Category: Diaspora

{{Rwanda Day in Bangalore, India, on Saturday attracted about 2000 students from Africa that were treated with African dance and songs.}}

The day made Rwanda proud.

At the event, the African community was treated to Traditional performances from Bangalore and Chidambaram, skits, dancing, and singing.

During the event, Miss Rwanda Bangalore was crowned.

The second runner-up Biraro Claudine, the first runner-up Pophia Ngarambe, and the Princess of the night, Benigne Nounou.

Students at the event were mostly from Rwanda, DRCongo, Burundi, South Africa and Tanzania.

{{Rwandan Diaspora living in Washington, Maryland and Virginia (USA) have joined the rest of the world to celebrate Women’s Day as a way to explore what may contribute to socio-economic development of women in General.}}

According to Alice Umutoni, the Vice President of the said Diaspora, the celebration was an opportunity to discuss challenges faced by women and coming up with tangible solutions to further solve those challenges.

The President of the commission in charge of gender Immaculate Busingye urged women to work together adding that they have a key to their socio economic development.

Toni Habinshuti one of the women at the event said there should be a collaboration between Rwandan women in Diaspora and the ones living in rural areas of Rwanda so that they can work together to achieve greater things that can boost women’s development.

{{The Norwegian government has decided to send the genocide accused Charles Bandora to Rwanda so that he will face trial in his homeland.}}

Last week Mr Bandora was sentenced to 21 years imprisonment by the Oslo District court for participating in the 1994 genocide against Tutsi.

According to tv2.no, Bandora is said to be afraid whether he will get a fair trial in Rwanda and is asking the Norwegian government not to send him back to Rwanda.

According to Jean-Bosco Siboyintore of the Genocide suspects tracking unity, “There is a good deal for both countries in terms of extradition of suspects in cases of genocide, he said to TV 2.

As a response to Bandora’s and other European countries that have not yet extradited genocide suspects to Rwanda, Siboyintore remarked that Rwanda has taken many steps in recent years to improve the judicial system for a fair trial.

Many have hesitated to extradite to Rwanda. Norway is the first European country, and there is hope that others will follow.

According to the indictment, Charles Bandora participated in mass murder both as organizer and as hangman during the Rwanda genocide in 1994.

Until his arrest he operated businesses in Malawi.

Bandora was arrested on June 8 last year as he tried to enter Oslo Airport with fake identity, posing as Frank Kamwana, a Malawian national.

tnp.no

{{In a recent interview that the Rwanda ambassador to China, Xavier Ngarambe had with Chinadaily.com.cn, he gave his thoughts on how China’s new leadership will shape the future of the country and influence China-Rwanda relations.}}

He congratulated the new elected leadership in China and commended the out-going leadership for its incredible achievement during its 10 year mandate.

Ambassador Ngarambe noted that social pressure to raise wages for Chinese workers will create wonderful opportunities for Rwanda and African countries to deal with Chinese industrial entrepreneurs and see how to relocate some manufacturing companies to Africa where wages are still low and conditions are favorable to all technologies.

Mr Xing Xudong commended the Rwandan hospitality offered to his team last year when they visited Rwanda.

“We visited Rwanda and were inspired by the Rwandan spirit and vision 2020”, said the China daily reporter.

Asked about western countries getting more critical about China existence in Africa, Ngarambe emphasized that the government and people of Rwanda have to protect their dignity, its dependence and that it has to design its own future and own its destiny.

He reiterated that Rwandans are mature enough to make their own decisions and to know with whom they can deal and cooperate under which conditions.

“ Western countries are partnering with China in many areas and we don`t interfere in the way they are doing their businesses. So no one has authority to dictate in the way we deal with China,” he said.

{{Beatrice Munyenyezi, 42 a Rwandan national and genocide suspect has lost her US citizenship after court found her guilty of lying on immigration forms about her role in Rwanda genocide.}}

Munyenyezi was living in New Hampshire in the U.S. She was stripped of her U.S. citizenship on Thursday.

The move came shortly after a federal jury convicted her of failing to disclose on U.S. visa applications her membership in Rwanda’s ruling MRND party that helped carry out the 1994 genocide, which left one million ethnic Tutsis dead.

