Author: Théophile Niyitegeka

Oscar Pistorius prosecutor Gerrie Nel joins Afriforum

{The South African lawyer who led the prosecution of Oscar Pistorius has quit to join a lobby group, accusing the state office of selective prosecution.}

Gerrie Nel has joined AfriForum, a group fighting private prosecution that also aims to protect the rights of white Afrikaners.

He will head the group’s new private prosecuting unit, which will target state officials and politicians accused of corruption.

Mr Nel is nicknamed the Pitbull.

He was widely praised for his aggressive, calculated and relentless prosecutorial style during the trial of Pistorius, who is serving a six-year prison term for murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in 2013.

Mr Nel accused the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) of not treating everyone equally and says his new role would allow him to “help ensure that everyone, irrespective of position, is equal before the law”, a statement on AfriForum’s website says.

In October last year, the NPA dropped fraud charges against South Africa’s Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, in what was seen as politically-motivated allegations, leading to questions about its independence.

Mr Nel will take up cases which the NPA has decided not to prosecute.

AfriForum has brought charges against firebrand opposition leader Julius Malema accusing him urging black South Africans to occupy white-owned farms.

Kallie Kriel, CEO of AfriForum, says Mr Nel’s appointment sends a message to corrupt politicians and officials on national, provincial and local government levels that they can not be safe from prosecution due to their political contacts.

His first assignment will be an investigation to determine which public officials are not being prosecuted despite a strong case against them, the statement says.

February 1, 2017
How Nigerian Psychiatrists learnt from Rwanda to treat Boko Haram victims

{A consultant psychiatrist, Ibrahim Wakama, has revealed that the template for the treatment of people in the north-east experiencing psychological trauma as a result of the Boko Haram insurgency was adopted from Burundi and Rwanda.}

Mr. Wakama, Head of Clinical Services of the Federal Neuro-psychiatric Hospital, Maiduguri, disclosed this to PREMIUM TIMES on Saturday in Abuja during a workshop to build psycho-social support for girl victims of trauma in the north-east.
The workshop was organised by a social advocacy group active in the zone, Development Research and Projects Centre, DRPC.

“At the beginning, there was nothing on ground for people with psycho trauma. It was a new thing and a new experience. No material was on ground. The first thing we did was to look at what other countries like Burundi and Rwanda who had issues of humanitarian crisis did”, he said.

“We looked at the measures they have adopted. We then adopted some of the materials they used, although some of the materials are not culturally sensitive, considering our peculiarities, so we translated them and made them culturally sensitive.

“We also trained our local staff to serve as psycho social support councillors. We established a referral pattern between the IDP camps and the hospitals. That’s how we were able to initiate our plan and got established”, Mr. Wakama said.

The consultant explained that out of the 1654 referral cases they received at the beginning, about 65 per cent of those that had psycho issues were girls.

“And this is just within the psycho facilities and the IDP camps; we are not talking about the host communities.

“I think the level of psycho trauma among women will be astronomically high compared to what we think of,” he said.

Mr. Wakama said at the onset of the Boko Haram insurgency, there were no provisions in place for victims of trauma to cope with life.

He said doctors at the Federal Neuro-psychiatric Hospital were pooling money together to support the victims.

He said the victims support fund put together by the Nigerian government has not made any cash donation to the facility, despite its crucial role in helping victims of the war to recover.

Mr. Wakama said some agencies that had been helping some of the victims withdraw from treatment because they could no longer afford to provide funding.

He said only 20 per cent of Boko Haram victims are in IDP camps, the rest are living in different settlements across the state and with little care.

“The major problem we have are those in the host communities and those dispersed by insurgency who we can’t reach out to.”

During the workshop, experts working in the area of mental health also called on government and other stakeholders to ensure coordination in their intervention for girls experiencing trauma in the North-east.

Mustapha Gudaji, a consultant psychiatrist with the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital and a senior lecturer at Bayero University, Kano said there was need for government to bring together all relevant stakeholders and have a comprehensive trauma focused care.

Faltama Shettima, a consultant psychiatrist at the Federal Neuro-psychiatrist Hospital, Maiduguri said coordinated intervention was key to building resilience and coping strategies for girls in school, internally displaced persons’ camps, and in health facilities who present symptoms of trauma in the north-east.

