The launch of the campaign was presided over by the Governor of Upper Nile State, James Odok Oyai.
It was also attended by the UNMISS Head of Field Office (HoFo) for Malakal, Alfred Orono Orono, local military and police forces, peacekeeping components from other contributing countries, and Malakal residents.
The cleaning drive to influence behavioural change on hygiene, is part of the “Peace Starts with Me” campaign expected to be launched this Saturday in Malakal.
Governor Odok encouraged Malakal residents to always ensure sanitation and hygiene in their homes and surroundings, and to make it part of their culture.
“We are launching this cleaning campaign because we want Malakal town to be clean and green for the well-being of our communities and to protect the environment,” the Governor said.
The UNMISS Head of Malakal Field Office, Alfred Orono Orono told the residents to adopt the Rwandan culture of monthly communal work, Umuganda.
“Upper Nile State and South Sudan at large wants peace. We are here to clean Malakal town not just for one day; it’s a continuous process,” Orono said.
Officials thanked the Rwandan peacekeepers for incorporating the culture of togetherness and wellbeing of the local people in their peacekeeping mandate, through Umuganda and other human security activities.
The ‘Peace Begins With Me” campaign will be launched Saturday, November 11, at Malakal stadium with different entertainment activities including Rwandan traditional dance and music concert.
The campaign seeks to celebrate peace progress made by the government of South Sudan since signing of the revitalized agreement.
The Africa CDC said the completion of the laboratory marks a milestone in its pursuit of a strong continental public health institution that will support African Union (AU) members in improving disease diagnosis, surveillance and outbreak response.
Senior officials from the AU Commission and the Africa CDC, diplomats from the Chinese mission to the AU and high-level dignitaries witnessed the unveiling ceremony inside the premises of the Africa CDC headquarters in the southern suburb of Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital.
Jean Kaseya, the director-general of the Africa CDC, commended the Chinese government for its support of the realization of a new public health order and architecture in Africa that can prevent, detect and respond to any kind of public health threat in the continent.
“The reference laboratory that we are inaugurating will elevate the Africa CDC’s role in addressing multiple public health events timely and effectively. It will be one of our major outputs in terms of a new public health order that we are promoting to make Africa CDC a world-class organization,” the Africa CDC chief said.
“China is supporting the African agenda for public health,” Kaseya said.
The laboratory is fully equipped and will promote collaboration on capacity building of member states to have strong laboratory systems and networks to improve clinical care, support surveillance and outbreak response and facilitate technology transfer to African institutions.
The laboratory facility, equipped with two biosafety level (BSL)-I, four BSL-II, two specialized BSL-II (BSL-II plus) and two high containment laboratories (BSL-III), aims to address significant gaps in laboratory systems in Africa, the Africa CDC said.
Hu Changchun, head of the Chinese mission to the AU, said the inauguration of the Africa CDC new headquarters earlier this year and the unveiling of the new laboratory will open a new chapter in the public health cause in Africa, and inject new momentum into China-Africa health cooperation.
“The Africa CDC headquarters is a flagship project announced at the 2018 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. In just 25 months, the two sides have gone through tremendous challenges and successfully completed the project. This demonstrates our strong determination and action in solidarity to overcome difficulties together,” Hu said.
According to the Africa CDC, less than 5 percent of African laboratories can reliably diagnose priority diseases in their countries, transport specimens safely, and meet international standards.
Against this backdrop, expanding clinical and public health laboratory systems and networks in Africa is deemed to be one of Africa CDC’s top priorities for the 2023-2027 period. The agency said the China-aided laboratory will play a crucial role in achieving this goal by ensuring the expansion of laboratory services and in conducting pathogen research and epidemiology in Africa.
Shen Hongbing, vice administrator of the China National Administration of Disease Prevention and Control and director-general of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC), said the Chinese government has always attached great importance to China-Africa cooperation. He reiterated that the China CDC, as a national public health institute, has been committed to promoting technical exchange and collaborations in public health between China and African countries.
According to Shen, since 2017, the China CDC has sent five experts to the Africa CDC to support its infectious disease surveillance, laboratory networking, information system strengthening and the design of its headquarters layout, among others.
“These collaborations at the institutional and expert level over the years are instrumental to the rapid development of public health capacity building in Africa and contribute to reinforcing the long-term China-Africa friendship,” Shen said.
