The UN Group of Experts (GoE) Midterm report dated 23rd December 2020, claimed that Rwanda sent troops for military operations in Eastern DRC.
In a statement released on Friday, Rwanda has explained that such allegations are unfounded.
“The Government of Rwanda refutes allegations from the UN Group of Experts (GoE) Midterm report dated 23rd December 2020, and reiterates that there were no Rwandan troops on the territory of the Democratic Republic of Congo and that there had been no recent Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) joint operations with the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC),” reads the statement in part.
Rwanda enjoys cordial bilateral relations with the DRC, and there are several existing bilateral cooperation engagements, including military cooperation.
However, the statement further reads that, such cooperation is exclusively limited to intelligence sharing on various armed groups operating in Eastern DRC that are a common threat to both countries.
The Government of Rwanda also reiterated its commitment to promote national and regional natural resources governance mechanisms in the fight against illegal exploitation and trade of minerals in the region.
It is against this background, and in a spirit of cooperation and goodwill, that in February 2020, during the last visit of the UN GoE to Rwanda, they were shown various anti-smuggling efforts in place, and witnessed minerals that had been seized by authorities.
“The Government of Rwanda regrets the shortcomings of the UN GoE report, and the lack of good faith demonstrated by the experts. Despite being granted access to various Government institutions, facilitated in meeting witnesses and provided with responses to all issues raised, the UN GoE report omitted key information and clarifications provided by the GoR,” adds the statement.
The Government of Rwanda has concluded by expressing its deepest concerns towards ‘the lack of rigor from the UN GoE in the fulfillment of its mandate, raising serious concerns about the independence of its reports’.
He succumbed to complications stemming from COVID-19 which he had contracted in October 2020. The priest, who died at the age of 66, was renowned for divine healing prayers, psychiatric as well as unity and reconciliation initiatives.
At the beginning of 2020, Father Rugirangoga traveled to U.S.A for usual mission of spreading the gospel and healing prayers. He had to return in April, the same year but was stuck there as flight travels were suspended due to emerging COVID-19 pandemic.
As flights resumed, Father Rugirangoga caught the virus in October 2020. He recovered from the virus but later suffered from complications stemming from the disease until his demise.
He is said to have succumbed to lungs complications.
The Bishop of Gikongoro Diocese, Hakizimana Célestin who also oversees Cyangugu Diocese has told IGIHE that Father Rugirangiga belonged had read a mass at the hospital where he was admitted on 7th January 2021. It was his first mass after recovering from COVID-19.
Few hours later, caretakers called the brother of Rugirangoga (Révelien) telling him that his elder brother was critically ill. One hour later around 11pm of U.S.A time zone , Father Rugirangoga breathed the last.
IGIHE has spoken to Rugirangoga’s acquaintances who have described him as a kind person who strived for a peaceful society.
Father Rugirangoga has been a priest for 35 years.
His Eminence, Cardinal Antoine Kambanda has said that he was with Rugirangoga by the time he read the first ever mass as he was ordained priest.
Cardinal Kambanda was ordained priest on 9th September 1990 by Pope Jean Paul II during a ceremony that took place at Nyandungu in Kigali. Kambanda read the first mass next day at Junior Seminary Saint Vincent de Paul.
Antoine Cardinal Kambanda has recounted great memories with Father Rugirangoga who attended his mass coming from Cyangugu Diocese where he was accomplishing his pastoral duties.
“The next morning on 10th September 1990, I read the first mass in presence of Father Ubald who had visited us. He was staying at the seminary given that I was living with his friend, a priest with whom they studied together [late Emmanuel Gasana],” he revealed.
After the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, Father Rugirangoga played a big role to Rwandan community in divine healing prayers that saw many recovering from incurable diseases and contributed to the country’s unity and reconciliation efforts.
“We have been liaised by the mission of promoting unity and peace and rebuilding Rwandan community. We have been particularly, working together at justice and peace commission in Rwanda’s Catholic Church,” he said.
“We are deeply moved on by his death. We still needed his contribution to this mission of uniting Rwandans. May his soul Rest In eternal Peace,” added Cardinal Kambanda.
