Category: News

{{Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame held a private meeting with President Joseph Kabila of DRC this afternoon in Addis Ababa Ethiopia.

Details of their discussions are underway. However, it was expected that the two presidents would discuss the ongoing crisis in eastern part of DRC.}}

President Kagame arrived today in Addis Ababa for the 19th Session of the African Union Assembly taking place from 15-16 July 2012 under the theme “Boosting Intra African Trade and which aims to build upon the commitment of all nations to achieve integration, economic growth and development.

President Kagame will participate in a closed session for the voting of the Chairman of the AU Commission and in a session for the heads of state of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region following the meetings of foreign ministers of ICGLR.

Kagame is also scheduled to hold several bilateral meetings with counterparts from the continent.

{{Tigo-Rwanda has unveiled its new ‘I am with Tigo’ campaign, a celebration of having the freedom to connect with the people who matter the most to Rwandans.}}

The Campaign “I am with Tigo” is inspired by actual testimonies gathered from asking Tigo customers why they prefer the Tigo brand.

Chantal Umutoni, Tigo Rwanda Head of sales and Customer care said at the launch of the campaign, “it is a reflection on how they feel about the service we provide and the recognition of understanding their needs. We aim at keeping Rwandans connected and on trend with the latest telecommunications technology available”.

It is a reflection of how customers feel about the brand and is a recognition of what Tigo has done to keep them connected with the people they care about the most.

This concept is based on real testimonies and insights gathered from Tigo customers, essentially Rwandan youth.

“As part of our activations, a number of activities will follow to ensure that everyone gets to tell their story on why they are with Tigo”, Umutoni added.

Since entering the Rwandan market, Tigo has connected over 2 million customers by providing a quality network, affordable tariffs and innovative products to suit the everyday needs of Rwandans.

Tigo has been first telecom company to allow customers to choose their number and borrow airtime and pay back later with Tira Tigo.

Also customers have benefited from Tigo Muzika-setting favourite song as ringtones on their handsets

Also Vuga Packs customers were able to talk to each other without paying unbearable rates.

Tigo has also supported Rwandan talent, bringing together artistes Urban Boys, Kitoko, Dream Boyz, Radio and Riderman for the creation of their hit-single ‘Rwanda Uri Nziza’. The song describes the pride of being and feeling Rwandan and can be heard playing in every radio station across the country.

{{CHORA CHORA is a film produced by Richard MUGWANEZA (2012) | Original Kinyarwanda version with English subtitles, 70 min.}}

Rudoviko is an 18 year-old, an angel, who leaves his country village to study in a city of drugs consumption and trafficking.

In order to get money to cover some teenagers’ needs, he finds himself involved in this drugs circuit to which the local Police doesn’t hesitate to put an end.

The film pictures Rudoviko’s step by step confrontation with the world of drugs. And even when he ends up regretting and getting rid of all drugs, he can’t escape the Police’s black list.

{{Police and the Revenue Protection Department have arrested three men suspected of smuggling liquors.}}

Celestin Mutsindashyaka from Muhanga district, Jean Marie Burere from Goma (DRC) and Onesphore Hategekimana from Musanze district were arrested while transporting smuggled liquors.

Mutsindashyaka was arrested on Wednesday in Gicumbi district with 71 boxes of African Gin from Uganda.

Jean Marie Burere and Hategekimana Onesphore were arrested on Monday at Giticyinyoni, Nyarugenge district with 45 bottles Martel, black label and J&B whiskies they had smuggled from DRC.

Superintendent Emmanuel Karasi, the commanding officer of Revenue Protection Department said most smuggled goods seized come from neighbouring countries especially Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

He added that different non declared goods, foreign vehicles with expired entry cards, have been seized by the department.

Other goods regularly seized by Revenue Protection department include coffee, minerals soaps, cloths, energy drinks and motorcycle spare parts among others.

{{Rwanda and China have today signed Loan Framework Agreement at a meeting held at MINECOFIN main boardroom.}}

The aforesaid signing concerns the contribution of China to a very important infrastructure project, the Rusizi-Karongi-Rubavu Road, the Kivu Belt (Road of 185 Km, Project total cost around USD 350 million).

This loan will cover the construction of Lot 4 of the Road, Mwityazo (Nyamasheke)-to Ruvumbu (Karongi) and Lot 5, Ruvumbu to Kibuye of the Belt Road.

The Government of Rwanda was represented by Hon. Minister John Rwangombwa, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning and the Government of the People’s Republic of China represented by HE Chu Zhan, Ambassador of China in Rwanda.

The cooperation between Rwanda and China is currently 51 years old, the Chinese government has supported more than 40 projects with totally over RMB 1.3 billion since the establishment of diplomatic relationship in 1971, including the National Stadium, 36 Km of Kigali City Roads, MINAFFET Building, Kibungo Hospital and Kibungo Nurse School, Masaka Polyclinic and one Agriculture Demonstration Center.

{{The brothers Peter and Paul Okoye and their other siblings lost their mother Josephine Okoye who was in her 60’s on Wednesday, 11th July 2012 due to some prolonged heart illness.}}

Close friends to the Okoye family say that Josephine Okoye was first admitted in St. Nicholas Hospital in Lagos but her health state wasn’t improving.

She was then taken to India where she released her last breath five hours after her heart surgery in Apollo hospital (India).

