The theme of the Feb. 9-11 Zanzibar Tourism Investment and Travel Exhibition (ZTITE) 2023 is “Greener Zanzibar,” said Rahim Bhaloo, chairperson of the Zanzibar Commission for Tourism, which organizes the event.
“Preparations for the exhibition are in full swing,” Bhaloo told Xinhua in a telephone interview on Saturday, adding that the show will be opened by Tanzania’s Zanzibar President Hussein Ali Mwinyi at the Mnazimmoja grounds on Unguja Island.
The three-day event will also include a travel buyers lounge, a tourism investment forum, workshops, and panel discussions, he said.
“The goal for ZTITE 2023 is to promote eco-tourism by effectively managing and conserving Zanzibar’s cultural, environmental and historical resources,” Bhaloo said.
He said the theme, “Greener Zanzibar,” calls for tourism that involves strategic investments, sustainable business practices and responsible travel choices.
“Zanzibar is one of the world’s trending destinations with immense potential for development across the tourism value chain,” Bhaloo said.
“We believe the future of Zanzibar’s tourism sector lies in the investment in its people and its natural environment,” he said. “With a rich heritage and an abundance of flora and fauna, Zanzibar is an ideal destination for eco-tourism, heritage tourism, wellness tourism, sports and adventure tourism, and gastronomic tourism.”
In a statement, Lieutenant Colonel Rodolphe Sorgho, who is the governor of the Sahel Region, said that armed terrorist groups perpetrated a violent attack Saturday afternoon in the commune of Bani of the province of Seno, killing 25 people, including 22 civilians and three police officers.
Since 2015, insecurity in the West African country has claimed many lives and displaced thousands more.
Last week, at least 28 people, including soldiers and civilians, were killed in two separate gunmen attacks in Burkina Faso, a regional governor and the army revealed.
The UNFPA and UNICEF made the joint call in line with the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) which is annually commemorated on Feb. 6. This year’s event is being commemorated under the theme “Partnering with Men and Boys to Transform Social and Gender Norms to End FGM.”
The two UN agencies called for a sustainable partnership and engagement with men and boys of Ethiopia to enforce the actions against FGM and transform the deeply rooted social and gender norm, and allow girls and women to fully realize their rights and potential.
According to figures from the UN, Ethiopia has made remarkable progress in the last decade in the reduction of FGM prevalence among girls and women aged 15-49 from 74 percent in 2005 to 65 percent in 2016. However, Ethiopia is still home to 25 million circumcised women and girls.
“I would like to congratulate the Ethiopian government for the progress made so far and for their commitment to ending FGM,” the statement quoted UNICEF Representative in Ethiopia Aboubacar Kampo as saying. “Girls are subjected to FGM without a choice, and it is a clear violation of their protection rights.”
“We must collectively redouble our efforts to end this harmful practice including scaling up our engagement with men and boys to change attitudes so that the next generation of girls can live healthier lives,” Kampo said.
In Ethiopia, the most common rationale for the practice of FGM on girls and women is meeting societal expectations including traditions, culture, and norms exerting control over women’s sexuality, and preserving women’s virginity until marriage and family honor.
This reasoning is claims founded on false beliefs and culture and is passed on from one generation to another over time until they are believed to be true, the statement said, adding that partnering and engaging men and boys are critical steps in communicating the facts about FGM and its inherent risks.
According to the two UN agencies, Ethiopia has been making progress in attitude change towards FGM with 86.7 percent of boys and men, and 79.3 percent of girls and women aged 15-49 believing that FGM should not continue as a practice.
The earthquake jolted the Southeast of Türkiye and neighboring Syria early Monday on 6th February 2023.
As of today, media reports indicate that over 4000 victims have died in the strong earthquake.
In Türkiye, at least 2,921 people were killed and 15,834 others were injured in the earthquakes, the country’s Anadolu agency reported on Tuesday, citing the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority.
In neighboring Syria, at least 711 were killed and 1,431 injured in the provinces of Aleppo, Latakia, Hama, Tartus, said the Syrian Health Ministry. Media reports also cited rescue workers as saying that 733 were killed and over 2,100 injured in the rebel-held region in Syria.
Leaders of different countries have provided support for the countries to strengthen emergency response and sent messages of comfort.
