Category: News

{{The crisis in the eastern DRC is an African problem that can be solved by Africans, Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame told the United Nations September 27.}}

Speaking at a High Level Meeting convened by UN Secretary General, Ban-Ki Moon, President Kagame invited delegates to back peace efforts spearheaded by the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR).

“Regional initiatives are key to finding a lasting solution and anyone who wants to help should support them because they are the best option we have. All that is needed is to support, not supplant, their efforts,” President Kagame said.

President Kagame warned against “externalising” the DRC crisis — blaming external actors for the problem and seeking external solutions — when such an approach “effectively absolves blame from those with primary responsibility”.

“The many armed groups in the country are the outcome of a complex, long-standing historical reality. Therefore singling out one group out of many is running away from the actual issue.”

Rwanda rejects allegations of involvement in the current mutiny, and President Kagame stressed that solving the crisis will be impossible if the international community continues to define the issue erroneously.

“A durable solution will clearly come from addressing the real issues of governance in DRC and dealing with the genuine grievances of its citizens, even as efforts to end the current crisis are exerted.”

President Kagame described as “perplexing” the degree to which the international community focuses on the current mutiny at the expense of the much broader challenges present in the DRC, in the eastern region and beyond.

In particular, he cited the the plight of Congolese of Rwandan descent who remain targets for rape, torture and murder as a result of their ethnic origin, and yet are mostly ignored by the DRC government, human rights organisations and NGOs.

“The problems in DRC are complex and longstanding, and therefore, applying simplistic or expedient solutions to resolve them, without going to their historical and political roots, will only gloss over them but not deal with them definitively.”

“Rwanda stands ready to play its part in finding a peaceful end to the crisis in the DRC, particularly as part of a durable regional solution.”

{{Rwanda and Uganda are engaged in a tripatite meeting in Kapala city of Uganda. The meeting kicked off September 27.

The Rwanda Delegation is led by Gen. Marcel Gatsinzi Minister of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs.}}

Newvision Photo

{{The Inspector General of Police, Emmanuel K. Gasana has urged police officers who will be deployed in Haiti under the Formed Police Unit 3 (FPU3) to observe discipline and execute their duties professionally.}}

He said this on September 26 during the pre-deployment briefing held at the police General Headquarters in Kacyiru.

“Execute your duties professionally and strive to raise our country’s flag high to make Rwanda a replica country. Rwanda has earned itself a good name on the international scene,” IGP said.

A contingent of 160 officers under FPU3 is set to depart for the mission on September 27 to serve under the UN Mission for Stabilization in Haiti (MINUSTAH) mandate.

The contingent led by Chief Supt Desire Twizere will replace the same number under Formed Police Unit 2 (FPU) which successfully completed its nine months mandate and scheduled to return on September 28.

FPUs, among others, provide humanitarian assistance, conduct patrols and guard VIPs and key installations.

They also help in crowd control and provide security of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

The maiden FPU1 contingent comprising of 160 police officers was deployed in Haiti in January 30, 2011 and was replaced by the same number under FPU2 on December 15, 2011.

The mission was deployed mainly to oversee relief activities after the 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit the country in 2010, killing over 200,000 people and leaving millions homeless.

Rwanda National Police maintains over 450 peacekeepers serving under the UN missions in Liberia, Ivory Coast, Darfur, South Sudan and Haiti.

Rwanda, whose officers have been awarded for their professionalism and discipline in executing their mission duties by the UN, was ranked the eighth country in providing police peacekeepers worldwide by the international community.

The UN also ranked Rwanda the first out of 84 countries in providing female individual police officers.

The United Nations has also requested Rwanda to deploy a contingent of FPU in Liberia next year.

{{Senate President Dr. Ntawukuriryayo Jean Damascene yesterday officially launched the broader project “Mumataha, Remember Me” for the 20th commemoration in 2014. }}

The project aims at producing in 2012 and 2013 a music album of 20 songs (double CD) and to offer in 2014 one hundred concerts (100) to the Rwandan community during the 100 days of the genocide commemorations.

Initiated by Rwanda Professional Dreamers, The project “Mumataha remember me” plans to also collect and publish 100 letters from 100 countries from all over the world through the project called “The Book of Life”.

The senate president appreciated this initiative adding that other innovations which support Rwandan culture should be initiated.

{{French Authors Laure de Vulpian and Thierry Prungnaud September 25 released a new book called “Silence Turquoise” which shows the role of French army in the killings happened from1992-1994 Genocide against Tutsi. }}

According to Francequest.fr, “Silence Turquoise” is a book that focuses on Bisesero, where the French military had finally taken the measure to leave Tutsis who had fled away from massacres by Hutu militias in 1994 Genocide against Tutsi.

Within the book, Thierry Prungnaud witnessed the French army role in the killings that took place at Bisesero between 27 -30 July 1994.

He added that he was aware of Genocide preparation from the beginning.
Until now there are no French state reactions about the book.

{{Dr. Pierre Damien Habumuremyi has urged local leaders not to destabilize lower incomes of households during their city master plans adding that buildings of the city should not occupy cultivation area.}}

The premier was visiting Kamonyi District in Runda sector to see the real picture of residents’ settlements as Kamonyi district has attracted more infrastructure development.

The premier warned residents not to violate laws while establishing new development activities in the region.

He asked citizens to plant more trees alongside the road in order to fight against soil erosion and experiencing good climate.

