Author: Publisher

Belgium: DRB-Rugari elects new Leaders

{The Commission of Gender and Social Affairs of the Rwandan Diaspora in Belgium ( DRB- Rugari ) has elected its new leaders with Chantal Karara to the presidency, Hope Zaninka , the Vice President , Jacqueline Mutangampundu to Secretariat and Clotilde Nyiratunga being elected as a Treasurer }

Currently the percentage of women occupying positions in DRB-Rugari increased from 34 to 43%.

The Goal of DRB- Rugari is to bring together all Rwandans in Belgium around the values of active solidarity and self reliance.

November 22, 2013
France joins global warnings of ‘genocide’ in C. Africa

{World alarm grew over the Central African Republic on Thursday, when France joined a chorus warning of possible genocide in the mineral-rich but poor country torn by strife since a March coup.}

France’s Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius warned that the CAR was “on the verge of genocide”, while the United Nations has mooted sending thousands of peacekeepers to the landlocked nation, where unprecedented sectarian bloodshed has erupted.

In parts of the CAR, fighting has broken out between mainly Muslim former rebels who seized power in March and militia groups set up to protect Christian communities, which make up about 80 percent of the population. Both churches and mosques have been razed to the ground.

“It’s total disorder,” Fabius told France 2 television, adding that the UN was considering authorising African and French troops to intervene. A regional peacekeeping force known as MISMA is currently deployed, but consists of only 2,500 men hampered by a lack of funds, arms and training.

In the latest of a long line of rebellions and coups, the Seleka rebel coalition ousted president Francois Bozize in March and put the CAR’s first Muslim leader, President Michel Djotodia, in power.

Djotodia, who has officially disbanded the Seleka coalition and incorporated some of its forces into the army, announced “exceptional measures” on Tuesday to quell conflict, but a statement issued by his office gave no details.

“The president wants to assure the Central African people of his determination to hunt down all criminals, looters, troublemakers, human rights violators and their accomplices,” the statement said.

AFP

November 22, 2013
Mau Mau in fresh torture claims against Britain

{Fresh claims against the British Government for atrocities committed during the colonial period have started to be registered.}

The claims target 8,000 Mau Mau veterans excluded from last June’s Sh2.6 billion payout.

The registration led by British firm, Tandem Law, follows last month’s order by a British High Court that claimants in the group litigation filed by Mrs Eloise Mukami Kimathi, widow of Mau Mau hero Dedan Kimathi, Mr James Karanja Njoro and others must be registered before April 30 next year.

The other 13 law firms handling various segments of the suit have been ordered to join the group register being processed by the lead solicitors or notify them of their clients’ interests in the suit before the deadline.

Thursday, Tandem Law’s lead solicitor Freddie Cosgrove-Gibson and Kenyan representative Cecil Miller addressed a press conference in Nairobi where they explained how the registration of claims from victims of the colonial atrocities would be done.

Mr Cosgrove-Gibson said that advertisements notifying the concerned parties of the recent development regarding the case have been running in the local newspapers in Kenya.

“A Group Litigation Order (GLO) has been agreed in the Kenyan emergency group litigation in the High Court of England and Wales. Tandem Law has been appointed lead solicitors for the claimants,” he stated.

He urged all genuine claimants to come out for the last chance to get justice done to them.

“We have not sent anyone out there to collect money from the claimants to finance the suit. We have decided to do a ‘no win, no fee case,” the lawyer said.

He explained that the GLO order granted on October 22 signalled the beginning of the legal process and case management of claims against the British government.

“It also outlines the formal notification period for Kenyan claimants and law firms representing claimants to come forward,” said Mr Cosgrove-Gibson.

Mr Miller noted that those allowed to place claims must be genuine Mau Mau veterans and not their relatives or descendants.

Other qualifications for claims include proof of having suffered mistreatment during the same period and that the mistreatment must have been inflicted by or on behalf of the State, whether British or Kenyan.

They must also be ready to personally give witness statement and must have their Kenyan national identity cards.

