The dismissal has been announced through a communiqué released by the Office of Prime Minister, Dr. Edouard Ngirente on Thursday 6th October 2022.
“Today, the 6th October 2022, His Excellency the President has removed Mr. Zephanie Niyonkuru from his duties as the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Rwanda Development Board [RDB] owing to repeated managerial failures,” reads the statement.
Niyonkuru had been appointed Deputy CEO of RDB in October 2019 replacing Emmanuel Hategeka who was assigned to represent Rwanda in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Before his appointment as Deputy RDB CEO, Niyonkuru had worked at the institution as a strategy expert.
Prior to joining RDB, Niyonkuru worked as a Country Representative for the USAID East Africa Trade and Investment Hub.
“Today in Kibugabuga, President Kagame received a US Congressional delegation at his farm. The delegation is led by Senator Jim Inhofe accompanied by Senator Mike Rounds and John Boozman.
“The trip to Rwanda is Senator Jim Inhofe’s last CODEL [Congressional Member Delegation] visit before his retirement. The cordial meeting discussed regional and global affairs and the existing bilateral relations between Rwanda and the United States,” reads the tweet.
Born in 1934, Jim Inhofe is a senator in US Congress who has been representing Oklahoma State.
Inhofe, 87, is the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee and its past chairman. He served previously as chairman and ranking Republican of the Environment and Public Works Committee.
Inhofe recently announced that he would retire effective January 3, 2023, after 35 years in Congress and a career in politics spanning over 50 years.
On Thursday 15th September 2022, Rwanda’s Embassy in the United States hosted a breakfast at the US Capitol in appreciation of Senator Jim Inhofe’s career and friendship with Africa and Rwanda, in particular.
In a message he sent at the time, President Kagame commended Senator Jim Inhofe for his dedication to cement relations between Rwanda and the United States throughout his tenure as a senator in US Congress.
“We have watched you invest in learning about and understanding Rwanda and other African countries. We have also watched you educate your peers on the importance of Africa and countries like Rwanda as worthy global allies,” he said.
“You have shown that a productive relationship with the United States is mutually beneficial for our people and contributes to greater security and stronger economies,” added Kagame.
Speaking at the event, Senator Inhofe also appreciated the warm welcome he is always given whenever he travels to Rwanda.
The journalists include Jean Damascène Mutuyimana, Jean Baptiste Nshimiyimana and Schadrack Niyonsenga who were arrested in October 2018.
The High Court has said that the Prosecution did not present tangible evidences pinning them and ordered their immediate release.
“It was revealed that the Prosecution did not present tangible evidences on inciting public insurrection, and of spreading false information with intention to create hostile international opinion against Rwanda. None of them happened,” Jean Paul Ibambe, the defense lawyer of the three journalists has told IGIHE.
The Prosecution’s allegations are based on stories published on the journalists’ YouTube channel on attacks of FLN to Rwanda in 2018.
Ibambe has said that the journalists told the court that the attacks occurred where there are individuals convicted of involvement.
They have been detained for four years. Ibambe said that the trio has rights to appeal for compensation noting that their acquittal is what matters the most.
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 troop’s 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.
Rwandan Security Forces in Cabo Delgado are mainly renowned for bravery to quell terrorists but there many more areas in which they have intervened to ensure protected citizens have sound health.
In Rwanda, security forces are not only responsible for maintaining security and order but also involved in other areas of national development like health, education and construction among others.
This aspect was also considered during the deployment of troops in Cabo Delgado.
They were deployed along with colleagues from the medical regiment so that the Mozambicans in the war-torn areas, get medical care quickly.
IGIHE recently visited the field hospital of Rwanda Security Forces in Cabo Delgado, which serves as the referral health facility in the area for Rwandan, Mozambican troops and civilians as well.
It offers all the services one would access at a Rwandan hospitals including examination, medication, surgery, laboratories, a sickbay and more.
Major Dr. Jean Paul Shumbusho, the Head of Medical Services in Rwanda Security Forces deployed in Cabo Delgado, spoke to IGIHE a day after they started providing medical care to residents living far from the hospital.
