The Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Dr. Emmanuel Ugirashebuja who presided over the official closing ceremony on Friday 3rd December 2021, expressed optimism that the positive ideas that South Sudan Officials have generated from the seminar will contribute to full implementation of the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan.
“Rwanda’s experience has taught Rwandans that peace is costly and that transformative leadership, political will and commitment, accountability, ownership, inclusivity, justice, building trust and confidence, as well as drawing positive lessons from the past, are important factors in nation and state building. Equally important, is the courage and vision to make difficult strategic choices and above all, audacity and commitment to implement what has been agreed upon,” said Minister Ugirashebuja.
The South Sudan Minister of Cabinet Affairs Martin Elia Lomuro who was heading the delegation said that they learnt a lot from Rwanda’s experience.
“We were able to take Rwanda’s experience specifically on conflict analysis; to analyse our own conflict and to put together some solutions based on the root causes of the conflict. This has been a very useful seminar and I believe that all my colleagues will be ambassadors of peace,” said Minister Lomuro.
In 2019, Rwanda’s exports to DRC were estimated at US$372 million accounting for 32% of total exports.
Despite effects of COVID-19 pandemic which saw the value of exports to the country dropped to US$ 88.6 million, DRC remained the second largest export market for Rwanda.
Besides, both countries are members of the Economic Community for the Great Lakes Region (CEPGL) while DRC is in final processes to become members of East African Community (EAC).
As both countries’ heads of state exchanged visits in June 2021, they agreed on enhancing trade cooperation and free movements.
The latter implies the need for upgraded border infrastructures, increasing flights connecting both countries, building ports and railway among others to facilitate trade.
Cross border trade between both countries is mainly exercised in the districts of Rubavu and Rusizi through different border points including La Corniche One Stop Border Post known as Grande Barrière (main border).
Similar infrastructures are set to be developed in Mururu sector of Rusizi district on the side of Rwanda and Rusizi II in Bukavu on the side of DRC.
The One Stop Border Post to be built in Rusizi is expected to give a boost to the implementation of projects under the framework of both countries’ heads of state.
Figures from the Directorate General of Rwanda Immigration and Emigration shows that more than 12,000 people crossed through Rusizi border before COVID-19 emerged on daily basis.
These include informal cross-border traders, passengers using public transport buses from or to Bukavu town, pedestrians crossing for business reasons and truck drivers.
Every day, the Rusizi-Bukavu border was crossed by 150 cargo cars including 60 trucks before the pandemic which fuelled a drop in traffic to between 6,000 and 7,000 traders. The traffic for cargo cars also dropped to between 70 and 100 daily.
As he laid the foundation stone marking the beginning of construction activities of the a $22 million One Stop Border Post known as Rusizi II, the Governor of Western Province, François Habitegeko told IGIHE that the project will facilitate free movement of people and goods and improve service delivery as well.
“We need state-of-the art border infrastructure to improve services. Once completed, the latter is anticipated to increase traffic because we don’t want people to spend long time seeking clearance,” he said.
{{Investors urged to tap into presented opportunities}}
Rusizi One Stop Border Post is a joint project between Rwanda and DRC where both countries immigration and emigration officials will be operating in the same building.
This means, passengers will get movement clearance at one time from both sides.
Banking, customs clearance and foreign currency exchange will be among other services offered in the same building.
The Chairman of Private Sector in Rusizi district, Théophile Rugamba has told IGIHE that the one stop border post is expected to improve services and boost trade.
“The facility was long overdue as it is expected to improve services for Rwandans and Congolese. I would like to encourage fellow businesspeople to work together to tap into presented huge opportunities so that we can smoothly carry out our activities and increase exports to the country,” he said.
The Deputy Governor of Northern Kivu Province, Marc Malago Kashekere also stressed that the border facility will be beneficial for both country’s security and enhanced trade among others.
He made the revelation on Friday 3rd December 2021 as he presented national plans to recover the economy and boost national vaccination efforts.
