The heads of state will meet with the Rwandan Joint Forces working with Mozambican Defence Armed Forces in Cabo Delgado, followed by tête-à-tête and bilateral meetings and a press conference, Rwanda’s Presidency has revealed.
Close to 1,000 members of the Rwanda Defence Forces and Rwanda National Police are deployed in the country working with the Mozambican Armed Defence Forces (FADM) and forces from the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
The Rwandan joint forces are deployed in Cabo Delgado Province in northeastern Mozambique and have succeeded in liberating several key towns from terrorist groups in collaboration with Mozambican Armed Defence Forces (FADM).
Mocimboa de Praia is among other liberated towns that were previously used as terrorists’ strongholds.
During this visit, Kagame will also hold a tête-a-tête meeting with his host President Filipe Nyusi followed by a bilateral meeting alongside their respective delegations.
The two Heads of State will also witness the signing of several bilateral agreements and address a joint press conference.
On the second day of his visit, Kagame will join President Nyusi at a Military Ceremony for Armed Forces Day at Pemba Municipal Stadium.
Kagame made the revelation at the United Nations Food Systems Summit held virtually on Thursday 23rd September 2021.
The summit served as a historic opportunity to empower all people to leverage the power of food systems to drive the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and get the world back on track to achieve all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
The summit held yesterday was also attended by different dignitaries including the President-elect of the UN General Assembly, Abdulla Shahid; the Prime Minister of Italy, Mario Draghi as well as heads of state and government from across the world.
As he delivered remarks, Kagame thanked UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres for convening the summit which is the first-ever focused on food systems as a driver of sustainable development.
He reminded participants that the global food systems is estimated at around US$8 trillion, which is one-tenth of the entire global economy.
“In Africa, 70% of adults work in agriculture and agribusiness. But our continent’s food systems are often fragmented and inefficient. This represents a tremendous opportunity to speed up progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals,” he said.
Kagame stressed the need for transformations of food systems ‘including greater investment in digital technologies, biotechnology, accessible financial services and other proven innovations’.
The President highlighted that it will be helpful as the world continues to work to mitigate effects of COVID-19 pandemic.
“For Africa, the central goal is to halt our continent’s over-reliance on food imports, end malnutrition and create new jobs,” he said.
Kagame told participants that the African Union Development Agency (NEPAD), has worked to facilitate an African Common Position in advance of the summit with a focus on priority tracks including adoption of nutritious policies, establishment of food reserves and expanding school feeding programs.
It also put emphasis on supporting local markets, food supply chains and expand trade within Africa.
The third priority is to work to increase agricultural financing to 10 % of public expenditure.
The fourth is about facilitating smallholder farmers and ensure women’s access to productive resources while the fifth is to expand social safety nets and climate data systems.
“Accountability for advancing these actions will include regular reviews under the African Union’s Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Program (CAADP). New funding mechanisms can speed up progress, such us the Financing Facility for Food and Nutrition proposed by the African Development Bank,” said Kagame.
The President emphasized that the summit laid the groundwork for a renewed commitment to the broad global partnerships needed in order to transform food systems and meet the Sustainable Development Goals.
“Now is the moment for the world to rise to this challenge, together,” he noted.
Guterres commended the Summit for “leading the way to food systems that can drive the global recovery in three fundamental ways. For people, the planet and prosperity.”
Over the past 18 months, the Summit has brought together all UN Member States and constituencies around the world, including thousands of youth, food producers, Indigenous Peoples, civil society, researchers, private sector, and the UN system – to bring about tangible, positive changes to the world’s food systems.
As a people’s summit and a solutions summit, it has recognized that everyone, everywhere must take action and work together to transform the way the world produces, consumes and thinks about food.
The deportees including six men, two women and one child were dumped at the border after spending days in Uganda’s detention facilities in Mbarara.
Upon arrival, they received emergency assistance and tested for COVID-19.
Their deportation follows series of circumstances under which Ugandan officials have been dumping Rwandans at borders following days of torture in detention facilities accused of being spies yet they had traveled to Uganda to run businesses or visit relatives among other reasons.
Recently on 15th September 2021, Rwanda received 15 nationals evicted from Uganda through Cyanika border in Burera district after enduring torture and dispossession of their valuables.
Rwanda, Uganda relations worsened since 2017. Rwanda has been expressing concerns over Rwandans who travel to Uganda for business purposes but are abducted, imprisoned and tortured accused of being spies.
Rwanda also accuses Uganda of hosting dissidents that are posing a threat to national security.