As a center of excellence, the laboratory is expected to house antimicrobial susceptibility testing for surveillance of antimicrobial resistance across the continent, biochemical analysis, multiplex molecular diagnosis capacity, bio-banking, and advanced pathogen genomic sequencing including metagenomic sequencing capacity for identification of unknown pathogens.
It is also expected to serve as a training and quality assurance center and will provide support for evaluation and validation of diagnostic technologies and tools, facilitate research and development and play an important role in outbreak confirmation.
The maiden Rwanda FPU3-1 contingent of 180 officers deployed in November last year in Bangassou, about 725kms from the capital Bangui, arrived home Friday evening, under the command of Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Desire Kanyamagare, after a successful one year tour-of-duty.
It was replaced by Rwanda FPU3-2 commanded by Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Methode Munyaneza, which left earlier in the morning.
Commissioner of Police (CP) William Kayitare oversaw the rotation of the contingents on behalf of the RNP leadership, at Kigali International Airport.
While welcoming the replaced contingent, he thanked them for representing their country ably with pride, passion and professionalism.
SSP Kanyamagare said that their successful peace support operations were largely guided by the pre-deployment training, leadership guidance, discipline and the urge to maintain the Rwandan image.
“Besides the physical peacekeeping mandate to the people of Bangassou, we also engaged in human security activities such as Umuganda, planting trees to protect the environment, free medical outreach programmes, among others,” SSP Kanyamagare said.
Rwanda maintains four Police contingents in CAR; three FPUs and a Protection Support Unit (PSU) with the combined total strength of 640 officers.
Rwanda FPU-1 and PSU operates in Bangui while FPU-2 is deployed in Kaga-Bandoro, some 300kms out of the capital.
The PSU is largely charged with ensuring protection for high profile government and UN officials, including the Prime Minister, President of National Assembly, Minister of State in charge of Justice, and MINUSCA Head of Police component, among others.
Kagame came to power in April 2000, succeeding Pasteur Bizimungu, who led the transitional government in 1994 after the Genocide against the Tutsi and unexpectedly resigned.
Two weeks after Bizimungu’s resignation, the Parliament and Cabinet elected Paul Kagame as the new President of the Republic of Rwanda, and a memorable inauguration ceremony took place within six days.
This political transition marked the beginning of Kagame’s visionary presidency. He was overwhelmingly elected in the August 2003 elections, securing the support of 95% of voters, a testament to his popularity and the trust Rwandans place in him.
Since 2000, Kagame has consistently worked to strengthen Rwandans’ unity, a mission that has borne fruit, increasing the national unity rate from 92.5% in 2017 to an impressive 94.7% today.
Rwanda is now a shining example of economic success in Africa, with an average annual growth rate of 7% since 2000. The annual GDP per capita has also seen a significant increase, rising from $374 in 1990 to $788 in 2018.
The national budget has been multiplied 14, and tax revenues have increased tenfold over the past two decades.
Kagame’s vision for Rwanda in 2034 was shared during an interview with the Chief Editor of Jeune Afrique, François Soudan and later published in a book entitled ‘Conversations with the President of Rwanda’.
He aspires to see a safe, prosperous, and independent Rwanda, where Rwandans enjoy a standard of living equivalent to that of developed countries. He envisions Rwanda becoming a donor country, contributing to the development of its African neighbors.
Kagame also expressed his desire to see Africa respected on the international stage, lamenting the persistent negative perception due to economic dependence and stereotypes. When asked if he believed these changes could occur in his lifetime, Kagame confidently replied that it is his hope, and that’s what he strives for.
Under Kagame’s ambitious vision, Rwanda continues its ascent towards a promising future, guided by principles of prosperity, security, and self-reliance.
He made the disclosure on November 9, 2023, at the Africa Investment Forum in Marrakech, Morocco as he chaired a session focused on investment opportunities in Rwanda.
This gathering brought together key stakeholders, including prominent investors and business leaders keen on exploring potential ventures in the country.
In his remarks, Dr. Ngirente illuminated the fiscal and non-fiscal incentives provided by the Rwandan government to attract investors. These include a 7-year Corporate Income Tax (CIT) holiday for investments surpassing $50 million, a 0% preferential CIT rate for international companies with regional headquarters in Rwanda, and an efficient online business and investment registration process completed within six hours.
The Prime Minister then unveiled significant investment opportunities across key sectors.
Notably, in agriculture, he discussed the ongoing Gabiro Agribusiness Hub Project, highlighting its role in transforming Rwanda’s agriculture
Gabiro Agribusiness Hub Ltd is a joint venture Company established between the Government of Rwanda through its Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources, boosting high-value crop exports, and ensuring food security. Currently in its second phase, this project aims to develop a vast area of 16,000 hectares in the Gabiro region of the Eastern Province.