As at 2nd December 2021, a total of 100,381 people had caught the virus out of 3,497,196 sample tests since COVID-19 pandemic emerged in Rwanda on 13th March 2020. Of these, more than 48,000 (48%) are men while men are 51,250 (52%).
Among others, 38347 people who tested positive are aged 29 while 62,034 (62%) are aged 30 and above.
The report from the Ministry of Health shows that 98,830 (98%) have recovered while 208 are active cases including 175 patients attended to through home-based care.
Moreover, 1343 have succumbed to the virus of whom 726 (54%) are men while 617 (46%) are women.
Rwanda began countrywide inoculation program on 5th March 2021 as part of the country’s response to the pandemic where the target of vaccine recipients might be reached before the set deadlines.
“The number of vaccine recipients increases gradually as fruitful results of rolled out campaign. As at 2nd December 2021, a total of 6,065,691 people (46%) had received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine since the program began,” Premier Ngirente said.
Rwanda is among countries that hit the target of vaccinating 10% of their population by September 2021 as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Premier Ngirente said that Rwanda targets to cover 30% (3,915,533) of the population by December this year and 60% (7,831,066) by the end of next year.
“We are about exceeding these targets,” he revealed.
{{Increased vaccine recipients}}
Premier Ngirente said that the number of COVID-19 vaccine recipients are expected to reach 9,063,245 (69,4%) next year, following the country’s commitment to start administering vaccines to people in the age bracket between 12 and 17.
“All these people will have been vaccinated by December 2022 but we might hit the number before in consideration of expended efforts,” he revealed.
In Kigali City alone, more than 869,000 dwellers (89.2%) aged 12 and above have received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine while 1,032,499 have received the first dose.
The vaccination efforts in the remaining parts of the country have seen 2,755,727 (34%) people fully vaccinated while 5,033,192 (62%) have received the first dose of COVID-19.
Rwanda has been administering eight types of COVID-19 vaccines. As at 2nd December 2021, the country had received 12,900,760 doses that can be used to vaccinate 6,736,220 people excluding the booster dose.
Rwanda received these doses through COVAX, a global initiative aimed at ensuring equitable distribution of vaccines, direct purchases while others were donated by partner countries.
The proactive act is meant to ensure that traffic rules and regulations are respected for the safety of everyone on the road.
The campaign started on different roads in City of Kigali where drivers, taxi-moto operators, passengers and pedestrians were explained on the meaning of road symbol signs, including traffic control lights and red-light cameras.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Gerald Mpayimana, the Commissioner for Traffic and Road Safety said that the red light cameras were introduced to counter violations of traffic lights and bad maneuvers, which cause traffic jam and road crashes.
“We need road users to beware of the meaning of traffic light colour, understand that their violations especially in intersection that have cameras will lead to penalties, and know the meaning of different road traffic symbols including cross-walks,” ACP Mpayimana said.
RNP spokesperson, Commissioner of Police (CP) John Bosco Kabera said that this is part of the continuous Police campaigns to remind road users of their individual responsibility when using the road to prevent accidents.
“This campaign was initiated to remind road users on the traffic regulations and how to use the road safely. Road users should know and respect traffic control lights, sign posts and road lines, which direct traffic flow,” CP Kabera said.
He added that in addition to the speed cameras set to penalize speeding motorists red light cameras were also installed to detect those, who enter intersections in wrong manner violating road lines or violate traffic lights.
Rwanda National Police installed CCTV, speed cameras and Red-Light Cameras (RLC). The RLC is an automated system that detects and captures images of automobiles entering an intersection after the traffic signal controlling the intersection has turned red.
In a statement released ahead of the concert, KGL FWD recalled numerous circumstances under which the artiste was accused of violence against women and highlighted that the concert should be cancelled to discourage inappropriate behaviours.
