State House Spokesperson, Hussein Mohamed confirmed the meeting in a post on X on Thursday, April 18, 2024.
“President William Ruto has convened an urgent meeting of the National Security Council at State House Nairobi this evening following a Kenya Defence Forces’ helicopter crash this afternoon in Elgeyo-Marakwet County,” Mohamed confirmed.
Police say at least five people died after the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) helicopter crashed and caught fire at the Kaben-Cheptulel border between Elgeyo Marakwet and West Pokot counties on Thursday afternoon.
The CDF was accompanying seven other military personnel on a trip to Kenya’s North Rift region. The cause of the crash is yet to be established.
Gen. Ogolla was sworn in as Kenya’s military boss on April 29, 2023.
He took over the CDF mantle from Gen. Robert Kibochi whose term ended after 44 years in the military.
Prior to assuming the CDF role, Ogolla served as the Commander of the Air Force and Vice Chief of Defence Forces.
According to The Telegraph, the list of 13 military top brass includes three former Chiefs of the Defence Staff as well as a former Chief of the General Staff and a former Chief of the Naval Staff.
In a letter quoted by the British publication, the group sent a strong warning to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, saying deporting Afghans who fought alongside the British army would be a “dereliction of our moral duty”.
“Any brave men and women who have fought alongside our armed forces or served the UK Government overseas must be exempt from removal to Rwanda,” the letter signed by Marshal of the Royal Air Force Lord Craig of Radley, Gen Lord Richards of Herstmonceux and Gen Lord Houghton of Richmond—all former Chiefs of the Defence Staff—was quoted as saying.
The group further accused the government of mismanaging the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy – known as the ARAP scheme – which was launched in April 2021.
The scheme was established to help current or former Afghan staff who were employed by the UK government in Afghanistan.
The military chief’s warning comes amid reports that Afghan soldiers have been subjected to torture and murder by the Taliban after being denied help by the UK Government, despite extensive evidence showing they were paid, trained, and worked “shoulder to shoulder” with British special forces.
The military top brass argue that the Arap scheme was “intended to be a lifeline for brave Afghans who worked alongside UK forces but there is a huge backlog of applications”.
“It is essential that those who have made it to British shores are not unduly punished by being removed to Rwanda when the Government’s scheme is up and running,” the group is further quoted.
The sentiments come at a time Sunak’s Safety of Rwanda Bill, which proposes the relocation of certain asylum seekers from the UK to Rwanda for processing their claims, returns to the Commons on Monday after a series of defeats in the Lords.
Rwanda and the UK signed the Migration and Economic Development Partnership in April 2022.
Officials said the migrants caught trying to enter UK territory illegally by boat or hiding in vehicles would be sent to Rwanda.
The scheme faced headwinds last November after the UK Supreme Court ruled that it was unlawful.
This forced the government to amend the legislation, including a new treaty and stating in law that Rwanda is a safe country.
MPs are expected to vote on those amendments when they return to parliament.
This week, Sunak, while expressing his confidence that the scheme would succeed, faulted the Labour Party for the delays in the implementation of the programme.
“First of all we need to get it through parliament, where the Labour Party has been blocking it for a long time.
“Once it is up and running I am confident we will be able to operationalise the scheme [and] get people on flights because that’s how we set up a deterrent and ultimately end the unfairness of people jumping the queue, coming here illegally, putting pressure on local services and risking their own lives,” he stated in response to a question from the reporters seeking to know when the first flight would depart to Rwanda.
In March 2024, UK authorities announced that the government would offer failed asylum seekers up to £3,000 (Rwf4,866,727) to move to Rwanda under the new voluntary scheme.
In a statement released in the wee hours of Sunday morning, the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations, however, faulted the UN Security Council for failing to stop Israel’s aggression, which claimed the lives of seven Iranian senior military advisors.
“Upon instructions from my Government and pursuant to our letter dated 1 April 2024 concerning the Israeli regime’s armed attacks against the diplomatic premises of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Damascus, the Syrian Arab Republic, which led to the martyrdom of seven Iranian senior military advisories (A/78/838-S/2024/281), I would like to inform you that, in the late hours of 13 April 2024, the Islamic Republic of Iran carried out a series of military strikes on Israeli military objectives,” the statement reads.