February 1, 2017
Uganda:Security operative identifies Kony, Ongwen voices

{A Internal Security Organisation operative has identified the voices of leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) Joseph Kony and those of his then commanders after audio recordings were played back to him at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in a trial involving one of LRA’s former commanders Dominic Ongwen .}

In his testimony as reported by International Justice Monitor on Monday, the witness, whose identity was concealed, also told court that he was able to identify the voices of Kony’s then deputy, Vincent Otti, and Ongwen who is currently facing trial and other commanders.

Core to his testimony, the witness who for purposes of identification was referred to as P-059, told the ICC that after tapping into the radio communications of the rebels, he heard them discussing what happened during some attacks that they had carried out against civilians and Ugandan military bases as well as Ugandan military attacks on them.

In his earlier testimony, the witness told court that he is a radio communication interceptor for ISO who has been secretly tapping into the radio communication for the rebels for the last 17 years.

The transcripts in question were produced by the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) after receiving the audio recordings from the Ugandan government.

Ongwen is facing 70 counts in connection with the war crimes and crimes against humanity that he allegedly committed between 2003 and 2004 after attacking internally displaced camps of Pajule, Odek, Abok, and Lukodi during the two decade armed conflict in northern Uganda.

At the time of the attacks, the prosecution says Ongwen was a battalion commander and later a brigade commander in the LRA.

The other charges that Ongwen is facing include forcibly marrying seven women who were girls at the time, and committing sexual crimes against them.

Hearing continues.

February 1, 2017
Fake DRC wine: Prosecutor demands prison for alleged gang member

{One of the alleged ringleaders in an organised crime gang that sold 400 bottles of fake DRC wines in Europe should be sentenced to at least two years in prison with a hefty fine, a state prosecutor has argued at a court hearing in Burgundy. But a defence lawyer denied his client’s involvement in the plot.}

A French state prosecutor accused a Russian defendant of being a key member of an organised fraud ring that sold 400 bottles of fake Domaine de la Romanée-Conti wines across Europe between 2012 and 2014, according to several French media reports.

Speaking at a court hearing in Dijon, Burgundy, last week, prosecutor Marie-Christine Tarrare called for the defendant to get a three-year prison sentence, with a guarantee of at least two years behind bars. She asked the court to fine him 100,000 euros.

She also called for two of his alleged fellow gang members, both from Italy, to get one-year suspended prison sentences and a fine of 50,000 euros each.

All three are accused of helping to sell around 400 bottles of wine carrying fake Romanée-Conti labels, as well as several bottles of falsely labelled Domaine Leroy Musigny grand cru wines.

A defence lawyer for the accused Russian denied that his client was involved in orchestrating the fraud. He called for a full acquittal.

Fraud is a recurring theme in the fine wine world and Burgundy’s DRC wines have been a frequent target due their lauded quality and rarity.

DRC’s co-owner, Aubert de Villaine, said last week that wine fraud in Europe deserved more attention and warned against an assumption that fake wine is a bigger problem in China.

‘It is the forgeries that are being made in Europe that are more worrying than those in China, simply because they are extremely sophisticated and often more difficult to spot,’ he told an audience at Bordeaux’s Cité du Vin wine centre.

‘We live in a time when these forgeries are a fact of life, and so for us the best thing is to very closely control our distribution and follow each bottle. Our repeated suggestion is to only ever buy from official distribution channels,’ he said.

February 1, 2017
10-year-old would-be suicide bomber dies in northeast Nigeria

{A girl thought to be aged 10 died after the suicide vest she was wearing exploded in northeast Nigeria, a civilian vigilante said on Tuesday, as another attack killed one at a mosque.}

Musa Ahmad, who works with the military against Boko Haram Islamists, said the incident happened at about 11:30 am local time in Banki, near the Cameroon border in Borno state.

“A girl of around 10 came by the military barracks and was trying to cross the road into the IDP (internally displaced persons) camp,” he told AFP.

“She was asked to stop by soldiers. But she ignored them. They threatened to shoot her if she didn’t stop. She obeyed and she was asked to lift up her hijab.

“She did and explosives were found to be strapped on her. Suddenly she pulled on the trigger and exploded.”