President Kagame has also condoled with the bereaved families through a message posted on Twitter.
“My deepest condolences to President Erdogan, the people of Türkiye and of Syria for the immense loss of life and destruction following the earthquake. The people of Rwanda stand in solidarity with you during this time of sorrow,” he tweeted.
Turskish President, Erdogan has declared seven-day mourning to honour victims of the earthquake.
A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Türkiye’s southern province of Kahramanmaras at 4:17 a.m. local time (0117 GMT) on Monday, followed by at least 78 aftershocks. The quakes were also felt in Lebanon, Israel and Cyprus.
Turkey is among countries that are often jolted by earthquakes. In 1999, strong earthquake killed over 17,000 people in Northwest of the country.
The deadliest earthquake struck the country in 1939 and took lives of 33,000 people in Erzincan Province located in eastern Turkey.
At the time of his arrest, Fred Kalisa, 46, was found with a stolen motorcycle TVS, registration number RF 327X, an hour after it was reported stolen in Gacurabwenge, also in Gicumbi District.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Alex Ndayisenga, the Northern Region Political and Civic Education Officer RPCEO), said that Kalisa was intercepted as he was fleeing with the stolen motorcycle to Kigali.
“The victim had left his motorcycle in the parking lot at the church in Gacurabwenge Village, Gacurabwenge cell of Gacurabwenge Sector, at about 10 a.m, where he had gone for prayers on Sunday, but could not find it when he came out,” said SP Ndayisenga.
He added that Police launched the search and mounted roadblocks on different routes to recover it and to arrest the suspected thief.
“At about 11a.m, Kalisa was intercepted along Gicumbi-Kigali highway, in Rusumo Village, Nyarubuye Cell, Mutete Sector with the stolen motorcycle. He was handed over to RIB at Byumba station for further investigations.”
Kalisa, who lives in Kimisagara Sector, Nyarugenge District, said that he intended to disassemble the motorcycle and sell it as spare parts.
Article 166 of law determining offences and penalties in general states that; any person convicted of theft is liable to imprisonment for a term of not less than one (1) year and not more than two (2) years and a fine of not less than Rwf1 million and not more than Rwf2 million, community service in a period of six (6) months or only one of these penalties.
Who knows? Maybe you will even master it and your spouse will be so impressed. They will never even know you lied in the first place or you will fail horribly and it’ll be your first fight.
As a child, there was a story we were told about a woman who got married, with her husband thinking she was the best cook.
Every time he’d visit her during their engagement, he’d find the most appetizing food on the table.
He realized that if married her, these could be his forever meals, so he did, out of love but primarily because of the magic her hands could cook up.
One day, he comes home early with a fish in an envelope and asked his now-new wife to cook it while he watches, so he could also learn how to cook.
What he did not know was that all the food he had come to love her for was the product of her mother’s homemade meals and restaurant takeaways.
This story scared me straight and influenced me to learn how to cook so that the day I am ever surprised with a fish, I will at least know how to clean it properly.
People who can cook, especially in African cultures, demonstrate not only certain domestic skills but also their willingness to nurture and care for their partners, so it is not surprising that women will easily lie about this.
When dating, say whatever you like just be sure that it won’t come back to bite you if it leads to marriage.
There are lies you tell your partner to pique their interest and lead your relationship further, forgetting that this is still a form of betrayal.
These could range from lies such as: ‘Cooking is my specialty, ‘Organizing and maintaining my finances are what I’m most proud of.
And the worst lie of them all remains: “My family is super awesome. They’ll love you!”
What was once a sweet lie can become a very sour truth. So, when it comes to being honest in your relationship, remember that it’ll pay to be as genuine as possible.
If your partner likes to dance, don’t lie that you do too when you know very clearly that you have a zilch rhythm.
Be careful what you brag about to your partner, and remain as authentic as you possibly can be.
It can be a little lie that leads to the biggest mistrust in your relationship, diminishing the compassion and empathy your partner feels towards you.
As the lies increase, the more intense you become in your relationship and become distant which will destroy your relationship.
The incident occurred in the morning of Friday 3rd February 2023 when the maize drying facility which caved in, took 11 lives and left more than 30 people injured.
The drier belongs to Duharanire Ubukire – Gasagara Cooperative based in Gasabo District of Kigali City.
