recently announced that Unit One of the Barakah nuclear energy plant has begun commercial operations.

Located in the Al Dhafra region of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the plant has four APR-1400 units.

ENEC’s operating and maintenance subsidiary, Nawah Energy Company, successfully started commercial operations of the plant’s first unit.

According to sources, the 1400MW unit will deliver sustainable electricity constantly, to be supplied to the national grid.

Abu Dhabi Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said that the development was a significant milestone in the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) vision for sustainable, knowledge-based economic prosperity.

Commenting on the development, ENEC chairman Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak said: “The UAE set a clear roadmap with solid principles to ensure this project was developed in accordance with the highest international industry standards of safety and quality with full transparency.”

“Our investment in pioneering technologies and the decarbonisation of our electricity production not only advances the UAE’s clean energy leadership, but also produces tangible socioeconomic and environmental benefits,” he added.

ENEC CEO Mohamed Al Hammadi said the plant is a landmark in UAE’s journey towards clean energy.

“After more than a decade of strategic planning, program development and construction, today we are confidently marking the start of a new chapter in the UAE’s transition to cleaner energy sources,” he noted.

Unit 1 of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant has started commercial operations, becoming the first source of clean electricity for the Arab World .

Barakah Unit 1 Commercial Operations is the result of more than a decade of effort by Emirati-led, multinational teams to deliver on the UAE’s clean energy vision.

The plant is anticipated to bring positive change by delivering clean electricity, making great strides to tackle climate change, creating jobs and supporting industries, promoting R&D and technological advancement.

From now onwards, the first unit of the Barakah plant is currently delivering thousands of megawatts of emissions-free electricity 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for more than 60 years. It also set to grow, with three more units well on their way to generating clean electricity in coming years.

This huge amount of clean electricity will support the UAE in making giant strides in meeting its climate change goals and becoming a global clean energy leader.

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[UAE enters historic new era of clean electricity production as ‘Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant’ starts commercial production ->https://en.igihe.com/IMG/pdf/enec_information_leaflet.pdf]

Headquartered in Kigali, Rwanda, Ampersand assembles and finances electric motorcycles (‘e-motos’ or ‘e-bodas’) that are cheaper, cleaner and better performing than the 5 million petrol motorcycle taxis in use across East Africa.

Ampersand’s vehicles produce at least 75% less carbon than petrol motorcycles and zero tailpipe emissions. Ampersand also builds and operates a network of battery swap stations, allowing drivers to change batteries faster than refilling a tank with petrol.

EIF’s historic US$ 3.5 million investment allows Ampersand to rapidly scale its electric motorcycle and swap station network in Rwanda. This includes hundreds more e-motos on the road, and dozens more battery swapping stations.

The investment also enables Ampersand’s expansion beyond Rwanda’s borders, and fuels the company’s research and development arm, putting Ampersand on track to electrify East Africa’s entire motorcycle taxi fleet by 2030.

Since its commercial launch in May 2019, Ampersand’s fleet of 35 drivers and e-motos have covered over 1.3 million kilometers and over 7000 drivers are on their waiting list.

EIF’s investment builds on the startup’s acceleration through StartupBootcamp, early-stage funding from FactorE Ventures in 2018, generous support from the Rwanda Green Fund, USAID’s Development Innovation Ventures, Shell Foundation, the UK FCDO’s Frontier Technology Livestreaming fund, the New Zealand Government, and a loan from Blue Haven Initiative’s Catalytic Fund.

Commenting on the development, Josh Whale, Founder and CEO of Ampersand said: “We’re thrilled to have EIF on board for this historic investment. We now have the momentum to scale our operations to electrify all of East Africa’s 5 million taxi motorcycles by 2030. EIF’s support further dispels the myth that electric transport will happen in rich nations first and trickle down to developing countries later, second-hand.”

James Everett, the Managing Partner of EIF expressed delight for the partnership expected to contribute a lot to climate change mitigation.

“We have confidence in the Ampersand team, and we believe the time is right. We are very excited to partner with Ampersand as the company scales in Rwanda and expands across East Africa. We believe that electrifying 2 and 3 wheeled vehicles in developing countries represents one of the low hanging fruits for climate change mitigation globally, and can have a profound positive impact on urban air quality,” he noted.

The event was held on Wednesday, 7th April 2021, at El-salam Hotel in Khartoum, attended by Members of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to Sudan, Heads of Regional and International Organizations, Business Community, Civil Society, Rwandan Community in Sudan and representatives of Media Houses in Sudan.

The event was also attended by a delegation of the Government of the Republic of the Sudan led by H.E Ambassador Khalid Farah, Director General of the African Affairs Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; who was also the Guest of Honor.

