The summit brings together government ministries, civil society organizations including youth and women, media, educators and religious leaders to seek practical solutions for peacebuilding.
It will provide a platform for former and current leaders of Africa to advocate an intergenerational dialogue to promote sustainable peace and security and develop a legal framework for a conflict-free Africa.
As a resolution to establish a legal framework for peace that can be implemented at both national and international level, the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW) will be discussed in the various sessions including peace education, civil society, and youth.
The DPCW addresses principles of conflict resolution and international cooperation for peacebuilding such as respect on the international law, peaceful dispute settlement, and spreading a culture of peace.
Payne who retired as a Minister Counselor after 23 years serving as a diplomat at U.S. Embassies in Rwanda, Iraq, Israel and Senegal; contributed greatly in the making of Rwanda’s Public Library.
While in Rwanda, she was a member of the Rotary Club Kigali-Virunga from 1999 and was first Chairperson of the Kigali Public Library, where she organized the first two major fundraising held at Residence of USA Ambassador; both graced by the presence of President Kagame.
In collaboration with different sponsors and the GoR, the first ever public Library in Rwanda was completed after 12 years, costing over Rwf4.1 billion.
The library, which is located in Kacyiru sector, Gasabo District, has several sections including children and teenagers and adult sections which all have shelves and reading areas, and a digital library, dubbed ‘Soma’, which enables students, readers, and other library users to access digital books.
Up to now, over 20,000 books are already available at the library, excluding e-resources.
Although she greatly contributed in bringing up the Public library project, Payne was not able to stay in Rwanda and see how the library upon completion.
On this Friday, after a short visit to the public Library, Payne told IGIHE “I am very proud of what has been achieved as this library shows how Rwanda became an example for all in Africa; how you look far and that whatever you set your heart upon, you reach it. It was not an easy task, but we never lost hope and we kept on trying because we knew we had to reach it.”
“My message is that they never lose hope and that they continue to work together in unity because nobody can achieve something of this extent, alone.” Payne remarked.
The President of Rotary Club Kigali-Virunga, Saudah Nalule, explained that Payne left Rwanda while the public library was still being built, meaning that she had no idea of how it had turned out to be.
“Payne only knew that the library had opened its doors but she had no idea how it looked like. It is our pride because children, students and academia from all over Rwanda come to use it. She originally came up with the idea, and now that she is here 17 years later, to find that her idea was successfully implemented, we are very happy. ” Saudah said
Saudah noted that before, members of the club were unsure of achieving a project of that extent, but with the big support of President Kagame, they were able to achieve it.
She expressed her gratitude, in the name of Rotary Club and noted that the Public Library project served as a lesson, that they could achieve a lot when united.
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Saudah remarked that the club was currently engaged in a project that focused on helping people living with cancer; as it is a disease that affects a great number of Rwandans.
She said that the club had learnt from one of the neighboring countries’ hospital where they set up a centre focused on Cancer, and raised funds so that each year, doctors could receive training on modern ways of treating cancer.
“It is a big project that we too, wish to realize. It cannot happen overnight, and will take probably up to five years to be completed, but we gave ourselves an objective to start this year.” She said
She further remarked that the club had talks with Kanombe Military Hospital, so that the project could also be implemented in Rwanda, in coming days.
A certain Phillip Rwakibibi, who is a loader at Trinity Bus Terminal in the Ugandan capital, was on Tuesday evening picked by armed men who described themselves as security officers.
An eyewitness told ChimpReports that Rwakibibi, who has lived in Uganda for the last four years, tried to put up resistance to no avail as he was overwhelmed by those men carrying pistols.
An official at the bus terminal who preferred anonymity so as to speak freely expressed his shock at seeing men jumping out of a Rav 4 brand car and ordering Phillip to give in.
“The men said they were from security and pulled out pistols; threatening to shoot Phillip. He had to surrender. They led him to their car and drove off.” he said.
Rwakibibi’s wife, Jeanette, who is expecting to give birth to twins, confirmed that her husband was taken by security officers.
“He received a call from a customer and left me at the hospital in Kabowa where I am expecting to give birth to twins,” Jeannette told ChimpReports on Friday morning.
“I was later told that people from security took him. I don’t know where he is and I am so traumatized,” she added.
She said efforts by the family to locate Rwakibibi at different police stations in the capital were yet to bear fruit.
