Category: News

{{Statement by H.E. Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda
on the occasion of Labour Day 2012}}

Fellow Rwandans;

I wish you all a happy Labour Day. I want to thank you for the work you do every day to advance your families, communities and our nation. Our efforts as Rwandans, in collaboration with our partners, have already started to show good results – in the past five years one million Rwandans raised themselves from poverty. But we still have more work to do together to take our nation and our people where we deserve to be.

Every year 125,000 young Rwandans enter the job market. Their talents, energy and good will have to be matched by opportunity. The Government continues to invest in ensuring that all Rwandans with good ideas can become entrepreneurs.

This is why the Business Development Fund accessible all over Rwanda was created, to support Rwandans to create jobs from innovative ideas, particularly those who have difficulty accessing loans.

I congratulate the winners of this year’s competition for Small and Medium Enterprises from all the Districts – you are leading the way for the development of our country.

Rwanda will be built by the hands of its citizens; we know already how far we can go when we work together. Let us continue to uphold the value of work because it goes hand in hand with dignifying ourselves and our country.

I hope you have a good day of rest and reflection.

{{Jacques Mungwarere, 39, a Rwandan genocide fugitive has appeared before a judge today at a Canadian court.}}

He is the second Rwandan to be prosecuted under Canada’s Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act, introduced in 2000 and allows for prosecution no matter where or when an alleged war crime may have been committed.

A large group of potential jurors in Ottawa were abruptly sent home today after Mungwarere did an about-face, electing to be tried by a judge alone at his war crimes trial.

The first person prosecuted under the act is Desire Munyaneza, who wassentenced to life in prison in 2009.

The RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) arrested Mungwarere in 2009 in Windsor, Ont. A million ethnic Tutsis were killed in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi that lasted over a hundred days.

Mungwarere is a former schoolteacher who led or participated in mass killings of civilians, including notorious massacres in two churches and a hospital in Kibuye.

He was tracked in early 2003 after being recognised by a childhood friend from Rwanda on a city bus in Windsor, where he settled after immigrating to Canada in 1998.

Mungwarere’s case was set to be relatively unique among war crimes trials in that he had chosen to have his case heard before both a judge and a jury. War crimes cases are almost exclusively presided over by judges.

{{Nyiransabimana Vestine 36 has spent Four Months undergoing treatment at CHUK hospital at bed number 44. A Man poured Acid on her face because she refused to get married to him. }}

She is seeking help estimated at Frw 7million to enable her receive enhanced medical treatment outside Rwanda preferably in India.

Nyiransabimana says was attacked with acid 11 January by Twizeyimana Ephrem. Nyiransabimana explained that she was attacked after she refused a marriage proposal from Twizeyimana.

She refused to marry Twizeyimana because she was in love with another man with whom they were planning to wed on 12 February 2012.

Nyiransabimana told IGIHE that she is a mother of two children. She studied at Kigali Health Institute KHI. She had been legally married before but later divorced but court ruled that she keeps custody of the two children.

After her divorce, She entered a civil marriage with another man on 29 December 2011.

On 12 February 2012, the two were slated to wed in church and had already issued invitation cards to friends, relatives, and in-laws to attend the church wedding.

However, after noticing distribution of Invitation cards, Twizeyimana started asking Nyiransabimana why she turned down his marriage proposal, “ so you refused me because iam poor? Do not be fooled by your beauty. I can disorganize it”.

January 11 2012, Twizeyimana went to Nyiransabimana’s home at about 7PM, he requested her to help her top up Tigo phone credit. He also asked her to get out of the livingroom because he needed to make a phone call from outside where it was calm.

Nyiransabimana agreed to get out of the house and later as she was toping up phone credit on the phone, Twizeyimana poured Acid on her face. The acid was in a cup which Nyiransabimana didn’t not suspect contained a dangerous substance.

Twizeyimana immediately told her, “Now go and beg and experience how it feels to be poor”. Since then his whereabouts aren’t known.

