The delegation, led by Brigadier General Gabriel Elias Kwiligwa, arrived in Rwanda on Tuesday and is scheduled to attend the 10th meeting between the Rwanda Defence Forces and TPDF Brigades deployed along the Rwanda-Tanzania borderline.
“The delegation was welcomed by Col Justus Majyambere, Commander 5Div, upon their arrival at Rusumo One Stop Border Post. They proceeded to visit the Kibare Market in the Ndego sector of Kayonza district, an active hub where Tanzanians from Karagwe district frequently engage in trade,” RDF stated in a statement.
The quarterly security meeting will be held in Nyagatare, Eastern Province, and will be preceded by visits to some border areas in Kirehe and Kayonza districts, as well as Akagera National Park.
During the meeting, the forces are expected to deliberate on key issues, including sharing intelligence and information about the border, cross-border crimes, and security issues affecting communities living at the border points.
A similar meeting between Rwanda and Uganda authorities was held in the Eastern Province on Monday, during which the two governments pledged to renew their pledges to enhance cross-border cooperation.
The delegations were led by Clementine Mukeka, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in Rwanda, and Ambassador Julius Kivuna, Head of the Regional Peace and Security Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uganda.
“Excited to host the 2nd Rwanda-Uganda Cross Border Security Meeting in Nyagatare! Our shared commitment to peace and prosperity is evident in the high-level attendance from both nations. Let’s work together to build a secure environment and promote sustainable development across our borders,” PS Mukeka said.
Ambassador Kivuna said the meeting provided the delegations with an opportunity to reflect on the progress made by the two countries since the last security meeting held in Butale, Uganda, where they discussed key aspects such as immigration, trade and customs, health, security, and mapping and demarcation of the borders.
“I am proud to report that Uganda has made significant strides in implementing the agreements and frameworks that we discussed in our previous meeting,” Kivuna stated.
“Our commitment to collaboration and cooperation with our Rwandan counterparts has only strengthened, and I am confident that our partnership will flourish in the years to come,” he added.
The officials first met in Kabale, Uganda, in December last year for high-level security deliberations following the reopening of the Gatuna-Katuna border post in January 2022.
Born in Uganda in 1977, the 47-year-old Rwandan grew up in Uganda when the National Resistance Army (NRA) prepared to topple Milton Obote’s administration.
Speaking during a recent interview on Sanny Ntayombya’s podcast ‘Long Form’, Habineza disclosed that he spent most of his childhood hiding alongside his family due to the political instability in the country at the time.
“I was born when there was war in Uganda. There were NRM rebels fighting Obote government and my region was called the Royal Triangle where the war taking place there. We used to see soldiers coming and taking our cows and we used to run,” he said, adding, “It was a sad moment but finally the war ended.”
Besides the political instability, Habineza also revealed that he and other Rwandan children had to endure constant bullying from local kids in the foreign land.
“It was a very difficult time to be in Uganda. We used to be beaten by other Ugandan kids who used to call us Banyarwanda as if Banyarwanda was a crime. I had this name of Habineza which couldn’t be hidden. Sometimes I felt like I was going to hide my name because every time they would call me Kanyarwanda,” he revealed.
“We used to fetch water from some piped water which would come from some springs in the mountains. So they find you there putting a jerrican there they hit you in the head. I could cry I say what is Munyarwanda. I go back crying. I knew that Munyarwanda was a crime. At first, I thought it was an abuse then I let it was a crime and then I said why don’t I change my name? They could tune my name and turn it into abusive words.”
He changed his name four times. First, he called himself Mugisha but faced opposition from his father. He later called himself Frasco, then Francis, and finally settled on Frank.
“I think Frank was more modern because we had some Congolese musicians like Franco,” he remarked.
When normalcy resumed in Uganda after the coup that saw President Yoweri Museveni of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) assume power, he was able to resume school, but sadly, he was forced to deal with the pain of losing his mother at an early age.