A case of a missing person has since been recorded at Old Kampala Police Station to facilitate investigations into the incident.
When questioned on the issue, Uganda’s Defence Spokesperson Brig Richard Karemire said he had “no idea” about the matter.
As for the Chief of Military Intelligence Brig Abel Kandiho, he said he was “out of the country”.
The Rwandan High Commissioner to Uganda Rtd Maj Gen Frank Mugambage on July 5 described as “unjustified” the arrest of her citizens in Uganda but emphasised that Kigali was committed to strengthening bilateral ties with Kampala.
{{Read article on ChimpReports: [Armed Men Pick Rwandan National from Kampala Trinity Bus Terminal->https://chimpreports.com/exclusive-armed-men-pick-rwandan-national-from-kampala-trinity-bus-terminal/]}}
In a statement released on Monday, the Office of the United States Trade Representative said that Rwanda would retain other benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which allows sub-Saharan African countries to export to the United States without facing tariffs but would, for example, lose the right to export duty-free apparel to the United States.
The former US Trade Official, who helped design AGOA, told CNN that the Trump administration was threatening to suspend the trade benefit out of a “warped sense of America-first.”
“The Trump administration is making a symbolic statement rather than a substantive statement,” she said. “I see America picking trade battles, but I was surprised we would have time to pick one with Rwanda. We are talking about such a small amount of trade.” She said
The conflict playing out started when the Rwandan government increased import duties on used clothing from the United States from $0.25 to $2.50 per kilogram, a move that upset traders in the United States into filing a complaint.
Critics of the US decision say the government has overreacted to the tariffs on used clothing, which affect just $17 million in US exports a year and target a country where average annual income is around $700.
“One of the whole points of the agreement was to help African countries to develop an apparel manufacturing base, because we understood that apparel is the first entry point into manufacturing,” Whitaker said.
According to Whitaker, the move goes against the original intent of the legislation.
The African Growth and Opportunity Act, or AGOA is a piece of legislation that was approved by the U.S. Congress in May 2000. The initiative provides eligible countries in sub-Saharan Africa with duty-free access for exports of more than 6,400 products, into the US market.
Recently, the Minister of Trade and Industry (MINICOM), Vincent Munyeshyaka said that the companies which used to export apparel and footwear products through AGOA, started connecting to new international markets.
“For example C&H Garments has market in the United Kingdom and German. But, we discussed with them on exploring opportunities on local market because it needs clothes, they have started and currently are participating in the exhibition so that they showcase themselves to Rwandans,” he explained.
“In case industries stop production and people lose jobs or, as the government, we will decide on how to support them,” he added.
Presiding over the graduation, Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) Secretary General, Col. Jeannot Ruhunga urged the graduates to use the skills acquired and to uphold professionalism, transparency and discipline in their day-to-day duties.
“The current trends require well trained investigators equipped with adequate skills to investigate emerging crimes such cyber-crimes, drug trafficking among others,; you have been trained to deliver professionally, efficiently and effectively,” he urged.
Ildephonse Ndaguze one of the graduates said that they learnt good investigation practices which will help them deliver in their job.
“Based on the skills acquired from here, there are many things which I believe will be changed in our job; those include, fast-trucking dossiers, good investigation practices and evidence keeping which lead to providing fair justice,” he said.
Currently, RIB has 900 professional investigators with a target to increase to 1300 in the recentnear future.
RICA is an undergraduate institution of excellence in practical agriculture set to open in July 2019.
The tertiary institution is being constructed by the Government of Rwanda with support from Howard Buffet Foundation.
The institute will combine research, education, extension services and will enroll 84 students yearly.
Speaking at the event, Mukeshimana said that the practical and experiential learning institution is a unique and innovative dedicated to preparing the next generation of agriculturalists of Rwanda and East Africa.
RICA students will learn the principles of conservation agriculture and One Health while emphasizing written communication, leadership and entrepreneurship. They will engage with communities to ensure research insights are informed by local needs and RICA’s innovations benefit local communities.
“The agriculture practical institute is going to be set up with a core mission to prepare socially responsible, innovative, and entrepreneurial leaders with practical skills to contribute to modernized and sustainable agriculture for sustainable rural development,” Mukeshimana said.
Students at RICA will be exposed to six different enterprises including Beef Cattle and Small Ruminants, Dairy, Poultry and Swine, Row and Forage Crops, Vegetable and Tree Crops, Irrigation and Mechanization.