Following the accident, the government assured to take measures to ensure the safety of built up structures is reinforced to avoid similar incidents in the future. The deceased were buried on Sunday in Rusororo.
Minister of State in charge of social Affairs at the Ministry of Local Government (MINALOC), Assumpta Ingabire represented the government during the ceremony.
She condoled with the bereaved families and others whose relatives sustained injuries. Ingabire told them that the government stands with them during these difficult times and ‘will continue to stay closer to them’.
“On behalf of the Government of Rwanda, we have come here to sympathize with you. You lost siblings, children and parents but we are also saddened by the incident because it is a loss to the country. These brothers have died but they leave a good legacy – the legacy of work,” she said.
“The government will continue to stay close to you to move on with life, be it in terms of wellbeing or sustaining the cooperatives’ activities. There are recommendations to reinforce safety on facilities used by citizens and we assure that this incident won’t repeat itself,” added Ingabire.
It said that the accident resulted from heavy weight of maize on the drier’s wooden structure and wind that shook it.
Nicholas Haysom, the UN secretary-general’s special representative in South Sudan, called on the authorities to urgently launch an investigation and hold perpetrators to account.
“This violence is unacceptable and was in sharp contrast to the message of the Ecumenical Peace Pilgrimage to South Sudan, which called for peace and reconciliation,” Haysom said in a statement issued in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.
He said at least 2,000 people, mainly women and children, have become internally displaced, including 30 unaccompanied children.
The UN expressed concern about the resurgence of killings and violence stemming from long-standing tensions between cattle-keepers and host communities in Central Equatoria State and in other parts of the country.
Over the past two weeks, the UNMISS said, escalating violence has resulted in at least 45 deaths among unarmed civilians in Kajo-Keji and Mangalla Payam, among other areas in Central Equatoria.
Haysom urged South Sudanese leaders to encourage restraint and avoid fueling any conflict, noting that the UNMISS is increasing patrols to the affected areas, and engaging the authorities as well as community leaders, to end these hostilities and seek peaceful solutions.
The UNMISS said it welcomes the government’s deployment of troops to the area to ease tensions and protect internally displaced persons
They were welcomed by Brig Gen F Mutembe, the Task Force Battle Group commander and received a briefing on the ongoing operations launched on 21st December 2022.
The Minister appreciated the work that has been done on the ground so far.7
Rwanda started the deployment of 1000 troops of the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) and the Rwanda National Police (RNP) to Mozambique on 9th July 2021, to fight terrorist groups, honoring the request of Mozambique. The troops had increased to nearly 2000 by the end of the year 2021.
As he received oaths of new officials including the Minister of Health, Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana and Minister of State in the same ministry, Dr. Ivan Butera towards the end of last year, President Paul Kagame said that Rwanda increased troops deployed to Mozambique in connection with their new mandate.
“We have nearly 2500 troops including soldiers and Police personnel in Mozambique, working with Mozambican forces. Even yesterday, we deployed more troops. We did it because many problems have been solved in collaboration with Mozambicans since our initial deployment,” he said.
The troops have also got a new mandate to pursue terrorists and dislodge them from their hideouts.
The situation in the country had worsened since October 2017 when armed extremists launched an insurgency in the Cabo Delgado Province of Mozambique.
Mozambique Defence Armed Forces battled the extremists but many civilians were killed and displaced by the fighting.
Before Rwandan troops’ intervention, terrorists had killed 3000 civilians while more than 800,000 were displaced. The insecurity had also put to halt all development projects in the area controlled by insurgents.
The joint operations between Rwandan and Mozambican troops yielded big where different regions were seized from rebels.
Rwanda and Mozambique have been enjoying vibrant relations for many years.
On Monday 12th September 2022, President Paul Kagame and his counterpart of Mozambique, Filipe Nyusi met in Kenya ahead of the inauguration of newly elected president, Dr. William Ruto.
Both leaders discussed ways to further strengthen the ongoing bilateral collaboration between Rwanda and Mozambique.
In February last year, Kagame received Nyusi with whom they discussed the good progress that has been made between Rwanda and Mozambique in the ongoing cooperation towards securing Cabo Delgado as well as other areas of bilateral collaboration.
Rwanda and Mozambique have cooperation agreements in different areas including security, trade and investment among others.