The Bishop of Gikongoro Diocese, Bishop Hakizimana Célestin has said that Rwanda’s Catholic Church and Rwanda community loses an important person.
As he explained, Bishop Hakizimana also lived with Father Rugirangoga in Kigali shortly after Genocide.
“He used to say that we didn’t carry out our mission appropriately. Then, he started promoting unity and reconciliation journey in Mushaka Parish which was extended countrywide,” he said.
“We know that he used well his spiritual talent that he toured the entire country praying for patients some of whom fully or partly recovered. He was God’s gift to Rwanda,” added Bishop Hakizimana.
Ubald was the head priest at Mushaka Parish had requested his Bishop to be assigned in a parish where he could easily pray for mass public and help them along unity and reconciliation journey.
Bishop Hakizimana said, he appointed him to head the organization dubbed ‘Ikigo Ibanga ry’Amahoro’ (The Secret to Peace) located in Nkanka Parish, Rusizi district, Western Province.
“He had traveled to America for fundraising to upgrade activities of the organization. So far; a church and priests’ accommodations among other facilities have been set up at the center. He was a man of God who dedicated his life to provide psychiatric services, peace, unity and reconciliation,” he said.
The head priest at Mushaka Parish, Rwabugiri Siméon has also highlighted that he started living with Father Rugirangoga during internship.
“He was a humble person, treating everyone modestly and used to dedicate time for everyone with sufferings seeking his help,” he noted. “After Genocide, he has been uniting perpetrators and survivors and helped to mend members of the community involved in different disputes including poison accusation cases that yielded big,” added Rwabugiri.
Father Rugirangoga has prayed for many patients some of whom recovered from sight problems, HIV/AIDS, Diabetis among other incurable or hardly curable diseases.
He always attributed the healing to Jesus.
Speaking to IGIHE in 2015, Father Rugirangoga revealed that he started healing prayers in 1987 when he was a young priest. “Later in 1991, I started seeing visuals and hearing strange voices speaking to me. In the four previous years, I used to pray for people who would come to tell me that they have recovered,” he said.
Niyibizi Verena from Kicukiro district witnessed that he recovered from heart disease in 2015 after attending Ubald’s healing prayers. He had suffered from the disease for nine years that hospitals in Rwanda, Kenya, Belgium and Germany had failed him.
Father Ubald Rugiranoga was born in February 155 in former Rwabidege sector, Mwezi parish in Commune Karengera, Prefecture Cyangugu currently in Rusizi district. He was ordained priest in 1984 at the age of 29. He used to organize different gospel crusades in which many people healed from different diseases.
He has been a priest for over 32 years.
In 2015, Father Rugirangoga was selected Protector of Friendship Pact ‘Umurinzi w’Igihango’ for outstanding contribution to unity and reconciliation initiatives that started in Mushaka Parish and extended countrywide.
News about his death went to public today morning.
The cause of death has not yet been communicated but he was recently battling COVID complications as people managing his social media accounts have been reporting.
The Bishop of Gikongoro Diocese has told IGIHE that Father Ubald Rugirangoga died last night around 11pm of US time zone.
He was receiving treatment at the University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake City.
Through his Facebook account, it was in October 2020 reported that Father Rugirangoga caught coronavirus and was seen on ventilators helping him to breathe at the beginning of this year.
Rugirangoga’s COVID-19 battle began at St. John’s Health Hospital in Jackson before he was airlifted to the larger regional hospital in Utah on Oct. 30 due to declining condition. He initially looked to be recovering and was taken off of a ventilator before his health worsened again.
Before Father Rugirangoga was admitted at the University of Utah Hospital, his friend Katsey Long visited him at St. John’s Health.
Though he was no longer positive for the virus, Long said that his body was dealing with issues stemming from the disease which friends believe he contracted in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where he delivered a healing service in early October, 2020.
Doctors are monitoring him for “blood clots, fluids and infections, which are all post-COVID fall outs, and he’s still requiring quite a bit of oxygen,” Long told Jh News, a US based medium.