{{At a special meeting held at UN Headquarters in New York, Rwanda has been ranked the first country in Africa for its commitments to establish clear programs aiming at fighting against HIV/AIDS.}}

The meeting discussed issues relevant to closer collaboration among African countries to fight against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
The meeting was attended by US Foreign Secretary Hillary Clinton, Benin President Boni Yayi, Senegal President Macky Sall, The former head of AU Commission Jean Ping and former Britain Minister Gordon Brown.

Rwanda was represented by Health Minister Agnes Binagwaho.

Minister Binagwaho explains that Rwanda has made significant progress in establishing clear health reforms, ensuring local community to participate in health issues, mutual understandings, acting based on facts and decentralization of health programs country wide.

Earlier this week, the former US President Bill Clinton pointed out that Rwanda is a country which has made significant progress in health education where about 13 US Universities agreed to deploy about 100 health specialist to Rwanda to help improving health sector.
Rwanda pays 7% of their salaries.

{{Following the recent request for support, the National commission working together with UNESCO has donated Frw12Million and computers to 15 schools with UNESCO clubs.}}

Bahizi Eliphaz, The General Secretary of the National commission says that the clubs contribute in widespreading UNESCO views country wide, human rights education, peace and patriotism and sensitizing people to contribute to National development.

Eliphaz urged beneficiaries of the support to use it effectively.
Head Master of Collège du Christ–Roi de Nyanza, Lambert Karinijabo appreciated the support adding that computers received will help schools to speed up the course delivery.

{{The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is today expected to chair a summit on the Great Lakes Region, with a special focus on security and humanitarian situation in eastern DRC.}}

The summit, to be held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, will be attended by the region’s leaders, including Presidents Paul Kagame and Joseph Kabila of DRC.

DRC is faced with a new rebellion in the country’s east, which was launched in April by mutinous soldiers who accuse Kinshasa of reneging on a 2009 peace deal under which they had been integrated in the army.

The Congo government and a UN Group of Experts accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebelS but Kigali has strongly denied the allegations.

The New York meeting aims to support regional efforts and renew political mobilisation at the international level to help chart a way forward for addressing the crisis. It will also push for the immediate secession of military and other violent activities and help find a lasting solution of the conflict.

In line with restoring peace in the Eastern DRC, an expanded Joint Verification Mechanism was recently launched in Goma, DRC.

The mechanism is made up of 24 senior military officers drawn from all the member states of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), a regional bloc of 11 countries, including Rwanda.

One of the tasks of the verification team is to ensure that hostilities come to a complete halt.

If peaceful means to end the conflict fail, the region intends to resort to force by deploying a proposed neutral force to disarm all the negative forces operating in eastern Congo, also home to the FDLR militia composed of elements responsible for the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.

{{EAC Director of Productive Sectors, Dr. Nyamajeje Weggoro, today called for better coordination and prudence in management of mineral resources in the region.}}

He said at the opening of a two-day expert group consultative workshop on Development and Promotion of Extractive Industries and Mineral Value Addition in the EAC region at the Arusha Hotel.

“The East African region is endowed with immense natural resources in various forms. However, these resources which indeed have high potential to generate wealth and contribute to social-economic transformation of EAC economies, remain largely underutilized, while in some cases are over exploited without commensurate gains accruing to the people of region,” stated Dr. Weggoro.

Dr. Weggoro made note of the EAC Industrialization Strategy which sets to facilitate structural transformation of EAC economies through diversification and value addition.

In this regard, the strategy identifies strategic sectors namely, extractive and mineral processing; petro-chemicals and gas processing; fertilizers and agro-chemicals among others.

“In order to ensure efficient development of downstream and upstream strategic industries that rely on the mining sector, it is crucial to put in place appropriate regulatory and policy frameworks.

Such frameworks should aim at enabling the region to maximize on the resource rents from mineral extraction but at the same time facilitate the creation of new employment opportunities through investment in value addition and mineral processing industries”, he stressed.

The development of strategic regional industries/value chains, particularly, extractive and mineral value addition industries are anticipated to spur the growth of downstream industries, create backward and forward linkages across the region, generate multiplier effects and position the region on the path of sustainable long-term growth.

Notwithstanding, there are a number of barriers and challenges standing in the way of the regions efforts to secure maximum benefits from its minerals resources and associated linkage industries.

The three key barriers worth highlighting are: lack of comprehensive and well-designed mineral resources information to support sound policy-making by government and business decision-making by prospective investors;

Inadequate enabling investment framework for the development of extractive and mineral value addition industries; and weak capacity, including human and institutional, for proper and effective management of the respective industries.

The expert group consultative workshop has been convened to facilitate, review and obtain feedback on draft analytical reports on the laws, regulatory and institutional frameworks for the development of extractive industries and mineral value addition in the region.

Specifically, the workshop aims at reviewing the draft reports with a view to: Examine and identify the mineral resource potential and opportunities for mineral value addition within the EAC region; Identify the existing legal, regulatory, and institutional policy frameworks in the extractive and mineral processing industries in the EAC and examine areas in which alignment of frameworks within the Community is (a) most attainable or

(b) would be most effective; explore and discuss the opportunities, challenges, constraints and linkages associated with development of strategic mineral resources for value addition investment promotion at the Partner State level and EAC regional level; and make appropriate recommendations on measures and instruments for effective development of extractive industries and mineral value addition in EAC region.

The workshop organized with technical support from the Commonwealth Secretariat has brought together experts on mining and mineral development policies; industrial development and mineral value addition; investment policies and fiscal incentives as well as legal experts on minerals laws and regulations.