Usto Hafashimana alias Yussuf, 34, was arrested on Friday, February 3, in Nyamirambo, Nyarugenge District following two months of investigations into four separate gruesome murders and two cases of attempted murder.
He was paraded to the media on Sunday, February 5, at Kigali metropolitan headquarters in Remera, Gasabo District.
The inhuman acts were committed between December 27, last year and January 23.
Commissioner of Police (CP) John Bosco Kabera, the RNP spokesperson, said that the arrest of Hafashimana was a result of thorough investigations.
“All the four murders and two attempted murders, were committed in the same scenario, with a machete, sometimes beheading the victims. Investigations connected all these dots and information from other people, whom he was also conniving with in other criminal acts of theft, helped to identify and arrest the suspected killer,” CP Kabera said.
{{How Hafashimana was committing the murders}}
While speaking to the media, Hafashimana said that he was killing them with a machete and would kill only those he found sleeping.
“It was a random target. I didn’t know or have any history with those I killed. I would go household by household at night and anyone I found sleeping, especially security guards, I would kill them with a panga. I beheaded two of them, took their heads and dumped them in a well,” Hafashimana said.
A decapitated head of one of the victims, was recovered in a swamp in Masaka Sector, Kicukiro District.
When asked how many people he had killed, Hafashimana said: “I knew that I had killed six people, but I was told that I killed four and two others survived. The plan was to kill at least 40 people.”
{{The murders}}
On December 27, last year, Hafashimana allegedly beheaded one only identified as Matayo, in Kicukiro District, Kigarama Sector, Rwampala Cell, Uwateke Village. The decapitated body was recovered in Rwampala swamp.
On December 30, the duo of Vedaste Hagenimana, 22, and Philemon Nzabagerageza, 27, were allegedly attached by Hafashimana with a machete at a construction site in Nyarugunga Sector, Kibaya Cell in Kamashashi Village.
They both survived with injuries. Hagenimana lost his left eye while Nzabagerageza’s left hand was also cut off.
Later on January 15, one Vedaste Gafaranga, a night guard in Marembo Village, Nyarukombe Cell of Muyumbu Sector, Rwamagana District, was killed.
Hafashimana is also said to be behind the murder of one Gideon Niyonsenga, on January 18, in Kanyinya Village, Nyagahinga Cell, Rusororo Sector in Gasabo District. Niyonsenga was also a night guard.
One Leonce Nshimiyimana was also beheaded on January 30, in Rusororo Sector, Gasabo District.
Nshimiyimana was Hafashimana’s close friend. Investigations indicate that he killed him in a bush in Rusororo Sector where they were at the time hiding and planning to break into one of the houses in the area to steal valuables.
At the time of his arrest, Hafashimana was also found with assorted valuables belonging to some of the victims, including mobile phones.
The suspect, who hails from Ngororero District has a history of burglary. He was previously convicted for theft and served two years at Nyarugenge prison between 2015 and 2017.
{{Survivors narrate the ordeal}}
Hagenimana and Nzabagerageza narrated how on the night of December 30, last year, as they were sleeping, were attached.
“It was at about 01a.m, when someone armed with a machete, appeared from nowhere as we were asleep, and started cutting us. We don’t know how we survived by somehow, God was with us,” said Hagenimana.
Rashid Barinda, who was employing the deceased, Gideon Niyotwagira, said that the attack happened at about 03:45a.m.
Nzabagerageza said: “I lost my hand and the other was left injured… I cannot do anything. My worry right now is my child, who expects all the parental support, which I can no longer give. Any support to find other means of survival besides using my hands, to support my child, will be much appreciated.”
“I heard a scary sound, but at once I thought that maybe Niyotwagira had fell down. When I came out, I found my security guard lying dead in a pool of blood,” Barinda said.
Japhet Niyonshima, a twin brother to Niyotwagira, narrated how as brother came to Kigali to work.
“We came to Kigali three months ago, from Ngororero, to look for casual jobs. We were staying together in Rusororo although my brother had a night duty as a security guard, where he was killed as he was sleeping,” Niyonshima narrated.
Meanwhile, CP Kabera said that the arrest of Hafashimana saved lives of many other people.
Murder under article 107 of the law determining offences and penalties in general, is punishable with life imprisonment.
