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{Sheikh Kayitare Ibrahim, who was an interim head of Rwanda Muslims Association (AMUR), has been finally elected to head this association to complete the mandate of Mufti Gahutu who was forced to resign from this post.}

Kayitare has been appointed to this post during an administrative meeting that was held on 12 January 2014, after appreciation of what AMUR has achieved throughout Kayitare’s interim leadership.

Sheikh Kayitare Ibrahim’s mandate will last for two years from the time of his appointment.

Muslim association of Rwanda administratively represents the entire Muslim community of Rwanda. Among its objectives there are; calling people to Islam (Muslim Daawah), education and health development, unity and reconciliation by promoting peaceful co-existence between Muslims and non Muslims, general social work meant to free Rwandans and Muslims in particular from poverty and its associated miseries.

The family of Rwanda’s ex-spy chief, Patrick Karegeya, has finally released burial arrangement indicating that his remains will be buried in South Africa on Saturday after holding a requiem mass at St Stephens Church, Bukoto tomorrow.

Karegeya was found dead in Johannesburg’s upmarket Sandton Michelangelo Hotel on New Year’s Eve in circumstances that preliminary investigations point to murder.

According to sources privy to investigations, the Rwandese émigré might have been strangled, with a rope and bloodied towel found in the hotel room safe.

Although the family had already decided to bury the former NRA fighter in South Africa after failing to get clearance from government to intern his remains in his birthplace of Rwenjuru, Mbarara District, the date of burial and other finer details remained a matter of conjecture as family and friends conferred.

“Karegeya will be buried in Johannesburg, South Africa on Saturday 18th. There will also be a service on Tuesday 14th at St Stephens Church, Bukoto at 11am,” Karegeya’s wife, Leah Kabuto told New Vision yesterday.

In the wake of Karegeya’s demise, State minister for Foreign Affairs, Henry Okello Oryem, indicated that government was amenable to have his remains buried in Uganda.

However, a few days later, government, through Minister of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Fred Opolot, backpedalled on its earlier position, forcing Karegeya’s family to make what his wife described as “painful and difficult decision” of burying his remains in South Africa.

“As a family, we have taken a difficult decision to have him laid to rest in Johannesburg, South Africa on a day and date I shall make known to you all later,” Kabuto said.

Karegeya fled to South Africa following accusations of indiscipline that saw him stripped of his rank of colonel and a stint in jail.

Karegeya was born in Rubare, Ntungamo in 1960 to a family of Rwandan refugees. Later the family migrated to Isingiro and in 1985 they again migrated to Rwenjeru.

Since his death, relatives and friends have been flocking to Rwenjeru village to commiserate with the family.

Family members last interacted with him in 2009 when he came for Christmas celebrations. They said he had been helping them even when he was in exile in South Africa.

An alumni of Makerere University (LLB), Karegeya was charged with treason in 1982 for allegedly recruiting youths into NRA that had launched a guerrilla war in Luwero.

Upon his release in 1985 following Obote’s ouster, Karegeya joined the NRA.

Later, he was instrumental in the formation of the Rwandese Patriotic Army (RPA) in the early 1990s. He was appointed the head of External security – a docket he held for 10 years before fleeing into exile.

{{New Vision}}

{Four people have been killed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in clashes between Congolese national park rangers and Rwandan rebels in the east of the country, the park says.}

The Virunga national park said in a statement on Sunday that one of its rangers and three rebel fighters of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) were killed in a battle in the park on Saturday morning.

Two guards were wounded and a rebel was arrested, the statement said.

The park, which is home to the country’s only population of endangered mountain gorillas, said the attack was believed to have been carried out “in retaliation against the rangers’ efforts to prevent the militias from regaining control of an area close to the habitat of the critically endangered mountain gorillas.”

Founded in 1952, the UNESCO world heritage site is the oldest national park in the African continent.

The eastern Congo has experienced interminable cycles of violence since 1998.

The African country has faced numerous problems over the past few decades, such as grinding poverty, crumbling infrastructure, and a war in the east of the country.