“It was a difficult process, and my mother died in between when I was in Primary 4. So that was a very difficult episode. We were three kids, so my father had a responsibility of taking care of us: three kids, one boy, and two girls. It was very difficult,” he said.
The challenging times forced him to get involved in activities of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) which was then preparing to liberate Rwanda in 1990. He was still in primary school.
“We used to attend youth meetings. The meetings were not public; we used to have them in the bushes. They also used to teach us Kinyarwanda dance. It was good,” he revealed.
In 1994 after the RPF took control of Rwanda following the 100 days of the Genocide against the Tutsi he was among Rwandans who returned home. They settled in Kayonza District in the Eastern Province.
“I was here in early October of 1994. We came in a big truck. The trucks that carry coffee,” he said.
However, he could not stay for long as schools were yet to reopen and he had to go back to Uganda to resume his high school studies.
“In March 1995, I had to go back to Uganda. I had left when I was in Form Three, and by the time I was leaving, schools were yet to reopen in Rwanda. I realized I could not find a job because as a Senior Three graduate, you don’t have a diploma or any certificate. There was also pressure to enrol us in either the army or local defence force. I realized going to the army when you don’t have even an O-level certificate would be a waste of much time here because you wouldn’t be much useful,” Habineza noted.
Back in Uganda, he benefitted from the foster care of renowned Ugandan writer John Nagenda’s family, where he developed a passion for politics and media. He was also a member of the Scouts Club, Wild Life Club and Chairman of the Red Cross Club.
“I had a lot of exposure there seeing newspapers every time watching TV and reading newspapers.”
It was while at high school that he thought of forming a political party to oppose Museveni’s government. He was about 17 years old.
But as fate would have it, he opted to join the National University of Rwanda in Butare, now the University of Rwanda, for his undergraduate studies after high school in 1999.
“When I went to Butare, knowing the history of the genocide in Rwanda, I thought, ‘What can I contribute in Rwanda?’ I said I would put much effort into environmental protection. I also had a passion for media, inspired by my uncle who used to have a column in the New Vision.
“When I came, I got accepted in the New Times. But I wrote like three, four articles, and none of my articles was published. When I went to Butare, they made me a correspondent for the News Line. I wrote for Rwanda News Line, Umuseso, and later the Rwanda Herald, and stopped in 2003.”
It’s while at Butare that he revived his idea of forming a political party in 2002.
“My love for the environment and the media pushed me into having another image of Rwanda. Seeing of what I wished new Rwanda to be. Later on that is when I decided to start a political party,” he added.
The path to starting a new party was, however, not smooth, as he was forced to shelve the idea after advice from government officials who thought he was not ready to run a party in just the second year of university.
“The officials heard me and said, ‘But you are still a young man and you have not finished university. I think I was in the second year then. You don’t even have money. Political parties are not a small thing. It requires money, it requires commitment.’ They also told me, ‘Maybe you are not seeing what is happening in the country. You see, there are these parties like MDR; they are having divisions, they are breaking up. But maybe when you start a new party, some people may misunderstand you and confuse you, or maybe you can become a new home for those people and they may bring trouble to you.’
“So they said, ‘Maybe it’s not a good time to start a new party as a young person.’ I thought the advice they gave me was genuine. I went and told my colleagues that this is the advice I got from the people in Kigali. They think that this is a wrong time for us. It’s too risky,” he revealed.
In 2005 he graduated from the university and was immediately appointed as a personal assistant to the minister of environment, forestry, water and mines.
When the minister was dropped from the Cabinet in 2006, he joined the National Coordinator for the Nile Basin Discourse Forum in Rwanda (NBDF), a civil society platform that had over 50 NGOs involved in the conservation of river Nile.
In 2007, he officially quit RPF and opted to form the Democratic Green Movement of Rwanda Party to oppose the government of the day. After six unsuccessful attempts, his party was finally registered in 2010.
