IGIHE

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  • Kwibuka Flame of Remembrance in Gakenke District

    Kwibuka Flame of Remembrance in Gakenke District

    {{The Kwibuka Flame of Remembrance on Saturdday arrived in Gakenke District, the 18th stop on its nationwide tour.

    The flame will return to Kigali on 7 April 2014, the start of the national mourning period and twenty years since the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. You can view an interactive map of the tour here.}}

    Today’s event is hosted by Mayor Déogratias Nzamwita and will reflect on the events of 1994 as well as the journey of Gakenke and Rwanda since. The special guest was Hon. Evode Imena, Minister of State in the Ministry of Natural Resources in charge of Mining.

    The Flame of Remembrance will be received from Burera District by two 20-year-old students, Noella Akayezu and Lambert Mahoro.

    A children’s choir from Ruli Primary School will sing ‘Urumuri Rutazima’ to welcome the flame. The Master of Ceremony for today’s event is Jean de Dieu Sinahamagaye.

    Survivor of the genocide François Migambi (48) will give testimony. François grew up in former Ruli commune and during the genocide watched his family be killed and thrown into the Nyabarongo River. Today he is a famer and is building his own home.

    A testimony of unity will be given by Marcelle Niyonzima (50). Marcelle was taught to hate Tutsi at school and at home but when the genocide began in 1994, turned away from that ideology and instead saved Tutsi. He saved three children and an elderly woman.

    A poem called Dukeburane Twubake will be read by award-winning poet Violette Uwamariya at today’s event.

    The persecution of Tutsi in Gakenke was coordinated by the then mayor, Aloys Havugimana, who also participated in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

    Tutsi living in the Gakenke area were persecuted and accused of being spies and allies of the “Inyenzi” – a term meaning ‘cockroaches’ that was used by the genocidal government to describe the Rwandan Patriotic Front. In April 1994, many Tutsi were killed in the area.

    Interahamwe militias from Kigali, Shyorongi and Giti cy’inyonyi led the attacks against Tutsi who had sought refuge at the Ruli administrative office. The killings continued up to July 1994, when the RPF stopped the genocide.

    Between 1997 and 1998, those who killed during the genocide came back as Abacengezi (militia), to hunt and murder survivors and their relatives.

    The Rwanda Defence Forces repelled these attacks and peace was restored. Gakenke District has six genocide memorials where 2,246 victims are resting.

    A large number of people who were killed in Gakenke will never receive a dignified burial because the killers threw their bodies into the rivers Nyabarongo, Base and Mukungwa.

    {kwibuka}

  • UN Helicopters Strike ADF Base in DRC

    UN Helicopters Strike ADF Base in DRC

    {{UN gunships targeted a base of the Ugandan Muslim rebel group ADF-Nalu in the eastern DR Congo for the first time Saturday, the UN force said.}}

    The Congolese army had in recent weeks taken the lead in the drive to root out ADF-Nalu, one of the oldest but lesser known armed organisations in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

    A statement from MONUSCO, the UN mission in the country, said two attack helicopters struck an ADF base northeast of Beni at 1255 GMT.

    Beni is a remote town in North Kivu, a restive resource-rich province that borders Rwanda and Uganda.

    “This operation, conducted with great precision, helps achieve a clear goal: bringing an end to ADF’s recent attacks against the civilian population,” said MONUSCO chief Martin Kobler, quoted in the statement.

    The FARDC regular army launched its offensive against ADF-Nalu on January 16 and announced in mid-February that it had inflicted severe losses on the rebels.

    Backed by a newly-formed UN intervention brigade with an unprecedented offensive mandate, the Congolese army notched up a rare military victory against the M-23 Tutsi rebel group.

    The ADF-Nalu was next on the list.

    MONUSCO has vowed to help Kinshasa rid the region of the myriad rebel groups running amok in one of the continent’s most impenetrable regions.

    ADF-Nalu stands for Allied Democratic Forces-National Army for the Liberation of Uganda. It is one of the oldest but lesser known rebellions based in North-Kivu and is considered the only Islamist organisation in the region.