Press TV

{President Kagame and First Lady, Jeannette Kagame yesterday joined other Rwandans at the annual National Leaders Prayer Breakfast hosted by the Rwanda Leaders Fellowship. In his address, President Kagame emphasized the importance of every Rwandan to assume full responsibility to transform and share their dignity;}

“This is not only a time to thank God but an opportunity for reflection to evaluate our goals; how far we have come and where we are going. Social cohesion is about unity and recognizing our self worth. The first step to praising God is to be proud of our identity and to give value to who we are.”

President Kagame thanked the organizers of the National Leaders’ Prayer Breakfast, reminding them of their role in building a better Rwanda despite the many challenges they have survived:

“Rwanda remains determined to achieve its goals. There is nothing we can do to change our past but it is within our power to build the best nation we can. Our tragic past should serve as a lesson and should be a source of energy to ensure tragedy never happens again. God gives us the strength to build and the ability to protect what our nation has built.”

The National Public Prosecution Authority would like to confirm the European Court of Human Rights’ decision in Strasbourg, France; not to ask the Government of Denmark to stall the extradition to Rwanda of Emmanuel Mbarushimana, a Rwandan national charged with genocide, complicity in genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide, crimes against humanity (murder and extermination) and other crimes committed in Rwanda in1994.

Emmanuel Mbarushimana is alleged to have organized and participated in killings of hundreds of Tutsi in Kabuye, Dahwe, Gisagara, Ndora, Twarubona and other surrounding areas, in what is now Gisagara District in the Southern Province. At the time, he was an inspector of schools in Muganza Commune, former Butare Prefecture.

Rwanda requested Denmark the extradition of Emmanuel Mbarushimana on 29th February 2012.

Emmanuel Mbarushimana challenged the request before the courts of Denmark, and worked his way through the available appellate options. Emmanuel Mbarushimana exhausted all judicial avenues, including the highest court, the Supreme Court; which approved the extradition request on 06 November 2013.

Thereafter, Emmanuel Mbarushimana filed an application before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France; which recently decided not to ask Denmark to stall the extradition of Emmanuel Mbarushimana to Rwanda.

The National Public Prosecution Authority of the Republic of Rwanda welcomes The European Court of Human Right for this decision that approves Denmark court decision to extradite Emmanuel Mbarushimana and the continued trust of Rwanda’s Judiciary in delivering justice and fair trial.

Practical arrangements of his transfer to Rwanda will be made and it is expected to take a few months before Emmanuel Mbarushimana arrives in Rwanda and a press release to that effect shall be communicated.

{Pastor Antoine Rutayisire spoke on the life he has experimented since he was born from Tutsis Ethnic group that was mostly targeted by former Rwandan regimes.}

He was delivering the day’s sermons under the theme, “Reaffirming our National Identity, Cornerstone to a bright future” in an annual event named “Thanksgiving Prayer Breakfast” which was held at Kigali Serena Hotel.

Pastor Rutayisire said “There was a time when the very same people who should have protected us were the ones killing us”

Rutayisire who used to hate Hutus because of the way they treated him as a Tutsi, also added that “I would have fought the Habyarimana regime if I had means. He had created a country where some Rwandans felt less Rwandan”

“We were meant to be one, cohesive people, with one language. Sadly, we divided ourselves into smaller groups!” He stressed

While commenting on Ndi Umunyarwanda program, he said that the later means social cohesion, equality and one nation under one God.

Pastor Rutayisire thanks the current government for creating a nation for all and urges religious groups to be agents of social cohesion.

Journeys will be the theme of a commemorative event to mark Holocaust Memorial Day.

The ceremony will reflect the atrocities of the Nazi concentration camps during the Second World War and subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Bosnia, Rwanda, Darfur and Armenia.

It will be held at the Derby Rooms in Leigh Library on Monday 27 between 11.30am and 12.30pm and will include readings from schoolchildren and members of the community.

Lynda Jackson, from WLCT who have organised the event, said: “We would encourage everyone to come along to these events to reflect and make your own commitment to helping end persecution within our own communities.”

The Bolton News