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{{Brig. Gen Emmanuel Ruvusha commander of Second Division in the Northern Province has advised Musanze residents not to absorb rumours being spread by the FDLR rebels.}}

The advice follows the recent news of arrest of local leaders in the area including Alfred Nsengiyumva the Executive Secretary of Cyuve Sector and others that have been collaborating with FDLR rebels and behind a string of grenade attacks in the district.

Brig. Gen Emmanuel Ruvusha commander of Second Division in the Northern Province has advised Musanze residents not to absorb rumours being spread by the FDLR rebels.

The advice follows the recent news of arrest of local leaders in the area including Alfred Nsengiyumva the Executive Secretary of Cyuve Sector and others that have been collaborating with FDLR rebels and behind a string of grenade attacks in the district.

Brig Gen Ruvusha told area residents during a security meeting on May 8, that the Rumours spread by FDLR shouldn’t stop them from working for development.

{{Drivers have been warned against carelessness and over speeding leading to accidents and loss of lives.}}

Superintendent Jean Marie Vianney Ndushabandi, spokesperson of Traffic and Road Safety department said some drivers especially of public and transit vehicles are found of neglecting traffic rules and overtake even in very sharp corners without minding that another vehicle could be coming from the other direction.

He added that others drive while on phone while some vehicles have mechanical faults, putting it at high risk of causing an accident.

“These are some of the preventable traffic offences that lead to accidents which a fatal and destroy public infrastructure,” Supt. Ndushabandi, who warned of “severe consequences” to those caught in such offences, said.

“Lives are being lost and others left with lifetime injuries, property destroyed and government incurring more costs to renovate destroyed infrastructure. Passengers and the general public should also not allow such to happen and should report drivers who try to put their lives and that of others in danger,” he added.

He also said the Tuesday fatal accident along Kigali-Rwamagana highway involving a Kigali-bound Tanzanian registered transit vehicle and a Fuso which left four people dead happened after the Tanzanian truck, which was slopping, lost breaks and rammed into a truck which was coming from the opposite direction.

The deceased include the Fuso driver and his co-driver, the co-driver of the Tanzanian truck and a motorcyclist, who was also behind the Fuso.

Two other people who were also injured during the accident are admitted at Rwamagana hospital and the University Teaching Hospital of Kigali (CHUK).

He also appealed to car owners to take their automobiles for periodic mechanical check up, especially when they are to hit long journeys.

“It’s in the interest of drivers to abide by the road safety measures. They will be sparing their lives and that of their passengers and their automobiles,” he explained.

He appealed to passengers always report drivers who put their lives in danger and urged pedestrians to always observe both sides of the road before crossing.

RNP

{{The National Security Symposium organized by RDF Command and Staff College entered the second day with three topics on schedule.

The first topic was “Challenges of political reforms in Africa and the ways in which such reforms may enhance domestic and regional security” by Dr. Golooba Mutebi as speaker and Hon Gasamagera Wellars as the discussant.}}

They discussed issues of elections and democracy in African Nations and how they affect the security. The panelists underlined that democracy and good governance are good ideals for the society.

However they said that African countries should not be imposed on the Western style democracy because they have their own culture and priorities.

The second topic of the day was “Rwanda’s international relations: challenges and prospects” with main speaker Mr. Omar Kalfan and Mr. Oscar Kimanuka as discussant. They analyzed Rwanda’s foreign policy from pre-colonial period up to now. In pre-colonial and colonial period Rwanda’ foreign policy remained poorly defined. Discussants said that after independence Rwanda’s foreign policy was largely shaped by foreign interests.

After 1994 genocide against Tutsi, in parallel with the social and economic transformation, Rwanda has taken an active role in international affairs seeking good and peaceful relations, contribution in global and regional security including contribution in peacekeeping missions.

Rwanda has got a seat non-permanent member seat at UN Security Council for 2013-2014, which is another achievement.

The speakers posited that foreign direct investment is a key foreign policy objective and engagement of Rwanda’s diaspora is taken as a key component.

The third topic was “Decentralization towards achieving national security objectives” presented by Ambassador Fatuma Ndangiza as the main speaker with Dr. Golooba Mutebi and Dr Ugirashebuja Emmanuel as discussants.

They analyzed Decentralisation as a form of governance that has transferred power and capacity to lower leadership levels which has paid much dividends to Rwanda and other African countries.

The discussants said that Decentralization has allowed the grassroots and the populace to have a stake on their governance and seek accountability and transparency from their leaders.

The discussants also analyzed that Decentralisation triggers people in finding homegrown solutions to their problems and cited many achievements Rwanda has made in education, health and other sectors as concrete examples.

The three day Security Symposium, which is an annual event at RDF Command and Staff College that debate security challenges will conclude Friday 9 May 2014 presided over by Hon Gen James Kabarebe.