However, rumours had it that Twizeyimana had paid tution fees for Nyiransabimana to study at the Kigali Health Institute probably with a dream that they would thereafter get married.

Nyiransabimana denies the rumours saying, “that’s a naked lie. I studied by the help of government loan. I knew Twizeyimana after completing my studies.”

The effect of Acid attack on her body is unbelievable. Her chest is destroyed. it necessitated doctors to remove flesh from her other parts of the body and graft it on her chest.

She is currently bandaged all over the body and one might not notice her.

The visiting Indian doctors recently met her at her hospital bed…they told her her situation can be delt with successfully in India if she can afford to raise funds equivalent to Frw 7Million.

However, Nyiransabimana says she cant afford this amount of money.she thus requests help from good Samaritans so that she can seek further treatment abroad after which she can be able to raise her children.

Nyiransabimana can be reached on her cell phones 250 788511830 or 250728511830. She requests any financial help to be deposited on her account at the Bank Populaire: A/C 403107659011.

He children one of whom is currently psychologically affected, are currently being taken care of by her neighbours where she used to live at Gitega suburb in Kigali city.

{{A teenager in Kayonza district identified as Joseph Dushimimana 17, has been arrested after he allegedly defiled a four-year old girl.}}

Police in Kayonza arrested Dushimimana a resident of Musumba cell, Nyamirama sector.

The suspect is said to have pounced on the girl while her parents were involved in community work-Umuganda.

According to Police sources, the victim told the mother that the neighbour had sexually abused her. The Mother in turn informed local Police.

Police later apprehend the culprit and detained him at Nyamirama Police station. The little girl was taken to Rwinkavu hospital for medical examination.

Though the culprit is minor, he is likely to be taken to social rehabilitation centers if found guilty. Police calls on parents not to leave children alone while at work and ensure that they are in the hands on minders.

Police Spokesperson Superintendent Theos Badege said, “Children should not be left alone. There should always be minders to take care of them and hence prevent such incidences from happening”.

{{Unknown people have attacked and completely cut down a banana plantation at Save-Nyabisindi, Kiramuruzi in Gatsibo district. The incidence happened on Saturday night while it was raining.}}

The plantation area measuring ‘20 by 25 meters’belonged to Ndungutse Emmanuel.

It is not the first time such a crime has been committed in the area. Local residents told IGIHE that a similar incidence happened in a nearby village.

Ruboneza Ambroise the Mayor of Gatsibo district told IGIHE that the Suspects have already been arrested pending investigations.

Residents are overwhelmed by such acts of vandalism. One of the residents told IGIHE “such acts indicate that the perpetrators could easily harm someone if they came into contact”.

However, Kiramuruzi sector leader, Kirangira Bishop told IGIHE that he suspects such acts of vandalism could be a result of existing disputes.

KIrangira urged residents in the area to solve their disputes mutually with the help of authorities rather than taking the laws into their hands.

{{In DR-Congo the tribal militia Mai-Mai Cheka and their allies seized Friday 27 April, the town of Luvungi 65 km west of Walikale in North Kivu.}}

The group Cheka and its allies invaded the town of Luvungi around 22 hours forcing local security forces fleeing without resistance.

Sources said that the Mai Mai Cheka militia operates in coalition with deserters from the Congolese army and the FDC-Guides.

A special police unit had been deployed in this locality in March 2011 as part of a project of the international community, to secure women victims of mass rape in November 2010.

Local sources say the victims of rape have been living in fear of reliving what happened; In November 2010, the Mai-Mai had invaded the town, raping dozens of women.

{{The Family of Gilbert Nizeyimana(photo above) requests concerned authorities to help them in finding of their son who went missing on 25 April and up to now, there is no information about his whereabouts.}}

A member of Nizeyimana’s family told IGIHE that Nizeyimana was the manager of KAKA printing Express located next to Nkurunziza in Kigali City.