Dr. Shumbusho said that they frequently conduct medical outreach programs because Cabo Delgado is a large province with a limited number of health facilities.
“We draw special emphasis on areas where most of the population has already returned but are still far from the roads and towns where they cannot access healthcare easily.
Those are the ones we often target to reduce long and exhausting daily walks and provide basic care as much as we can. Those who have not been treated are facilitated to reach the main hospital so that they can be properly treated,” he noted.
The Rwandan Security Forces offer treatment for free while the Government of Rwanda caters for the cost of equipment and medicines.
“We treat the people for free from the time we receive them, give them medicines, feed and clothe them until they go home, all free of charge. The cost is high but not as much as a person’s life,” said Dr. Shumbusho.
The hospital receives between 250 and 400 patients per month, excluding those treated in medical outreach activities. Among those treated, at least 35 underwent surgery.
Dr. Shumbusho said that Malaria comes first among the diseases affecting the residents of Cabo Delgado.
It can be linked to the fact that it is a province of mostly tropical forests, with low land near the sea.
“Malaria is the first disease that we frequently treat here. It is severe malaria that kills some patients if they do not get treatment on time, especially young children and pregnant women. That is why we focus on providing them with medicine, and educate them on prevention,” revealed Dr. Shumbusho.
As a war-tone area for four years, malnutrition-related diseases especially among young children are among the most common ones. It also stems from the fact that there is not much sanitation infrastructure in place.
Dr. Shumbusho said war-related diseases including trauma, emotional and physical injuries are among major problems.
“There are still many injuries, there are still many incidents related to explosive remnants of war and many people without this protection,”
{{Men are affected by orchitis}}
Dr. Shumbusho said that the majority of patients getting surgery are men who are suffering from orchitis, due to the nature of the area where they live.
Orchitis is the leakage of fluid between the two skins that cover the testicles. When there is water between them, whether it is more or less, it is called orchitis.
“We mostly conduct surgery for male reproductive health related diseases because they live in an area with several water bodies. There are parasitic worms that enter people’s bodies and reside in the men’s private parts because they don’t wear shoes or other protections. Those are the ones that require surgery the most. About 50% of the men coming to this facility suffer from such conditions,” affirmed Dr. Shumbusho.
The healthcare services provided by the Rwandan Security Forces to the residents of Cabo Delgado have been extremely appreciated that some mothers requested that their children be given Rwandan names after delivery.
“There are children we gave Rwandan names at the request of their parents as an appreciation to medical assistance offered to them. These include Ntwali, Mahirwe and Nkotanyi among others,” revealed Dr. Shumbusho.
Apart from treating patients, Rwandan Security Forces also provide support to other health facilities with shortage of medicines in Cabo Delgado.
The day was a major breakthrough in the history of Rwanda and a major setback for the government of the then President Juvenal Habyarimana who had been stubborn, saying that the country is so full that it cannot find a place to settle its people who are in exile.
This date had been eagerly awaited by the young men and women, members of RPA Inkotanyi who had already observed that the process of negotiations was no longer possible where the remaining alternative was to wage a war.
In the history of RPA and Rwanda in general, the date of October 1 had no special meaning before 1990, although the RPF Inkotanyi and its forces did not accidentally choose it.
A journalist identified as Stephen Kinzer wrote a book titled ‘A Thousand Hills: Rwanda’s Rebirth and the Man Who Dreamed It’ in which he shows what choosing that date meant a lot at that time.
From Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th September 1990, a World Summit for Children was underway at the headquarters of the United Nations (UN) in New York in the United States of America.
President Habyarimana and Yoweri Museveni of Uganda were among the 71 heads of state and government who attended the conference.
The RPF Inkotanyi knew very well that both leaders would still be in YSA on October 1, 1990.
Kinzer says that it was difficult on the Rwandan side for the army to get enough instructions to fight the attackers, as it would happen when the President is in the country.
Most of the RPA troops who started the fight, were already enrolled in the Ugandan Army led by Major General Gisa Fred Rwigema. They were deployed in different parts of Uganda but had to come together to be able to plot an attack to Rwanda.
