RDF has through a statement released today announced that the promotion takes immediate effect.
Brig Gen Nkubito has been serving as the commander of RDF forces in Eastern Province and Kigali City.
Brig Gen Nkubito is promoted at a time when sources indicate that he is set to be appointed as the Joint Force Commander of Rwandan Security Forces fighting terrorists in Mozambique.
The duties are currently assumed by Maj Gen Innocent Kabandana, who deputizes Mozambican Chief of Staff in the fight against terrorists.
It is said that he will be working with Brig Gen Frank Mutembe expected to replace the Task Force Battle Group Commander, Brig Gen Pascal Muhizi.
Brig Gen Nkubito once served as the Commander of RDF Division in Northern Province and Rwanda’s Senior Representative in United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and Sector Juba Commander.
Ruto won with 50.49% of the vote, narrowly defeating veteran opposition leader and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who was contesting his fifth election.
He will become Kenya’s fifth President since independence, winning the seat on his first attempt. Ruto’s party, the Kenya First coalition, has won a majority of seats in Kenya’s senate, the second highest in the National Assembly.
The results announcement was delayed for more than two hours past the constitutional deadline and the country’s electoral commission was split, after four officials disowned the commission’s chairman Wafula Chebukati’s results.
The opposing officials staged a press conference of their own at another venue disputing the official results. The IEBC’s vice chair Juliana Cherera was among those who disagreed with the results but provided no evidence of irregularities.
Earlier Monday, Ruto’s rival Odinga’s coalition also rejected the election results before they had even been announced by Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
Odinga’s chief agent Saitabao Kanchory told the press outside the national election center in Nairobi that they had not yet been able to cross check the final result with their own tally.
“Once we see them, we want to verify them, when we verify them, we will be able to know and to tell the Kenyan people, because a result that is not verifiable is not a result.” Kanchory told reporters awaiting the results announcement.
The national tallying center briefly descended into chaos shortly after Odinga’s coalition rejected the results, with fighting breaking out and chairs being thrown in the building.
{{‘It’s not over till it’s over’}}
Ruto thanked the people of Kenya for voting him as the next leader of the country in his first speech after being announced the winner of the election.
“In this election, there are no losers. The people of Kenya have won because we have raised the political bar. The people of Kenya are the biggest winners,” he said.
He expressed his “gratitude” to Kenyan citizens “who refused to be boxed into tribal cocoons.”
He also thanked his competitor and veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga, and said: “We dwelled on issues and tried to sell an agenda to the people of Kenya during the campaign.”
“It was God that brought us here … my team and I will make sure that the sacrifices made by many Kenyans is not in vain …I will run a transparent, open, democratic government and I will work with the opposition to the extent that they provide oversight over my administration,” he added.
There was a divided response to the presidential election results in Kenya on Monday evening. In Eldoret, live pictures from Ruto’s hometown showed large crowds celebrating and cheering his win.
But in Kisumu, Odinga’s stronghold, protests erupted. Live images showed scores protesting the election results, tires on fire and smoke billowing in the air.
Odinga’s running mate Martha Karua also took to Twitter following the results announcement and said: “It is not over till it is over.”
{{The ‘hustler-in-chief’}}
Analysts had predicted a win for Odinga, given his performance in opinion polls and the support he enjoyed from outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta.
But Ruto’s populist “man-of-the-people” approach, which rejected political dynasties and played on anti-elite sentiment in the country, endeared him to voters.
He was able to transcend Kenya’s traditionally dynastic politics to beat Odinga, the son of Kenya’s first vice president.
During the campaign, Ruto described himself as the “hustler-in-chief,” citing his humble beginnings as a chicken seller who fought his way up to the top of Kenyan politics.
Political analyst Herman Manyora told CNN ahead of the election that “Ruto has excited the youths … almost in a euphoric sense.”
Ruto, a former teacher who holds a doctorate in plant ecology from the University of Nairobi, has pledged to prioritize Kenya’s economy and “uplift ordinary citizens” as President.