{Captain Mbaye Diagne (L) with collegues}

{{The UN Security Council Thursday created a “Captain Mbaye Diagne Medal” to honor UN personnel who “demonstrate exceptional courage in the face of extreme danger” in their work.}}

The medal is named after the Senegalese captain who “unarmed and in the face of extreme danger,” saved as many as a thousand Rwandans during the 1994 massacre against Tutsi in Rwanda.

The resolution, proposed by Jordan and unanimously approved, notes “with the deepest regret” that “the family of Captain Diagne never received, after his death, any expressions of appreciation from the headquarters of the United Nations.”

Diagne, a member of the peacekeeping force in Rwanda, saved hundreds of Rwandans by helping them cross roadblocks erected by Hutu militants, who were committing the genocide.

He was killed while working in Rwanda on May 31, 1994, at age 36.

Paying homage at the Security Council, Rwandan envoy Eugene-Richard Gasana broke off several times, overcome with emotion.

The Senegalese ambassador, Abdou Salam Diallo, praised Diagne as “a worthy son of the United Nations, soldier for peace fallen as a hero.”

AFP

{Seventy four families facing domestic wrangles in Burera district have been counselled and advised to always lodge their grievances to concerned institution instead of resorting to own justice, which worsens the avoidable situation.}

The three-day exercise was conducted between May 5th and 7th by Police and local leaders in the district where they met the affected families in their respective communities.

The discussions also focused on how better to solve their internal problems and to live in harmony.

Supt. Albert Mpumuro, the District Police Commander said the exercise which has brought hope among the families, aimed at sensitizing them on how to solve their disputes and where they can go to seek justice in case they fail to resolve their issues internally.

Couples, especially women cited excessive drinking of their spouse, infidelity and property wrangles as major cause of conflicts.

“We hope the lessons and advises given to them will restore harmony in their families,” Pélagie Ayinkamiye, who is in charge of Good Governance in Burera, said.

She explained they will follow up these families to ensure maximum cordial relationship and to develop instead of being held back by conflicts.

Domestic conflicts which sometimes result into fights, divorce and murder are among major crimes registered in the country.

{A motorcyclist and passenger were heavily injured Thursday, early in the morning, after a car driver knocked them at Kinamba road in Gisozi Sector of Gasabo District.}

Police has immediately intervened and rushed injured people to nearby hospital.

Eye witness told our reporter that the car driver was unable to continue her pathway and hit a motorcyclist and a passenger.

It is suspected that the woman who was driving that car was drunkard.

Meanwhile Police is investigating to find out who caused the accident.

{Netherlands has resumed its Aid to Rwanda. The country’s Minister for Development cooperation Lilianne Ploumen has announced.}

In 2012, Netherlands and other European Countries froze Aid to Rwanda based on the pretext that the country was involved in facilitating M23 rebel group in the Democratic Republic of Rwanda (DRC).

However, while announcing her Country’s new decision before the Parliament on Wednesday, Netherlands Minister Ploumen said that the decision was right given Rwanda’s exceptional efforts in contributing to Peace and stability in the region.

Netherlands Aid to Rwanda totals to €32million (Approximagtely Rwf32.272billion), with a big portion expected to be allocated to Justice Sector in the next four years.

News of Rwanda reports that according to the aid structure, €5million will be allocated to Rwanda’s Justice Sector every year totaling to €20million between 2014 and 2017. The remaining €12million will be channeled through Netherlands-Affiliated NGOs operating in the Country.

{Rwandans are compassionately concerned with the wellbeing of their fellow Rwandans expelled from Tanzania in August 2013 as a result of the Government of Tanzania’s Decision to deport illegal immigrants in that country.}

At the end of last week, the Karambi Youth in Nyamasheke district have participated in the construction of 12 residential houses for 19 families of these Rwandans.

Community work in which participated the youth were executed with great passion and enthusiasm.

Community service is a part of activities which are taking place in this moth that was dedicated to youth in Rwanda.

{Congolese refugees currently sheltered in Kigeme camp have organized peaceful demonstrations demanding payment for the service rendered}.

The company COOP employed refugees to build a network channeling water into their camp.

However refugees said they didn’t get paid. Nzayisenga told IGIHE that the contractor began work in January 2013 and up to now he owes to workers three months in arrears.

The protesters blocked the road leading to their camp demanding that their rights are met.

Meanwhile Rwandan Minister of Disaster Management and Refugees, Séraphine Mukantabana , told a local radio Station that the was honored adding that she does not understand the cause of the dishonesty of the contractor towards refugees.

The Contractor told IGIHE he did not intend to not pay for workers, explaining that it is because the invoice of Rwf 73 million for additional work that had to be paid by the Ministry has not yet been honored.

“I ask refugees who have rendered services to listen to me and wait until I’m paid for me to pay back,” said Felix, the contractor