The Bilateral meeting between the Hon Gen James Kabarebe, the Minister of Defence of Rwanda and Hon Aimé Ngoi-Mukena Lusa-Diese, the Minister of National Defence, Veterans and Re-integration of the Democratic Republic of Congo was held in Kigali from 23rd – 24th September 2015 to review the security challenges facing the two countries and agree on comprehensive strategies to address them.
The meeting is a follow up of their meeting held at the sideline of the ICGLR meeting in Luanda, Angola on 13 May 2015.
The ministers took note of the Chiefs of the Defence Staff meeting of the two countries held on 27 June 2015 in Kinshasa, DRC.
The ministers stressed that the Kigali meeting has opened a new chapter to enhance the bilateral cooperation to resolve security challenges facing the two countries particularly the eradication of FDLR present in the Eastern DRC which continue to pose threat in the two countries and the repatriation of ex-M23 combatants cantoned in Rwanda.
The meeting received a brief from the J2-RDF on the current activities of FDLR and updates on ex-M23 combatants in Rwanda.
Following this brief, both governments expressed the commitment to build on what has been achieved so far and consolidate efforts to restore peace and security in the two countries.
{{Resolutions}}
Realizing the good opportunity presented by the Kigali Meeting that a new chapter for enhancing bilateral cooperation and build on the positive achievements, the meeting decided on the following resolutions:
a. A meeting of Chiefs of Defence/General Staff supported by Chiefs of Military Intelligence be held in Kigali as soon as possible on a date to be communicated and develop practical ways to eradicate FDLR.
b. A Joint Bilateral Team be established on repatriation of ex-M23 Combatants cantoned in Rwanda and FDLR combatants in DRC. National and International Institutions shall be invited to accompany the process.
c. In formalizing this new spirit of cooperation, DRC-Rwanda Bilateral Security meetings shall be held on a regular basis.
Kigali: September 2015: UNFPA in collaboration with the American Refugee Committee (ARC) will launch family planning services in Mahama Refugee Camp, Kirehe District, Eastern Province on Saturday 26 September 2015. The event will start at 9am.
The launch coincides with the World Contraception Day (WCD), which is celebrated each year on 26 September. The annual worldwide campaign aims to create a world where every pregnancy is wanted and is a reminder of commitments made by the global community to expand access to information and methods of family planning for women and couples.
The number of refugees in Mahama camp is currently 43,404 and this is likely to increase as Burundians are still fleeing from their country. Women of reproductive age are 24.2% of the total number, of whom more than 7 % are pregnant.
Since the initiation of FP service in the camp on 11 August 2015, a total of 207 women have received Family planning services in addition to those who were receiving family planning services before fleeing from Burundi. UNFPA in collaboration with ARC is currently conducting a six-day (21-26 September) awareness campaign on Adolescent sexual and Reproductive health targeting youth. The campaign also provides family planning sensitization for young women in the camp.
“Family planning services constitute a basic right of choice for women and signify their ability and willingness to plan their futures more carefully. When a woman is able to plan her pregnancies, she makes life decisions more effectively and guarantees empowerment of herself and her family,” said Mr. Jozef Maerien, UNFPA Representative.
The Government of Rwanda would like to affirm that there are no unofficial detention centres in the country. This comes after Human Rights Watch (HRW) falsely names Gikondo Transit Centre in Kigali as a detention centre. The transit centre has and continues to play an important role in the rehabilitation of those who find themselves on the wrong side of the law.
Commenting on the report, Rwanda’s Minister of Justice, Johnston Busingye, emphasised that all detention facilities in Rwanda are properly legislated and run in accordance with United Nations standards, and national laws that affirm those principles.
Minister Busingye further reiterated that the country’s recent history has involved a lot of trauma and family conflict: “Victims of such situations, even if they end up in crime or delinquency, are better off when offered another chance in life. The Government of Rwanda stands by its policy of rehabilitation rather than incarceration. This policy has worked in the past and will continue to do so into the future.”
While HRW insists that Rwanda should charge drug addicts and other criminals with serious crimes that carry jail terms, the country has instead chosen to focus on rehabilitating and reintegrating them to offer the chance for a better life. This policy of rehabilitation over incarceration is one example of how Rwanda has found unique solutions to the challenges the country faces.