He cited the decision to break ranks with President Paul Kagame’s RPF due to ideological differences, although he remained tight-lipped on details about his presidential manifesto and what he would do differently if elected president. He noted that it would be revealed at a later date, once sanctioned by the party delegates.
With two seats in parliament and one in the Senate, the MP insists that he is determined to run a non-violent opposition in the country.
He dismissed other opposition leaders, including former coalition member Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza, for lacking the best interest of the country and promoting violent opposition ideologies.
“These people, when you say you want nonviolence, they don’t believe in nonviolence, most of them. They would want you to fight. There is a connotation from East Africa where people see opposition fighting here and there, causing trouble, breaking windows, destabilizing everything. So when we say no, we don’t want to do that. Although I was born in Uganda, I don’t want to copy and paste what I see happening in Uganda to here. We have seen a lot of violence in Rwanda, we have the Genocide against the Tutsi. I was not even born here because of those problems from before,” he stated.
“We want something different to do opposition politics, but not like the ones in Uganda or Kenya. But another one where the people of Rwanda will feel safe with you. I have been in a situation where people felt unsafe with me. They said, ‘When you join Franc’s party, you will have trouble and will be put in prison.’ This is what I feel is a better thing than now. People are comfortable being in the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda. People can see a future in the party, people can contribute to the state of the party. We have different ideas and we show them, and we are not killed because we have opposed the government.”
Accusations were made against two colonels from Ukraine’s government protection unit for engaging in “subversive activities against Ukraine for monetary gain,” stated by the office of Ukraine’s Prosecutor General on Tuesday.
Both officials were indicted for treason; additionally, one was implicated in planning a terrorist act.
According to the prosecutor’s office, one suspect was found possessing two drones and ammunition supplied by Russia’s FSB, intended for delivery to another collaborator to execute a bombing.
The SBU disclosed that it had disrupted the “actively evolving plans” to assassinate Zelensky and other high-ranking Ukrainian officials, including SBU head Vasyl Maliuk and Kyrylo Budanov, the leader of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine.
The SBU noted that one objective of the FSB’s agent network was to identify military personnel close to the President’s security team who could abduct and subsequently assassinate him.
Reports suggest Zelensky has been the target of multiple assassination attempts since Russia’s comprehensive invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.
In August 2023, a woman from Mykolaiv in southern Ukraine was detained for her involvement in a plot to kill Zelensky. She allegedly collected information on Zelensky’s scheduled visit to Mykolaiv to coordinate a Russian airstrike aimed at his assassination. The SBU captured her attempting to relay intelligence to the enemy.
In April, a Polish individual was accused of aiding another purported Russian plot to assassinate Zelensky. He faced charges of preparing to act on behalf of foreign intelligence against the Republic of Poland, a crime punishable by up to eight years in prison.
The man purportedly agreed to inform Russian operatives about security measures at Rzeszów-Jasionka airport in southeastern Poland, frequently used by Zelensky for international departures. The conspiracy was exposed by Ukrainian authorities, leading to his arrest.
Deputy Uwamariya introduced and presented this proposal to the General Assembly of the Chamber of Deputies on May 6, 2024.
Deputy Uwamariya explained that she initiated this proposal because the current law governing the general status of government employees does not specify how foreigners can be employed in government sectors, and states that only Rwandans are allowed to work in these roles.
However, the government has often sought to employ foreigners with special expertise, particularly in areas vital to the country’s welfare and economy.
The proposal specifies that “a government entity may employ a foreigner in accordance with the provisions of a Ministerial Order responsible for government employees.”
Additionally, the proposal extends maternity leave for women from 12 to 14 weeks and paternity leave for men whose wives have given birth to seven consecutive days.
Deputy Uwamariya stated, “These changes are intended to align with the labor law in Rwanda and international labor agreements, to provide adequate time for a woman to recover and breastfeed her child.”
