Among others, 289 new cases have been found out of 4520 sample tests while 168 have recovered.
The statement released last night shows that new cases were found in Kigali: 114, Ngoma: 79, Gicumbi: 15, Gatsibo: 14, Karongi: 13, Nyagatare: 11, Muhanga: 8, Rulindo: 8, Huye: 7, Rubavu: 6, Kirehe: 3, Musanze: 3, Nyamagabe: 2, Rwamagana: 2, Nyaruguru: 1, Nyabihu: 1, Gisagara: 1 and Ruhango: 1.
It is the first time Rwanda records the highest number of new cases since the pandemic emerged.
Rwanda confirmed the first Coronavirus patient on 14th March 2020. Since then, 11 548 people have been tested positive out of 804 337 sample tests of whom 7580 have recovered, 3820 are active cases while 148 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.
Rwanda and CAR have been for long enjoying cordial relations whereby Rwanda is helping the country engulfed by wars to restore peace. Rwandan troops have been deployed to CAR peacekeeping mission since 2014. On 20th December 2020, Rwanda deployed more special forces to CAR under existing bilateral cooperation signed in 2019.
The CEO of RwandAir, Yvonne Makolo has told IGIHE that dates for the scheduled flights remain unknown because preparations are ongoing.
RwandAir will reach CAR through Douala in Cameroon.
“We are undergoing preparations that we plan to start flights next month if everything goes well. We have not yet identified the starting date because we are still trying to get all permits,” she said.
Previously, it was a complicated process to fly to Bangui. For instance, a passenger departing from Kigali with RwandAir would land to Kampala, Uganda for at least 30 minutes before resuming the flight to Kenya. Upon arrival in Kenya, a passenger would depart with Kenya Airways to reach M’poko airport in Bangui.
One of people living in CAR has told IGIHE that anticipated flights will facilitate movements to other countries.
IGIHE has learnt that RwandAir will operate the first flight to Bangui in the first week of February 2021 even though the carrier didn’t reveal it.
CAR covers a land area of about 620,000 square kilometres and has an estimated population of around 4.7 million. As of 2020, the country is the scene of a civil war, ongoing since 2012.
The Central African Republic’s economy is based primarily on subsistence agriculture, with important mining and timber industries the main source of export earnings. Diamonds are the country’s most profitable export, while agriculture occupies most of its working population.
Farmers grow cotton, coffee, and tobacco for export and crops for local markets, but economic development is handicapped by the CAR’s landlocked position, limited infrastructure, and the low education of its work-force. Poor government management and political instability have further weakened the CAR’s economic condition. The informal sector is important in the CAR, accounting for most economic activity and a large share of the diamond trade.
CAR has had a turbulent economic history. Since gaining independence in 1960, the economy has endured intermittent periods of economic decline caused in part by poor management.
The opening of flights might present a huge market opportunity for businesspersons as the country heavily depends on imports.
Related story: https://en.igihe.com/news/article/rwandair-in-new-expansion-drive
It is said that Uwineza, hailing from Kabagogo village, Marembo cell, Ngamba sector of Kamonyi district in Southern Province was stabbed on the neck and arms in the night of 8th January 2021 when the suspects went to his home and waked him up.
As he stepped outside, the suspects abducted him and disappeared until 10 am of the next day when Uwineza was found stabbed on the neck and arms.
“After stabbing him in the neck and arms, they left him in an abandoned house thinking he died,” said a resident.
Local leaders in collaboration with security officials rushed for first aid and took Uwineza at Kigali University Teaching Hospital (CHUK) where he is getting treatment.
The executive secretary of Ngamba sector, Jean de Dieu Twagirumukiza explained that it is unfortunate that the family was not aware that Uwineza was abducted till morning and appealed on residents to provide tip off on time to prevent similar incidents.
“It becomes easy to follow up when information is shared on time. I thank residents who rushed for support after the incident occurred and remind them to strengthen security patrols,” he said.
All the five suspects are detained Remera Rukoma Police Station as Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) investigates the case.
“Mutokambali Moïse with over 15 years of experience in coaching and technical matters has been appointed the Technical Director,” reads a statement released by FERWABA.
Mutokambali who has mainly played a big role in raising aspiring junior talents in Rwanda’s basketball is the owner of ‘The Hoops Rwanda’ team that won 2019/20 women championship. He also coaches women national teams in the categories of elites and juniors since April 2019.
Mutokambali gained fame in the years between 2005 and 2012 when he coached Lycée de Kigali basketball team before joining the National Team.
In 2013, he helped Lycée de Kigali to win inter-secondary schools basketball competition. He had won similar competition in 2010 when he was the head coach of APE Rugunga among others.
Mutokambali was appointed the head coach of Men National Team in 2013. He was later in March 2018 ousted from the position accused of underformance until he was appointed the head coach of Women National Basketball Team.