“Gikondo is not a detention centre. It is a transit centre and people are held there for a short period before longer term remedial or corrective measures are taken. The later consists of rehabilitating and reintegrating former drug addicts and city dwellers – through drug rehabilitation and learning a trade to prevent repetition – and supporting them to reunite with their families,” Minister Busingye said.
Over 7,000 Rwandans have completed the transition programme and are now working in carpentry, masonry, welding, tailoring, and bee-keeping cooperatives – improving their wellbeing for a brighter future.
The Government of Rwanda takes all allegations of human rights abuses seriously, however speculative they may be. Any information related to possible abuses is welcome and will be thoroughly investigated and appropriate action taken. To facilitate this, the National Police has a toll free hotline which can be used anytime to report any abuses. The office of the Ombudsman and the National Commission for Human Rights also welcome any information on human rights violations so that they can be fully investigated.
It is unfortunate that Human Rights Watch has again chosen to deliberately mislead people with false statements that serve only to undermine Rwanda’s efforts to provide a better life for its citizens. HRW has a Memorandum of Understanding with Rwanda’s Ministry of Justice through which human rights concerns can be raised and addressed by the institutions responsible. The Government of Rwanda encourages HRW to use this MoU to address any concerns it has in a constructive manner. However, it has become increasingly clear that HRW refuses to engage through the mechanisms established under the MoU and instead seeks to spread falsehood and speculation.
The Government of Rwanda invites Human Rights Watch to provide information on the alleged cases – according to its report – and any others so that they may be investigated and due process undertaken.
{{Cairo (Egypt), 22nd September 2015}} – {The Development Bank of Rwanda (BRD) has entered into a US$10 million facility agreement with the African Export-Import Bank (AFREXIMBANK) to boost the Bank’s lending to the private sector.
}
The signing ceremony that was held on Tuesday 22nd September 2015 in Cairo (Egypt) at the side-lines of the inauguration of AFREXIMBANK’s headquarters building and investiture of the new President of the Bank. The Chief Executive Officer, Alex Kanyankole and Chief Financial Officer, Emmanuel Murangayisa signed on the behalf of BRD in the presence of Sheikh Saleh Habimana, the Rwandan Ambassador to Egypt.
Speaking after signing, Kanyankole commended the consistent support from AFREXIMBANK offered to BRD and also appreciated the existing excellent mutual cooperation between the two Banks.
“We are honored to receive this amortizing term loan facility which will be utilized and boost BRD’s efforts in providing long term financing to acceptable sub-borrowers engaged in trade related activities in Rwanda, particularly SMEs”, said Kanyankole.
He further emphasized, “AFREXIMBANK has consistently played a commendable role in strengthening the capital base of African DFIs, and this facility boosts our liquidity enabling increased access to finance for Rwandan businesses.”
Kanyankole noted that from 2012, AFREXIMBANK granted US$15 million to BRD – which in addition to the US$10 million received – totals US$25 million financing extended to the Bank over three years.
In line with meeting the Vision 2020 and EDPRS phase two targets, BRD has strengthened its resource mobilization efforts to facilitate its ambitious target of achieving authorized loan portfolio of Rwf65 billion (up from the Rwf60 billion registered in 2014) to finance private development projects during this year.
AFREXIMBANK was established in October 1993 by African governments, African private and institutional investors, and non-African investors to finance and promote intra- and additional -African trade. Its two basic constitutive documents are the Establishment Agreement, which gives it the status of an international organization, and the Charter, which governs its corporate structure and operations. AFREXIMBANK is headquartered in Cairo (Egypt).
AKAGERA NATIONAL PARK, Rwanda (AP) – One dog being trained to track poachers in a Rwandan national park is nicknamed “Machine” because of his reputed stamina on a trail. Another dog is known as “Professor” because of his seemingly analytical approach when following a scent.
They are, respectively, a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois whose regular name is Bruno and a 3-year-old Dutch Shepherd called Duco. They are among eight dogs, along with some Kenyan handlers, who were transferred to Rwanda by the foundation of U.S. philanthropist Howard G. Buffett. Earlier, they were deployed in Central African Republic to sniff out captives and members of the Lord’s Resistance Army, whose leader Joseph Kony is wanted for war crimes.