Rwigema, who was the Deputy Commander of the Ugandan Army, could not find any other way to move soldiers from one base to another, without taking advantage of Museveni’s foreign visit.
This was facilitated by the fact that Uganda celebrates Independence Day on October 9. This means, some soldiers had to be withdrawn from some of the camps early, to prepare for the Independence Day parade.
During those dates, it was easy for the commanders of the RPA forces to move with the forces hailing from Rwanda, who were able to gather together without being discovered by other commander in the Ugandan forces as it was done under the guise of Independence Day preparations.
Kinzer said that Maj Gen Fred Rwigema informed Museveni about the transfer of troops.
Since Museveni was in New York, Kinzer explained that no other soldier would dare to ask him how he brought together two thousand soldiers from Rwanda in one place.
Following the organization, Rwigema sent soldiers to areas near the border of Rwanda to prepare for battle.
Starting from September 30, trucks full of soldiers began moving to Ankole District in Southern Uganda, close to the border with Rwanda.
The soldiers came with a lot of weapons mainly those they had looted from the Ugandan weapons’ store.
At around 4:00 a.m. in on October 1, after making possible arrangements, the soldiers were ordered to cross Kagitumba border.
It didn’t take long to capture the area that was guarded by a few state soldiers.
This date was the beginning of a four-year struggle, which stopped the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi on July 4, 1994. At this time, the genocidaire government was defeated and the process of building a new Rwanda began.
FDLR is a terrorist group comprised of remnant masterminds of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
Amb. Gatete voiced the concern on Friday to the UN Security Council, after receiving a report on the activities of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO).
He said that one of the factors that continue to cause insecurity in Congo and the region, includes the FDLR and other groups affiliated to it.
Amb. Gatete added that the concern lies in the way the Congolese Army (FARDC) came to the fore cooperating with the FDLR instead of fighting.
He revealed that it is unfortunate to hear that the FARDC and its affiliates are working with the FARDC yet such situations often lead to groups regrouping, recruiting new fighters and launching cross-border attacks.
Amb. Gatete underscored that FARDC should stop cooperating with armed and sanctioned groups like the FDLR.
He said that the FDLR should not be considered as a simple group yet there are evidences of the attacks it plotted to Rwanda recently that have caused a lot of damage.
Amb. Gatete gave the example of three attacks that have taken place this year, with the help of the Congolese Army.
The fact that the FDLR is in DRC, he said, is not something that should be taken lightly.
Amb. Gatete expressed concerns that a group guided by Genocide ideology should not be judged by the number of its members, because it can attack Rwandan territory, cause damages and kill people regardless of the size.
Based on these attacks recently plotted attacks, he highlighted that FDLR and its affiliated groups are clearly a serious problem to Rwanda’s security.
The President of the DRC, Felix Tshisekedi, recently told the UN General Assembly that the FDLR is an excuse because it is made up of people struggling to find means of survival that they ‘cannot threaten the security of Rwanda’.
However, he said that the group killed the Italian Ambassador to Congo last year.
Amb Gatete also blamed speeches of some Congolese leaders, who drag Rwanda in the country’s problems to dodge their involvement.
He said that such acts fuel hate speeches against Kinyarwanda-speaking people and exacerbated the situation in eastern DRC.
Gatete also said that the way Congo externalize its problems is a serious concern noting that accepting its responsibility is one of the ways to find a solution.
He underscored that Rwanda will continue to do what it sees fit and protect its people and sovereignty.
Congo has been accusing Rwanda of contributing to the insecurity in the eastern part by supporting the M23 rebel group.
Rwanda has repeatedly rejected these accusations, saying that M23 problems that should be solved internally because the members of that group are Congolese, demanding rights in their country.
Sustainable Growers Rwanda (SG-R) is a local non-profit. The organization is offering training to low-income female coffee farmers to improve their livelihood.
SG-R equips the female farmers with mulching and timely application of fertilizers and pesticides.
On 1st October 2022, SG-R joined the rest of the world to celebrate the International Coffee Day held at Question Coffee in Kiyovu Cell, Nyarugenge District.
