Author: Wycliffe Nyamasege

The Hillerød court reviewed how the 2024 sentence handed down by Rwanda’s appellate court could be implemented under Danish law, as per prior agreements between the two countries.

In a ruling delivered on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, the court ruled that Twagirayezu must serve the full 20-year term in accordance with Denmark’s legal system.

The decision aligned with the prosecution’s recommendation. However, Twagirayezu’s lawyer, Eddie Khawaja, announced plans to appeal, arguing that the Danish court should have rejected the Rwandan verdict or imposed a reduced sentence of 12 to 16 years.

Twagirayezu was convicted for his role in the killings of over 2,000 Tutsi who had sought refuge at Busasamana Parish and the University of Mudende. Witnesses said he entered the church with a dog, reportedly used to hunt down Tutsi civilians.

During proceedings, Twagirayezu denied all charges, claiming mistaken identity. However, both Rwandan and Danish courts rejected his defence.

Danish media highlighted that a 20-year sentence is among the most severe punishments in Denmark, second only to life imprisonment.

Twagirayezu was extradited from Denmark to Rwanda in 2018, under an agreement that any resulting sentence would be served in Denmark if he were convicted. At the time, he claimed that during the Genocide’s onset in April 1994, he had been on Easter holiday in Congo.

He moved to Denmark in 2001 and later acquired Danish citizenship.

A former teacher in Rwanda, Twagirayezu, has consistently denied any involvement in the Genocide against the Tutsi.

Rwanda’s High Council Chamber initially acquitted him in January 2024, but the prosecution appealed, and in July 2024, the Court of Appeal found him guilty and imposed a 20-year sentence.

Malinga assumed his new role on Saturday, June 7, during a handover ceremony at Kigali Serena Hotel, where he pledged to expand the club’s membership and enhance its impact on community well-being.

Rotary International is a global non-governmental organisation focused on humanitarian service, including support for vulnerable populations, improving access to clean water, combating epidemics, and contributing to socio-economic development.

Outgoing President Dunia Jacqueline expressed her gratitude to members for their support and collaboration over the past year, and encouraged her successor to build on that momentum by continuing to drive positive change.

The newly elected President, Peter Malinga, thanked members for the trust they placed in him. He emphasised that his leadership will focus on three key pillars: empowering the youth, advancing community welfare projects, and growing the club’s membership.

“I will prioritise three major pillars, starting with youth empowerment. This was a strong focus under my predecessor’s leadership, and I intend to continue in that direction. We want to see young people grow into the great leaders of tomorrow,” he said.

“Another focus will be promoting self-reliance within communities. And finally, we want to grow our club. We currently have 87 members, but there is great potential for expansion, and we aim to achieve that.”

He added that by expanding the club’s membership, they aim to maintain an inclusive and united culture within Rotary Club Kigali Virunga.

The founder of Kigali Independent University (ULK), Prof. Rwigamba Balinda, was recognised for his impactful contributions to education. He reaffirmed that his goal in founding the university was to help Rwandans and other Africans access quality education.

Entrepreneur Faustin Mbundu commended Rotary’s work in Rwanda and its role in improving community welfare. He pledged continued support for its initiatives and encouraged everyone with the means to invest in education to build a knowledge-based economy.

District Governor of Rotary District 9150, which includes Rwanda, Sussane Eleasoe Behle Zoung-Kanyi, praised the work of Rotary in Rwanda and particularly the efforts of Rotary Club Kigali Virunga in promoting community well-being.

She encouraged them to continue upholding Rotary values, particularly collaboration in the pursuit of development.

Rotary Club Kigali Virunga also expressed gratitude to its partners, including NCBA Bank, which contributed Frw 10 million; Prime Insurance, which gave Frw 3 million; IGIHE, Old Mutual, and several others.

{{Photos: Munyemana Isaac
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The operation, involving 70 rhinos sourced from South Africa and completed in two phases of 35 rhinos each, aims to strengthen Rwanda’s role in global rhino conservation and bolster the species’ population in secure, well-managed habitats.

The Rwanda Development Board (RDB) partnered with African Parks and the Munywana Conservancy, with funding from The Howard G. Buffett Foundation, to execute this ambitious project.

The rhinos were initially relocated within the country to the Munywana Conservancy to acclimate to conditions similar to Akagera. They were then transported 3,400 km by truck, plane, and road—a two-day journey per group involving a Boeing 747 flight from Durban to Kigali.

Veterinary teams monitored the animals throughout to ensure their well-being.

The translocation builds on the 2021 introduction of 30 white rhinos to Akagera, which has grown to 41 animals.

The addition of 70 more rhinos supports the Rhino Rewild Initiative’s goal to rewild over 2,000 southern white rhinos across Africa, creating viable populations to secure the species’ future and restore ecosystems.

Jean-Guy Afrika, CEO of RDB, described the move as a milestone for Rwanda’s conservation and sustainable tourism ambitions.

“This historic translocation reflects Rwanda’s growing contribution to global conservation efforts,” he said. “It strengthens our protected landscapes and enhances Rwanda’s appeal as a destination for conservation-based tourism.”

Peter Fearnhead, CEO of African Parks, emphasised the complexity of the operation and the critical role of partnerships.

“With the safe arrival of all 70 animals, they have a real opportunity to thrive,” he said. “The coming months of intensive monitoring will be crucial for their adaptation.”

The rhinos are now under close observation in Akagera to ensure their health and adjustment.

The decision was made during a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Dr. Édouard Ngirente at Urugwiro Village on Monday, June 9, 2025.