The proposed changes regarding maternity leave, emergency leave, and leave granted when a premature baby is born, a baby dies, or a pregnancy is terminated, will be determined by a Ministerial Order from the minister responsible for public service and labour.
Deputy Rukurwabyoma noted that changes have been made in the past, but it was necessary to allow foreigners to work for the government without first becoming Rwandan citizens.
He argued, “Exclusion should not occur in government jobs for unclear reasons. However, other aspects still need to be studied. Have you seen the days given to men? From four to seven days? A mother is still weak, and a man is hustling to see if the porridge can cook quickly. Men, we should also demand these seven days and say they are not enough. Doubling it would be better, so one can return to work saying that the wife is starting to feel better.”
Deputy Uwamariya highlighted that granting foreigners the right to work in government sectors would facilitate the transfer of knowledge to Rwandans.
She added, “They will be working with Rwandan children, which helps ensure that this knowledge is retained by our people when they are gone, aiding in building strong operational practices.”
Deputy Léonard Ndagijimana pointed out the difficulties some women face during childbirth, which should warrant extended emergency leave compared to what is proposed.
He explained, “When it comes to fistulas, it is a complication that could even keep a woman incapacitated for eight months. When drafting this order, they should consider a woman with a fistula as incapable of working. Men should not be given just seven days, as for this issue, it would be possible for a husband to also take 30 days.”
This proposal will be reviewed by the Committee of Chairpersons as the commission previously responsible for it has other duties yet the matter is urgent.
The Head of State argued that nation-building is a collaborative effort and challenged the young people to use their skills to improve their lives and communities.
“There is no one person who can work alone in their own way to develop our people or our country. There is no single person who can do everything alone to benefit other people if they don’t work together,” President Kagame stated.
“This country is not for individuals or a specific group. It is for all of us. When we put our efforts together, when we work together, we are striving for the development of our nation and our collective development as a people.”
He was speaking at BK Arena in Kigali, where more than 7,500 youth volunteers gathered to celebrate their contributions to Rwanda’s development.
Acknowledging the youth volunteers’ sacrifices, Kagame noted that the young people played a key role in the government’s efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The fact that you accepted to sacrifice yourself, it’s just a reminder of our existing tradition of self-sacrifice. You demonstrated that during Covid-19, as youth volunteers, and it helped a lot in our fight against that pandemic. We would not have succeeded in our fight against COVID-19 without the important role you played,” he added.
He challenged the youths to keep up the volunteering spirit and work to better their skills every day.
“Where you have to put a lot of effort, where it all begins, the foundation of it all, is in building yourselves as individuals, each one of you. Build yourselves, and keep on that volunteerism spirit. Your willingness alone is not enough, you have to build your capabilities and equip yourself with skills so that you can put into practice everything you are willing to do,” the president told the volunteers.
Abdallah Utumatwishima, the Minister of Youth and Arts, also lauded the youths for their selfless efforts that helped the country navigate the challenging COVID-19 times.
“In the journey of 10 years, the world was shocked by the Covid-19 pandemic followed by disasters brought about by climate change that claimed the lives of many people. We are grateful for youth volunteers’ contributions through physical and mental work shown as we navigated the challenges,” Utumatwishima lauded the volunteers.
The volunteers, who attended the event, are among thousands of young people motivated to serve their communities in various parts of the country.
Most of the youth are involved in various development activities, including building houses, taking care of vulnerable members of society, and raising awareness about emerging public health issues.
The Anglican Communion, which convenes senior Anglican church leaders worldwide every two years, held this year’s meeting in Rome, Italy. Traditionally, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby—representing the Church of England’s headquarters—invited all Anglican churches, including those from GAFCON.
This meeting aimed to discuss various topics concerning the unity of the communion, including a special dialogue with Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church worldwide.
However, GAFCON’s attendance was compromised due to divergences in biblical interpretations and practices, particularly concerning LGBTQ+ issues, among its member churches and those of the Church of England and other similar churches.
