IGIHE

Author: Publisher

  • RPF reveals its budget for the Next Two Years

    RPF reveals its budget for the Next Two Years

    {The Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), which won the last presidential elections, has budgeted over Rwf 2.45 billion for the next two years.}

    RPF’s Secretary General, François Ngarambe said “The forecast is set for activities starting from December 2013 to December 2015.”

    During the last two years, RPF budget was Rwf 3.640 billion.

    Meanwhile about Rwf 3,492 billion were used.

    This was revealed last week during the presentation of the report to the 12th Congress of the RPF.

    Apart from other sources of income, the budget for the next two years will mainly come from the usual contributions of RPF members

    End

  • Key Figures in M23 rebellion

    Key Figures in M23 rebellion

    {{Bertrand Bisimwa}}

    Bertrand Bisimwa, formerly the M23 rebels’ civilian spokesperson, who signed the Nairobi “declaration” on behalf of the rebel group, was appointed its new leader in March after the former leader, Bishop Jean Marie Runiga, was forced out of the leadership.

    Bisimwa was an ally of the ousted M23 president Bishop Jean Marie Runiga. He joined the outfit in April 2012 after the rebels declared their opposition to the Congolese government for failure to honour an agreement signed on March 23, 2009.

    In early November, Bisimwa called on his fighters to lay down their arms and give the Kampala peace process a chance.

    A little known personality within DR Congo politics, Bisimwa was basically a beneficiary of the falling out within the M23 that pitted Bishop Jean Marie Runiga against Sultani Makenga, the former commander of the M23.

    On February 28, this year, forces loyal to Bishop Runiga and warlord Bosco Ntaganda — who has since been taken to the ICC to face war crime charges — attacked the M23 rebels’ base at Cyanzu in DRC but were repulsed.

    {{Bishop Jean Marie Runiga}}

    Jean Marie Runiga was a bishop for 24 years before becoming the president of M23. He is a former spokesperson of the anti-corruption bureau of the DRC and his incorporation was important in giving the M23 outfit credibility in Kinshasa.

    At the beginning of the rebellion, Bishop Runiga called on the international community to investigate the atrocities that have occurred in Goma in the past, warning that the region could slide into chaos similar to the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

    In March 2013, Bishop Runiga was thrown out of the M23 after being accused of treason and diversion of M23 funds to forces loyal to warlord Bosco Ntaganda. He would later take refuge in Rwanda with some fighters from his faction.
    {{
    Sultani Makenga}}

    Sultani Makenga, who hails from North Kivu, and who, together with a band of M23 fighters surrendered to Ugandan troops in November, has been the military leader of M23 since the beginning of the movement in April 2012. He was part of the Rwanda Patriotic Front in 1990 fighting to oust the late president Juvenal Habyarimana.

    Makenga was also a member of the National Congress for the Defence of the People, (CNDP) which fought the government for five years before signing a peace deal in March 2009.

    {{Bosco Ntaganda}}

    Bosco Ntaganda, nicknamed “Terminator” for his penchant for frontline action, is believed to have been the founder of M23, given that the rebellion started when President Joseph Kabila ordered his arrest.

    Ntaganda is the former right hand man of Laurent Nkunda, whose CNDP was fighting the Congo government before it entered into a peace agreement in March 2009.

    Ntaganda was born in 1973 in Kiningi, a small town on the foothills of Rwanda’s Virunga mountain range. He fled to eastern DR Congo as a teenager, following attacks on fellow ethnic Tutsis in Rwanda.

    In 1990, at the age of 17, he joined the Rwandan Patriotic Front rebels in southern Uganda. He fought, under the command of RPF leader — Paul Kagame — to end the genocide.

    After Rwandan unrest spilled over into DR Congo, he started to flip between fighting rebellions and serving in national armies — both Rwandan and Congolese.
    He is currently facing charges at the International Criminal Court.