It is expected that all RICA graduates will be innovative problem solvers able to operate farms and ranches, start agribusinesses, assume management roles in cooperatives and other agriculture enterprises, serve their communities as extension agents, technical and policy experts.
The first phase of campus construction will be completed in July 2019. A second phase of campus construction will be completed in July 2020
The Head of State was speaking Thursday at the opening of a two-day African Leadership Forum (ALF) taking place in Kigali.
The forum taking place under the theme ‘Financing Africa’s Transformation for Sustainable Development’ was attended by different former African Heads of States.
Kagame said that there is no doubt that Africa can finance a big part of its own development, as it has always financed other’s development.
“The value of illicit financial flows, evaded taxes, and commodity extraction greatly exceeds that of foreign aid, as a matter of fact. But we have to take responsibility for the misallocation of Africa’s resources and take steps to correct that,” he said.
“I would rather argue, that we need to mobilise the right mindsets, rather than more funding,” he noted.
He said that Africa has everything it needs, in real terms, but Africans remain mentally married to the idea that nothing can get moving, without external finance.
“We are even begging for things we already have. That is absolutely a failure of mindset,” he added.
According to Kagame, through accountability, Africa can change through domestic tax collection and building the trust that public funds will be spent on the right things.
He said that through regional integration and working together across the continent, Africa can change the records.
Kagame said that another way to reach a turning point is to continue making it easier for African businesses to grow and create jobs for young people.
“This is about changing the mindset of our youth from one of dependence and ‘poverty reduction’, to one of prosperity and wealth creation,” he added.
As for its 7th edition, the forum was organized by the office of former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa and the institute that supports African leaders to attain sustainable development for their nation and for Africa known as UONGOZI Institute.
Egypt’s National Day commemorates the establishment of Egypt as an independent Republic on July 23, 1952.
Speaking at the event, the Egyptian Ambassador to Rwanda, Ahmed El-Ansary elaborated Egypt’s development journey and its contribution to Africa’s development.
“Today’s celebration marks the 66th anniversary of the 23rd of July revolution, a turning point in Egypt’s history, and arguably the trigger for similar national movements in Africa, pioneered by iconic leaders such as Nasser, Mandela, Benbela, Nkrumah, Kenyatta and Nyerere to mention but a few, ” said the Egyptian envoy, Ahmed El-Ansary.
He further stressed on how Egypt has been put to test over the past few years, gone through troubles and tribulations, and stretched to the limit in a very unique double transition exercise.
“As you are all aware, the challenges were huge, let alone menacing to the very existence of the nation, in an attempt to alter the fabric, and the very foundations with which our culture withstood the test of times for more than 7000 years,” Ahmed said.
About the existing bilateral ties between Rwanda and Egypt, Ahmed El-Ansary remarked that the relations have been strengthened over time in several areas such as education, health, capacity building, support programs, trade and investment.
“Over the past three years, the relations between Egypt and Rwanda took a different turn, three presidential visits, alternating between Egypt and Rwanda, were instrumental in giving our bilateral relations a much needed impetus,” he remarked.
The Egyptian Envoy further hailed President Kagame’s efforts in promoting Inter-African Trade and Investment, especially in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which would bring Africa into the global trade space, as one continent and not as many countries, if ratified by all 54 members of the African Union.
“Egypt fully understands that the reform is an ongoing process and remains committed, in her capacity as the incoming chair of the African Union, to closely work with others, so to see this exercise through till the very end,” Ahmed noted.
Also speaking during the event, Dr. Patrick Ndimubanzi, Rwandan State Minister in charge of public and primary healthcare, expressed his appreciation for the partnership between Egypt and Rwanda, which reflects the deep relations between the two countries.
The celebrations were graced by the presence of representatives of diplomatic missions and international organizations accredited in Rwanda, the Egyptian community in Rwanda and friends.
Organized by the Rwanda Development Board in partnership with the PHD Chamber of Commerce and FICCI- Federation of India Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the Forum’s aim is to further business ties between India and Rwanda.
The Business Forum, under the theme ‘Optimizing innovation for Industrial Development’, sought to examine how the synergies between industrial and innovation policy frameworks could be harnessed to enable both countries to attain economic transformation.