    The Brussels-based think tank International Crisis Group said in a report last year the rebel group had “shown remarkable resilience attributable to its geostrategic position, its successful integration into the cross-border economy and corruption in the security forces”.

    ADF-Nalu is led by Jamil Mukulu, a Christian convert to Islam, and has never really managed to take its fight against Yoweri Museveni’s regime to Uganda.

    Some observers have voiced concern that it could become a link in the growing network of radical Islamist groups in East Africa.

    AFP

  • Statement by Amb. Gasana at Launch of #Kwibuka20 in New York

    Statement by Amb. Gasana at Launch of #Kwibuka20 in New York

    {{27 January 2014

    Your Excellency John Ashe, President of the General Assembly of the United Nations;

    Your Excellency Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nations;
    Excellencies Permanent Representatives to the United Nations;
    Dr. Gerald Caplan;
    Ms. Immaculée Ilibagiza;
    Dear compatriots and friends of Rwanda;
    Ladies and Gentlemen;}}

    Let me, at the outset; express my gratitude to all of you for being here with us today, to officially launch, at the UN, the 20th Commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.

    I also take this opportunity to thank the UN Department of Public Information for its invaluable partnership with the Mission of Rwanda in the organization of this event.

    This year, the commemorative period is longer than usual. “Kwibuka20”, which means “20th Commemoration” in our national language, was officially launched in Kigali on 7th January this year.

    It is a three-month series of events, organized in Rwanda and in different capitals around the world, which will lead to the 100-day mourning period, starting on 7th April 2014 and ending on 4th July 2014.

    The launch of Kwibuka20 was marked by the lighting of Urumuri Rutazima; the Flame of Remembrance, which symbolizes the inextinguishable spirit, resilience and courage of Rwandans over the past twenty years and beyond.

    This flame is now travelling through the thirty (30) Districts of Rwanda, during ninety (90) days, and will return to Kigali for the official start of the commemoration, on 7th April.

    {Ladies and Gentlemen,}

    The theme for this twentieth commemoration is a threefold motto: Remember – Unite – Renew. And we would wish to share this reflection not only with our fellow Rwandans, but also with friends of Rwanda and the larger international community.

    We remember.

    We remember a million souls, slain during hundred days of horror, for the only crime of being born Tutsi.

    We remember brave women and men, who were massacred for upholding the dignity of mankind, by protecting the oppressed and opposing the evil.

    We remember and honour women and girls, sexually abused, deformed and most of them infected with incurable diseases.

    And we remember and support the orphans, deprived of happiness, childhood and education, and prematurely thrown in the adult life.

    We unite.

    We unite as Rwandans, a people that share a single culture, a single language and a single history, to defy the artificial divide caused by colonialists and by bad governance,

    We unite because we proclaimed “Never Again” and “Not In My Name”, we unite to turn a dark page of our history and to shape a bright future for next generations.

    We unite to restore our dignity and to build, altogether, a country free of genocide, mass atrocities, discrimination and hate,

    And we unite because we want to show the world that reconciliation and brotherhood are the only viable path to stability and prosperity.

    We renew.

    We renew as an ancient nation, created by Gihanga – fore founder of Rwanda – a millennium ago, destroyed two decades ago and reborn from ashes.

    We renew, as a country that chose not only to recover and rebuild, but also to be self-reliable, striving to be a model of excellence in socio-economic development, uplifting citizens and protecting our planet.

    And we renew because we want to share our experience and learn from others’, with a view to building a better world.

    {Ladies and Gentlemen,}

    Dr Gregory Stanton, a renowned Research Professor in Genocide Studies and Prevention, who wrote a book on the eight (8) stages of genocide, listed genocide denial as the eighth stage of a genocide, which comes after extermination.

    Rwanda is experiencing this stage, where genocide perpetrators and their henchmen continue, through speeches and acts, to deny the occurrence of the 1994 genocide committed against the Tutsi. They refer to the name that the UN usually uses for this genocide – “Rwandan genocide” – has become the basis of their argument.