He will come under pressure to provide solutions to Kenya’s pressing economic problems, including growing debt, high food and fuel prices, and mass youth unemployment.
Ruto has a long and varied history in Kenyan politics and was also tried alongside President Kenyatta in 2013 at the International Criminal Court in the Netherlands for alleged crimes against humanity following deadly violence in the 2007 elections. However, the charges were later thrown out.
The latest oil convoy went into Iraq through the al-Mahmoudieh crossing, which has been used by the United States to send stolen Syrian oil into Iraq, said SANA.
This comes two days after the U.S. sent a convoy of 144 oil tankers in the same way, SANA added.
SANA said the incident is part of America’s ongoing violations of international principles and their involvement in plundering the natural resources of other nations and starving their peoples.
The Syrian government has long accused the United States of stealing the natural resources in Syria, such as oil, gas and wheat.
The Secretary-General will arrive in Libreville on 16th August and during her four-day visit, will meet the President of Gabon, Ali Bongo Ondimba, and other senior government officials.
The visit comes after Gabon was recently admitted as the Commonwealth’s 55th member at the Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Kigali, Rwanda. The Secretary-General will thus use her maiden visit as an opportunity to establish the foundations of a new relationship between Gabon and the Commonwealth, understand the challenges of the country, and explore areas of mutual cooperation.
Speaking ahead of her visit, the Secretary-General said: “We were thrilled to welcome Gabon into the Commonwealth family at our Heads of Government Meeting in June. I am very much looking forward to my first visit to the country and meeting with leaders, ministers and officials.
As a new Commonwealth member, this important visit will allow me to deepen engagement with the country and its people. It will also serve as a vital opportunity to discuss ways in which the Commonwealth Secretariat can serve and support the Government and people of Gabon in advancing our shared values and achieving our shared goals.”
The Secretary-General’s visit also coincides with the 62nd Anniversary of the Independence of Gabon on 17th August and she will therefore take part in the official celebrations in Libreville.
{{About The Commonwealth Secretariat}}
The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 56 independent and equal sovereign states. Its combined population is 2.5 billion, of which more than 60 per cent is aged 29 or under.
The Commonwealth Secretariat supports member countries to build democratic and inclusive institutions, strengthen governance and promote justice and human rights.
Its work helps to grow economies and boost trade, deliver national resilience, empower young people, and address threats such as climate change, debt, and inequality.
The graduation ceremony took place in Sandhurst of UK in the morning of Friday 12th August 2022. Other Rwandans who graduated along with Ian Kagame include Park Udahemuka and David Nsengiyumva.
Graduates from the academy include 208 UK nationals and 41 foreigners from 26 countries.
President Kagame and Mrs. Jeannette Kagame attended the ceremony in which their son was commissioned. Rwanda’s national anthem was played as a guard of honour was mounted to welcome him.
In 2019, Ian Kagame obtained Master’s degree in Economy from Williams College in the United States of America.
Considering its unique approach, this form of therapy has been given much attention through various events meant to raise awareness on it and eventually extend support to trauma victims in different societies.
A case in point is the International Narrative Therapy and Community Work Conference which is also a fruit of the great relevance attached to this noble approach. The latest conference took place in Rwanda this week bringing together participants from over 30 countries.
It was hosted by the Center for Mental Health under the UR-College of Medicine and Health Sciences in partnership with Dulwich Center Foundation, SOS Children’s Villages Rwanda and Geruka Healing Centre.
The conference sought to share experiences in responding to Mental Health hardships using narrative ideas which have continued to be used by practitioners from several countries across the world and also share research findings on narrative therapy.
Under the Narrative therapy, participating practitioners said, people who need psychological support, tell their own stories in order to get their hearts soothed. This is often done by assigning that person the role of narrator in his/her own story.
This is type of therapy is strongly believed to help people overcome their problems and encourages people to rely on own ability or other sources of strength to minimize the effect of horrendous experiences they went through.
Besides, narrative therapy uses the power of these stories to help people determine the purpose of life.
According to practitioners of narrative therapy, telling one’s story plays a significant role to the process of recovery.