The ceremony brought together stakeholders in the agribusiness sector, from across the continent and beyond as well as women growing coffee across the country.
Some of women growing coffee attest that they have been equipped with best farming techniques that have helped them improve quality, thanks to trainings offered by Sustainable Growers Rwanda.
Esther Mukangango from Rusenge Sector, Nyaruguru District is a member of Nyampinga Cooperative. She explained that livelihoods have improved remarkably following trainings offered by Sustainable Growers Rwanda.
“Our cooperative had ambitions to grow faster but could not materialize due to limited resources. The situation had not improved until Sustainable Growers Rwanda intervened and trained us on best coffee farming techniques that we have attained considerable progress,” she said.
Mukangango has revealed that Nyampinga’s coffee is currently supplied to different countries worldwide.
Dative Mukasine, the president of Gashonga Coffee Cooperative in Rusizi District said that Sustainable Growers has inspired them to drink coffee.
Sustainable Growers started operations in Rwanda in 2013. It has so far offered trainings to over 50,000 coffee farmers in Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Tanzania.
They were equipped with techniques for best farming, processing and commercialization of their produce.
The Executive Director of Sustainable Growers Rwanda, Christine Condo said that the organization is committed to working with all partners to achieve development goals together through empowering women to play an active role in improving their families’ wellbeing and contribute to national economy at large.
Minister Mukeshimana commended the organization and farmers for their contribution to national development through coffee farming.
“Rwanda is among countries that gained repute for producing quality coffee. I thank this organization for continued efforts to uplift women in development,” she said.
Dr. Mukeshimana also revealed that Rwanda makes possible efforts to increase unit price gradually to improve farmers’ living standards.
The official also told participants that coffee is among commodities generating huge returns from exports.
Last week, Rwanda exported 434 tons of coffee which generated US$3,314,427. The main destinations for Rwanda’s coffee last week include Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States and New Zealand.
Sustainable Growers works with six coffee farming cooperatives from different districts including; Nyampinga from Nyaruguru, Gashonga from Rusizi, KOAKAA from Nyamasheke, Twongere Umusaruro wa Kawa from Kayonza, Mayogi from Gicumbi and Abahingakawa from Gakenke District.
Today, there is a different story to tell. A case in point is the group of 25 families of historically marginalized people in Nyamiyaga Cell, Miyove Sector of Gicumbi District requesting their new status to be considered and be referred to as people on the development journey instead of historically marginalized people.
The progress testified to IGIHE journalist as he visited the families is attributed, in no small part, to the support of the Government of Rwanda and partners.
Their mindsets have changed, so is their wellbeing. They no longer depend on begging but have become hard working people with big aspirations for a brighter future.
Like other members of the society, they wake up every morning for different economic activities and apply acquired vocational skills to generate income.
Children attend schools, stunting has reduced, they are no longer associated with poor hygiene and live in houses connected to electricity.
André Masurubu is among historically marginalized people whose living standards have significantly improved.
He currently serves as the head of village sub-unit (Isibo) in Nyamiyaga Village.
Masurubu says that their lives have been transformed that they should no longer be labelled as historically marginalized but rather be called people on the journey to development.
“We used to live in very small houses in poor conditions. Our legs would not fit in the house as we slept overnight putting us at risk of being devoured by stray animals. We have received decent shelters, we sleep in safe and comfortable places, we have access to electricity and our children can revise studies overnight,” he said.
Masurubu said that the transformations were mainly driven by change of mindsets, because they used to receive similar support and destroy houses to sell some materials or use doors as firewood.
The changes resulted from relentless joint efforts by the government and partners who stayed closer to historically marginalized people day to day.
NPO Think About Education in Rwanda (NPO TER), a non-profit organization from Japan which mainly provides educational opportunities is among partners who played a significant role to change the lives of historically marginalized people in Miyove.
Elisabeth Twizeyimana, a mentor from NPO TER says that the 25 families under their supervision no longer have issues related to poor hygiene and malnutrition.