{{Read full statement by KGL FWD }}
{We would like to express our support and stand in full solidarity with those who have demanded that Koffi Olomide’s 4th December concert in Rwanda be cancelled. As members of the entertainment industry we know the importance and impact that artists have on their fans and larger society.}
Additionally, as communications practitioners, we know the power of messaging. Refusing to cancel the concert sends a strong message to those who have been directly impacted by Koffi’s violence and abuses as well as to survivors everywhere who may be questioning if it will make a difference if they speak up about their own stories and experiences with GBV. It also sends a blaring message about how society chooses to prioritize entertainment over violence against women and girls.
As entertainment and communications professionals, we play a direct role in the arts, entertainment and messaging that is delivered and promoted to the general public. With that role comes a responsibility for the things we amplify and promote. We cannot choose to be oblivious to that role.
In recent years we have seen the #MeToo movement demand accountability for numerous entertainers, executives and others in power who, similarly to Koffi, have been accused numerous times over the years of violence, assault, abuse and inappropriate behavior. It has shown us that if we speak up we can make a difference and that if we choose not to do so then we are empowering and enabling abusers to continue to abuse more women and girls for years to come.
As the Rwanda Men Engage Network (RWAMNET) and their cosigners have pointed out, South Africa, Kenya, Zambia and France have already communicated their stance by banning Koffi. To continue to move forward with this concert is to disregard the women who have been violated and all who have demanded that the concert be cancelled.
What message will we choose to send in this critical moment? That is the question.
Hakizisuka was arrested in Nyamwiza Village, Munini Cell, in Rwimbogo Sector with the meat after killing the hippopotamus in Akagera National Park.
The Eastern region Police spokesperson, Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Hamduni Twizeyimana said that the suspect was apprehended red-handed on the way home with a sack of hippo meat.
“Hakizisuka was intercepted coming from Akagera National Park at about 7:30pm, following information provided by residents,” said CIP Twizeyimana.
He warned against killing protected animals in gazetted areas
Hakizisuka along with the exhibit were handed over to RIB at Rwimbogo station for further legal process.
Article 44 of Law N°48/2018 of 13/08/2018 on environment prohibits the following acts in order to protect biodiversity: burning forests, national parks and reserved areas, burning swamps, grazing land, bushes, grass with the aim of agriculture or organising grazing land, killing, injuring and capturing animals of endangered species, destroying or damaging habitats, larvae, pupae or the young animals of the endangered species, causing death or burning protected plants, harvesting or destroying them, transporting or selling the remains of a whole or part of an animal and plants of endangered species, and cutting trees in forests or protected areas or in national parks.
In the article 58, Any person who hunts, sells, injures or kills a protected animal species and products thereof, commits an offence.
Upon conviction, he/she is liable to imprisonment for a term of not less than five (5) years and not more than seven (7) years and a fine not less than five million Rwandan francs (Rwf 5,000,000) and not more than seven million Rwandan francs (Rwf7,000,000).
The group was paraded to the media on Wednesday, December 1, at Nyarugenge District Police offices in Rwezamenyo sector, Nyarugenge district.
Patrick Mugisha is one the drivers paraded who was arrested after he declined to be tested whether he had taken alcohol.
“I was in my car parked on the road side in Nyamirambo on Monday, when Police officers who were on duty approached me and tried to test if I had taken alcohol but I refused because it was observable by everyone that I was drunk as I had even a bottle of Konyagi liquor in my car,” said Mugisha.
Murwanashyaka was also arrested driving a truck with luggages from Rusumo to City of Kigali. He said that he was arrested after he involved in an accident.
“I had taken alcohol during the previous night which I was thinking it could not affect me driving during morning however in the wee hours when I started driving the truck, I hit a vehicle which was parked on the side of the road and immediately when Police officers arrived to examine the accident detected through a breathalyzer that my blood had alcohol content and I was brought here,” said Murwanashyaka.