    Source: The East African

  • Kenya deployed extra security at its border with South Sudan after the clashes in Juba

    Kenya deployed extra security at its border with South Sudan after the clashes in Juba

    {Kenya deployed extra security at its border with South Sudan after the clashes in Juba. Extra officers were also sent to Kakuma refugee camp in Turkana County.}

    Turkana West Sub County police boss Jonathan Ngala said police have increased patrols in the camp amid tension among the 2,000 Sudan nationals living in the camp.

    Mr Ngala said that it was necessary to assure all South Sudan nationals from different clans at the camp of tight security as tension continues to rise in their newly created nation.

    The administrator predicted that there might be an influx of South Sudan nationals seeking refuge in Kenya due to the crisis. Security officials at Nadapal police camp will scrutinise all refugees coming into the country.

    Speaking to the Nation on phone before he chaired a District Security and Intelligent
    Committee meeting at Kakuma, Mr Ngala termed the situation as critical.

    Daily Nation

    Currently, he said transport along the Lodwar- Juba road is still safe and trucks continue to cross the border to Kapoeta in South Sudan.

  • RwandAir Hails First Rwandan Captain on Boeing737

    RwandAir Hails First Rwandan Captain on Boeing737

    {{RwandAir is proud to announce its first Rwandan Captain on a Boeing737 }}

    Kigali – Monday 16th December, 2013. {On Friday 13th December 2013, Rwandair staff witnessed the First Rwandan Captain on a Boeing 737 Bosco Murabukirwa, get released by DFO Captain Santos Pio at the Kigali international airport tarmac. }

    With the CEO John Mirenge at hand to receive the captain upon landing his flight from Entebbe, Captain Bosco was pleasantly surprised by the sea of Rwandair staff members in reflector jackets all applauding his great achievement.

    DFO Captain Santos Pio gave a brief speech before handing over the four bars to place on pilot Bosco’s uniform officially signifying his new title as a captain.

    With cheers, applause, and jubilations from the crowd that gathered, Captain Bosco gave a very emotional speech recognizing the long road it took to get to the position of being a captain flying the national carrier of his own country.

    With pride and humility, he thanked RwandAir management for their continuous support and unflinching confidence in him.

    The CEO then assisted Captain Bosco with wearing his new Jacket with the four bars on the sleeves. As most of you are already aware, airline pilots wear stripes on their sleeves or on the epaulets on their shoulders.

    The stripes are an indication of the pilot’s level of flight experience and of his responsibilities in an aircraft. Thus from this day on all persons will recognize the four stripes on Bosco’s uniform and address him as Captain Bosco for the rest of his days.

    The small ceremony was concluded with a speech from the CEO, impressing on captain Bosco the leadership role he has assumed for becoming the first Rwandan Captain on a Boeing 737 and reminding him that the 12 Rwandan pilots flying WB aircrafts all look up to him.

    RwandAir CEO John Mirenge was very assured that Bosco will continue to inspire the young pilots to work hard to not only reach his level, but to surpass him. RwandAir salutes Captain Bosco Murabukirwa for making all Rwandans proud to see a son of the land of a thousand hills flying the national carrier.

  • Rwanda Job Day Event-3rd Edition upraises hope to Job seekers

    Rwanda Job Day Event-3rd Edition upraises hope to Job seekers

    {Job seekers met employers from national and international institutions working in Rwanda Yesterday 16 December 2013, in the third edition of “Rwanda Job Day” event that made candidates hope to come from joblessness through their Confidence.
    }

    Rwanda Job Day event has been organized by the Job in Rwanda Company since 2011; this third Edition with the theme “Go ahead, Unlock your Potential” is coming at the time when job seekers hope to get employed considering how they interacted with employers.

    “I didn’t come to pick the job but I am hopeful that I will get it at the right time as I have contacted different employers,” says Ezechiel Iyakaremye who has completed his undergraduate’s studies in the former National University of Rwanda in 2012.

    More than 1,000 candidates crossed over 17 institutions where the two stakeholders meet in the same place for one-to-one interviews and discussions.

    Tigo-Rwanda Telecommunication Company, one of the companies that attended this event, was advertizing for 16 placements.

    “We have 16 placements categorized in Marketing, Accounting, Finance and technical. Most of the time, we have job opportunities in such fields. Candidates who contacted us in person have the added opportunity of getting the job,” says Pierere Kayitana, the Public Relations Officer in Tigo-Rwanda Telecommunications Company.