The expanded budget aims to finance strategic investments and development priorities under Rwanda’s National Strategy for Transformation (NST2) and Vision 2050.

The projects include the ongoing construction of the New Kigali International Airport in Bugesera, expansion of RwandAir, job creation initiatives, boosting agricultural productivity, industrialisation, access to clean water and electricity, decent housing, and improvements in healthcare and transportation systems.

In a briefing held last month, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning Yusuf Murangwa highlighted that the increase reflects the government’s focus on post-crisis recovery efforts, including those related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the May 2023 floods, and the Marburg virus outbreak.

The 2025/26 budget will be financed through a combination of domestic revenues and external resources.

The government projects to raise Frw 4.1 trillion locally—Frw 3.63 trillion from tax revenues and Frw 477.2 billion from other sources. External financing will include Frw 585.2 billion in grants and Frw 2.15 trillion in loans.

Recurrent spending is estimated at Frw 4.39 trillion, while Frw 2.64 trillion will go towards capital investments intended to drive long-term development.

The full budget is expected to be tabled before Parliament later this month for further scrutiny and approval.

Meanwhile, during the Monday meeting, the Cabinet also endorsed key education reforms aimed at improving learning outcomes in public and government-aided schools.

The reforms, spearheaded by the Ministry of Education, include the optimisation of instructional time within the double-shift system for lower primary learners. This is designed to ensure that all pupils receive consistent and adequate teaching hours, regardless of their shift.

Additionally, the government will introduce flexible learning pathways at upper levels, enabling students to choose between Mathematics & Sciences, Arts & Humanities, or Languages. These tracks will offer a mix of core and optional subjects to better align with learners’ strengths, interests, and career goals.

“These reforms are designed to create a more inclusive, equitable, and future-ready education system,” the Office of the Prime Minister said.

Nagy, who served as U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs during President Donald Trump’s first term from 2018 to 2021, said ECCAS was already a weak institution offering little beyond routine meetings.

“Rwanda leaving the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) is no great loss to the nation,” Nagy stated in a post on X.

“ECCAS is the least effective of Africa’s regional blocs, doing little more than having meetings. ECCAS will be worse off without Rwanda than vice versa,” he added.

Rwanda leaving The Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) is no great loss to the nation. ECCAS is the least effective of Africa's regional blocks doing little more than having meetings. ECCAS will be worse off without Rwanda than vice versa.https://t.co/qNUTHADFyf

— Tibor Nagy (@TiborPNagyJr) June 9, 2025

The seasoned diplomat, who previously served as ambassador to Guinea and Ethiopia, commented on the matter just days after Rwanda exited the 11-member regional bloc during the 26th Ordinary Summit held in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, on Saturday, June 7, 2025.

The decision followed what the government described as sustained hostility and manipulation by the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), particularly efforts to block Rwanda from assuming the bloc’s rotating chairmanship, an act Kigali says violated the ECCAS Treaty.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ambassador Olivier Nduhungirehe, accused the DRC of using ECCAS as a platform to legitimise its aggressive posture toward Rwanda while derailing regional peace efforts.

“It’s sad to see a community of 11 member states being manipulated by a single country,” Nduhungirehe told state broadcaster RBA on Sunday.

The minister pointed to ECCAS’s long-standing governance failures, including the lack of financial audits since 2015, poor leadership, and what he termed an erosion of credibility.

In a strongly worded statement while announcing the exit on Saturday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Rwanda’s rights under the ECCAS charter had been “deliberately ignored.”

The bloc bypassed the agreed-upon rotational system based on the French alphabetical order, choosing instead to extend Equatorial Guinea’s chairmanship, citing Rwanda’s alleged role in the eastern DRC conflict.

Rwanda has repeatedly rejected accusations of supporting the M23 rebel group, turning the spotlight instead on the DRC’s cooperation with the FDLR, a genocidal militia linked to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

Kigali has also condemned repeated cross-border shelling, including a deadly incident in January that left 16 people dead and over 160 injured.

On Monday, June 9, the Cabinet reaffirmed the decision to withdraw, stressing that participation in ECCAS was no longer tenable given the bloc’s failure to uphold its own principles of equality, respect, and good neighbourliness.

“The DRC continues to finance and support the FDLR, a UN-sanctioned genocidal militia, while ECCAS looks away,” the Cabinet said in a communiqué issued after its meeting chaired by Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente.

The Cabinet also cited President Félix Tshisekedi’s repeated threats to overthrow Rwanda’s government as further evidence of the DRC’s belligerence.

Despite its departure, Rwanda says it remains committed to regional peace and will continue participating in other economic communities, including the East African Community and COMESA. It also reaffirmed support for ongoing mediation initiatives led by the United States and Qatar, which aim to broker peace between Rwanda and the DRC.

The Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) issued the statement days after Intelligence Minister Esmaeil Khatib said Iran had acquired a “significant cache” of Israeli documents through intelligence operations.

According to the council, months of intelligence gathering had enabled Iran’s armed forces to identify high-value Israeli targets for potential retaliatory strikes, should Israel initiate military action against Iranian interests.

“This forms part of a broader strategic initiative aimed at countering disinformation by hostile actors and reinforcing Iran’s deterrent capabilities,” the SNSC said.

Tehran’s access to Israeli intelligence would allow it to swiftly target “concealed nuclear sites” in the event of an Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear infrastructure, the council said, adding that the information also supports proportionate retaliation against attacks on Iran’s economic or military assets.

Israel is believed by many to possess nuclear weapons, though it has never officially confirmed or denied this, maintaining a longstanding policy of strategic ambiguity.