Dr. Ngirente also mentioned the establishment of a medical services center in Masaka, Kicukiro District, designed to facilitate the transfer of modern technology and develop research and development programs for vaccines and medicines. The recently launched IRCAD Africa branch, affiliated with IRCAD France, focuses on human-assisted surgery.
The Prime Minister extended an invitation to interested investors to contribute to the development of decentralized healthcare. He also highlighted the mining sector as a viable investment opportunity. Currently employing over 60 thousand Rwandans, the Mining of Precious Stones sector earned the country over 290 billion Frw in the third quarter of 2023.
Dr. Ngirente encouraged investment in mining activities, from exploration and processing to value addition through manufacturing and marketing.
Minerals such as Coltan, Wolfram, Gold, and others are extracted in Rwanda, with the country ranking high globally in Coltan, Cassiterite, and Wolfram production.
Premier Ngirente reiterated Rwanda’s commitment to facilitating investors and prioritizing the private sector for economic development. He emphasized opportunities in the health sector, where Rwanda is establishing an advanced national medical hub to support technology transfer, research, and pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturing.
In the mining sector, he underscored the potential for investment in mineral exploration, development/extraction, processing, and trading, leveraging Rwanda’s diverse mineral resources.
Dr. Ngirente highlighted Rwanda’s dedication to fostering strong partnerships between the public and private sectors, considering them crucial for successful transformation. He also urged investors and business leaders to view Rwanda as a prime destination, given its untapped potential and supportive investment climate.
In April, London’s Court of Appeal deemed the plan unlawful, stating Rwanda was not a safe destination. This prompted an appeal by the government which considers the deportation of migrants and asylum deal to Rwanda as the ideal solution.
The Supreme Court, with five judges, including President Robert Reed will reveal its ruling on Wednesday, November 15, 2023, after 10 a.m.
The deal, initiated by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson in April 2022, aims to discourage risky Channel crossings.
The current Prime Minister Sunak has prioritized “stopping the boats,” with over 26,500 arrivals in 2023. The government argues the Rwanda scheme is crucial, ensuring proper treatment of migrants.
In April 2022, the UK and Rwanda entered into a migration and economic development partnership aimed at offering a dignified life to those seeking asylum in European countries. Under this agreement, some individuals would be relocated to Rwanda and supported through various initiatives.
President Salva Kiir last week reconstituted the National Elections Commission, the Political Parties Council and the National Constitutional Review Commission and appointed officials to lead them as the country prepares for the elections in December 2024.
Charles Tai Gituai, RJMEC interim chairperson, said that the Political Parties Council is mandated to register, monitor and regulate the activities of political parties, while the National Constitutional Review Commission will drive forward the permanent constitution-making process and the National Elections Commission will undertake preparations for the conduct of elections.
“The reconstitution of these institutions is a welcome development and I commend the parties to the agreement for this milestone,” Gituai said during the RJMEC monthly plenary meeting held in Juba, the capital of South Sudan. He disclosed that their effective functioning will pave the way toward the completion of the permanent constitution and the timely conduct of elections.
“Let me start by welcoming the recent reconstitution of the National Elections Commission, Political Parties Council and National Constitutional Review Commission. However, the credibility of these bodies begins with establishing public trust and confidence in these institutions from their inception,” said Nicholas Haysom, the special representative of the UN Secretary-General and head of UNMISS.
He encouraged the government to address the concerns raised by different parties related to the reconstitution of these bodies. “This includes ensuring the buy-in of all the parties on the way forward. Additionally, the limited participation of women must be addressed, and a clear plan should be developed to expedite their operationalization so as to ensure these institutions are adequately resourced and have the required capabilities to deliver on their critical mandates,” Haysom said.
He noted that as the electoral architecture begins to take shape, technical, legal and operational decisions are urgently needed to enable the elections to take place in December 2024. Haysom said that the UN is ready to provide technical assistance to these critical processes as part of the trilateral mechanism which brings together and leverages the combined comparative advantages of the UN, the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development.
Haysom also urged all the parties to expedite the deployment of the first batch of the graduated forces and the commencement of the second phase of training of the unified forces.
South Sudan is supposed to graduate and deploy 83,000 unified forces comprising police, army, wildlife, prisons and intelligence. In August 2022, the parties to the 2018 revitalized peace agreement graduated 53,000 unified forces who are yet to be deployed to take charge of security.