In his remarks, President Paul Kagame noted that there was many untapped business opportunities and lessons to learn from India
“Rwanda is keen to learn from the renowned “Make in India” experience, as we implement our own “Made in Rwanda” policy, particularly in the manufacturing, construction and ICT sectors. There are direct flights to Mumbai by our national carrier, RwandAir, and this is already facilitating travel and business. All Indian citizens are eligible to receive a visa on arrival in Rwanda. Should there be any obstacle in the way just let us know. We are eager to get going and to maximize these opportunities for the benefit of the people of our two countries and the rapid socio-economic transformation that we both seek”, President Kagame concluded.
Speaking directly to the Indian business community, Prime Minister Narendra Modi noted that Rwanda was the gateway for the rest of Africa. This was, according to the Prime Minister, due President Kagame’s focus; namely development, prosperity of the people and peace in society.
In her welcome note, the RDB Chief Executive Officer, Clare Akamanzi, noted that the visit of the Indian Prime Minister built on an already strong foundation of trade and investment in both Rwanda and India.
“There are close to 99 projects registered from India, which are worth an estimated $389 million USD. These projects have contributed to estimated 10,175 jobs ranging from telecommunications/ ICT, to agriculture, manufacturing and healthcare.
Examples include Airtel, Virunga Biotech Ltd, Marasa Holding; Accacia Property Development, Kabuye Sugar Works Sarl, Imana Steel Rwanda Ltd, Cardiac Specialty Rwanda, Rugabano Tea Company Ltd and Gisovu Tea Company Ltd”, she concluded.
Three MOU’s (Memorandum of Understanding) were signed during the Forum, including one between RDB and Avaada Power Private Limited (APPL) which aims at fostering cooperation between the two institutions towards APPL’s investment and support in the development of solar power projects in Rwanda. The other MOU was between RDB and FICCI, which aims to further strengthen their relation and promote economic and commercial cooperation between the two countries. The last MOU was between the Private Sector Federation and the PHD Chamber of Commerce to establish and develop commercial links between the business communities of both countries in general and their respective members in particular.
The ex-MP describes as ‘difficult’ the character of his cousin whom he raised.
Sankara claimed to be the mastermind of last month’s armed attack on residents of Nyaruguru, leaving two civilians dead, three injured and shops looted. Shortly after the attack, Sankara went on international radio, BBC, claiming to be behind the attacks.
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Rangira happens to be the guardian of Sankara originating from District Nyanza in Southern Province.
“I raised Sankara shortly after the death of his parents. His father is my father’syoung brother. His parents were killed during the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. Sankara survived with his little sister where they lived in Gacu, currently Nyanza District. I picked both of them from an orphanage and took care of them. But they had a difficult character. At that time, Sankara was just beginning high school. He enrolled at Butare Group School from where he was chased. He then joined Rwamagana Secondary School. He is someone who has been difficult since his childhood,” Rangira explains.
In the late nineties, Sankara enrolled in the Faculty of Law at the National University of Rwanda in Butare. Here he started playing divisive politics as he campaigned for students’ guild leadership. The university authorities suspended him indefinitely.
He lodged a complaint with different authorities including the Office of the Ombudsman, the Rwandan Human Rights Commission, without success as the university firmly refused his readmission. He gave up. He then registered at ULK (Kigali Independent University).
After graduation in 2006, Callixte joined the media where he slandered and abused Rwanda’s leadership, using a paper called ‘Umulinzi’. It was then that law enforcers started pursuing him.
Shortly after, he self-exiled to Nairobi, Kenya, where he contacted and joined Rangira who was at the time retired in Madagascar. On arrival in Madagascar, Rangira advised and sent him back to Rwanda. He was questioned by the police about his writings in the paper ‘Umulinzi’, but was not arrested.
In 2013, using his position as a cashier, Sankara fleeced Tam Tam Restaurant (owned by Habimana Kizito) of Rwf 3 million. He used the money to escape to South Africa.
Since then, Rangira says he had not heard from his cousin until when he heard that he had joined the opposition outfit.
The Rwandan National Police, through its spokesman Theos Badege, told IGIHE that Callixte Sankara is wanted over many criminal cases.
“The name Sankara Callixte is quite common in many criminal cases. The fact that he claimed this attack made it easier for the work of justice. It will also facilitate international cooperation in the extradition of criminals. It is the responsibility of any country hosting a criminal to disassociate itself from him and extradite him to Rwanda,” said Police Commissioner Théos Badege who reassured citizens saying that “Sankara’s words should not scare anyone”.