The Commemoration event was attended physically and virtually due to the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic. There was strict observance of health measures against COVID-19 for all invitees that were in physical attendance.

Beside the remarks of the day, the commemoration event included lighting of the Candle of Hope as a symbol of hope and resilience and the One Minute of Silence in honor of the victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

In his remarks the Head of Rwanda Diplomatic Mission in the Sudan, Mr. Abel Buhungu, welcomed and thanked the Guest of Honor, Ambassador Khaled Farah, the Director General for the Department of Africa at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He also extended a warm welcome to the audience for positively responding to the invitation.

“Today, marks twenty seven (27) years since the 1994 genocide against Tutsi whose seeds of disunity and exclusion were planted by the colonialists back in 1930s and got nurtured and flourished by the two post-independence Republics until 1994,” said Mr. Buhungu.

He outlined details of early planning during the colonial rule, and post-independence regimes. As example, he informed the audience of a demeaning social research involving measuring of lengths and width of peoples’ noses by the colonialists back in 1932 and that findings were used as basis for issuance of discriminatory ethnic-based National IDs to all Rwandans back in 1933.

Mr. Buhungu went further to mention how discrimination and ethnicity politics got entrenched with participation and facilitation of the Catholic Clergy in 1957 in aid to the policy of the colonialists.

The Catholic Clergy facilitated the drafting of the Hutu Manifesto in 1957 followed by the infamous ten Hutu Commandments.

These infamous policy documents and the discriminatory ethnic-based IDs were first tangible seeds that fruited into cyclic killings and mass production of Tutsi refugees (into neighboring DRC, Uganda, Burundi and Tanzania) including in 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1973, 1982, 1990 and 1992.

The climax of this exclusion and hate was the 1994 genocide against Tutsi which aimed at their total annihilation. A genocide that lasted from 7th April until 4th July 1994 and decimated over a million innocent lives. The fastest mass murder in human history.

Buhungu recalled the final report (S/1994/1405) of the Commission of Experts established pursuant to UNSC Resolution 935 (1994), that among others attested to the fact that: “there exists overwhelming evidence to prove that acts of genocide against the Tutsi group were perpetrated”. He also mentioned the conclusions of the appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) issued on 16th June 2006 a Judicial notice (ICTR – 98-44-AR73(C).

He also recalled the failure of international Community to prevent the Genocide despite early warning including by General Romeo Dallaire, the Canadian Commander of the UN Assistance Mission for Rwanda (MINUAR). Unfortunately, a part of this UN force that was deployed in Rwanda withdrew back to their home countries when genocide begun on 7th April 1994.

Buhungu thanked the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) for the heroism in moving quickly and against many odds ably stopping the 1994 genocide against Tutsi.

“The RPF led Government has since the end of the genocide commendably worked hard in uniting and reconciling Rwandans as well as impressively rebuilt the economy albeit from an extremely low base of 1994. This is despite a very hostile environment that had been occasioned by the genocide where, as example survivors had to co-exist with some of their yester-year tormentors,” argued.

He called for a joint campaign to bring to justice the perpetrators of this heinous crime who are still roaming the globe. He commended countries especially in the West that have lately increased arrests of these genocide fugitives. These genocide fugitives are either tried in the jurisdictions of their countries of residence or they are extradited to Rwanda for trial.

The most recent case in point is the infamous genocide financier, Felicien Kabuga who was arrested in France and is now undergoing trial in The Hague. He expressed need for a coordinated global action to deny genocide fugitives and their support networks easy platform for carrying on with revisionism and denial as the last phase of any Genocide. It is by these actions that the International community can avoid another epic failure on their part or avoid ever having another genocide anywhere.

He ended by highlighting the impressive progress made in Rwanda over the last 27 years in the areas of good governance, unity, justice, reconciliation and economic development. He appreciated the state of Bilateral Relations between Rwanda and The Sudan as the host Country that are buttressed by a number already signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) or Agreements.

In his remarks, Ambassador Khaled Farah expressed solidarity of the Government of Sudan with the people of Rwanda during this period of commemoration. He uttered his belief that the commemoration aims at promoting strong collective memory which is very essential for bringing about sustainable nation building and Genocide prevention in the future.

He then quoted the speech of President Paul Kagame during Kwibuka26 as saying “ The lessons of our history have united us. They teach us the value of good leadership that cares for the well-being of all Rwandans. We learned the importance of working together to build the better future of all Rwandans”.

Ambassador Khaled applauded the achievements that Rwanda has gained in the post genocide period and affirmed that Sudan would benefit from these realized success stories of Rwanda.

He concluded by reaffirming the commitment and cooperation of the Government of the Sudan with Rwanda on its journey of transformation.

Photos: Rwanda’s embassy in Sudan