The signing ceremony took place on Tuesday 2nd May 2023 and was attended by high-level officials from both countries.
Representing Rwanda were Dr. Vincent Biruta, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Dr. Uzziel Ndagijimana, the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning.
The Czech Republic was represented by Vít Rakušan, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, who was in Rwanda for a working visit.
The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Germany, Poland, and Slovakia.
The development follows the recent visit by Rwandan President Paul Kagame to Guinea Conakry on 17th April 2023 where he met with Col Doumbouya for a discussion exploring ways to collaborate in areas of mutual interest.
During the visit, both countries signed cooperation in areas including ICT.
On Thursday last week, Col. Doumbouya told his government that he had held talks with his counterpart in Rwanda on different issues beneficial to both countries.
He said that a joint cooperation commission between Rwanda and Guinea was established, in addition to experts’ committees from both parties that will continue to oversee the implementation cooperation agreements signed on 18th April 2023.
Col. Doumbouya requested the Prime Minister to try all means to support the joint commission to begin assuming its functions and ensure signed agreements come into force in the near future.
Vision Guinée news outlet has reported that the Minister in charge of Transport has been instructed to make fast preparations for air flights from Conakry to Kigali.
Guinee Airlines, the country’s airline, was in operation since 1999 but halted in 2004.
Rwanda’s carrier, RwandAir continues to expand to different destinations across the world.
Meanwhile; the Minister of Foreign Affairs was assigned to prepare for the designation of an envoy representing the country’s interests in Rwanda with a view to reinforce friendship and cooperation between both countries.
During his visit to the West African country, President Kagame reminisced on the need of sharing expertise among African nations.
“Sharing knowledge and expertise among ourselves as Africans and with other partners around the world is useful and necessary. We do this to help us create the conditions for our citizens to live long, healthy and productive lives and contribute to the advancement of our countries,” Kagame said.
He further stressed the need for collaboration between countries because working alone cannot lead to desired progress.
“No one has everything needed, all in one place, to succeed alone. So, cooperation in different fields is indispensable,” President Kagame said.
During his stay in the country, the Head of State also attended the inauguration of Pont Paul Kagame Kagbélen highway interchange that was named after him.
The Republic of Guinea is currently led by an interim presidency after a military coup in September 2021 that ousted former President Alpha Condé.
The interim presidency is expected to lead the country until elections can be held in 2024 to establish a permanent government.
Alpha Condé had led the country since 2010. He was ousted after winning the third unconstitutional term.
The Governor of Western Province, François Habitegeko has told IGIHE that emergency assistance is being provided as efforts are underway to identify more residents whose houses might have collapsed on them.
“It rained heavily the whole night that Ngororero, Rubavu, Nyabihu, Rutsiro and Karongi districts have been seriously affected. We lost a large number of residents and families that we have so far registered 95 deaths not considering injured people, and those whose houses collapsed. We are assessing this situation to identify those who need emergency assistance,” he noted.
As Habitegeko said, 14 detahs have been registered in Karongi, 26 in Rutsiro, 18 in Rubavu, 19 in Nyabihu and 18 in Ngororero.
He urged residents in high risk zones to move to safer places.
The rain poured down across the whole province but Nyamasheke and Rusizi districts have not yet registered major ravages.
In Bwishyura Sector, a cliff collapsed on a house where three of eight occupants died on spot while survivors are in critical condition at a nearby hospital.
In the same sector, another incident happened in Bapfune where two people managed to leave a house that collapsed while a five-year old child was still trapped inside by press time.
Two more children died as a house collapsed in Nyarugenge Village in Rubengera Sector.
The downpour has also destroyed infrastructures including roads.
The BAL has added a number price points to make it easy for fans to select their seats and locations based on where they want to enjoy the Finals: Upper Bowl seats for as low as Rwf 1,250, Lower Bowl seats for as low as Rwf 12,750 and Courtsides seats for as low as Rwf 41,250 in the third row.
For companies or groups looking to organize a group outing to one or all of the games during the finals, they can email baltickets@thebal.com for more information.