“This action was in the exercise of Iran’s inherent right to self-defense as outlined in Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, and in response to the Israeli recurring military aggressions, particularly its armed attack on 1st April 2024 against Iranian diplomatic premises, in the defiance of Article 2 (4) of the Charter of the United Nations.”
Iran accused the UN Security Council of failing in its duty to maintain international peace and security, which it said had allowed the Israeli regime to “transgress red lines and violate the fundamental principles of international law.”
“Such violations have exacerbated tensions in the region and threatened regional and international peace and security,” the mission stated.
Iran, while acknowledging its commitment to resolving the conflict amicably, warned that any further provocations would result in a “stronger” response.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran will not hesitate to exercise its inherent right of self-defense when required. Should the Israeli regime commit any military aggression again, Iran’s response will assuredly and decisively be stronger, and more resolute,” the mission warned.
Israel said on Sunday that more than 300 drones and missiles were launched at it from Iran, Iraq and Yemen, adding that a majority of them had been intercepted.
Israel further noted that the attacks had resulted in minimal damage but warned people to remain alert.
United States President Joe Biden condemned the Iranian drone attacks on military facilities in Israel, further affirming America’s “ironclad commitment” to the security of Israel.
“Tomorrow, I will convene my fellow G7 leaders to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Iran’s brazen attack,” he said.
Iran’s attack mirrors that of Israel-Hamas war which started on October 7, 2023.
Hamas launched missile attacks on Israel, saying the attack was in response to the continued Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories, the blockade of the Gaza Strip, the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements, threats to the status of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the plight of Palestinian refugees and prisoners.
The Associated Press reported on April 12, 2024, that all of them have submitted their resignation requests to President Yoon, but it is still unknown whether he will accept them.
In the elections held on April 10, 2024, the opposition Democratic Party and another allied party won 175 out of 300 seats.
The ruling People Power Party and another affiliated party won 108 seats in the legislature. This is a setback as the standing of the country’s President largely depends on the majority support from their representatives in this body.
President Yoon will continue his term until 2027, but losing the majority in the legislature will hinder his administration’s agenda, as opposition parties may put more pressure on him than before.
Speaking during his engagement with the media on Monday, April 8, 2024, the Head of State said the country had defied the odds to record tremendous growth over the last 30 years, when the country was derailed by the Genocide against the Tutsi that left at least a million people dead.
“In the next 30 years we will continue making progress and be where others are that they have even taken for granted. We see developed countries, why can’t Rwanda or Africa develop to that extent or even beyond,” Kagame stated.
He highlighted that with the right politics in the country and the region, Rwanda will be far much better than its current state.
“The Rwanda of the next 30 years should maybe be three, four, or five times better than what you are seeing now. Thirty years from our graves to being here, I think another year we are not coming from the graves; this time we are coming from some level of progress,” he added.
Rwanda economy is, according to Central Bank Governor John Rwangombwa, projected to remain strong and resilient with the country’s GDP expected to grow by 6.6 per cent in 2024 after recording a remarkable growth of 8.2 per cent to hit $35 billion last year.
{{Instability in eastern DRC}}
Weighing in on the political instability in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), President Kagame lamented what he termed the dehumanization of the Congolese Tutsis.
He insisted that the M23 rebel group, which he has been accused of backing by President Felix Tshisekedi, is fighting for the rights of the Congolese Tutsis who are being “uprooted from their ancestral land, persecuted,” and left to seek shelter in neighboring countries, including Rwanda and Uganda.
“I am saying that even those who are accusing us, I should actually accuse them of not supporting M23 because it is as if they agree with the injustice being done to this community,” he said in response to a question whether he supports the rebel group.
President Kagame said more than 100,000 refugees have sought shelter in Rwanda due to the insecurity in the eastern part of the DRC.
“Otherwise, if you did not agree with this injustice, you would actually be raising questions as to why these M23 people are being treated like this. Why do we have 100,000 refugees in Rwanda?” Kagame stated.
He added, “Whether Rwanda supports or associates in anyway with M23 is immaterial.”
Speaking during an engagement with the media on Monday, April 8, 2024, President Kagame said he had requested the US to be “kind enough” to commemorate with Rwanda every April 7 and avoid constant criticism of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) leadership during this special day.
“For me, that concern was answered long ago by making our position clear, maybe in 2014 or 2015 when we told them to be kind enough to commemorate with us on April 7 and have the rest of 365 days to blame us every day for everything they don’t like about us,” said President Kagame.