Murwanashyaka along with Mugisha asked for forgiveness and advised their colleagues to avoid driving when they had taken alcohol otherwise to seek someone else to help them or suspend the journey to other occasion.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rene Irere, The Spokesperson for Traffic and Road Safety Department reminded the public that rejecting to be tested whether you have taken alcohol does not clean your drunken status.
“A big number of drivers are being currently found under influence of alcohol, others refuse to be tested and those who deny to be tested do it because they know that they had taken quantities of alcohol beverages which they want to conceal despite that they possess driving licenses which they got after studying road safety regulations,” said SSP Irere.
SSP Irere warned motorists that deliberately violating road safety rules and regulations especially driving under influence of alcohol is exposing their lives and those of others in high traffic risks adding that operations are meant to ensure safer road usage and will be continuous across the country.”
The funding worth Rwf2 billion was secured through the partnership between Rwanda and Belgian Development Agency, Enabel.
Enabel works with the Government of Rwanda on different projects meant to promote poultry, pig farming and agro-processing.
Normally, commercial banks provide loans with interest rates between 16% and 17%. The interest rate on loan from Saving and Credit Cooperatives (SACCOs) can go up to 22% while the Development Bank of Rwanda (BRD) offers loans at 12%.
The Rwf2 billion funding will be channeled through the Development Bank of Rwanda (BRD) which will also work with commercial banks to lend it out to beneficiaries with poultry, pig farming projects as well as those producing animal feeds effective from January 2022.
Dr. Solange Uwituze, the Deputy Director General in charge of Animal Resources Research and Technology Transfer at Rwanda Agricultural and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) has told IGIHE that beneficiaries will receive loans at 8% interest rate.
“If someone applies for Rwf50 million loan in a commercial bank, the latter will consider 8% interest rate to be paid by the farmer or animal feed producer while the Government will cater for the remaining 8%,” she said.
Dr. Uwituze explained that the interest rate subsidy will not go beyond Rwf100 million.
“The Government shall only pay the interest rate not exceeding Rwf100 million for a farmer or animal feed producers requesting loan under this financing scheme,” she revealed.
Beneficiaries will have to go through existing loan application processes. Those without collateral will continue seeking assistance from Business Development Fund (BDF).
The Government mulls increasing the Rwf2 billion allocated to the fund depending on available means.
Poultry and pig farming are among projects benefitting from the subsidized National Agriculture Insurance Scheme launched in 2019.
It is implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI) in collaboration with partners including Radiant Insurance, Access to Finance Rwanda, Prime Insurance and Sonarwa.
Under the subsidized agriculture insurance scheme, a farmer provides 60% of insurance fees while the Government caters for 40% of farmers payments.
The cost of insurance equals 4.5% of the total value of the cow.
So far, a total of 208,749 chickens and 3,020 pigs have been insured.
While humanitarian assistance has effectively supported displaced populations in emergencies, a different approach is needed involving new actors, predominantly the private sector in contributing to sustainable solutions for refugees and displaced persons.
It is against this background that the Amahoro Coalition and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) have convened the inaugural ‘36 Million Solutions: Africa Private Sector Forum on Forced Displacement’ taking place in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda from 30th November to 2nd December 2021.
The Amahoro Coalition is an African-led initiative convening multi-sector actors from across the region to accelerate private sector leadership in driving sustainable market-based interventions that advance economic inclusion for displaced populations.
Guided by the Global Compact on Refugees and the pledges made at the 2019 Global Refugee Forum, the event brings together Africa’s private sector firms to explore solutions that promote economic inclusion for Africa’s forcibly displaced persons and their host communities.
The Forum’s theme, 36 Million Solutions, references the number of people forced to flee across the region and the opportunities to invest in their potential.
Alongside private sector leaders, the Forum brings together refugees and displaced persons, government representatives, and humanitarian actors to actualize a multi-stakeholder Pan-African approach to the displacement crisis.