Daily Nation

November 21, 2013
BRD donates dairy cattle to needy handicapped children of KOMERA

{Development Bank of Rwanda (BRD) delivered a donation of five dairy cows worth 5 million Rwandan francs to Komera Center that caters for needy handicapped children in colourful event this Wednesday 20th November 2013 in the western province, Rutsiro District.}

The donation seeks to facilitate KOMERA start a modern dairy farming project aimed at generating revenue to make the centre self-sustainable as well as provide milk for improved feeding habits for the children.

Presenting the 5 healthy Friesian cattle at a brief ceremony held at KOMERA, the Director of Investment at BRD, Manzi Benjamin said that the main objective of the donation is to support BRD’s corporate social investments (CSIs) initiatives aimed at achieving and sustaining positive social development of the communities it operates in.

“BRD is committed to improving the social welfare of every Rwandan citizen especially the needy and handicapped children. We are confident that this project will drastically enhance KOMERA’s sustainability efforts, improve feeding and nutrition habits and contribute towards poverty eradication in line with government’s EDPRS II strategy, “said Manzi.

While receiving the donation, the Executive Secretary of Mushubati sector, Munyamahoro Patrick applauded BRD’s timely assistance to KOMERA that will indirectly benefit the whole community and promised the district’s support to the well-being of the dairy cattle.

“These cows will surely spur socioeconomic development of our community through increased milk production for better nutrition, revenues and manure for agriculture. We are proud and happy with your (BRD) assistance towards improving the living conditions of our children and hugely enhancing President Paul Kagame’s ‘Girinka’ program” adds Munyamahoro.

KOMERA (also known as Education and Rehabilitation for Life Centre) was started in 2006 by Reverend Father Murenzi Eugene in Mushubati Parish, Rutsiro District in the Western province of Rwanda. It was mainly established with the objective of giving handicapped children and their parents a means to overcome their handicap and to restore their dignity.

“KOMERA supports a total of 117 handicapped children with various children with mental disorders, trauma and hearing impairment. These children are managed by care takers who train them with different basic daily living activities such as bathing, cleaning, laundry, toilet-use, and eating to help them integrate into the community” explains Rev. Father Murenzi.

KOMERA also supports the handicapped children and other special needs people of the surrounding community with vocational and skills development training in tailoring, knitting, tie and dye to empower them with self-sustainable skills.

The event to receive the cows was attended by residents of Mushubati sector, representatives from Nyundo Diocese as well as those of Rutsiro District administration.

November 21, 2013
EAC court throws out case against Tripartite Initiative

{The East African Court of Justice (EACJ) has thrown out the case filed against Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya to stop the Tripartite initiative for lack of insufficient material.}

The case which was filed in the court’s First Instance Division was put forward by three citizens of the United Republic of Tanzania who are seeking sanctions on the decisions taken by the three EAC countries in the absence of Tanzania.

In their petition, the Tanzanian nationals said that the agreements by the three states were against the protocol governing the formation of EAC.

However, the court on Wednesday found that the Applicants had provided insufficient material for the Court to make a decision which prompted the court to take the decision to adjourn the case until February 2014 when the petition file is full and all respondents in the case served.

The court also ordered the Applicants to file all the necessary documents in English which is the official language of the Community since all documents in support of the matter were in the Kiswahili language and had not been translated in accordance with Article 137 of the EAC Treaty.

The petitioners who include Hatibu Msanga, David Geofrey Makatha and John Adam Bwenda all of Arusha Tanzania claim that the Tripartite initiative is a breach of the EAC protocol.

The contested initiative brings together the three countries to fast track regional development through infrastructure, trade and political and economic integration.

At the inaugural Tripartite Summit held in Entebbe in June this year, leaders of Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda spearheaded different components of joint projects: Uganda committed to lead the railway development and political federation sector; Rwanda on customs, single tourist visa and East African Community e-identity card; and Kenya on the implementation of the oil pipeline and electricity generation.