During the event in Rome, Pope Francis advised the bishops to openly discuss their differences to resolve them. He emphasized mutual respect and cooperation, aiming to strengthen Christian values based on unity and peace.
Despite these discussions, GAFCON, under the signature of its leader, Archbishop Laurent Mbanda of the Anglican Church of Rwanda, stated that the majority of its church leaders did not attend. Notably, leaders from 12 of the churches did not participate, representing 30 out of the 42 recognized churches within the communion.
Significantly, representatives from major Anglican churches in Nigeria, Uganda, and South Sudan were absent, indicating that those who attended represented only about 30% of Anglicans worldwide.
The statement highlighted that the non-attendance was not accidental but intentional, particularly from GAFCON and the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches (GSFA). This decision aligns with resolutions from a recent GAFCON meeting in Rwanda, where they resolved to distance themselves from Canterbury and other churches that do not adhere to their biblical interpretations.
The split has been growing over the past 25 years, with increasing deviations from biblical teachings despite numerous warnings and attempts to address these issues.
GAFCON acknowledges that while God desires unity among those who worship Him, this unity should not compromise biblical integrity, as evident in various biblical scriptures.
Although the meeting addressed numerous issues aimed at reforming the communion, GAFCON believes that these discussions are insufficient to resolve the ongoing divisions. They suggest that the solution lies in changes to teaching and belief practices in religion. Churches that deviate from biblical teachings should repent and return to foundational principles, as repentance is key to reconciliation and unity.
The statement says, “The recent violent conflict between Iran and Israel is causing significant concerns in the international community. The two nations that do not share borders are mobilizing high-end weaponry to attack each other and kill human lives.”
The statement highlighted, “It is a clear indication that the greatest victims of war are innocent civilians. How could those lost lives ever be brought back? What could compensate for the outcry of children and the anguish of the youth in devastated dwellings?”
HWPL has urged the international community to take decisive measures to address the conflict, advocating for the establishment of comprehensive international laws to safeguard peace for future generations.
It has been reported that Iran and its militant partners on April 13 initiated a large-scale attack against Israel through launching several hundred ballistic missiles and drones. The international society expressed concerns over the possibility of war between the two states, since Tehran’s direct attack on Israel was unprecedented. Experts pointed out that this attack was Iran’s response to an airstrike on the Iranian embassy in Syria on April 1, which killed seven military advisers including three senior commanders.
On April 18th, the Permanent Representatives to the United Nations from 48 states including the United States, Australia, Austria, Croatia, France, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Micronesia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Republic of Korea, Romania, and Ukraine issued a joint statement condemning Iran’s attack on Israel.
“HWPL remains steadfast in its commitment to fostering dialogue and reconciliation, offering hope for a peaceful resolution to the conflict between Israel and Iran,” an HWPL official said.
This equipment was distributed on Sunday, May 5, 2024, to three SOS Children’s Village Rwanda schools in Kayonza, Kigali, and Gicumbi. The donated items include 50 footballs, 100 jerseys, and many other items used by the coaches, all valued at over Rwf10 million.
Before the donation, coaches from SK Dubai Football Academy spent three days with the coaches and children at SOS Children’s Village Rwanda, sharing their knowledge of football.
Jean Bosco Kwizera, the Country Director of SOS Children’s Village Rwanda, thanked Kigali Marriott Hotel and SK Football for providing the equipment and training aimed at enhancing knowledge, assuring them that the equipment will be well-utilized to develop the children’s talents to a high standard.
He said, “We thank SK Football Dubai Academy and Kigali Marriott Hotel for helping us train in football, for the coaches, the children, and the leaders. It’s the first training we’ve received, but it will help the children improve their capabilities and further assists in developing their talents.”
Kwizera mentioned that they are planning to collaborate with Rwanda Football Federation (FERWAFA), to allow these children to participate in more competitions, which will further help in talent development.