Father Rugirangoga was renowned for psychiatric initiatives and healing prayers that encouraged Genocide perpetrators to seek forgiveness and survivors to forgive offenders as a healing process from the wounds of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
In 2015, Father Rugirangoga was selected as Protector of Friendship Pact ‘Umurinzi w’Igihango’ for outstanding contribution promoting unity and reconciliation among Rwandans across the country.
He has been a priest for 32 years and dies at the age of 65.
Normally, a Rwandan graduate from foreign schools is supposed to get an academic equivalence certificate to work in the country to corresponding positions.
The issue of graduates at Cavendish University brought mixed reactions recently where they claimed to have been denied jobs in public institutions for failure to possess authentic academic qualifications.
Cavendish university graduates have been serving as teachers and head teachers in different schools in Rwanda but were recently dismissed over failure to present their academic equivalence certificates.
During a press conference yesterday, Dr. Uwamariya explained that these students received Recognition of Academic Qualification but the university where they studied was not licensed.
“It should be understood that we can’t give them ‘Equivalence certificate’ while they studied at unlicensed university. We however requested them to join other universities with faculties of education for support to meet requirements,” she said.
The Higher Education Council (HEC) reveals that Cavendish University recently presented authorization documents as one of accredited universities in Uganda. This prompted HEC to seek truth and wrote letter to Uganda National Council for Higher Education which clarified that the university has not yet been licensed.
Another similar case is reported to students in education department at and Protestant Institute of Arts And Social Sciences (PIASS). They passed teachers’ recruitment exams but were later dismissed because they didn’t carry out internship while at school.
Dr. Uwamariya said that these students used to receive ‘Intermediate Award’ before completion of studies which they used to apply for jobs.
“They were listed as workers who don’t meet requirements because they didn’t complete studies,” she said. MINEDUC says that such teachers dismissed to complete education will start job application from scratch after graduation.
The incident took place last night around 8pm. The school that accommodates students from nursery to ordinary level, is located in Buye village, Butare cell in Ngoma sector of Huye district.
The car hit the students as they crossed the road heading to their dormitories after dining from the school’s refectory. The dormitory is opposite school buildings that students have to cross the road to reach it.
The head teacher of Centre Scolaire Elena Guela, Sister Patricie Mukagahima has told IGIHE that they rushed student to hospital after the incident where one succumbed to injuries.
“We rushed them to health facilities unfortunately one of them died at King Faisal Hospital. Others are attended to at University Teaching Hospital of Butare (CHUB) but four of them have been seriously injured,” she said.
Huye district officials have today morning joining the school’s management to comfort students discomforted by colleague’s accident.
Speaking to IGIHE, some parents with children at the school have expressed worries over restrictions to visit their kids at hospital amidst Coronavirus pandemic but the school’s management has said that parents are getting updates of admitted students’ health via phone.
Police spokesperson in Southern Province, SP Kanamugire Theobald has told IGIHE that the car that hit students has been seized.
“We have seized the car and the driver. It is apparent that the accident was triggered by over speeding. The next step is to make his file and hand him to the Prosecution,” he said.
SP Kanamugire appealed on motorists to drive carefully and abide by traffic rules.
The cabinet meeting held on 4th January 2021 chaired by Prime Minister, Dr. Edouard Ngirente set new COVID-19 preventive measures requiring institutions (public and private) to operate at no more than 30% capacity of staff while others have to work from home.
To further reinforce the directive, MIFOTRA yesterday released a letter requesting public institutions to operate at 15% capacity of staff.
“Pursuant to health guidelines and measures of the cabinet meeting of 4th January 2021, after realizing the rising COVID-19 cases, we would like to inform you that public institutions will continue activities with a requirement to operate at 15% capacity of total staff while others have to work from home on rotational basis,” reads part of the letter.
“ In this context, MIFOTRA also requests public institutions to produce a list of staff to work from home or office and specify when they should rotate that operating at 15% of staff capacity shall go into effect immediately,” adds the letter.
MIFOTRA has requested institutions to make the list public and encourage staff to respect COVID-19 preventive measures.
Rwanda confirmed the first COVID-19 patient on 14th March last year.