“We are excited to welcome our passionate BAL fans to Kigali for our third consecutive finals,” said BAL Vice President, Head of Strategy and Operations John Manyo-Plange. “We encourage our fans to purchase tickets and enjoy the excitement of this world-class basketball and entertainment product, as we rollout our most competitive and impactful season yet.”
The 12 BAL teams have once again been divided into two conferences – the Sahara Conference and the Nile Conference.
Each conference plays a 15-game group phase during which each team plays the five other teams in its conference once.
The top four teams from the Nile Conference group phase will join Abidjan Basket Club (ABC Fighters; Côte d’Ivoire), AS Douanes (Senegal), Rwanda Energy Group (REG; Rwanda) and Stade Malien (Mali) in the BAL Playoffs, which will feature a single-elimination tournament and Finals at BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda in May.
In separate operations conducted on Monday, May 1, in Gakenke and Burera districts, Police arrested two women, who were at the time trafficking over 83,200 pieces of the outlawed non-biodegradable polythene bags.
One woman was intercepted in Nyamure village, Nyacyina cell of Gashenyi sector in Gakenke District with 306 cartons (61200 pieces) of plastic bags.
She was trafficking the harmful plastic packaging products in a vehicle, Fuso type.
In Burera District, the 35-year old woman was arrested in Mutara village, Rwasa cell in Gahunga sector in possession of 22000 pieces of the outlawed products. She was also traveling in public vehicle from Cyanika heading to Musanze District.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Alex Ndayisenga, the Northern Region Political and Civic Education Officer (RPCEO), said that the two women were arrested by the Revenue Protection Unit (RPU).
“The suspect arrested in Gakenke was at the time heading to Kigali where she was taking the plastic bags, after getting them from another dealer in Musanze District, who is yet to be arrested.
At about 9p.m, another woman was arrested in Burera after sneaking 110 cartons (22000 pieces) of plastic bags into Rwanda from Uganda through a porous border point,” SP Ndayisenga said.
He warned against such unlawful acts, which pose ill-effects on the environment.
Manufacturing, use, importation or sale of plastic carry bags and single-use plastic items are prohibited under article 3 of law N° 17/2019 of 10/08/2019 relating to the prohibition of manufacturing, importation, use, and sale of plastic carry bags and single-use plastic items in Rwanda.
In article 10, any person, who imports plastic carry bags and single-use plastic items is liable to the dispossession of those plastic carry bags and such items, and to an administrative fine equivalent to ten times the value of those plastic carry bags and single-use plastic items.
Father Dr. Ntivuguruzwa who is a priest of the same diocese has been serving as the the Vice Chancellor of the Catholic Institute of Kabgayi (ICK), one of higher learning institutions owned by Catholic Church in Rwanda.
A statement released by the office of Pope’s Apostolic Nuncio to Rwanda reads that Dr. Ntivuguruzwa was named Bishop of Kabgayi on Tuesday 2nd May 2023.
Msgr. Ntivuguruzwa was born on 15th September 1967 in the district of Muhanga.
After his studies at the Major Seminary of Philosophy in Kabgayi, Msgr. Ntivuguruzwa completed the cycle of Theology at the Catholic University of Kinshasa, and was ordained a priest on 18th January 1997 for the diocese of Kabgayi.
After ordination, he first served as Vice Rector and Teacher in the Minor Seminary of Kabgayi (1997-2000) and Secretary to the Bishop of Kabgayi (2000-2003).
Msgr. Ntivuguruzwa was awarded a Doctorate in Moral Theology from the Université Catholique de Louvain in Belgium.
He went on to serve as deputy parish priest of Saint-Rémy and Sainte-Renelde in the archdiocese of Malines-Bruxelles (2003-2010), and professor and prefect of studies at the major seminary of Nyakibanda (2010-2017).
From 2017 to date, he has been Vice Chancellor of the Catholic Institute of Kabgayi.
The statement released on May 1st, 2023, indicates that the expected rainfall during the first half of May will be more significant than usual.