    Remy Ugirase Mujigiti, the Global Health Corps (GHC) Alumni at Christian Health Access Initiative added that this NGO is having 10 positions for Rwandan young fellows who work hand in hand with different American based health experts.

    “GHC is recruiting young graduates under 30 years old. The selected ones will get trainings on public health no matter backgrounds they have and come to work with societies in America or any other in the 5 African Countries that work with GHC,” says Mujigiti Ugirase adding that applications for 2014-2015 is running online till January 26th 2014.

    The Rwanda Job Day coordinator, Diana Ingabire Karemano added that their impact on facilitate communications is not only virtual as usual because this event facilitates the two stakeholders meet in person.”

    “Our main mission is to facilitate the communication between job seekers and employers operating in Rwanda using online technologies, but such event is an added activity that is so impactful on both sides,” Ingabire said.

    Marc Nkurunkiza, the Chief Financial Officer in the Rwanda Development Board requests Job Seekers to be confident when unlocking their potential.

    {{ntawiclaude@igihe.com}}

  • Edward Snowden leaks: NSA amnesty ‘considered’

    Edward Snowden leaks: NSA amnesty ‘considered’

    {The US National Security Agency is considering offering an amnesty to fugitive intelligence contractor Edward Snowden if he agrees to stop leaking secret documents, an NSA official says.}

    The man in charge of assessing the leaks’ damage, Richard Ledgett, said he could be open to an amnesty deal.

    Disclosures by the former intelligence worker have revealed the extent of the NSA’s spying activity.

    But NSA Director Gen Keith Alexander has dismissed the idea.

    Mr Ledgett spoke to US television channel CBS about the possibility of an amnesty deal: “So my personal view is, yes it’s worth having a conversation about.

    “I would need assurances that the remainder of the data could be secured, and my bar for those assurances would be very high, would be more than just an assertion on his part.”

    But Gen Alexander, who is retiring early next year, rejected the idea of any amnesty for Mr Snowden.

    “This is analogous to a hostage taker taking 50 people hostage, shooting 10, and then say, ‘if you give me full amnesty, I’ll let the other 40 go’. What do you do?”

    BBC

  • Al-Shabab claim they are back on Twitter

    Al-Shabab claim they are back on Twitter

    {Somalia’s al-Qaeda-linked rebel group, al-Shabab, has returned to the social media networking site Twitter more than two months after their last account was suspended, an official for the group told Al Jazeera.}

    On Monday, a message was posted on the social media site under the handle of @HSM_INFO carrying the standard signature of the group.

    “The aim is to vigorously challenge defamatory reports in the media by presenting an accurate portrayal of the current state of Jihad in Somalia and countering Western, state-sponsored propaganda machines that are paid to demonise the Mujahideen,” an official for al-Shabab, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Al Jazeera.

    The Somali government, which has borne the brunt of most of al-Shabab attacks, has called on Twitter to ban the group.

    Abdirahman Omar Osman, a Somali government spokesman, told Al Jazeera that the government was opposed to al-Shabab being back on the social media site.

    “People like this should not be given the platform to mislead the youth. They should be banned,” he said.

    In September, Twitter suspended at least six accounts belonging to al-Shabab after the group, which claimed responsibility for the attack on Nairobi’s Westgate mall, mocked the Kenyan government’s response to the four-day siege that left more than 60 people dead.

    According to Twitter’s policy on abusive behaviour, “Users may not make direct, specific threats of violence against others.”

    A spokesman for the networking site told Al Jazeera, “We do not comment on individual accounts, for security and privacy reasons.”

    Al-Shabab first joined Twitter in late 2011 after Kenyan forces moved into southern Somalia. Early tweets by al-Shabab mocked a Twitter posting by Kenya’s army spokesman, Maj Emmanuel Chirchir, that threatened to bomb concentrations of donkeys that might be moving weapons for the rebels.

    Al-Shabab who still carry out attacks in Somalia have been losing territory to the UN-backed Somali government and AMISOM – the African Union peacekeepers – in the past two years.