As of today, a total of 9,058 people have been tested positive out of 750,081 sample tests of whom 6940 have recovered, 2006 are active cases while 112 have succumbed to the pandemic.
Coronavirus symptoms include coughing, flu, and difficulty in breathing. The virus is said to be transmitted through the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract.
Rwandans are urged to adhere to COVID-19 health guidelines, washing hands frequently using soaps and safe water, wearing face masks and respecting social distancing.
During the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, former communes of Muganza, Kigembe, Kibayi and others in the current Gisagara district were home to many Burundian refugees. Some of them are accused of having participated in the genocide.
Bunyenzi Isaïe, a genocide survivor in former Kigembe Commune currently in Nyanza sector has revealed that Burundians conspired with Interahamwe to kill Tutsis.
“Burundians accommodated in this area supported Interahamwe and hunted us from the commune’s office where we had fled. They stoned us with the intention of getting us outside so that they can kill us using spears,” he said.
After the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, several cases involving Burundian refugees were handled by Gacaca courts which ordered some of them to pay reparations.
The mayor of Gisagara district, Rutaburingoga Jérôme has explained that Gacaca courts handled over 31,000 cases but pointed out difficulties for cases involving Burundians.
“We have finalized 31,057 cases but we have over 400 pending cases involving Burundian refugees who were accommodated in Gisagara,” he said.
Rutaburingoga thanked Gisagara residents for role in finalizing cases which he considered a great contribution to unity and reconciliation among Rwandans.
“We appreciate the way the exercise to finalize these court cases was handled and residents contribution because there are some victims who forgave offenders who had to pay damages,” he said.
Genocide survivors in different parts neighboring with Burundi have at different times asked for justice to bring to book Burundians who took part in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
They are often accused to have perpetrated Genocide in Nyakizu, Ntongwe, Kinazi of Ruhango district, Mugina in Kamonyi district, Rilima in Bugesera district; Muganza, Kigembe, Kibayi in the current Gisagara among others.
Speaking to IGIHE towards the end of last year, Faustin Nyakazungu, 77, who lived in former Commune Ntyazo , reflected on neighboring Tutsi killed by Burundian refugees who stabbed one adult woman saying ‘let us see if she can bleed blood or milk as they drunk much milk.’
“I was living in the neighborhood of those Burundians. I am one of people who were not hunted. I know well their deeds. They were characterized by extreme bad characters. They killed an old woman called Nyinawabo Bernadette and another man Jabo Félix. Those killers were with Interahamwe. The old woman was stabbed by a Burundian saying he wanted to find out if female Tutsis bleed blood or milk they drunk. I know many of them,” said Nyakazungu.
In June 2019, the former Rwanda’s Prosecutor General, Mutangana Jean Bosco revealed that the matter of Burundians has been sluggish due to lack of political will.
“We have cases of Burundians who perpetrated Genocide in Rwanda and fled but Burundi showed no political will to help us track those suspects. The issue is persistent. There are many especially in Gisagara, Nyaruguru at the border with Burundi. We issued arrest warrants but got no reply. That’s a problem,” he said.
Mutangana explained that Rwanda is eyeing support from Interpol to arrest the said fugitives.
In August 2019, the Minister of Justice and State Attorney General , Johnston Busingye told parliament that genocide is an imprescriptible crime that files for Burundians suspected for involvement in genocide have been arranged.
“Matters regarding Burundians are often reflected and which goes hand in hand preparation of related files. Action will be taken as relations return to normal but you should know that such cases are imprescriptible,” he said.
Balladur, a rightwing premier under Francois Mitterrand’s Socialist presidency, said in a statement that he opened access “so that everyone can freely see what were our actions and their results”.
Access will be granted in April, when a panel of historians will submit their findings on France’s role during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi which claimed lives of more than 1 million victims.
President Emmanuel Macron commissioned the panel in April 2019 amid claims by Rwandans that France supported genocidaires.
They point in particular to Operation Turquoise, a UN-mandated French force sent to halt the killings in June 1994 but which many experts say had little effect.
In his statement, Balladur, who served as premier between 1993 and 1995, insisted that Turquoise had a mandate to ensure the survival of victims on all sides and discourage violence.