News of Rwanda

November 21, 2013
Rwanda is 3rd in Africa in ease of paying taxes

{Rwanda has been ranked third in Africa behind Mauritius (13th) and Seychelles (19th) in the ease of paying taxes.}

The ranking was done by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and World Bank Paying Taxes 2014: The Global picture report.

The report which compares tax regimes across 189 economies globally ranking them according to the relative ease of paying taxes has ranked Rwanda 22nd overall.

The report noted that Rwanda made paying taxes easier and lowered the tax burden in 2012/13, by introducing and enhancing electronic systems.

According to the report, at 36.1 Africa has the highest average number of payments of any region, but though it has a higher than average number of taxes, it is the lack of electronic filing in the continent which contributes most to the difficulty of paying taxes.

Rwanda is one of the three countries which introduced e-filing for corporate income tax, value added tax and labour contributions.

A taxpayer can now declare and pay taxes online through the e-filing and e-payment system by simply downloading a form from RRA website, fill in and send it to RRA by email. Several banks now receive electronic tax payments on behalf of RRA.

Already one of the most efficient economies for paying tax in the region, Rwanda reduced its time to comply by a further 21 hours due to the extension of its electronic filing systems. Since 2004, Rwanda has reduced its time to comply by nearly a third from 168 hours to 113 hours.

Also according to World Bank Doing Business in the East African Community (EAC) report for 2013, Rwanda has the highest tax compliance rate in the region—meaning fewer Rwandans and their businesses are likely to evade paying taxes.

Out of 185 countries surveyed globally, Rwanda is ranked number 25 in tax compliance. This means that not only is the country having the best tax compliance rate in the region, but also among the top 25 countries in the world where citizens see paying taxes as a civic duty.

Rwanda Eye

November 21, 2013
BBC African Footballer of the Year 2013: Profile – Yaya Toure

Widely recognised as one of the finest midfielders of his generation, Yaya Toure is an absolute powerhouse – a general on the pitch who commands respect form every quarter.

He joined his current club Manchester City in 2010 and helped them win the English Premier League in 2012 – their first league title for 44 years – as well as the FA Cup and the Community Shield.

Toure has already racked up 109 games for City and scored 23 goals, including a portfolio of sensational free-kicks, and he continues to be perhaps the most important player for the club.

He joined City from Barcelona, where he spent three years and amassed a fantastic collection of honours, including two Spanish league titles, a Champions League title, a Uefa Super Cup and a Fifa Club World Cup.

Toure has also won a league title in Greece with Olympiacos and a league title in his native Ivory Coast with ASEC Mimosas.

However, Toure has experienced much disappointment on the international stage, where a golden generation of Ivorians have failed to deliver the trophy that has been expected of them – being beaten in the 2012 final by Zambia was one of the greatest shocks in African football.

Now aged 30, Toure shows no sign of slowing down and has made an excellent start to the new season with City, having already hit seven goals in all competitions and produced consistently brilliant performances.

A two-time winner of the Confederation of African Football’s player of the year award, Toure is also the only African on the 23-man shortlist for this year’s Fifa world player of the year.

BBC

November 21, 2013
DRC Armed Groups Ready to Demobilize, Activists Say

Kigali — {Several armed groups in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have said they are ready to lay down their weapons, following the army’s defeat of M23 rebels. Since then, there has been a series of letters and declarations by other militias expressing their willingness to be demobilized.}

It has been two weeks since the M23 rebels fled from their last holdouts in Congo after coming under intense bombardments from the U.N.-backed Congolese army. Other armed groups in North Kivu province seem anxious to avoid the same fate.

Several of them are ready to give up their activities and demobilize, according to documents VOA has seen that apparently were signed by their leaders.

One of these documents appears to have been signed by leaders of the Mai Mai Kifuafua and Raia Mutomboki groups in Walikale territory – two groups that recently were fighting each other. Another comes apparently from the so-called Cheka group, which has been repeatedly condemned for human rights violations, and named as a priority target by the U.N.

Researcher Fidel Bafilemba, who works for the NGO the Enough Project in eastern Congo, told VOA the documents are genuine. He said they are authentic and were given to Enough by local government officials in Walikale, and were then confirmed by a Catholic priest who helped organize a peacemaking dialogue.