Speaking at the conference held recently; the Director of the Centre for Mental Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences at the University of Rwanda, Prof. Vincent Sezibera highlighted that this type of therapy is unique as it helps affected individuals to develop positive mindsets.
“When we deal with people who may require mental and psychological support, we tend to focus on problems but narrative therapy promotes the approach that focuses on a different story, the alternative story. Where you do not have to see the person from the perspective of hardships,” he noted.
While mental disorders are prevalent among 20% of Rwanda’s general population, most of the people with mental health problems have depression as a consequence of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
This approach is hailed for having contributed to the healing journey in no smaller part.
Martha Mukagihana is a survivor of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi who lives in Imena Village sheltering Genocide widows. She is among beneficiaries of the type of therapy.
She attested that telling their stories and sharing experiences helped them in the process of overcoming traumas.
“We used to live in loneliness and haunted by bad memories that we were very depressed. After coming together in Imena village, we have been meeting every Tuesday for social interactions to share our stories, dance and discuss how best we can improve our welfare through different projects like mushrooms’ farming, and handicrafts among others,” she said.
At least more than 60 practitioners who completed a Postgraduate Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Training Program in Narrative Therapy are currently assisting patients at different hospitals across the country.
The program was introduced at UR- College of Medicine and Health Sciences four years ago.
The revision of the repo rate is part of resolutions of the quarterly Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting held on 9th August 2022.
Repo rate is the rate at which the central bank of a country lends money to commercial banks in the event of any shortfall of funds. It is used by monetary authorities to control inflation.
According to BNR, the increase in lending rate was reached following an analysis by the MPC which pointed out high inflationary pressures driven by global supply challenges as well as lower domestic agriculture output.
Others include the increase in prices for key commodities such as oil, gas and food as well as the war between Russia and Ukraine which are two major producers and exporters of oil, gas, fertilizers, metals, cereals and son-flower seed oils.
Domestically, lower domestic food supply linked to climate constraints and increased prices of inputs have led to increased food prices.
In line with the above, Rwanda’s economy is projected to grow by 6% while the headline inflations is projected to average around 12.1% in 2022.
“Given these developments and the outlook, the MPC decided to increase the Central Bank Rate [CBR] by 100 percent basis points from 5.0 to 6.0 percent, with the aim to reduce inflationary pressures and therefore preserve the purchasing power of consumers.
Consistent with the monetary policy and other measures, inflation is expected to decelerate towards the 5 percent benchmark in the second half of 2023,” reads a statement from BNR.
On Thursday 11th August 2022, President Paul Kagame received the United States (US) Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken. The US request to release Rusesabagina was among topics of discussions between the two leaders.
Paul Rusesabagina the former President of MRCD – FLN militia group was handed 25-year jail term last year over terrorism charges. The group is accused of having carried out attacks in the outskirts of Nyungwe National Park where it killed civilians, burnt houses and looted people’s valuables among others.
Speaking to the media, Minister Biruta has said that Rusesabagina was tried and convicted along with 20 other accomplices, under both Rwandan and international laws, for serious crimes against Rwandans.
He revealed that it is unusual for Rwanda to be influenced by pressure and insisted that the country’s stand on the case of Rusesabagina is clear.
“For us, the trial has definitively ended. He was convicted and sentenced like other criminals jailed for different cases handled before courts. This is where we stand,” he said.
On whether Rwanda won’t change its position on the issue and release Rusesabagina over pressure, Minister Biruta explained that the country will abide by laws and stick to the court’s decision where Rusesabagina has to serve his sentence.
Commenting on what can be done to maintain relations in case the request to release Rusesabagina is rejected, US State Secretary Blinken said: “As you know we established what we call the Khashogi Ban, to make clear that any country that engages in repressive actions against those criticizing it, if those persons are in the United States, they may face consequences of those actions. I shared all of these with President Kagame today.”
Khashoggi Ban is a sanction and visa restriction announced by the United States Department of State in memory of the Saudi journalist and political dissenter Jamal Khashoggi.