Hugues Hourdin, a former advisor to Balladur, told AFP the documents “will show that neither the government nor the army has anything to blame itself for”.
“Mr Balladur would like to remove all doubts about the actions of the government he led, and purge this debate that has been festering for 25 years,” he said.
France’s Rwanda commission has already had access to the archives of both Balladur and Mitterrand.
Macron’s decision to form the panel was seen as a groundbreaking effort to confront France’s troubled history in Africa.
While Rwanda was never a French colony, successive French governments cultivated close ties after the country’s independence in 1962, including training its top military leaders.
It also signed military deals with the then President Juvenal Habyarimana.
The fact that France denied its role in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi has long impaired relations between the two countries.
As former France President Nicolas Sarkozy visited Kigali genocide memorial in 2010, he admitted that his country committed political mistakes in Rwanda which he didn’t explain.
Things worsened during the leadership of President François Hollande until he was replaced by Emmanuel Macron giving hope to shed light into the country’s involvement in genocide.
In 2018, President Paul Kagame visited France on the invitation of his counterpart Macron.
After meeting in Paris with his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame, Macron said he supported a bid to appoint Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo as secretary general of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF).
“The Rwandan foreign minister has every competence to carry out this role,” Macron said. “I will support her.”
In April 2019, Macron unveiled the establishment of the commission made of experts in history and researchers analyzing writings kept in archives of the country indicating France activities in Rwanda between 1990-1994 to come up with the truth on the role of France in the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi.
In 2016, the National Commission for the Fight against Genocide (CNLG) released names of 22 France soldiers who took role in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
Dr. Mpunga made the observation as he explained why the Government has taken stringent measures to contain the spread of Coronavirus.
Since Rwanda confirmed the first COVID-19 patient on 14th March last year, 8848 people have been tested positive out of 741,036 sample tests of whom 6816 have recovered, 1927 are active cases while 105 have succumbed to the virus.
Following the increase of new infections and deaths where half of current death toll was reported in December 2020, the cabinet meeting held on Monday 4th January 2021 has banned public and private transport to and from city of Kigali as well as between different districts.
Among other resolutions, all business establishments including restaurants, markets, shops and malls shall close operations daily by 6pm.
As for transport restrictions, the cabinet meeting decided that travel will only be permitted for medical reasons and essential services. Additionally, vehicles transporting goods will continue to function with no more than two people on board.
Dr. Mpunga explained that there was possibility for tougher measures but the Government considered other aspects of life that would be affected if total lock down is imposed.
“People should understand that we should be in the phase of total lockdown considering the current status of the pandemic. Cabinet resolutions were alleviated because we didn’t want to put Rwandans lives at standstill. We realized that it is not the right time because it would leave people’s livelihoods in critical conditions,” he said.
“The new measures are designed to allow people continue running basic activities where necessary adhering to preventive measures meanwhile doing health assessment on the increase or decrease of the pandemic,” added Dr. Mpunga.
He explained that closing businesses at 6pm is meant to help people return home earlier which can also reduce traffic jam or susceptible accidents as people rush to reach home before curfew hours.
The cabinet meeting has also prohibited movements from 8pm to 4am and decided that inter-district travel will only be permitted for medical reasons and essential services while vehicles transporting goods will continue to function with no more than two people on board.
Dr. Mpunga revealed that permitted medical reasons include medical transfers using ambulances while an individual can take a patient to a health facility with possession of medical test results.
He explained that the decision also concerns people living in the neighborhood of Kigali City returning home every day.
As Dr. Mpunga said, relevant institutions will not prohibit movements for people granted passes.
“Relevant officials will make decision whether a person can be allowed to make inter-district movements for specific tangible reasons. If necessary, an individual will have to go for COVID-19 test before authorization,” he noted.
Concerning employees who had traveled to enjoy festive seasons in different parts of the country, Dr. Mpunga explained that no special arrangement for them because current measures require institutions (public and private) to operate at no more than 30% capacity of staff.
Commenting on new measures, the Minister of Justice and State’s Attorney General, Johnston Busingye has via twitter handle reminded Rwandans to adhere to preventive measures that things otherwise worsen.