Munyenyezi, who has been in the U.S. since 1998, faces up to 10 years in U.S. prison when she is sentenced in June, followed by deportation to Rwanda, where she could face local charges.

Her conviction comes after an effort to prosecute her on the same charges last March ended in a mistrial when the jury deadlocked.

{Additional info, Agencies}

{{The Rwandan Ambassador to Belgium, Robert Masozera was requested by the hosts Ministry of Foreign Affairs to clarify on the expulsion of a Belgian diplomat from Rwanda.}}

The Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs Didier Reynders on January 31 considered the expelling of Belgian diplomat unjustified.

“Our diplomatic discussions on the issue will continue. This should not appear in the media. That is our ethical conduct and diplomatic, “said Masozera.

The information reaching us says that the expulsion of the Belgian military official was due to his interference in other activities contrary to diplomatic status.

The Rwandan Diaspora in Hague, Netherlands have contributed over Rwf 28.6 Million to Agaciro Development fund.

The event of collecting Agaciro support in Netherlands was attended by over 800 Rwandans including Rwandan Ambassador to Netherland Immaculee Uwanyiligira who explained that Agaciro Fund originated from the 8th National Dialogue held in 2011.

Amb. Uwanyiligira said that Rwanda is aware of the role that Diaspora plays in its development.

{{Reports from France indicate that the French justice has considered extradition of Innocent Musabyimana 40, to be tried in Rwanda for genocide and crimes against Humanity.}}

According to TV5 monde report, “It now belongs to the French Prime Minister or not to sign a decree of extradition of Musabyimana to Rwanda arrested near Dijon (center) on January 11.

It is within the scope of six counts enumerated by the Prosecutor General of Rwanda “genocide, complicity in genocide, murder, crime against humanity, rape, conspiracy.”

These crimes were committed in 1994 in Rwanda.

Rwanda issued in November 2012 a request for arrest for extradition relayed by Interpol, had reported to the police that suspect Musabyimana could be found in the town of Dijon.

“He was arrested at the request of the Prosecutor General”, told AFP the spokesman of the Prosecutor General of Kigali, Alain Bernard Mukuralinda.

“I do not know how long he was in France, or how he got there,” stated after his arrest the Attorney General of Dijon, Jean-Marie Beney, saying only Musabyimana Innocent was a trained driver.

Over a million lives were lost in the 1994 Genocide against ethnic Tutsi’s between April and July 1994.

{{Thomas Nahimana a Rwandan Catholic Priest living in France has formed an opposition political Party.}}

Nahimana hopes to get more followers inside and outside the Country as soon as, change of leadership is concerned.

When BBC Journalist asked the reason why Nahimana as a Priest involved in Politics, the later answered that he sees no reason preventing him from joining politics even if he is a Priest.

Both Nahimana Thomas and Rudakemwa Fortunatus are priests from the former Cyangugu who always criticize the Government of Rwanda.

BBC

{{This weekend the Rwandan Community in Houston Texas joined the other communities in United states to launch the Agaciro Development Fund.}}

This was organized by the Rwandese leaving in Houston in conjunction with the Embassy of Rwanda in Washington DC.

Like other Rwandan communities in the United States, Houston community believe that being part of the Agaciro Development Fund is one of the ways Rwandans will have a sense of self-worth and dignity.

The overwhelming event was able to raise a target of US$20,000 and was able to collect US$10,000 on the first day of the launch from the members of the community that were present.

It was mentioned by the community members that this is one of the initiatives that makes us feel part of the development in our country.

Dr. Masozera said , “we are proud of Rwanda’s current leadership led by President Paul Kagame and we see the initiative as a great step to fast track and own the development our country.”

Another community leader Esprance said, “We want to be part of the people that improved the level of financial autonomy of Rwanda as a Nation.”

The Fund is financed by voluntary contributions from Rwandan citizens in Rwanda, Rwandan citizens abroad, private companies and Friends of Rwanda, which will contribute to key priority projects for the Nation as identified by Vision2020.

The Agaciro phenomenon continues to take shape as more Communities around the United States come together after the official launch in Rwanda.