It “allows the United States Department of State to impose visa restrictions on individuals who, acting on behalf of a foreign government, are believed to have been directly engaged in serious extraterritorial counter-dissident activities.
[{{Related story: Victims of FLN attacks demand Anthony Blinken to consider their concerns}}
->https://en.igihe.com/news/article/victims-of-fln-attacks-demand-anthony-blinken-to-consider-their-concerns]
Topics of discussions held earlier on Thursday 11th August 2022 between the two leaders include the security issues in eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Blinken arrived in Rwanda from DRC where he met with President Félix Tshisekedi.
The country accused Rwanda of backing M23 rebel group in its fight with Congolese Army (FARDC).
The rebel group resumed fighting following DRC’s failure to implement signed peace accords.
Speaking at a joint press conference held today, Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Vincent Biruta said: “We have also discussed insecurity in eastern DRC, the very real consequences for Rwanda and reaffirmed our support to regional efforts including the Nairobi and Luanda initiatives towards peace and stability in our region.”
“We agreed on the need to eradicate all irregular armed groups operating in eastern DRC including the FDLR and its fractions. We noted the resurgence of hate speech, public incitement and the genocide ideology in DRC, and the need to address this issue. We also reaffirmed the importance of respect of territorial integrity by all the countries in the region,” he added.
Rwanda has repeatedly refuted DRC’s allegations that it supports M23 rebel group but accused the neighbouring country of working with the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a terrorist group comprised of remnant masterminds of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
Rwanda also accused DRC of violating territorial integrity based on rockets shelled on its territory in the recent months by FARDC.
Speaking to the media on topics of discussions with President Kagame, Blinken revealed that he expressed concerns of US over reports accusing Rwanda of supporting M23.
“I raised our concerns including credible reports indicating that Rwanda continues to support M23 rebel group and has its own forces inside the DRC. We recognize that Rwanda has security concerns including the cooperation between the Congolese Military and the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda,” he said.
“My message to both President Tshisekedi and President Kagame this week has been the same. Any support or collaboration with armed groups in eastern DRC, endangers local communities and regional stability. Every country in the region must respect territorial integrity of the others. The United States has the same message for all neighbouring countries,” added Blinken.
The US State Secretary revealed that he urged both President Kagame and Tshisekedi to continue the process of dialogues launched by regional countries and the African Union.
Blinken also stated that US supports the Nairobi process requiring DRC to engage in dialogue with armed groups.
“Both presidents agreed to engage directly with each other, they are both ready to resume the talks in context of the Nairobi process with armed groups and both welcomed the continued US engagement in support of African led mediation efforts,” he noted.
Blinken also reminisced on the issue of propagated hate speeches against Rwandophones in DRC whose rights are abused.
He reaffirmed his countries commitment to condemn such acts and revealed that he urged President Tshisekedi to do the same.
Antony Blinken reassured his country’s continued support to Rwanda and commended Rwanda’s progress for the past 25 years.
“The journey that Rwanda has taken over the past two decades is remarkable. You have risen from genocide to global destination for innovation, investment and tourism,” he said.
Rwanda, US diplomatic relations date back in 1962.
In 2021, US provided US$147 million funding to Rwanda to promote democracy, governance, health, education, economy and conservation efforts.
For the past three years, US provided US$116 million to support Rwanda’s health sector on annual basis. It also provided US$23 million for Rwanda to mitigate effects of COVID-19.
From 2021, the country has through COVAX donated 5,500,030 vaccine doses to Rwanda.
In 2021, US imports from Rwanda were estimated at US$31 million while Rwanda’s imports from US amounted to US$49.9 million.
Paul Rusesabagina the former President of MRCD – FLN militia group was handed 25-year jail term last year over terrorism charges. In April 2022, the Court of Appeal retained the sentence handed to Rusesabagina by the High Court.
The court also ordered compensation to victims of MRCD-FLN attacks.
Ahead of his visit to Kigali, Anthony Blinken confirmed that the release of Paul Rusesabagina would be among issues of discussions with President Paul Kagame.