No-one else was injured, said Ahmad, who added it was the second attempt on the camp in recent weeks.

On January 18, a young woman and a teenage boy were shot when they refused to stop for a search and exploded just outside the camp, he added.

The vigilante suggested the attempted bombings were a way of Boko Haram “trying to hit back” after recent military operations against them in the area.

Banki, which is 133 kilometres by road southeast of the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, is currently home to thousands of IDPs.

In April last year, at least seven people were killed at the camp in a suicide bomb attack carried out by two women.

Boko Haram has frequently deployed young women and children as suicide bombers to target crowded places such as mosques, markets and bus stations.

On Tuesday, at least one person was killed when a suicide bomber exploded at a mosque at Dalori, on the outskirts of Maiduguri, during morning prayers, residents and the authorities said.

Shuaibu Abubakar said the blast happened at about 5:30 am as a suicide bomber tried to enter the place of worship.

“One of the worshippers, who was apparently on guard, grabbed him and the explosives went off, killing both of them. Worshippers were saved,” he said.

Tens of thousands of people displaced by the conflict are currently living at two camps set up at Dalori.

On January 30 last year, at least 85 people were killed when militant fighters stormed and torched Dalori, sending local residents fleeing into the bush.

February 1, 2017
Turkey must release jailed Rwanda case judge, UN court orders

{A United Nations court has called on Ankara to release Aydin Sefa Akay, a UN judge arrested by Turkey following last year’s failed military coup. The UN legal panel said Akay’s detention violates his diplomatic immunity.}

Tuesday to free Akay by February 14 and halt all legal proceedings against him, insisting the UN judge enjoys diplomatic immunity.

Akay, both a judge and a diplomat, is one of about 40,000 Turkish officials who were taken into custody by the authorities in the wake ofa botched coup attempt against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in July last year. The government blamed the failed putsch on the followers of Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish cleric living in exile in the US.

“Diplomatic immunity is a cornerstone of an independent judiciary,” said Theodor Meron, president of the MICT.

Akay is a member of the panel of judges that is reviewing the case of a former Rwandan minister convicted of involvement in the country’s 1994 genocide against Tutsi. Augustin Ngirabatware, who was given 30 years in prison by the UN’s Rwanda Tribunal, requested a review of his sentence last year.

The MICT order said that replacing Akay on the panel would have “a chilling effect on the administration of justice” by allowing “interference by a national authority in the conduct of a case and the exercise of judicial functions.”

The MICT order also rejected Ngirabatware’s appeal for temporary release while his case is on ice due to Akay’s detention.

According to Turkish media, Akay was arrested last year for having a mobile messaging application that was allegedly used by the coup plotters.

[Turkey must release jailed Rwanda case judge, UN court orders->http://www.dw.com/en/turkey-must-release-jailed-rwanda-case-judge-un-court-orders/a-37360782]

February 1, 2017
It isn’t a bomb at Technical Institute of Kenya, Nairobi — police

{Police closed Moktar Daddah Street in Nairobi on Wednesday morning after an object suspected to be a bomb was found at the entrance to the Technical Institute of Kenya.}

Unknown people placed the jungle-greenish object on the lowermost riser of the stairs to the college.

Students who arrived early for classes spotted the suspicious object before reporting the matter to police.

An hour later, Central Station Police chief Robinson Thuku said bomb experts had established the object was not a bomb.

It was a motor vehicle spare part and it had been removed from the scene, he said.

Panic gripped workers and students at the college, with those inside the five-storey building desperately seeking to get out.

Police officers at the scene had a hard time trying to control crowds.

The incident comes barely a week after the National Police Service dismissed a letter that did the rounds on social media and warning of an impending terror attack at an unspecified learning institution in the city.

The document was purportedly signed by Nairobi criminal investigations chief Nicholas Kamwende.

February 1, 2017
Rwanda celebrates Heroes

{Today, Rwanda celebrates lives of Rwandans who sacrificed their lives so that fellow countrymen can enjoy liberty and lead dignified lives.}

Rwanda has come this far because of the dedication and sacrifice of many of its gallant sons and daughters.

Rwanda continues to be inspired by brave Rwandans whose sacrifices have shaped the new Rwanda, a country with equal opportunities for all as the enduring spirit of National Heroes continues to guide the country towards a brighter future.