He was responding to a question from a local journalist who sought to know whether he discussed America’s failure to define the genocide against the Tutsi correctly during his recent meeting with former President Bill Clinton.
“We receive messages from all over the world joining us in the commemoration. At that time, we received a message that talked about, on one hand, Kwibuka and sympathizing with us, and then another part addressed issues about democracy, human rights, and everything that we are thought not to have in our country.”
“Our country wrote a letter back to the US. I am the one who authored that letter. The United States or any government of any country has the freedom to tell us what they want, whether we are happy about it or not. That is no problem, and we are always going to accept whatever is brought our way,” President Kagame stated.
He noted that the US or any other foreign state was free to criticize the country but not on the commemoration day dubbed “Kwibuka”.
“But I also told them an important thing: on this commemoration, we are grateful when you commemorate with us. But for these other points you are trying to make to us, we have one request which is important to us. We told them, ‘Feel free to commemorate with us if you want, and feel free to tell us whatever you don’t like about us. But our request is one: when it’s the day of commemoration, which is April 7, can you be kind enough to commemorate with us and stop there,” he added.
“There are 365 days in a year; give us that day of April 7 to commemorate with us, and then you can have the rest of the 364 days to blame us every day for everything you don’t like. Just separate these things: blame us for the rest of the days of the year.’ I thought it was a fair deal. For me, that problem was solved that day.”
Yesterday, President Paul Kagame, in an apparent reference to the US, also condemned intentional vagueness in reporting of the genocide against the Tutsi, which he said plays a role in fueling denial.
“Rwandans will never understand why any country would remain intentionally vague about who was targeted in the genocide. I don’t understand that. Such ambiguity is, in fact, a form of denial, which is a crime in and of itself, and Rwanda will always challenge it,” Kagame stated during Kwibuka30.
Blinken had through a post on X (formerly Twitter) expressed the United States solidarity with Rwanda during the 30th anniversary.
“The United States stands with the people of Rwanda during Kwibuka 30 in remembering the victims of genocide. We mourn the many thousands of Tutsis, Hutus, Twas, and others whose lives were lost during 100 days of unspeakable violence,” he wrote.
However, the post did not sit well with netizens, who termed it vague and general, as it did not highlight that the Tutsis were the targeted group in the 1994 atrocities.
“That’s distorting and disregarding the truth; in Rwanda, there was a genocide against the Tutsis in 1994. It’s better not to say anything, Rwandans will be okay, as they always have been. No country is powerful enough, even when they think that they are, to change the facts,” Heritier wrote.
“@SecBlinken it’s called genocide against Tutsi,” Espoir King wrote.
Others questioned the United States failure to stop the genocide that claimed the lives of more than one million people in just 100 days, while others criticized the country’s biasness in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, where the US has sided with Israel.
“The 1994 genocide against Tutsi in Rwanda, while devastatingly impacting many, was characterized by the systematic targeting of Tutsis. Recognizing this doesn’t diminish your honor or falsify the truth of the events. The U.S.’s statement during #Kwibuka30 reveals that there is a long way to go to recognize what your government failed to stop while you had the full capacity. Understanding history accurately is crucial for healing and preventing future atrocities,” Emmanuel Habumuremyi wrote.
This is, however, not the first time the US is failing to recognize the official definition of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsis.
In August 2022, Blinken, while on a visit in Rwanda, was asked by a local journalist, Edwin Musoni, to address the vagueness, but could not offer a direct and convincing answer.
Yesterday, President Paul Kagame, in an apparent reference to the US action, also condemned intentional vagueness in reporting of the genocide against the Tutsi, which he said plays a role in fueling denial.
“Rwandans will never understand why any country would remain intentionally vague about who was targeted in the genocide. I don’t understand that. Such ambiguity is, in fact, a form of denial, which is a crime in and of itself, and Rwanda will always challenge it,” Kagame stated during Kwibuka30.
In his strongly-worded statement, the leader of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) declared that the Rwandan people are ready to confront any attempt to drag the country backward, given the milestones achieved over the last 30 years.
“Today, it is all Rwandans who have conquered fear. Nothing can be worse than what we have already experienced. This is a nation of 14 million people, who are ready to confront any attempt to take us backwards. The Rwandan story shows how much power human beings have within them. Whatever power you do have, you might as well use it to tell the truth and do what is right,” President Kagame stated.