He stressed that such negotiations are needed in countries where US citizens are detained illegally.
Similar message demanding the release of Rusesabagina was echoed at different times by US politicians and human rights organizations.
Meanwhile, Rusesabagina was convicted based on evidences provided by relevant authorities in Belgium and US among others, particularly regarding his funding to FLN.
Ahead of the visit of Blinken to Rwanda, victims of MRCD-FLN attacks penned a letter with an attachment of their names and signatures.
The attacks were carried out by the terrorist group between 2018 and 2019 led by Rusesabagina.
The letter shows that discussions about the issue have been pushing for the release of Rusesabagina and disregarded affected victims.
“Our suffering at the hands of Paul Rusesabagina’s MRCD-FLN continues to be dismissed or outright ignored by the very entities that purport to champion the human rights of the vulnerable,” reads part of the letter.
“As victims of the MRCD-FLN attacks, we have endeavored to come together to amplify our voices and raise awareness to the actions of Paul Rusesabagina and his co-perpetrators,” adds the letter.
The victims revealed that highlighting the devastating impact these attacks have had and continue to have on their families, will underline the importance of their demand for justice, dignity and compensation.
According to the letter, the governance of MRCD-FLN operated on a rotational basis among the various leaders of affiliated political parties. Paul Rusesabagina assumed its presidency from July 2017 to June 2019 when the violent attacks were carried out to affected families in the outskirts of Nyungwe National Park.
In these attacks, reads the letter, the MRCD-FLN combatants carefully avoided any interaction with the police or the army and only attacked places where they knew people were unarmed and defenseless.
It is said that the attackers went into shops looting and would also break into the homes of people, assaulting them and robbing them of food, money and clothes.
In the letter, the victims also claimed that assailants indiscriminately shot passersby, threw grenades at cars where some people who could not escape the buses were burnt to death or succumbed to gunshot wounds.
On the other hand, the attackers are accused to have kidnapped people and made them carry looted goods into the forest.
“The MRCD-FLN murdered 11 people, including e children, the youngest being ten years old. Among those killed, were four parents who were the sole providers of their families,” adds the letter.
Among those killed is Anatole Maniraho who was ordered to lie down and shot dead instantly. The victims explained that Maniriho left a pregnant wife where his child, currently a toddler, will grow without father.
Others include Isaac Niwenshuti,17, who was on his way to visit his father but was killed and burnt beyond recognition in the bus attack. His family was only able to identify him through DNA testing.
“The current discourse from the international community and the calls for his immediate release are very distressing to our families and communities. Paul Rusesabagina is just as guilty as Sankara and co-perpetrators. He has expressed no remorse for his actions and the violence his terrorist organization inflicted on us during the trial, worse he simply decided not to participate in it,” reads the letter in part.
“As the victims of the crimes of Paul Rusesabagina and Sankara’s MRCD-FLN, we need justice to be served to its full extent. Through the court, we have received retributive justice, and we now seek restorative justice,” adds the letter.
The victims insisted that they want to see their suffering told and considered in all engagements related to Paul Rusesabagina and his terrorist organization.
“We are the ones living with the consequences of his actions and have yet to recover emotionally, physically and financially from the violence inflicted upon us by the MRCD-FLN,” reads an extract from the letter.
The victims also commended the support that the US Government continues to extend to victims of terror attacks both domestically in the US and globally and demanded that the efforts be extended to them.
“As such, as a gesture to recognize our rights as victims of terror attacks, we request to have those efforts extended to support our needs as well. The court-ordered compensation to the victims has yet to materialize, leaving some of us in dire financial situation.
We are aware that some of the perpetrators of terrorism in the communities have assets in the United States. In line with its stated commitment, we hope for US Government to support our quest for remedial justice. This, we believe, will send a strong message that the US supports victims of terrorism and is committed to holding perpetrators of terrorism fully accountable for their actions,” concludes the letter.
Blinken arrived in Rwanda on Wednesday 10th August 2022 expected to address members of the press on Thursday.