The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) on Wednesday released the second edition of the annual State of Inclusive Instant Payment System (SIIPS) in Africa. The report said the achievement shows Africa’s strong progress toward the aspirational goal of having comprehensive and inclusive instant payment systems as part of Africa’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), creating a seamless digital ecosystem for people, businesses, and governments.
The first edition of SIIPS report was launched by AfricaNenda in October 2022 to inform public and private sector stakeholders on the developments of instant payment system (IPS) in Africa, including an assessment of the inclusiveness of such systems, with consumer insights and case studies.
This year’s SIIPS edition highlighted developments in the IPS landscape and included a spotlight on cross border retail payments’ policy and regulatory harmonization in Africa.
According to the report, three new instant payments systems that have been launched in Ethiopia, Morocco and South Africa in the last 12 months have brought the total number of live domestic and regional instant payment systems on the continent to 32 even though they were not all inclusive.
“The volume of payments and the total value of payments processed have grown rapidly since 2018, by 47 percent and 39 percent, respectively. IPS in Africa facilitated nearly 32 billion transactions valued at approximately 1.2 trillion U.S. dollars in 2022,” the report said.
However, the report indicated that there are still challenges in bringing inclusive instant payment system ecosystem in Africa.
“To date, most of the live IPS are either not ranked, due to lack of publicly available IPS data and information, or have reached only a basic level of inclusiveness, meaning the IPS offers minimal channel functionality and only person-to-person and person-to-business transactions are supported,” the report noted.
The report further said 27 countries have yet to set up a domestic instant payment system, although 17 have plans on the way and three regional payment systems are also in progress across the continent.
“The second edition of the SIIPS report underscored significant advancement in digital payments adoption, playing a pivotal milestone for the effective realization of AfCFTA’s objectives,” the report said.
The report noted that there is a need to address the exigent requirement for establishment of trusted authentication systems that can work seamlessly across the continent through interoperable digital ID systems.
As Rwanda’s Presidency revealed, Kagame arrived in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia on Thursday.
Other heads of state expected to grace the summit include Bola Tinubu of Nigeria and Evariste Ndayishimiye of Burundi, and William Ruto of Kenya among others.
The first-ever Saudi-Africa summit seeks to strengthen political coordination, tackle regional security challenges, foster economic transformation through research, local development of innovative energy solutions, and promote investment cooperation.
Following their independence in 1960, numerous African nations forged diplomatic ties with Arab countries.
Africa and Saudi Arabia have cultivated a robust relationship, marked by trade collaboration, cultural exchanges, and other initiatives.
Situated at UNILAK University in the East African Region, this branch aims to facilitate research across various fields, particularly in the domains of natural resource development and environmental protection.
The official inauguration of the center took place on November 8, 2023, during an international conference hosted by UNILAK that brought together researchers from different countries.
The Chinese Ambassador to Rwanda, Wang Xuekun, highlighted the strong research-focused partnership between the two nations as the driving force behind choosing Rwanda as the location for the center.
“We are delighted to announce the formal opening of the China-Africa Joint Research Center. This institution will play a crucial role in researching Rwanda and fostering the relationship between the two countries,” stated Wang Xuekun.
President Xi Jinping had previously emphasized that the Sino-Africa Joint Research Center is dedicated to the development of African countries through collaboration with universities on the continent and in China.
Prof. Wang Qing Feng, the Executive Director of the Sino-Africa Joint Research Center (SAJOREC), expressed optimism that establishing the office in Kigali would support regional countries in their research endeavors.
Rwandan researchers anticipate gaining access to modern tools, as Dr. Christophe Mupenzi, Head of the Department of Environment at UNILAK University, highlighted the potential for learning and technological advancements.
UNILAK Vice Chancellor, Prof. Jean Ngamije, emphasized the positive impact of the center on environmental research in the region. Rwandan researchers, showcasing progress in their work during the conference, acknowledged the nation’s advancements in research and their active participation in diverse research areas.
Prof. Mapendo Mindje from the University of Rwanda, specializing in biodiversity research in Rwanda, noted the country’s transition from foreign-led research to active Rwandan involvement. However, challenges such as limited capacity, inadequate data storage methods, and gaps in implementing research findings persist.
Dr. Rose Mukankomeje, the Director General of Higher Education Council, urged Rwandan researchers in environmental protection to seize available opportunities and focus on generating original, impactful research to contribute to conservation and overall development.