In March 2019, the Government of Rwanda officially advised citizens not to travel to Uganda for their security following testimonies of over 1000 Rwandans tortured and deported from Uganda.
In August 2019, President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame signed memorandum of understanding ‘Luanda Agreement’ in a bid to solve conflicts between both countries.
Despite efforts to sign the agreement between both heads of state witnessed by mediators including the President of Angola, Joao Lourenço and Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the situation is still worsening as Uganda’s Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence continues with arbitrary detention of Rwandans who are subjected to torture in its facilities.
In Nyanza District, the public destruction exercise of 43kgs of cannabis and 329 litres of kanyanga, a crude illicit gin, was held on Tuesday, September 21.
The psychotropic substances were seized in a period of one year in the sectors of Busasamana, Muyira, Cyabakamyi, Nyagisozi and Ntyazo.
The Southern region Police spokesperson, Superintendent of Police(SP) Theobald Kanamugire, said that these are “positive results of community policing.”
Eugene Uwumukiza from National Public Prosecution Authority (NPPA) said that penalties for dealing in drugs were increased as part of the national efforts to deal mainly with the suppliers.
According to Uwumukiza, there are 85 case files connected to the destroyed narcotic drugs in Nyanza in which 83 people have so far been tried and sentenced.
In Gicumbi District, 7kgs of cannabis, 202kgs of Khat commonly known as mayirungi, 1,507 litres of kanyanga and other assorted illicit drinks, were disposed of on Wednesday, September 22, in a public exercise held in in Rukizi Village, Rwankonjo Cell, Cyumba Sector.
The District Police Commander (DPC) for Gicumbi, Superintendent of Police (SP) Gisanga Ndahimana, said that the narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances were seized from dealers in separate Police operations conducted in Cyumba, Manyagiro and Rubaya sectors between May and August, this year.
“We commend the role of the public, who continue to share information on traffickers and local retailers which facilitates successful operations,” SP Ndabimana said.
Alice Batamuriza, a prosecutor at Gicumbi Intermediate Court, said that 74 people arrested in connection with the destroyed drugs, have so far been convicted and serving separate sentences.
Cannabis and khat, are classified as very severe drugs in Rwanda while kanyanga is listed as a simple drug.
Article 263 of law No 68/2018 of 30/08/2018 determining offenses and penalties in general, states that any person, who unlawfully produces, transforms, transports, stores, gives to another or who sells narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, commits an offence.
Upon conviction for “very severe narcotics,” the offender faces between 20 years and life imprisonment, and a fine of up to Rwf30 million.
In case of simple drugs, the offender faces between seven and ten years and a fine of not less than Rwf5 million but not more than Rwf10 million.
The statement released last night also shows that 314 people have caught the virus out of 11168 sample tests, 4 recovered while 14 are critically ill.
A total of 1,466,966 have been fully vaccinated while 2,029,038 received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine since Rwanda began countrywide inoculation program on 5th March 2021.
Rwanda plans to have 30% of the population vaccinated by December this year and 60% by June 2022.
Close to 1,000 members of the Rwanda Defence Forces and Rwanda National Police are deployed in the country working with the Mozambican Armed Defence Forces (FADM) and forces from the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
The Rwandan joint forces are deployed in Cabo Delgado Province in northeastern Mozambique and have succeeded in liberating several key towns from terrorist groups in collaboration with Mozambican Armed Defence Forces (FADM).
Mocimboa de Praia is among other liberated towns that were previously used as terrorists’ strongholds.
During this visit, Kagame will also hold a tête-a-tête meeting with his host President Filipe Nyusi followed by a bilateral meeting alongside their respective delegations.
The two Heads of State will also witness the signing of several bilateral agreements and address a joint press conference.
On the second day of his visit, Kagame will join President Nyusi at a Military Ceremony for Armed Forces Day at Pemba Municipal Stadium.
Gira Impuhwe is a local non-governmental organization (NGO) created in 1990 and based in Nyanza district which carries out various socio-economic development activities including support to poor families, families vulnerable to AIDS, and more by providing them with food and clothes, subscribing them for Community Based Health Insurance and helping them to rehabilitate their houses among others.
In particular, Gira Impuhwe is concerned with the promotion of education. Thus, more than 9,408 people including 6,320 children have been helped by Gira Impuhwe through the provision of school fees and materials. The NGO also built a nursery and primary school to facilitate parents and children.
This agreement is a way for the brewery to keep contributing to the socio-economic development of the community, as a socially responsible company having the Rwandan community at its heart.