Josephine’s death was a shock to many; friends and fans to the P Square and family sent condolences and sympathy messages to the Okoyes.

Their mother was a good parent and their biggest fan. She almost never missed their shows until late 2011 where she started feeling weak due to her illness.

“You know that she was a prayer warrior, so I don’t need to tell you how she stood by us spiritually. Besides she was the only one that believed in us when we decided to make a career out of music. I can remember that she used to sneak out at night then to attend shows without the consent of our father who insisted that we must quit music to face our education” peter recounts.

{{Aloma Mukhtar, 68 has been confirmed as the first woman chief Justice in Nigeria.

She becomes Nigeria’s 13th Chief Justice.}}

She was confirmed by the Nigerian Senate on Wednesday. Her nomination was made by President Goodluck Jonathan on July 4.

She is replacing Dahiru Musdapher, who is expected to vacate office on July 15 at the mandatory retirement age of 70.

Mukhtar was born in north-western Nigerian town of Kano in November 1944.

She attended schools in Nigeria and England before becoming the first woman from the north to be admitted to the Nigerian Bar.

Mukhtar was appointed the country’s first woman judge in September 1987, and in 2005 she became the first woman to ascend to the bench of Nigeria’s Supreme Court.

{{Uganda government has handed over 718 FARDC troops who had fled rebel fire last week in Kivu Province of DRCongo.}}

Uganda has also pleaded to the DRC government not to punish the soldiers saying that their escape from the battle was the only way to save many lives.

“The commanders’ decision to withdraw was the right one because they saved many lives that the government was about to lose, so welcome them and treat them well,” said The Resident District Commissioner, Lt. Milton Odongo.

The soldiers, who entered through Kisoro District of Uganda, were handed over on Wednesday at the 23rd Battalion of Rusese Barracks in Kasese.

They were received by the Congolese deputy Ambassador to Uganda, Jean Pierre Massala and the 708 FARDC Commander, Col. Eric Ruhorimbere and his deputy Regt. Commander, Bisamaza Risseiur and Regt. Commander 801 Col. Karonda Famba.

{{Today at Oxford University, President Paul Kagame took part in the interactive discussions with over 200 global leaders ranging from heads of states, nobel laureates, scholars and members of the private sector.}}

Held at Oxford University, the Re|Source 2012 conference aims to start a new conversation on the challenge posed by seemingly scarce resources and the world’s growing population.

Preceding President Kagame’s panel, Hans Grosling shared what many consider an unconventional approach to the understanding of global population and economic trends.

He pointed to the overall progress in economic and population trends in most of Asia and Africa-including Rwanda where fertility rates has reached the halfway point between 8 and 2 children per family.

Grosling told the audience that when it comes to current conventional views on the issue of population growth in the so-called developing world, “we are not dealing with ignorance but with intense arrogant views of the progress in Africa and Asia in the last 25 years.” “It is clear that Africa is the future,” he added.

Following the introductory panels, President Kagame opened the “Food Glorious Food” panel that brought together David Nabarro- UN Secretary General’s Special Representative on Food Security and Nutrition, Paul Conway-Vice Chairman of Cargill Inc,Professor Charles Godffray-Director of the Oxford Martin Programme on the Future of Food and Peter Howell-General Manager of Rabobank International.

President Kagame shared the experiences of programs such as crop intensification program that have led Rwanda to achieving sustainable agriculture and attaining food security.

President Kagame told the participants: “prioritizing food security is a question of political will…if Rwanda can do it, so can any country that wants to.”

President Kagame also challenged the audience to “look at the growing population as a resource, and not always a liability.”

“They can be part of the solution if we ensure that productivity increases as population does. People should be empowered to find ways to increase resource efficiency, reduce waste and manage demand effectively,”he added.

Similar to the integrated multisectoral programs that define Rwanda’s approach to food security, President Kagame reminded the audience to look at food security in its larger context.

“To create sustainable benefits and growth nationally and across the world, we must continue to make global market linkages and address other barriers like subsidies and stringent quality standards whose main purpose seems to exclude products from some places,”he told the participants.

President Kagame concluded by reminding the participants that food insecurity must be treated as a “threat to human existence in the same way we have tackled and reduced other issues of our time.”

{{Federal prosecutors have filed civil forfeiture actions against an Oakland medical marijuana dispensary that bills itself as the world’s largest, as part of a crackdown by U.S. authorities on California’s massive cannabis trade.}}

The lawsuits, filed on Monday in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, seek forfeiture of two properties where Harborside Health Center operates, said Melinda Haag, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of California.

Harborside says it is the largest medical marijuana dispensary in the world, serving more than 100,000 patients in a “beautiful waterfront location,” and is subject of the Discovery Channel reality TV show “Weed Wars.”

“The larger the operation, the greater the likelihood that there will be abuse of the state’s medical marijuana laws and marijuana in the hands of individuals who do not have a demonstrated medical need,” Haag said in a statement on Wednesday announcing the actions.

“The filing of the civil forfeiture complaints against the two Harborside properties is part of our measured effort to address the proliferation of illegal marijuana businesses in the Northern District of California,” she said.

In a statement on its website, the clinic said, “Harborside has nothing to be ashamed of, and will contest the Federal actions openly and publicly, with every legal means at our disposal.”