President Kagame emphasized that the only choice for survivors of the genocide is to live, giving the example of a brave woman who defiantly spat in the face of her killers, when they demanded she choose how she wanted to die.
“During the genocide, people were sometimes given the option of paying for a less painful death. There is another story I learned about at the time, which always sticks in my mind, about a woman at a roadblock, in her final moments.
“She left us a lesson that every African should live by. When asked by the killers how she wanted to die, she looked them in the eye, and spit in their face. Today, because of the accident of survival, our only choice is what life we want to live. Our people will never — and I mean never — be left for dead again,” President Kagame vowed.
He blamed the international community for the killing of more than one million people in 1994, saying the foreign powers failed to act due to contempt or cowardice.
“Many of the countries represented here today also sent their sons and daughters to serve as peacekeepers in Rwanda. Those soldiers did not fail Rwanda; it was the international community which failed all of us, whether from contempt or cowardice,” he said while recognizing the role of the soldiers who served as peacekeepers in Rwanda during the genocide.
“Among those here with us today, I salute the widow and daughter of the late Captain Mbaye Diagne of Senegal, who died a hero as he rescued many Rwandans from death.”
The Head of State further expressed confidence in the country’s future, stating that it is secure in the hands of the youth, who possess a mindset distinct from that of previous generations.
“Nearly three-quarters of Rwandans today are under age 35. They either have no memory of the genocide, or were not yet born,” he stated.
“Our youth are the guardians of our future and the foundation of our unity, with a mindset that is totally different from the generation before.”
At the same time, Kagame told off critics of the commemoration events, insisting that the country will continue to hold the events in honour of more than one million lives lost during the genocide.
The President stated that contrary to views held by some quarters, Kwibuka is not merely a political tactic.
“Over time, in the media controlled by the powerful in this world, victims are rebranded as villains, and even this very moment of commemoration is derided as a mere political tactic. It is not. It never has been. Our reaction to such hypocrisy is pure disgust.
“We commemorate because those lives mattered to us. Rwandans cannot afford to be indifferent to the root causes of genocide. We will always pay maximum attention, even if we are alone. But what we are seeking is solidarity and partnership to recognize and confront these threats together, as a global community,” he added.
Several heads-of-state and government attended the commemoration event today. Some of the leaders include Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Petr Pavel (Czech Republic President), Andry Rajoelina (Madagascar), Mohamed Ould Ghazouani (Mauritania), Salva Kiir (South Sudan) South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa (South Africa), Faustin-Archange Touadéra (Central African Republic) and Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed among others.
Former US President Bill Clinton, Ugandan Vice President Jessica Alupo, Kenya’s Deputy Rigathi Gachagua, and Stéphane Séjourné, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, was also present.
The White House, in a statement on April 3, 2024, confirmed that the 42nd President of the USA will lead a five-member team designated to the East African country by President Joe Biden during the event dubbed ‘Kwibuka 30’.
“President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. today announced the designation of a Presidential Delegation to attend Kwibuka 30, the 30th Commemoration of the 1994 Genocide, on April 7, 2024, in Kigali, Rwanda.”
“The Honorable William Jefferson Clinton, 42nd President of the United States of America, will lead the delegation,” the statement reads in part.
Other members of the Presidential Delegation are Eric Kneedler, United States Ambassador to the Republic of Rwanda, Mary Catherine Phee, Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of African Affairs, U.S. Department of State, Casey Redmon, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Legislative Affairs, National Security Council, and Monde Muyangwa, Assistant Administrator of the Bureau for Africa, U.S. Agency for International Development.
Clinton was the US President when the Genocide against the Tutsi happened, having served as Head of State from 1993 to 2001.
He made his first visit to Rwanda – the first of such a visit by a US President to the country – four years after the genocide on March 25, 1998, and apologized to the Rwandan people for the killing of more than a million people during the genocide.
Clinton, while addressing genocide survivors at Kigali International Airport during a brief three-hour visit, said the international community together with nations in Africa bear responsibility for the killings. He said US and other countries did not act ‘quickly enough’ after ‘a government-led effort to exterminate Rwanda’s Tutsi and moderate Hutus began’.