    According to them, the fact that the UN calls it such, is enough evidence that this body does not recognize that a genocide was committed against the Tutsi. Indeed, deniers of all kinds, from the grassroots’ genocidaires to some scholars, continue to refer to “Rwandan genocide” as the basis for their denial.

    As we move on in rebuilding the chattered lives of survivors and in implementation of our unity and reconciliation programs, we endeavour to protect survivors from unnecessary hurt. We therefore call on all member states – all of you – to support in the fight against this stage of genocide against the Tutsi – genocide denial – by denying these merciless criminals any chance to hurt their victims.

    And for this twentieth commemoration, we will introduce, in both the General Assembly and the Security Council, draft resolutions to honour the memory of the victims and stress on the need to prevent genocide and other crimes against humanity.

    {Ladies and gentlemen,}

    The irony of our history is that during the genocide in 1994, Rwanda was sitting in the Security Council. Twenty years later, Rwanda is back in the same seat. While the Transitional Government of April-July 1994 was misguiding the Security Council in New York and committing genocide back home, the current Government of National Unity, backed by painful lessons learned from the past, is committed to fight against genocide ideology, to fight against impunity and has embraced the responsibility to prevent and protect.

    Indeed, Rwanda, as member of the Security Council, is more than ever resolved to prevent the world from conflicts, genocide and mass atrocities, and is committed to protect civilians under the threat of extermination.

    As a result of the experience of Rwanda, we feel a moral obligation to participate as vigorously as possible in activities, such as UN peacekeeping operations that increase protections for civilians in armed conflict.

    Today, twenty years after the Genocide, Rwanda is the sixth major troops and police contributing country to the UN Missions around the globe.

    The Rwanda Defense Forces, which stopped the genocide in Rwanda, are now committed to protect civilians in Darfur, South Sudan and in other conflict theatres in the world, the most recent being the Central African Republic where our troops in MISCA are working tirelessly in opening the humanitarian corridors and robustly intervening to save human lives.

    {Ladies and gentlemen,}

    I could not end my statement without paying tribute to Mr Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General, for his tireless efforts in the prevention of genocide and mass atrocities.

    Beyond his daily action on all fronts, from the Central African Republic to Syria, through Somalia and South Sudan, the Secretary General has also appointed a Special Adviser for the Prevention of Genocide and a Special Adviser for the Responsibility to Protect, in a long-term effort to assisting the community of nations in putting in place effective early warning mechanisms.

    I also express my gratitude to Mr. John Ashe, President of the General Assembly, for bringing all member States together under the Post-2015 Development Agenda, as well as on thematic debates such as “Ensuring peaceful and stable societies” and “Contributions of Human Rights and the Rule of Law in the post-2015 Development Agenda”, scheduled in April and June, respectively. Rwanda will continue to stand firm with the PGA and forge a bright future for generations to come; a future without war and genocide, a future with hope, wealth and prosperity.

    In closing, it is imperative to remember to honour the lives of our loved ones. We need to look back to realize how far we have come to be able to draw lessons from the past while standing together to chart a new narrative.

    The experience acquired over time should be championed to meet the challenges of our current situation. There is no way we can erase the past, but we have the power to prepare a decent future for our people.

    That is what lies at the root of our enlightened leader’s inspiration and motto: H.E Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda in his wise words, I quote, “we cannot turn the clock back nor can we undo the harm caused, but we have the power to determine the future and to ensure that what happened never happens again.”

    I once again invite all of you to remember, unite and renew, by speaking and acting against hate, against racism, against anti-Semitism, against discrimination, against mass atrocities, and against the crime of crimes – genocide.

    I thank you for your kind attention.

    Author is :{Minister of State in charge of Cooperation and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Rwanda to the United Nations}

  • Namibia Police Chief Visits RNP

    Namibia Police Chief Visits RNP

    {{The Inspector General of Namibia Police Force, Lt. General S.H. Ndeitunga, on March 1, visited the Rwanda National Police and called for strengthened efforts among African Police forces to ensure maximum security on the continent.}}

    Lt. General S.H. Ndeitunga, who is in the country to attend the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) which starts on Monday, was received by the Inspector General of Rwanda National Police, Emmanuel K. Gasana, who briefed him on the forces activities both locally and at the international level.