Clementine Nkweta-Salami, UNHCR Director of the Regional Bureau for the East, Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes said that the number of displaced persons and refugees has been on high rise for the past ten years.
The issue is mainly reported in Central African Republic, South Sudan, Burundi and Mozambique.
She said that African countries should not perceive refugees as a burden but rather an investment opportunity.
Salami thanked Rwanda and Djibouti for achieved milestone towards the cause and urged the private sector to work with Governments and other organizations to support refugees and displaced persons.
Also present, was Rwanda’s Prime Minister, Dr. Edouard Ngirente who officially opened the forum on behalf of President Paul Kagame on Wednesday 1st December 2021.
As he delivered remarks, Premier Ngirente highlighted that the number of refugees and displaced persons continues to increase particularly in Sub-Sahara African countries and shared needed actions to manage refugee crisis.
“Forced displacement has reached its highest level in Africa. Statistics indicate that in 2020, the number of displaced people in Sub-Saharan Africa reached an alarming record of 35.9 million people, representing 45% of the total number of refugees globally,” he said.
Reports from SOS Children’s Village, the world’s largest non-governmental organization focused on supporting children without parental care and families at risk, show that poverty is among six major reasons behind increasing number of African refugees.
Other causes include armed conflicts and climate change.
Premier Ngirente went on to explain that efficient use of available resources is of critical significance to solve the issue of economic refugees.
“As it is well documented, Africa has a significant economic potential which, if well exploited, the continent can at least minimize the number of economic refugees by giving different opportunities to our youth,” he said.
Dr. Ngirente urged the private sector to contribute to the creation of jobs to tackle unemployment among the youth.
“It is therefore our responsibility to work closely with the private sector to use properly these resources by creating enough jobs for our youth. This will economically and socially empower them to address the issue of their risky migration to other continents,” he noted.
Also top on the forum’s agenda, is to explore solutions that promote economic inclusion for Africa’s forcibly displaced persons and their host communities.
Dr. Ngirente stressed that facilitating refugees’ access to the job market, decreases their dependence on aid and help the host economy to tap into full potential of their skills and consumption.
{{Rwanda’s strides}}
Premier Ngirente also shared Rwanda’s efforts in supporting refugees and asylum seekers to lead dignified life.
“About 10% of refugees in Rwanda live in urban areas, while the remaining 90% are settled in 5 camps across the country. We all know that receiving refugees is one good thing but ensuring that they live in conditions of dignity is another,” he said.
Dr. Ngirente revealed that all refugees aged 16 years and above, like any other Rwandan, have been issued with ID card to enable them get access to various services.
Today, there are 55,000 refugee students enrolled in various education levels in Rwanda, from early childhood, to primary through secondary schools. In addition, more than 500 refugees are currently enrolled in different universities under several scholarship programs.
Regarding the access to healthcare, in collaboration with The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), all camp-based refugees receive healthcare services at no cost. Those settled in urban areas are enrolled in the National Community-Based Health Insurance Scheme known as Mutuelle de santé.
Through Government of Rwanda, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and their partners, various projects owned by refugees and host communities have been funded whereby cash grants are extended to refugees to support their livelihood activities including money to start small businesses and to improve their agricultural activities.
Premier Ngirente reiterated Rwanda’s commitment to continue playing its role by ensuring refugee protection, security and social economic inclusion.
Rwanda accommodates over 148,938 refugees from different countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo (51%) and Burundi (48%).
The incident took place on Wednesday 1st December 2021 around 10a.m.
Police Spokesperson in Eastern Province, CIP Hamdoun Twizeyimana has told IGIHE that the exact cause of the fire remains unknown.
“We have not yet established the cause of this incident. We rushed to extinguish the fire outbreak which destroyed different items inside the building including shoes repairing equipment, shoes, motorcycle and vehicle spare parts,” he said.
CIP Twizeyimana revealed that the value of destroyed items is estimated at Rwf3 million.
He also urged the general public to develop precautionary and safety measures to contain fire.