The signatories to one of the documents pledge to abandon all armed group activities and to join the army or return to civilian life, without conditions.

The other document from the Cheka does pose conditions, as it asks the government to integrate its fighters in the army and to recognize their self-proclaimed “ranks.”

There are said to be some 30 armed groups in eastern Congo. Bafilemba said most of the others also have pledged to demobilize, with some already partly integrated in the army, while others are disintegrating as their members desert.

VOA

November 21, 2013
Germany to introduce national minimum wage

{Germany is set to introduce a national minimum wage, conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday, giving in to a key demand by her likely centre-left governing partners.}

“The Social Democrats will not conclude negotiations without a universal legal minimum wage,” she said about ongoing talks to form a ‘grand coalition’ government since a September election.

She stressed that her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party does not agree with the step and added that she and her party would “try everything to prevent the loss of jobs through this measure”.

Merkel won September 22 elections but fell narrowly short of a governing majority, forcing her CDU and its Bavarian partners the CSU to enter into tough coalition talks with the Social Democratic Party (SPD).

In the talks, SPD chief Sigmar Gabriel, Merkel’s likely future vice chancellor, has insisted on the party’s core demand of a nationwide minimum wage of at least 8.50 euros ($11.40) per hour to help Germany’s growing army of working poor.

The SPD has promised to put any coalition deal up for a vote to its sceptical party base of almost half a million members, many of whom do not want their blue-collar party to govern in Merkel’s shadow, but whose consent would be needed.

Merkel’s party favours separate pay deals by industrial sector and region, arguing that a national minimum wage would harm many small and medium-sized businesses and could force them to lay off workers.

A patchwork of existing pay deals has set minimum wages for a dozen industrial and service sectors, including cleaners, electricians and security guards.

Minimum wage levels are often higher in western states than in the economically weaker states of the former communist East Germany. Caregivers, for example, earn nine euros an hour in the west but only eight euros in the east.

Both Germany’s major parties aim to end their talks, which have been split into separate working groups, next week, with the aim of forming a government before the end of the year.

However, negotiators have said as many as 100 issues remained unresolved so far.

Merkel, meanwhile, insisted on her own party’s red-line issue of not raising taxes and stressed she wanted a halt to new debt by 2015.

She argued that balanced budgets help maintain investor confidence and global competitiveness and added that “Europe’s problem is that we’ve promised almost everything so far and have kept very little of it”.

Addressing a Berlin business forum organised by Munich newspaper publisher Sueddeutsche Zeitung, she said a grand coalition was “not the heart’s desire of politicians” but had resulted from the election outcome.

She said, as the talks have dragged on, that “we are not making it easy for ourselves — you can marvel at that every day”.

She said that “I too will have to consent to measures which I do not innately agree with,” mentioning the minimum wage as an example.

“The voters have neither given an absolute majority to the business wing of the CDU, nor the left wing of the SPD. Only both of us together will have the ability to govern.”

(AFP)

November 21, 2013
Dozens dead in Iraq car bombing

{A car bomb ripped through a packed food market north of Baghdad on Thursday, killing 27 people, as Iraq’s death toll for 2013 from a surge in violence nationwide capped 5,800.}

The attack occurred on Thursday in Sadiya, 65km northeast of Baghdad, a town in ethnically mixed Diyala province.

The bomb went off at about noon, in a neighbourhood populated mostly by Faylis, or Shia Kurds, the officials said.

Two police officers said witnesses told them that a man parked the truck containing the bomb in the market and asked workers to unload the vegetables before leaving the vehicle. The officers said at least 48 people were also wounded in the attack.

Two medical officials confirmed the causality figures. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to release information to the media.

{{ Spate of bombings}}

The blast in Sadiya struck a day after violence across Iraq, including a spate of bombings in Baghdad , killed 59 people and left more than 100 wounded, the latest in a protracted surge in violence nationwide.

Aljazeera

November 21, 2013