Its alleged that an unknown caller telephoned Nizeyimana on Thursday at about midday. By then Nizeyimana was at Nyamirambo attending to his business.

After the call, Nizeyimana told his workmates including his driver, that someone had telephoned him and jumped onto a motor taxi and headed to the city center to meet with the caller.

However, after 30 minutes, the driver called Nizeyimana with intention of asking him about something in connection with work but was unable to reach him on mobile phone, as it was unavailable.

On suspecting that Nizeyimana was missing, the family inquired from his workmates and friends who both said hadn’t seen him and later the family members tried to cross check with all hospitals around the city but all in vain.

Later the family notified Muhima Police station. Police promised to launch a search for Nizeyimana with effect from 30 April.

Supt. Theos Badege the Police Spokesperson told IGIHE that whenever, police are notified of a missing person, the search is immediately launched to determine the whereabouts of the missing person depending on the manner in which they went missing.

{{Police is interrogating a radio Journalist suspected of uttering statements on radio that were deemed to promote genocide ideology.}}

Until his arrest, Habarugira Epaphrodite was working for RADIO HUGUKA based in Muhanga district.

Haburugira was arrested on 24 April after allegedly uttering during the 22 April news bulletin live on radio statements that defame and ridicule victims of the 1994 Tutsi genocide that claimed a million lives.

The management of Huguka Radio immediately issued a letter terminating Habarugira from radio effective 23 April.

Alain Mukuralinda the National Prosecution publicist told IGIHE that Habarugira’s Dossier was forwarded to national prosecution on 26 April adding that Next week; prosecution will determine whether to submit the case to court or set Habarugira free.

Huguka Radio Manager Ndekezi Eugène told IGIHE in a telephone interview “Habarugira’s dossier is already in the hands of the Judiciary. Subject to the law. I cannot divulge any details”.

Ndekezi further noted that he is confident that the country’s Judiciary has the capacity to determine the truth in the charges against Habarugira.

Every year from on April 7 Rwandan’s honour victims of the 1994 Tutsi genocide. Over the course of 100 days, ethnic Tutsis were brutally murdered.

This year the world joined Rwandans in the 18th commemoration of the genocide against the Tutsi’s under a theme “Learning from our history to build a bright future.”

{{In Kenya today morning a grenade attack at a Church in Nairobi’s Ngara area has left one person dead and ten others injured. Local Media has confirmed. The attack occured during prayers.}}

Six of the injured are at the Guru Nanak hospital along Muranga road, while four others said to be in critical condition have been taken to Kenyatta National Hospital.

Sunday’s attack at God’s House of Miracle International Church comes days after the United States embassy issued a warning of a looming attack within Nairobi.

The embassy issued an advisory last Monday, claiming a possible attack was in the last stages of planning.

Citing credible intelligence, the warning urged American citizens in Kenya to be vigilant of the personal security.

“Timing of the attack is not known, however, the Embassy has reason to believe that the potential attack is in the last stages of planning. The U.S. Embassy urges Americans to remain aware of their surroundings and vigilant of their personal security,” a statement from the embassy said.

{{Honourable Jesca Eriyo from the Republic of Uganda is the new Deputy Secretary General of the East African Community with immediate effect from 30th April 2012.}}

Hon. Eriyo’s appointment was confirmed at the 10th Extraordinary Summit of the East African Heads of State at Arusha in Tanzania on 28th April.

Hon. Eriyo is Uganda’s former State Minister for Environment. She replaces Beatrice Kiraso, the outgoing Secretary General whose two-year mandate has expired.

Also during the 10th Extraodinary Heads of state summit, the contract of Jean Claude Nsengiyumva (Deputy Secretary General – Productive and Social Sectors) contract was renewed.

East African Community (EAC) presidents converged in Arusha on Saturday to, among other issues, discuss the application by South Sudan to join the regional bloc.