    “I have identified that the Rwandan Police has got sound and vibrant policing strategies such as training programmes, its best centers like Isange One Stop Centre to fight gender-violence, which we want to emulate back home,’’ LT General Ndeitunga said shortly after the meeting at the RNP headquarters.

    “There is a lot we can learn from the experience Rwanda National Police has accumulated. You have a good record of experience that we have to tap,’’ he added.

    He pointed out to cooperation of African Police institutions as crucial to achieve sustainable peace and security on the continent.

    He also visited Isange One Stop Centre, Police Training School in Rwamagana and National Police College in Musanze district.

    “We want to put efforts together as African Police institutions to ensure that, we collectively address emerging crimes such as cyber crimes, illegal migration and illicit firearms trafficking,” he noted.

    While at National Police Colleg, the Namibia Police chief challenged Police officers enrolled in various professional and academic course, to seize this golden opportunity for the good of their fellow citizens in their respective countries.

    Officers from eight African countries are attending a Police Senior Command and Staff Course at the college.

    “You are here to learn and acquire knowledge, but it requires hard work for the good of our continent to ensure that we foil evil plans of criminals,” he told students.

    “This is a golden opportunity that even the Namibia Police force will exploit by sending our police officers to acquire professional policing skills and knowledge here,” he said.

    The Inspector General of Police, Emmanuel K. Gasana said Rwanda National Police is committed to cooperating with other African Police Institutions in a spectrum of policing areas to ensure peace and security in the region and beyond.

    RNP

  • Dead US Man Resurrects

    Dead US Man Resurrects

    {{Even in the Bible Belt, coroners don’t use the word “miracle” lightly.

    But Holmes County, Mississippi, Coroner Dexter Howard has no qualms using the word for the resurrection, as it were, of Walter Williams, who was declared dead Wednesday night.}}

    Howard received the call from Williams’ hospice nurse, who told Howard that the 78-year-old had passed away. A family member called as well, saying the same, Howard said.

    Howard and Byron Porter from Porter & Sons Funeral Home in Lexington, Mississippi, drove to Williams’ home to collect the body for funeral preparations. Howard checked Williams’ pulse about 9 p.m. and pronounced him dead.

    “There was no pulse. He was lifeless,” Howard said.

    The coroner completed his paperwork, placed Williams in a body bag and transported him to the funeral home, he said. There, something strange happened: The body bag moved.

    “We got him into the embalming room and we noticed his legs beginning to move, like kicking,” Howard said. “He also began to do a little breathing.”

    They immediately called an ambulance. Paramedics arrived and hooked Williams up to monitors. Sure enough, he had a heartbeat, so they transported him to the Holmes County Hospital and Clinics.

    “They were in shock. I was in shock. I think everybody at the hospital was in shock,” Howard said.

    Howard is an elected official and not a doctor. More than 1,500 counties in the United States elect coroners and most don’t require medical degrees.

    Neither in his 12 years as county coroner nor during his decade as deputy coroner has Howard seen anything like it. Howard was absolutely certain Williams was dead.

    The only reasonable explanation he could think of, Howard said, is that Williams’ defibrillator, implanted beneath the skin on his chest, jump-started his heart after he was placed in the body bag.

    “It could’ve kicked in, started his heart back,” Howard said. “The bottom line is it’s a miracle.”

    Overjoyed family members are thanking God for saving the life of the longtime farmer they call “Snowball.”

    “So it was not my daddy’s time,” daughter Martha Lewis told CNN affiliate WJTV. “I don’t know how much longer he’s going to grace us and bless us with his presence, but hallelujah, we thank Him right now!”

    Nephew Eddie Hester told CNN affiliate WAPT he was at Williams’ Lexington home when Howard and Porter zipped up the body bag, so he was more than a little stunned when his cousin called at 2:30 a.m. Thursday and told him, “Not yet.”