The drug known as ‘Favipiravir’ is said to have potent against severe acute respiratory syndrome of coronavirus. It was used for the first time in Wuhan city, China where the pandemic emerged for first time.
“There is a drug that has been on global pharmaceutical market within three weeks. Over 18,000 of such drugs will arrive at Kigali International Airport on Wednesday 5pm. We are attending to all patients so that everyone will receive the drug, that we believe will help them recover,” he said in a talk show aired on RTV.
Dr Ngamije explained that the drug helps to alleviate Covid-19 severity and is promising to reduce deaths.
Rwanda has registered 1402 new Coronavirus cases from across the country while 22 have succumbed to the virus within the past seven days. The country is recording surge in Coronavirus cases whereby over 200 infections are found almost every day.
The City of Kigali has been the major hotspot for new cases but the Minister of Health urged residents in other parts of the country to avoid complacency.
Apart from the drug alleviating Coronavirus complications, Dr Ngamije also revealed that Rwanda is seeking how to receive Covid-19 vaccine in the near future.
“We are expending much effort through the United Nations and other mechanisms so that we can receive the vaccine the soonest possible. We are willing and hopeful to receive it in the near future,” he said.
Dr Ngamije has explained that Rwanda has made all possible preparations to receive vaccines once they are ready for distribution.
Rwanda has recently acquired new freezers capacitating the country to administer all types of Covid-19 vaccines.
NAEB has via Twitter handle revealed that Pakistan was the main importer.
During the same week, Rwanda also exported 210, 219 kgs of coffee that generated $703,140 (over Rwf 695 million). Germany, Poland and Kenya were main destinations.
Among others, Rwanda exported 229,687 kgs of flowers, vegetables and fruits that generated $396,104 (over Rwf 391 million).
Among others, Rwanda exported 229,687kgs of horticultural produce including fruits, vegetables and flowers which generated US$396,104. Countries of destination mainly include DRC, UK, Holland, France among others like Germany, UAE, Belgium, Uganda and Benin.
Few days after lockdown was imposed to contain the spread of Coronavirus last year, the Government launched food donation program on 27th March 2020 to vulnerable residents who could not feed themselves without daily work.
At the time, 194811 families across the country received food donations during the lockdown that lasted for 40 days.
Following the upsurge in Coronavirus cases, the cabinet meeting held yesterday reinstated lockdown in Kigali city which has been identified the major hotspot for new infections.
The Minister of Local Government, Prof. Anastase Shyaka has explained that the Government is ready to support financially constrained people like it did last year when a lockdown was imposed.
“The Government is ready to provide support. We know that people don’t have same financial means. Some are weak; others force meal upon their work while others are mostly hit hard or starve due to emerging circumstances. I would like to tell viewers from Kigali city that no one should be worried of finding food for the two weeks of lockdown. We have planned how to handle it,” he said.
Prof Shyaka explained that people should fear Covid-19 instead of hunger because the pandemic catches everyone regardless of their financial means.
He urged residents to adhere to prevent measures to contain spread of the pandemic.
During a talk show aired on Rwanda Broadcasting Agency (RBA), the Minister of Health, Dr. Daniel Ngamije explained that people have been complacent for the past few days which triggered the surge in new Coronavirus cases.
He has revealed this following the cabinet meeting held yesterday on 18th January 2021 which took stringent measures to contain spread of the virus.
The meeting has placed Kigali city under lockdown for two weeks, a decision that will be reviewed upon health assessment. All public and private schools in the city have been also closed.
“We have registered over 142 people have succumbed to Coronavirus up to date of whom 65% died in the past 50 days. This means, the situation worsened and it is apparent to everyone,” said Dr. Ngamije.
“To slow down the upsurge in new Coronavirus cases, we need strict measures like the ones the Government has taken during a cabinet meeting chaired by President of the Republic,” he added.
To date, all schools in Kigali are closed while unnecessary movements are prohibited except for essential services including medical/ healthcare, food shopping, banking etc and for the personnel performing such services. All movements will require an approved permit from Rwanda National Police.
Travel between Kigali and other provinces and districts of the country is not permitted, except for essential services and tourism (tourists must possess negative Covid-19 test results).
Public transport in Kigali is prohibited, however transportation of food and essential goods will continue to function. Motos and bicycles are not permitted to carry passengers, but may offer delivery services.
Rwanda confirmed the first COVID-19 patient on 14th March 2020. Since then, 11 259 people have been tested positive out of 799,817 sample tests of whom 7412 have recovered, 3701 are active cases while 146 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.
The journalist also said that RPF Inkotanyi soldiers shot the airplane of former President of Rwanda, Habyarimana Juvenal which is considered a biased argument not informed by research.
Through her foundation dubbed ‘Yolande Mukagasana’ , she has written a letter protesting acts of Judi Rever who tends to use ‘freedom of expression’ for activities that might be likened with propaganda that characterized the media before and during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
“Freedom of expression” was used as a weapon to expedite the 1994 genocide against Tutsi in Rwanda. Today, Judi Rever uses this same concept to deny the genocide.