“Happy New Year Rwandans. 2021 starts but Coronavirus is biting. 105 have succumbed to the pandemic, half of whom died in December 2020. Not a small number is critically ill. Current Covid-19 news is disappointing. You understand what next if inter-district lockdown is not successful. Let us protect ourselves willingly,” he said.
As he featured in a talkshow on local TV and radio stations, the Minister of Health, Dr. Daniel Ngamije recently on 13th December 2020 said that the high level of complacency and individual behaviours is spreading the virus leading to increase in daily infections, thus derailing the national response efforts.
“The surge in the number of cases in the last two weeks has caused concern; the rate of infections is high, we are now seeing infections in many parts of the country and in various groups of people,” Dr. Ngamije said.
Other factors connected to spread of the virus, include some hotels and restaurants that have been reportedly turned into bars while bars guise as restaurants so as to sell alcohol. Police also revealed that some people conceal bottles of alcohol in envelopes or pour alcohol in cups while some hotels have turned into night clubs.
The Minister of Local Government, Prof. Anastase Shyaka recently said that the partnership between the Police and local authorities created a big impact especially between July and September 2020, which partly gave room for the resumption of some services.
“In October and November, many services resumed, lockdown lifted in all places, but unfortunately people misinterpreted this as an indication that the pandemic has been defeated. They became complacent and started disregarding the safety measures,” Prof. Shyaka said.
He further warned of stringent measures against the so called ’the informed’, elite group and leaders, who violate the prevention measures.
According to Prof. Shyaka, about 9600 hospitality establishments have been closed since March for breaching the national prevention directives, with 347 of them closed between December 1-9, 2020.
Appearing on local TV station towards the end of December 2020, Dr Sabin Nsanzimana, the Director General of Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC), related new cases to activities allowed to reopen and complacency against COVID-19 preventive measures.
“Of course, the increase of new patients is related to reopened activities including schools one hand. Secondly, the up surging number is driven by complacency against preventive measures among Rwandan residents. It has been observed that some people relented on some measures including proper wearing of face mask, social distancing. Thirdly, we are assessing the impact of cold weather conditions during this rainy season on spreading the disease,” he said.
Dr Nsanzimana highlighted that attendance to ceremonies for the past three months has also been among causes for increasing cases that people tended to behave as if they were in normal situation.
The resolution is part of other stringent measures taken to control the up surging COVID-19 cases and deaths.
The meeting held at Village Urugwiro was chaired by Premier, Dr Edouard Ngirente.
Since Rwanda confirmed the first COVID-19 patient on 14th March last year, 8848 people have been tested positive out of 741,036 sample tests of whom 6816 have recovered, 1927 are active cases while 105 have succumbed to the virus.
Following the increase of new infections and deaths where half of current death toll was reported in December 2020, the cabinet meeting has set stringent measures to control the pandemic.
Among other resolutions, all business establishments including restaurants, markets, shops and malls shall close operations daily by 6pm.
As for transport restrictions, the cabinet meeting decided that travel will only be permitted for medical reasons and essential services. Additionally, vehicles transporting goods will continue to function with no more than two people on board.
Other measures include prohibiting movements from 8pm to 4am, domestic and international tourists may travel across districts but must possess negative COVID-19 test results, institutions (public and private) will operate at no more than 30% capacity of staff while other employees shall continue to work from home on rotational basis.
All social gatherings and events including religious weddings ceremonies, receptions, meetings and conferences are prohibited, public gyms and swimming pools shall be restricted from the public with exception of testes guests staying at hotels.
Attendance at wake/vigil (ikiriyo) should not exceed 15 people at any one time while funeral gatherings should not exceed 30 persons.
These measures take effect starting Tuesday, January 5th 2021 and will be reviewed after 15 days upon a health assessment.
Coronavirus symptoms include coughing, flu, and difficulty in breathing. The virus is said to be transmitted through the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract.
Rwandans are urged to adhere to COVID-19 health guidelines, washing hands frequently using soaps and safe water, wearing face masks and respecting social distancing.