In Rwanda, the dogs are staying in new kennels at Akagera National Park, where bushmeat poaching has traditionally been a problem. African Parks, a Johannesburg-based group that manages the park, re-introduced lions there this year, nearly two decades after they were wiped out by livestock herders. It also plans to bring in rhinos, whose horns are coveted by poachers.
“The dogs make a huge difference,” said Sean Kelly, a former South African military dog handler who trained the dogs in Central African Republic and has worked with anti-poaching canine units in South Africa, including at the Sabi Sands wildlife reserve.
A wildlife park can distract an inquisitive dog seeking to investigate every animal scent. The key, Kelly said, is to get the dog to focus on the aroma around a footprint or some other clue identifying the quarry.
“You’re teaching the dog to ignore each and every scent except for the scent that you as the handler gives him,” he said.
Bruno and Duco initially struggled in Central African Republic but did “extremely well” after a refresher course in “scent discrimination,” comfortably tracking scents up to 1.8 miles (three kilometers), Kelly said.
U.S.-backed Ugandan troops have been searching in Central African Republic for Lord’s Resistance Army members and captives.
In its 2013 annual report, the Howard G. Buffett Foundation said it funded “K9 tracking units to find and recover victims kidnapped by the LRA,” including young boys forced to join the rebels and young girls coerced into becoming sex slaves, as well as the children from those rapes.
The dogs operated in denser terrain in Central African Republic, but did not have to deal with the kind of varied wildlife living in Akagera.
During an exercise, Kelly monitored data from GPS collars as Bruno and Duco, both leashed, took turns zigzagging through dry grassland, pursuing a scent laid by park staff in camouflage uniforms.
Duco fared better than Bruno, who was not with his usual handler. The dogs in Akagera actually have more experience than the handlers, who must read a dog’s glance, head swivel and other body language while sometimes operating in heat that quickly dissipates scent, according to Kelly.
Earlier, Duco nipped Kelly on the ear, drawing blood and a gentle reprimand.
“You’re supposed to give kisses, not bites,” the trainer said.
A leading expert says Rwanda should keep the momentum if the east African country is to meet its 2020 Economic and Development Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS) targets.
The EDPRS represents Rwanda’s medium-term objectives and indicative financial allocations that seek to among others address inequality in the country and alleviate poverty.
“We are at the junction of the journey for reaching the Economic and Development Poverty Reduction Strategy indicators,” Teddy Kaberuka, an independent analyst, told CNBC Africa.
“There are still more steps to be taken so as to reach the target of realising the indicators, but we have seen much of the indicators growing in the past two years.”
Kaberuka urged the country to increase momentum when it comes to infrastructure built projects.
“We are still below the target as far as meeting infrastructure and electricity demand is concerned,” he added.
“In the last two years we have seen tremendous improvement in as far as EDPRS indicators are concerned, if the momentum is kept we could realise the target.”
Kaberuka said infrastructure required heavy investment adding that it was not a one-off project.
He warned against using the qualitative and quantitative measurements to arrive to quick conclusions.
There is an “aspect of quantity which we have achieved as we now see huge enrolments in schools but as far as quality which takes time, it would be difficult to measure results now”, he warned.
“Inequality has reduced but we need to see more reductions going into the future.”
Kaberuka also called on the government to stimulate employment which he believes will in turn lead to economic growth.
“The government should invest into social programmes so that more people are employed who can in turn invest in other priority areas,” he said.
A Swedish court in Stockholm has sent a team of prosecutors and defense lawyers to Rwanda to physically visit the scenes of crime to obtain concrete evidence and data required in the case of Clever Berinkindi being tried for genocide crimes committed in 1994.
In April 1994, genocide against ethnic Tutsi claimed over a million lives in Rwanda.
A fact file from prosecution said: he was one of the leaders in attacks on a municipal building in the municipality of Muyira and a nearby school that killed thousands. Some of the victims were buried alive, while others were killed with guns, spears, clubs and machetes it added.
The Rwanda Patriotic Front rebels led by Paul Kagame stopped the genocide and defeated the rogue regime.
Berinkindi like many other perpetrators fled the country to various destinations across the world and have remained atlarge. Rwanda has since issued indictments to these perpetrators and or requested countries hosting them to try them under their court system.