In the years leading to 1994, media outlets and tabloids belonging to to Hutu extremists used the noble concept of ‘Freedom of Expression’ as a weapon while the world stood idly by and watched it happen.
The infamous Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines (RTLM), the Kangura newspaper which published the ten Hutu Commandments, and many others were used by these extremist groups.
In the aftermath of the genocide, a number of journalists were found guilty of genocide extremism related crimes by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). The sentenced media practitioners included a foreign journalist, George Ruggiu, condemned to 12 years in prison.
Through an open letter, Yolande Mukagasana Foundation has explained that there should be no excuse for people lagging behind freedom of expression to undermine genocide.
“Today, we cannot, in no way, tolerate revisionists and genocide deniers who use freedom of expression as an excuse to manipulate historical facts by, for instance, labeling Rwanda’s liberation movement as criminals. We cannot allow 26 years of continuous lies and torture imposed on genocide survivors to go unchecked and unchallenged. Most of their manipulation and denialism amount to criminal acts that deserve to be condemned and in several cases, tried,” reads part of the letter.
The letter further states the journalist Rever didn’t prove researched evidences whereby her witnesses are deemed spurious.
The foundation recalled that the genocide against the Hutus which would have been committed by the Tutsi was announced for the first time in an article written by “l’Association des Femmes Parlementaires pour la Défense des Droits de la Mère et de l’Enfant” in collaboration with Dr. Mugesera Léon. The article, titled “The Whole Truth About the October 1990 Rwanda War” was published in February 1991.
“The war of the RPF is to restore the dictatorship of the extremism of the minority Tutsi based on a genocide, the extermination of the Hutu majority,” the article reads in part.
The authors of this article, starting with Dr. Léon Mugesera, who was sentenced to life imprisonment played a role during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
The planners of the genocide against the Tutsi devised this ideology to make Hutus fear and hate Tutsis. They then used state institutions to turn fear and hatred into the myriad acts of hunting, rape and massacres that made up the Genocide against Tutsi.
In his book “When Victims Become Killers”, Professor Mahmood Mamdani, scholar and author of several books, points out that “Most genocides have been rationalized, mobilized, organized, explained as preventive actions; do to them what they will do to you before they do it to you. ”
Judi Rever supports this conspiracy theory announced by Professor Mahmood Mamdani.
Based on such acts, Yolande Mukagasana Foundation has called for action to condemn the Canadian journalist.
“The genocide against the Tutsi was not a crime by ignorant people. It was planned and coordinated by intellectuals, politicians, and the military. Journalists contributed to it, such as Judi Rever and Stéphan Bureau, who gave it a platform by disseminating its insults and denialism without qualms, shame or scruples,” reads the letter.
The foundation also calls on Canada, through its ambassador to Rwanda to ‘make a comment on what we denounce with anger and indignation and tell us if as a country, they support genocide denial as promoted by some Canadian journalists’.
“In Canada, the country of Judi Rever and Stéphan Bureau, no one can dare claim that the Jews disguised themselves as Nazis and murdered their own families. No one would have the heart to question the testimonies of Holocaust survivors by accusing them of disseminating an “official version of history which would suit the State of Israel.” Why would this be allowed when it comes to the history of Rwanda? How can Canada allow this? We need to understand, but don’t come and tell us that it is freedom of expression because we know it from having lived in Rwanda in 1994,”reads the letter.
The Yolande Mukagasana Foundation is an independent foundation promoting research on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Among its various objectives is, in the very first line, the fight against revisionism and genocide denial, as well as a determined fight against the genocidal ideology which is hidden under these multiple acts of denial.
“Consequently, we strongly condemn both Radio Canada for having offered a platform for evil, and the shameful remarks that deny and trivialize the genocide made by Judi Rever and Stéphan Bureau: their comments, hidden behind the curtain of ‘freedom of expression’, insult the memory of genocide survivors and all Rwandans of good will,” concludes the letter.
The deceased include three men aged 78, 61 and 33 respectively from Kigali as well as a 79-year old man from Huye district.
Among others, 277 new cases have been found out of 2950 sample tests while 49 have recovered within the last 24 hours.
The statement released today shows that new cases were found in Kigali: 139, Kirehe: 20, Huye: 11, Gatsibo: 9, Gicumbi: 8, Rulindo: 7, Musanze: 7, Gisagara: 5, Nyanza: 5, Rubavu: 4, Ruhango: 3, Nyamasheke: 3, Nyamagabe: 2, Muhanga: 1, Kamonyi: 1, Karongi: 1 and Kayonza: 1.
Rwanda confirmed the first COVID-19 patient on 14th March 2020. Since then, 11 259 people have been tested positive out of 799,817 sample tests of whom 7412 have recovered, 3701 are active cases while 146 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.