  • South Sudan’s Coup attempt failed

    South Sudan’s Coup attempt failed

    {South Sudan’s president said Monday he had defeated a coup attempt by a political rival following a night of fighting in the capital Juba.}

    “This was an attempted coup,” President Salva Kiir told reporters.

    He also said in a statement that the “government is in full control of the security situation in Juba. The attackers fled and our forces are pursuing them.”

    A curfew has also been imposed from 6am to 6pm.

    Kiir, dressed in full military uniform, accused former vice-president Riek Machar of being behind the unrest.

    TRIED TO LOOT

    Violence erupted on Sunday night at a military base in the Gieda suburb, where some soldiers allegedly tried to loot a military store in an attempt to overrun the military headquarters at Bilpham.

    Kiir said localised shootings started at 6pm on Sunday, following the conclusion of the ruling party’s National Liberation Council.

    Machar has been challenging Kiir for leadership of the party.

    Senior military officials said arrests have been made but the identities of those arrested were not revealed.

    Kenya Airways on Monday suspended all flights to and from Juba, after the airport in the capital was closed that morning.

    Daily Nation

  • Brazzaville capital calms after gunfire

    Brazzaville capital calms after gunfire

    {{Heavy gunfire rocked the capital of the Republic of Congo but then calm returned.
    }}

    {Residents remained in their homes and businesses were closed after the gunfire started Monday near the home of Col. Marcel Tsourou, and overtook the city center.}

    The gunfire stopped at midday. It was unclear what the shooting was about.

    Meanwhile shots were heard Monday in Brazzaville, near the home of an army officer wanted by the police, causing panic in the center of the Congolese capital, IGIHE learns from source.

    A resident told AFP that he was advised not to go to lunch this afternoon

    There was an exchange of fire last night and a police operation is underway to recover those fired. (…) Its a little panic in the city, people running in every direction, said a diplomat.

    The shots seemed localized near the home of Colonel Marcel Tsourou , former Deputy Secretary General of the National Security Council.

  • ICTR: Ndahimana collapsed in his chair after being sentenced to 25 Years in Prison

    ICTR: Ndahimana collapsed in his chair after being sentenced to 25 Years in Prison

    {The Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) has sentenced, Monday, 16th December 2013, to 25 years in prison, a former mayor who had been sentenced to 15 years in prison in the first instance.}

    Grégoire Ndahimana, 60, is convicted of Genocide crimes and Extermination of Tutsis during the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi.

    During the Genocide, Ndahimana was the Mayor of Kivumu commune in prefecture of Kibuye today the Western province of Rwanda.

    “The Appeals Chamber, sitting in an open court cancels the sentence of 15 years in prison and imposed a sentence of 25 years imprisonment,” said Judge Theodor Meron while reading an English summary of the judgment.

    The five judges of Appeal upheld his conviction for genocide and extermination (crimes against humanity), but with a form of greater responsibility.

    The Trial Chamber sentenced him for not sanctioned communal policemen who were involved in the attack against the Tutsi refugees at Nyange Catholic church. It was on 15 April 1994.

    He was also convicted of “tacit approval” of the destruction of the church building the following day.

    The Nyange church was demolished with a bulldozer, April 16, and burying nearly 2,000 Tutsis who were there.

    To the Appeals Chamber, the former mayor was indeed led by the genocidal intent and acted “within the framework of a joint criminal enterprise (JCE) to exterminate the Tutsis in the commune of Kivumu.”

    The judgment emphasizes that Ndahimana and other dignitaries of the place shared beer, by way of jubilation after the destruction of the church. After reading the judgment, the former mayor who was standing in the courtroom, collapsed suddenly in his chair. For his part, his wife, Esther, present in the court could not hold back her tears.

    Ndahimana was arrested in August 10, 2009 in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and transferred to the detention center of the United Nations in Arusha, Tanzania, 11 days later. His trial began Sept. 6, 2010. He is the third person convicted by the ICTR for the killing of Nyange church after the former priest of this parish Seromba and businessman Gaspard Kanyarukiga