The Stockholm court opened trial of Berinkindi 60, accused of participating in the massacre that left thousands of Tutsi in Nyanza District, Southern Rwanda.
Berinkindi has been in custody for a year. He has also been convicted in Rwanda in absentia, but the trial is being held at the Stockholm district court due to his Swedish citizenship.
While Berinkindi is accused of murder, incitement to murder, attempted murder and abduction, he denies all charges. His defense team claims that witnesses could have mistaken him for a deceased brother who was complicit in the events.
It is in this regard that the Stockholm court has sent a team of prosecutors and defense lawyers to visit the scene of crime in Rwanda. The team, led by Prosecutor Tora Holst visited Nyamiyaga centre-which is Berinkindi’s centre of crimes during the genocide.
Rwanda has termed a ‘a good step in judicial process’.
“The arrival of the team to tour the scene of crimes committed by Berinkindi is a crucial step and a symbol of proper judicial process by Sweden,” Allain Mukurarinda, spokesperson of the national public prosecution authority told KT Press.
They compiled first-hand information and heard testimonies. “We shall wait for the outcome of their findings…but this is a good step ahead,” Mukurarinda told KT Press.
Rwanda’s Chief Justice, Sam Rugege warned earlier in April that all genocide fugitives will be brought to book no matter how long it takes.
To mark the international peace day a spectacular one, Youth Celebration event was organised in Kigali, this Monday.
Musical acts included performances of young Rwandan talents; among them include Knowless Butera, Urban Boyz, Krest Crew and Jabba Junior.
The event that was well organized took place at Remera Stadium with a big number of youth including students from different school in Kigali City.
Minister Jean Philbert Nsengiyumva who was the guest of honor graced the audience and encouraged them to love one another and spread peace worldwide.
The beautiful celebrations concluded with the much awaited performance of six African artistes from all around the continent, who had come together to sing the inspiring peace anthem written by ZwaiBala.
Maurice Kirya from Uganda was one of the six singers of the anthem together with Ice Prince from Nigeria, Alikiba from Tanzania, Dama do Bling from Mozambique, ZwaiBala from South Africa, and Wangechi from Kenya.
Under the headline ‘Open Up for a Creative Society,’ Sweden@Rwanda sparks co-creation and collaboration between Swedish and Rwandan creative players to enhance the creative sector and broaden bilateral collaborations.
The creative sector holds the potential to be a key contributor to the Rwandan economy, creating jobs, enhancing business and opening up for a more creative society. These are among the key messages and discussion points when Sweden@Rwanda, a co-creation workshop between Rwanda and Sweden to enhance creative entrepreneurship and innovation, takes place in Kigali on September 24th and 25th.
The Swedish Institute and the Embassy of Sweden in Rwanda are behind the initiative and will bring together key players within the creative industries in Rwanda and Sweden to collaborate and inspire through presentations, panel discussions, working labs and creative inputs.
“Sweden and Rwanda are both small countries with small populations, and we share the ambition and desire to grow our creative industries to play a big role in the economy and contribute to job creation and exports. We wish to broaden the bilateral collaboration between Sweden and Rwanda and use this opportunity for creative stakeholders from both countries to learn and inspire from each other, form collaborations and take action towards building a strong creative economy”, says Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of Sweden in Rwanda, Maria Håkansson.
As the creative sector in Rwanda is growing in both size and recognition from government, private sector and international partners, the timing and content for the Sweden@Rwanda event is crucial, according to Eric Kabera, founder of Kwetu Film Institute and an active cultural activist:
“More and more people are realising that the creative economy has the potential of being a key element for both human and capital growth in Rwanda. We hope to bring awareness to the creative sector, engage private and public stakeholders and really move some agendas,” say Eric Kabera, who will be leading one of the working labs during the event.
The two-day workshop will host representatives from the creative sector, government stakeholders, private sector players, international partners and non-governmental organisations, and will focus on four main areas to boost the creative sector: Education, Cultural Mapping, Creative Communications and Cross- disciplinary Collaboration.
As an artistic add-on to the Sweden@Rwandan workshop, a free public concert featuring the Swedish artist Fatima in collaboration with Rwandan artists including Angel Umotoni, Eric 1Key and Iyadede will take place at Inema Arts Centre on Thursday September 24th from 7pm.