    “What you mean not yet?” Hester recalled asking his cousin. “He said, ‘Daddy’s still here.’ ”

    “I don’t know how long he’s going to be here, but I know he’s back right now. That’s all that matters,” Hester told WAPT.

    Howard visited Williams on Thursday at the hospital and said he was still “a little weak” but was surrounded by family members and talking.

    Mike Murphy, the coroner for Clark County, Nevada, and past president of the International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners, said he couldn’t comment on this specific case without knowing all the details, but he’s read news reports of people returning to life at funeral homes “from time to time.”

    Asked if he’d ever heard of a case in which a defibrillator played a role in bringing someone back to life, Murphy said he hadn’t, “but just because I haven’t heard it doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened.”

    CNN

  • Sexual Home Appliance Expo in Tokyo

    Sexual Home Appliance Expo in Tokyo

    Twenty-four manufacturers and brands of sex goods from around the world, including from mainland China and Hong Kong, are showcasing their latest adult products at the “Pink Tokyo” sex fair.

    The three-day show, which runs until Sunday, is the largest of its kind in the Japanese capital since 2007, with a wealth of vibrators, lubricant oil and artificial vaginas on offer.

    “Sex goods are becoming more and more sophisticated and stylish,” said Minori Kitahara, president of Love Piece Club, a Tokyo sex goods store for women.

    “Products that are safe and made with high quality materials, which can operate very quietly, are becoming the mainstream. They are also warranted for a year, just like home appliances.”

    Japanese sex aid maker Rends demonstrated its latest artificial vagina — the A10 Cyclone SA — a sleek cylinder, about 30 centimetres (12 inches) long, which can be remotely connected to a computer or a smart phone.

    The rotating barrel inside has seven different speeds, the company said, advertising it as a “sexual home appliance”.

    “Feel free to use at night when your family is sleeping, without worries,” it said.

    AFP

  • Tanzania Falters in Gold Trade

    Tanzania Falters in Gold Trade

    {{Earnings from gold have continued to drop, dealing Tanzania’s external trade a major blow last year after the country recorded a slump in the value of the goods and services it exported.}}

    The latest Central Bank review of the economy shows that the trade deficit widened further last year after the value of exports of goods and services declined to $8,519.1 million from $8,675.6 million in 2012.

    The Bank of Tanzania (BoT) attributes the slump in export earnings to a drop in the value of goods exported in the year, with gold playing a major role.

    Only manufactured goods performed better in this category, raking in $1,072.1 million. Whereas foreign exchange from exports dwindled by about $156.5 million, the import bill went up by 7.3 per cent to $13,602.2 million in 2013, from the previous year’s $12,678 million.

    The surge saw the trade balance–the difference between export and import proceeds–rise to $5,083 million from the 2012 deficit of $4,002.4 million.

    “The value of non-traditional exports declined by 9.2 per cent from the amount recorded in 2012 to $3,782.3 million in 2013, mainly on account of low export value of gold,” BoT notes in the January monthly economic review.

    “The value of gold exports declined after a fall in both export volume and unit price. Despite the decline, gold continued to dominate non-traditional exports, followed by manufactured goods.”

    Last year, gold exports fetched $1,732.9 million compared to $2,117.4 million and $2,224.1 million earned in 2012 and 2011 respectively. Much of the foreign exchange came from the travel trade, which brought in $1,888.4 million that made it the major source of export earnings during the year.

    The decline in gold export earnings is likely to affect the contribution of the sub-sector to the national economy, which has not been convincing so far. There is a belief in many quarters that the country benefits very little from the industry and these concerns have led to revision of the law regulating the sector.

    According to the Tanzania Chamber of Minerals and Energy, the industry now directly employs over 15,000 people, up from the 1,781 jobs it created in 1997 when large-scale mining took off. In 2012, the sector contributed 3.5 per cent to the gross domestic product (GDP).

    Between 1997 and 2012, mining companies paid a total of $1.339 billion (Sh2.17 trillion) to the government in royalties, statutory taxes and other contributions.