“The international community, together with nations in Africa, must bear its share of responsibility for this tragedy, as well. We did not act quickly enough after the killing began. We should not have allowed the refugee camps to become safe haven for the killers. We did not immediately call these crimes by their rightful name: genocide. We cannot change the past. But we can and must do everything in our power to help you build a future without fear, and full of hope,” Clinton said.
He called for increased vigilance in the world to prevent such atrocities in the future.
“We owe to those who died and to those who survived who loved them, our every effort to increase our vigilance and strengthen our stand against those who would commit such atrocities in the future here or elsewhere,” he added.
Clinton further made a $2 million contribution to the Genocide Survivors Fund and encouraged other nations to follow suit to help the survivors and their communities find the care they need.
Clinton’s successor, George Bush, also visited Rwanda in February 2008 as part of his five-nation African tour.
Bush affirmed that the US would stand with Rwandans in their country’s rebuilding process after the Genocide against the Tutsi.
“Laura and I have just finished going to a memorial for the – that recognizes the horrors of the genocide that took place here. This is a moving place that can’t help but shake your emotions to your very foundation. It reminds me that we must not let these kind of actions take place; that – and that the people of Rwanda need help to reconcile, to move forward, after a brutal period,” he said after his visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial.
He added, “I guess the only thing I can finish saying is that, you know, we ask for God’s blessings on those who still hurt, and on those who long for help, and on the kids whose lives had to have been deeply affected by the trauma of the moment. And we thank the museum officials for their generosity and hospitality, and for putting on such an exhibit to remind people that there is evil in the world, and evil must be confronted.”
During the visit, Bush also opened the US Embassy offices in Kacyiru within Kigali City.
During the event, His Excellency Hazza AlQahtani, UAE Ambassador to Rwanda, delivered a speech on the importance of the values of tolerance, co-existence, and human fraternity that are embodied in the holy month of Ramadan and are unwavering principals of the UAE.
His Excellency said: “The UAE is home to over 200 nationalities, and multiple faith communities, who live side by side in freedom and harmony. The UAE believes in the importance of bringing people together during the month of Ramadan, and reinforcing values of compassion, and peace. The UAE and its leadership are particularly keen on promoting the values of tolerance, peaceful co-existence, acceptance and interfaith dialogue”.
The leaders of other religious sects in Rwanda expressed their appreciation for organizing the Interfaith Iftar initiative during Ramadan.
For his part, Reverend Hesron Hategekimana, Deputy Legal Representative of the Free Methodist Church in Rwanda stated that this dinner “is a proof that we are all human beings despite our different faith denominations. It is a also proof of our commitment to work together in order to have a community where tolerance, cooperation and mutual respect and understanding are very important”, he indicated.
Father Samuel Fekry of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Rwanda, in his remarks said “it is a beautiful coincidence this year that we share together in fasting, as the first day of the month of Ramadan was the first day of The Holy Fasting for the Coptic Orthodox Church, the oldest church in Africa. We also come together today in the spirit of unity, compassion, and understanding. Regardless of the forms of our religious practices, we all participate in fasting for one goal, which is to be closer to God and we are bound by the values of love, peace, and tolerance. So let us use this opportunity to raise our prayers to God to protect all of our countries and its people”, he added.
Sheikh Salim Hitimana, Mufti of the Rwanda Muslim Community, said that the initiative to organize this Interfaith Iftar during Ramadan is a testament to the UAE’s commitment to fostering unity and harmony among people of diverse faiths.
“In a world often divided by religious differences, the UAE’s dedication to bringing together individuals from various backgrounds is truly commendable. By hosting events like this, the UAE exemplifies the values of tolerance, respect, and understanding, which are essential for building bridges between communities. We extend our deepest appreciation to the UAE for their exemplary leadership in promoting interfaith dialogue and cooperation”, he said.
The Representative of the Rwandan Government, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation, Mrs. Clementine Mukeka noted that the great values of unity, togetherness, and peace, which represent this month, are of great importance for all of us.
“Especially, as Rwanda marks the 30th Commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. These shared values between Rwandans, the Muslim community and the faiths represented today should always prevail, regardless of nationality or other parameters. Rwanda takes seriously the religious freedom and tolerance as stipulated in article 37 of our Constitution. No discrimination or intolerance against minority groups shall be tolerated. We wish for both citizens and residents to express and live their faith fully, in accordance with the law”, she said.