However, for the second half of the month, precipitation should return to the seasonal norms typical of the summer period in July.
The rise in precipitation is attributed to a slight increase in temperatures in the Pacific and Indian Oceans for the month of May, combined with winds circulating from the northern hemisphere.
The northwestern regions of Rwanda, as well as a small part of the Nyamasheke district, are expected to be the hardest hit, with precipitation expected to reach between 175 and 200 millimeters.
In the Western and Northern provinces, except for the Gicumbi region and the southern regions of Rulindo and Gakenke, rainfall of 150 to 175 millimeters is expected. In Gicumbi, Rulindo, and Gakenke districts, precipitation is expected to be slightly lower, with levels between 100 and 150 millimeters.
The regions least affected by heavy rains will be the north and part of the Nyagatare district, as well as the southern regions of Kirehe, Ngoma, and Bugesera, where precipitation is expected to range from 50 to 75 millimeters.
For the rest of the country, estimates are set between 75 and 150 millimeters.
The victim, Charles Engola, served in the government of President Yoweri Museveni as the junior minister in charge of labour.
The attacker then turned the gun on himself, according to state broadcaster UBC and other sources.
The shooting occurred inside the home of the late Minister, General David Muhoozi Engola, in a Kampala suburb. Detectives from the police force are now investigating the scene of the crime.
While the motive for the attack has not been immediately confirmed, local media reports suggest that it may have arisen due to a private dispute between the Minister and his bodyguard over unpaid wages.
“Witnesses claim that the soldier was yelling that he had not been paid for a long time despite working for a minister,” the online newspaper NilePost reported.
The incident highlights the dangers of gun violence in Uganda, where high-profile officials have been targeted in previous attacks. In 2021, a former army chief was wounded, and his daughter was killed when gunmen shot at their vehicle in the capital.
The killing of Minister Engola is a tragedy for Uganda, and the country’s government has expressed condolences to the Minister’s family and friends.
According to Clementine Mukeka, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the journey to evacuate Rwandans and foreigners from Sudan began on Tuesday, and the government first took them to Aswan city in Egypt from Khartoum before flying them to Kigali.
The exercise was conducted through partnership between the Rwandan government, the embassy in Cairo, and the embassy in Khartoum.
“We commend Egypt for having welcomed our citizens during these trying times, as well as the Sudanese and the Government of Sudan for their assistance in evacuating these people,” said Mukeka.
The citizens flown to Kigali include five Syrians, one Burundian, one Kenyan, two Ugandans, one Nigerian, and 32 Rwandans.
Mukeka also stated that two Rwandans preferred to stay in Khartoum for personal reasons, but they will receive support where necessary.
Mukeka disclosed that Rwanda is prepared to contribute to efforts aimed at achieving durable peace in Sudan through mechanisms that will be established by the African Union (AU).
Among the evacuees was Kenyan citizen Ogendo Daniel Oganga, who married a Rwandan.
Ogango commended the Government of Rwanda for the support extended to him and his family to leave Sudan.
Rwandan citizen Francis Kihumuro also expressed his relief for being evacuated from an area prone to heavy gunfire.
Since 15th April, Sudan has been mired in military clashes between following days of tension between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and its rival, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The country has been suffering a political crisis since the Sudanese army commander Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan declared a state of emergency in October 2021 and dissolved the sovereign council as well as the government.
“In the period of April 23-29, 2023, 484 migrants were intercepted and returned to Libya,” IOM said in a statement.
“So far this year, a total of 4,819 illegal migrants have been rescued and returned to Libya,” IOM said, adding that 505 illegal migrants died and 319 others went missing off the Libyan coast on the central Mediterranean route in 2023.
In 2022, a total of 24,684 migrants were rescued and returned to Libya, 525 migrants died and 848 others went missing off the Libyan coast on the central Mediterranean route, the IOM revealed in the statement.
Due to the insecurity and chaos in the country since the fall of late leader Muammar Gaddafi’s regime in 2011, many migrants, mostly Africans, choose to cross the Mediterranean Sea to European shores from Libya.