    NMG

  • New Mombasa Port Charges Draw Outrage From Importers

    New Mombasa Port Charges Draw Outrage From Importers

    {{Importers in Uganda are outraged following an increase in cargo handling tariffs by the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA).}}

    According to a communication from KPA-Mombasa offices, there will be a 5 per cent increase for loading and discharging of Saloon, Station Wagon and Vans (not exceeding 1.5 tonnes) effective March 15.

    This means importers will now pay $73.50 up from the current $70 for the above vehicles.

    In an interview with the Daily Monitor, Ms Jennifer Mwijukye, the managing director of Unifreight, a cargo handling and freight-forwarding company, said they were not consulted about the new changes.

    “We were not consulted as users of the port who contribute to 75% of the transit cargo in the port,” Ms Mwijukye said.

    In the new arrangement, tariffs for handling of self-propelled units at the Container Freight Station (CFS)-Shore Handling Saloon, Station Wagon, Vans and Cars (not exceeding 1.5 tonnes) have also gone up to $83.50 from $80 , thus indicating a 4.4 % increment.

    Additionally, self-propelled units (imports or exports) for the above mentioned cars will also attract a $67.50 tariff up from $65 , indicating 4 % increase.

    “The new tariffs were made in accordance to the changes in the operations of the business environment and are aimed at making the current tariff more competitive,” a KPA communication said.

    When this newspaper contacted Kampala City Traders Association spokesperson Issa Ssekitto, about the development, he expressed ignorance about the new charges.

    “It’s so disappointing that all these years as stakeholders; we are still not consulted when tariffs are being reviewed. We thought being part of the East African Community, we would have a big say in the operations of the port,” Mr Ssekitto said.

  • How Malaria Parasite Beats top Insecticides

    How Malaria Parasite Beats top Insecticides

    {{Gene detectives on Tuesday said they had discovered how the parasite that causes malaria becomes resistant to DDT and to insecticides used in anti-malaria bednets.}}

    The secret lies in just one change in the DNA code on a single gene, they said.

    A singe mutation changes a normal gene for metabolism, known as GsTe2, into one that helps the mosquito break down the insecticide molecule so that it is no longer toxic.

    Insecticide resistance is a major worry in the fight against malaria.

    DDT, banned decades ago in many countries because of its damage to the environment, remains an important mosquito-killing tool in poor economies.

    Chemicals called pyrethroids are also used to treat bednets, shielding infants against the insect.

    Researchers led by Charles Wondji at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine in England found a population of resistant Anopheles funestus mosquitoes in the western African state of Benin.

    They unravelled the genome of the insects and compared it against a non-resistant strain of mosquitoes, to see what made things so different.

    The answer: a mutation called L119F — which was confirmed by looking at resistant mosquitoes in other parts of the world.

    The team then introduced the mutant gene into fruit flies, a widely used laboratory tool. The insects themselves became resistant to both pyrethroids and DDT.

    The work, reported in the journal Genome Biology, has opened the way to a test to spot emerging insecticide resistance in mosquitoes.

    “Such tools will allow control programmes to detect and track resistance at an early stage in the field,” said Wondji.

    “This significant progress opens the door for us to do this with other forms of resistance as well, and in other… species” that transmit malaria.

    AFP

  • Son of Egypt’s Morsi detained – report

    Son of Egypt’s Morsi detained – report

    {{Egypt’s state news agency is reporting the youngest son of ousted Islamist president Mohammed Morsi has been detained by police on suspicion of drug possession.}}

    The MENA news agency said police detained son Abdullah Morsi, a university freshman, on Saturday after a police patrol found a suspicious car parked on the side of the road in el-Obour city, east of Cairo.

    The agency said officers found two rolled hashish cigarettes in the car.

    A security official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to reporters, said the car’s passengers were Morsi’s youngest son and a friend.

    He said prosecutors are questioning the two men.

    Morsi was toppled in a popularly backed military overthrow in July and has been in detention since, facing a number of trials.

    – AP