This year, Rwandans in different corners of the country reaffirm that true heroism lies in being able to choose what fits in their interests.

As Rwanda celebrates its brave sons and daughters, Rwandans across the country are once again called on to uphold the culture of patriotism and recommit to continue to move Rwanda forward.

February 1, 2017
Security tops Rwanda governance performance parameters

{Rwanda has registered consistent improvement in different governance and development sectors, according to the Rwanda Governance Scorecard (RGS) 2016. }

The RGS fourth edition launched yesterday at the Kigali Convention Centre indicates that compared to the 2014 edition, six out of eight major indicators have recorded higher scores while only two presented slight decline.

RGS is an annual publication seeking to gauge the state of governance in the country.

It is a comprehensive governance assessment based on primary and secondary data drawn from over 200 questions.

While launching the 2016 RGS, Prime Minister Anastase Murekezi said it has become a governance mirror that scientifically describes the country’s governance performance.

“RGS is a unique assessment tool based on locally generated data like citizen satisfaction surveys. It helps us to understand Rwandan 2016 state of governance and what we need to do to achieve more good results,” the Premier said.

The findings of last year’s Governance Scorecard show that three best performer’s indicators of the RGS2016 scored over 80% with Safety and Security leading with 92.62%, closely followed by Control of Corruption, Transparency and Accountability standing at 86.56% as well as Political Rights and Civil liberties which scored 81.83%.

Other indicators recorded moderate scores: Rule of Law, 79.68%, Economic and Corporate Governance, 76.82%, Participation and Inclusiveness, 76.48%, Investing in Human and Social Development, 74.88% while the Quality of service delivery comes last with 72.93%.

February 1, 2017
Rwanda commits to continued Shelter Afrique support

{Rwanda has pledged to continue supporting activities of Shelter Afrique, a Pan African financial institution dedicated to financing housing and infrastructural related activities in Africa. }

Rwanda’s Minister of Infrastructure Honorable James Musoni made the remarks in Nairobi yesterday while attending the extra-ordinary session of General Assembly of Shelter Afrique, which took place at Windsor Hotel.

In his remarks, Mr. James Musoni commended the work done by Shelter Afrique on the continent and in Rwanda in particular and promised full support from the Government of Rwanda he represented.

“The Government of Rwanda will continue to work closely and supporting Shelter Afrique by honoring our financial support for the organization to be able to meet its objectives. Shelter Afrique has done and continues to do well in supporting affordable housing development in my country and we are looking forward to achieving even more milestones together,” Hon. Musoni noted.

Participants from member states and shareholders of Shelter Afrique convened in Nairobi to deliberate on ways of making the organization more financially stable for it to be able to address issues affecting housing development on the African continent.

At this extra-ordinary session, members were updated on capital and liquidity status of Shelter Afrique, which disclosed major financial gaps that mainly emanate from members who have not honored pledges they made in 2013. During this session, member states that have not paid their arrears committed to paying their dues with specific timelines, which mainly extended to May 2017.

Rwanda is a founder member of Shelter Afrique and has received housing finance as well as offering loans both to local banks and other private establishments with a portfolio of USD 51.4 million.

Other projects such as Sunrise Hotel and Residence, Kigali Top Mountain Hotel have also benefited from Shelter Afrique loan scheme. A financial loan to former Rwanda Housing Bank (BHR) and Rwanda Development Bank (BRD) worth USD 13 million is financing ongoing projects. There are also current initiatives by BRD to collaborate in the development of Rugarama in Nyarugenge District Housing project to host over 2000 Housing Units.

Shelter Afrique membership is comprised by 44 African Countries as well as other continental financial counterparts such as the African Development Bank and Africa-Reinsurance.

The body is currently undertaking an initiative to promote innovation in low income housing development to address the housing market demand for more than 300million Africans living in urban areas.

The meeting ended with member countries and shareholders committing to support the reforms that aim at insuring efficiency and sustainability of institution among them giving a leeway for new investors so as to increase liquidity.

At this meeting, Rwanda was represented by Minister of Infrastructure Honorable James Musoni accompanied by Rwanda’s High Commission to Kenya H.E James Kimonyo.

February 1, 2017