SKOL Brewery Ltd promotes a sustainable business that wants to have long term fundamental impact in the country.
The development has been announced by Rwanda Cycling Federation (FERWACY) via Twitter handle.
“Rwanda (Kigali) will host the UCI Road World Cycling Championships 2025. It will be the first time for Africa to host this world event,” reads the tweet.
Rwanda has been competing with Morocco to host the 2025 UCI Road World Championships.
The UCI Road World Championship attracts about 5,000 cyclists, and over 20,000 delegates.
The 2022 Road World Championships will be held in Wollongong, Australia, with Glasgow and Zurich hosting the event in 2023 and 2024.
Rwanda wins the bid following the visit of the President of the International Cycling Union (UCI), David Lappartient to the country in May 2021 as he attended Tour du Rwanda.
Lappartient presided over the launch of the tournament on Sunday 2nd May 2021 where Colombian, Brayan Sanchez won the first stage.
He was accompanied by UCI technical team that would assess Rwanda’s capacity to host 2025 UCI Road World Championships.
As the race kicked off, Lappartient commended preparations of this year’s edition that ran from 2nd to 9th May 2021.
Rwanda submitted a bid for the races in September 2019 after the UCI invited bids from African nations, with Morocco also bidding.
RMB is a leading African corporate and investment bank which is part of Firsthand Bank, one of the largest financial institutions on the continent.
Rwanda has moved up from the ninth place last year.
Among others, Egypt was at the top of the 2021 list, followed by Morocco and South Africa while Rwanda is followed by Botswana, Ghana, Mauritius, Ivory Coast, Kenya and Tanzania respectively.
Figures from Rwanda Development Board (RDB) show that Rwanda registered 172 investments worth US$1.2 billion in 2020.
According to the author, RMB Africa economist Daniel Kavishe, a new world called for a new approach to the publication. Where previous reports positively projected Africa’s prospects – discerned through reliable and readily available data – COVID-19 has muddied the analytical waters and compelled the team to adapt their methodology.
The approach required an extra layer of sophistication. “We created a new set of rankings that incorporated some of the unavoidable COVID-19-induced challenges, of which the operating environment score was one,” says Kavishe.
A fiscal score was also part of the methodology. This, explains Kavishe, was essential because fiscal scores are important indicators of how governments respond to COVID-19. Thirdly, the publication needed to explore key themes emanating from Africa’s developmental aspirations. “Of these, three are central to fighting the pandemic and resuscitating economic conditions,” contends Kavishe. “They are government intervention, a focus on our triple-threat sectors and healthcare.”
Historically, investment destinations in Africa have been ranked based on the tenets of economic activity and business operating environment. Aimed at investors targeting real assets in an economy or looking to expand businesses that rely on physical infrastructure, the rankings offer a strong basis for investing.
This year demanded more nuance. In addition to traditional indicators, corporates and investors needed to be made aware of the state of a country’s government finances and its ability to aid its economy in crisis. “The inclusion of a fiscal score in our rankings aimed to score governments’ fiscal positions and provided a basis from which investors can understand specific jurisdictions,” notes Kavishe.
“Although the pandemic brought much devastation, it also enabled opportunities for reimagining policies and trade relationships. Increasingly clear now is that homegrown strategies to tackle poverty, inequality and unemployment across Africa must be implemented. If not, all of Africa suffers,” Kavishe says, adding that capital will flow naturally to economies offering a good mix of opportunity and ease of doing business.
The incident took place in the night of Tuesday 21st September 2021 in Rushubi business center located in Akarehe village, Bunazi cell of Karama sector where residents intervened to rescue night patrol agents attacked by 15 suspected thieves equipped with traditional arms including machetes and knives.
It is said that patrol agents halted the suspected thieves who declined to obey the order and attacked them which prompted residents’ intervention.
After rescuing patrol agents, residents apprehended three of the suspects and beat two of them to death.
The mayor of Huye district, Ange Sebutege has told IGIHE that investigation has started to establish circumstances under which the incident happened.
“We are investigating the case. We have convened a meeting with residents reminding them to tighten their security, uphold the spirit of solidarity but cautioned them against mob justice. We have urged them to provide information on time and help us during investigations,” he said.
Karama is among other sectors of Huye district with persistent cases of theft involving gangs equipped with traditional arms.
They have been breaking houses to steal properties inside.
Residents have been lamenting that thieves handed to officials are returned to the community few days after detention without proportionate punishments.