“It was a tiresome journey that required much effort to change their mindsets, and convince them to practice agriculture. Today, they have received land to cultivate and exploit them conveniently where they harvest and store seeds for the next agriculture season,” she noted.
According to Twizeyimana, historically marginalized people have been enlightened on the benefits of working together in groups, where they have helped them to buy small livestock that also serve as a source of compost to fertilize their gardens.
The transformations are also highlighted by Marie Louise Towari, the founder and president of NPO TER.
Towari explained that she first arrived at the village of historically marginalized people six years ago where he was moved by a child she saw begging.
This inspired her to mobilize partners to give special attention to this segment of the population.
Towari linked up with Rotary Club and worked together to usher the historically marginalized people into prosperity.
“I liaised with Rotary Club to take care of them together. We mobilized funds which we used to support historically marginalized people in Miyove. We have stayed closer to them within six years and the transformations are self-evident. As you can see, they are clean in smart dresses and no longer have the habit of begging,” she said.
Amb. Zephyr Mutanguha who represented Rotary Club Kigali Virunga said that beneficiaries received arable fields and enlightened them on the relevance of being actively involved in their development journey to become self-reliant and stop begging.
“Rotary Club conducts mobilization all over the world and provides support to vulnerable families. We are here to inspect water tanks given to them recently and inaugurate electricity infrastructures they had requested. This has a great influence on their mindsets as they rest assured that development is not a miracle to their families,” he affirmed.
Gicumbi Vice Mayor for Economic Affairs, Parfaite Uwera thanked partners for taking care of historically marginalized people in Miyove Sector noting that the remaining work is to consolidate gains and continue mobilizations to change their mindsets.
“We will stay closer to them because it is our daily responsibility to ensure they lead a decent life like other segments of the population,” she said.
The historically marginalized people in Miyove have been equipped with different vocational skills including sewing and making soaps. This helps them to wear smart clothes and maintain hygiene at home, among other things.
Rwanda’s membership to the council was extended following elections held at the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in Bucharest, Romania from 26th September to 14th October 2022.
ITU is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies (ICTs).
The Plenipotentiary Conference is ITU’s highest policy-making body and meets once every four years to set the Union’s general policies, adopt the four-year strategic and financial plans, and elect the senior management team of the organization, the Member States of the Council, and the members of the Radio Regulations Board.
ITU was founded in 1865 to facilitate international connectivity in communications networks.
Rwanda was first elected in 2010, re-elected in 2014 and 2018.
This year’s voting started Monday morning at the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference.
ITU holds elections every four years for its five top officials and for two key elected bodies.
In the final stage of the election process, ITU’s Member States competed for places on the 48-seat Council and the 12-seat Radio Regulations Board.
Seats on both bodies are allocated among five administrative regions.
{{ITU Council Member States elected for 2023-2026}}
The Region A includes The Americas (9 seats)-Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Bahamas, Canada, Cuba, United States, Paraguay and El Salvador.
Region B comprises Western Europe (8 seats) – Italy, United Kingdom, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, France, Germany and Türkiye.
Members of the region C include; Eastern Europe and Northern Asia (5 seats)- Romania, Azerbaijan, Poland, Bulgaria and Czech Republic.
Region D comprises Africa (13 seats) – Kenya, Ghana, Egypt, Tanzania, Algeria, Morocco, Senegal, Nigeria, Tunisia, Mauritius, Rwanda, Uganda and South Africa.
Region E includes Asia and Australasia (13 seats) – United Arab Emirates; India, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, Kuwait, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Korea, Bahrain and China.
Rwanda was among 17 countries vying for 13 seats in the ITU Council in region D.
The country won the seat with 131 votes.
ITU is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies driving innovation in ICTs together with 193 Member States and a membership of over 900 companies, universities, and international and regional organizations.
Established over 150 years ago, ITU is the intergovernmental body responsible for coordinating the shared global use of the radio spectrum, promoting international cooperation in assigning satellite orbits, improving communication infrastructure in the developing world, and establishing the worldwide standards that foster seamless interconnection of a vast range of communications systems.