The questions we ask as children define us. I remember as a child always asking my parents and grandparents questions about their experiences growing up in the midst of Rwanda’s most tumultuous times. I was not alone in seeking answers to these questions — many of my peers have done the same.
I heard much about their experiences; however, I was too young to understand fully the magnitude of the disaster through which my parents and grandparents lived. Added to these painful memories are the experiences many of us have had in our own time. They serve as a strong reminder of the importance of forgiveness. To ensure our conflict is not passed from one generation to the next — for the sake of the story of Rwanda — forgiveness is the only way to draw strength from tragedy individually — and to heal collectively.
For the eight years I have lived in the United States, I have participated in several classes and discussions touching on the Rwandan genocide against the Tutsis. We have talked about its devastating effect on those who lived through it — and the rest of the world standing by in silence as it happened.
Knowing my background, and my deep roots in Rwanda, my peers are curious about the country post-genocide. Their most frequent questions center around safety: “Do you go home for vacations?” “Is it safe there?”
Sometimes, I have to fight back an urge to respond with a blank stare. I — perhaps — could ask them similar questions about their homes. But these are fair questions from my peers. They are questions asked with good intent; they are genuinely meant. When we are taught about conflict or tragedies, we always learn about them in a limited way. We learn about what happened, the death toll, the tragic impact, but rarely do we highlight the enduring and gallant spirits of those who have been able to overcome these unthinkable circumstances with their dignity and hope intact.
Therein lies the story of Rwanda, a story of enduring hope and, most importantly, a story of ongoing forgiveness and healing.
Like most Rwandans my age, I was born in the middle of the conflict ripping our nation and its identity apart. My parents had been living as refugees for more than 20 years of their life: my mother in Burundi and my father in Uganda. My background is like that of many young people — our parents and grandparents were victims of a long-standing cycle of ethnic violence and hatred. The conflict rose from decades of mental conditioning, which led people to kill their sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers and children.
Hate, like many other vices, is a learned behavior — it is a choice, a bad choice, but a choice nonetheless. And yet, I believe — I know — that forgiveness works the same way. I have experienced the power of forgiveness in my life — and I have seen it work its healing power in Rwanda today.
Confronted with the horror of our history, we have a choice. We can choose forgiveness, or we can surrender to a natural reaction and choose revenge. On an individual level, choosing forgiveness is making a conscious decision to live above unimaginable circumstances.
Collectively — as a nation — by choosing to forgive, we are looking at a bigger picture, a brighter and more hopeful future for Rwanda. Most importantly, individually and as a nation, we are choosing to end a vicious cycle of hate.
Ultimately, the goal of our individual and collective effort is to build a safe and secure Rwanda for our generation and the generations to come. Choosing forgiveness is about discovering healing and finding peace.
As I was writing this article, I reached out to one of my childhood friends: Sonia Mugabo. Sonia is a survivor. She was three years old at the time of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis. I asked her what forgiveness means to her in post-genocide Rwanda.
She told me, “After 17 years of concealing my trauma, and trying my best to be brave, I broke down and suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. For some time, PTSD turned me into a bitter and angry person. It wasn’t until my process of healing started that I grasped the importance of forgiveness. I now know that, after reflecting with fellow young genocide survivors, we found forgiveness was allowing ourselves to be at peace and not allowing the pain caused by the genocide perpetrators to take over our lives. It takes time for wounds to heal. Most likely, it will take generations. However, in Rwanda, we are finding lasting solutions through our inherent values that are informed by faith, unity and reconciliation. Ultimately, and more importantly, our best weapon is forgiveness.”
Sonia’s story mirrors that of many in Rwanda, young and old.
Like most Rwandans, I am grateful for the path of forgiveness we are choosing to follow. No one should ever take for granted the strength needed by survivors of this horror — the strength to rise above their pain for the greater good. The path we have chosen to walk is unconventional. Each of us is now a beneficiary of this forgiveness and the restorative methods of justice that Rwandans have chosen to take. The successes and significant strides Rwanda is making in spite of its dark past are a direct effect of this reconciliation.
{ {{Through forgiveness, today Rwanda and Rwandans are victors over their painful past — and not victims.}}}
This was first produced by The Huffington Post and “Forgive for Peace,” in conjunction with the UN’s International Day of Peace (Sept. 21, annually).