Ben McBride, the Operations Manager at SK Football Dubai Academy, expressed surprise at the talent they observed in the children from SOS Children’s Village Rwanda and requested support to continue developing these talents for their future benefits.
Matthias Widor, General Manager of Kigali Marriott Hotel and Four Points by Sheraton Kigali, stated that they chose to work with SOS Children’s Village Rwanda because they already support the children in improving their lives and providing daily care, and encouraged other partners to contribute to nurturing the talents of the youth.
Staff Sergeant Gordon Black, who had been stationed at a U.S. military base in South Korea, was arrested in Vladivostok, a major Pacific port city close to Russia’s borders with China and North Korea.
According to NBC News, rather than returning to his base at Fort Cavazos, Texas, Black traveled approximately 400 miles northeast of South Korea to Russia. U.S. officials have stated that Black undertook this travel without authorization from Army superiors and was not on official duty at the time of his visit.
The detour, suggest U.S. officials, was made so Black could meet a woman with whom he had reportedly developed a romantic relationship while they were both in South Korea two years prior. The relationship was implied by Black’s mother, Melody Jones, during her plea for her son’s humane treatment by Russian authorities. “Please do not torture him or hurt him,” Jones implored.
It remains unclear, however, whether the woman Black visited is the same individual from whom he is accused of stealing. Details of the allegations have not been fully disclosed.
Following Black’s detention, the Russian Federation informed the U.S. Department of State, adhering to the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. “The Army notified his family and the U.S. Department of State is providing appropriate consular support to the soldier,” stated a U.S. official.
The incident has drawn significant attention from U.S. lawmakers, including House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, who expressed deep concern over Black’s situation.
Highlighting the risks associated with travel to Russia, McCaul echoed State Department warnings about the potential dangers: “Putin has a long history of holding American citizens hostage,” he remarked. “A warning to all Americans – as the State Department has said, it is not safe to travel to Russia.”
The U.S. government continues to caution its citizens against traveling to Russia, noting a disturbing pattern of Americans being detained, sometimes indefinitely, often used as leverage in diplomatic negotiations.
Media reports indicate that the 82-year-old passed away in his living room while watching a movie with his grandchildren on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, as heavy rains pounded the United Arab Emirates, leading to flash floods in the desert region.
A close associate intimated to the media that on the day the chairman of Pan African Tobacco met his death, he had woken up as usual to go about his work, but he seemed concerned about the harsh weather.
He is quoted to have told his friends that he had not seen such heavy winds and storms in the UAE in the last decade.
“Nevertheless, the chairman worked throughout the day,” a close associate of the billionaire intimated.
While the octogenarian appeared to be physically okay, the associate noted, he was emotionally weak, as he was yet to fully recover from the death of his wife.
Despite the harsh weather, Ayabatwa is said to have insisted on going swimming as part of his routine cardiovascular exercise.
“The weather is really bad,” a family member told Ayabatwa, “Let’s wait for the weather to clear.”
The family managed to convince him to stay indoors at least until the weather improved. To pass time, he suggested watching TV.
A few moments later, he asked one of his grandchildren to get him a remote control. That was the last time they heard his voice as shortly after he became unresponsive.
The distraught kids rushed to inform their parents about what had happened. The parents called for emergency health services, and the old man was confirmed dead.
A postmortem conducted at one of the hospitals in Dubai confirmed that the billionaire had died of a heart attack.
Rujugiro was born in Rwanda around 1941 and started his vast tobacco business in 1978 in Burundi, where he was a refugee.
He had business interests in several other countries including Angola, DR Congo, Nigeria, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Rujugiro was last in Rwanda in 2010, after which it was revealed that he fled to South Africa, a country where he had been running business.
This move came following discoveries that he was allegedly involved in tax evasion and had connections with subversive groups aiming to destabilize Rwanda’s security, whom he also supported financially.
