The programme formerly known as “Army Week” has changed the appellation to ‘RDF Citizen Outreach Programme’.
According to RDF, the move aims at better illustrating the intended impact of socio-economic activities to be conducted countrywide.
The 2018 outreach programme will be conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Governance, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources and the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion.
Starting from April 20th to July 30, the activities will be conducted ahead of the 24th celebration of National Liberation Day on July 4th this year.
During the period, the programme will provide free medical services to 113,000 patients, construct 1,961 houses, 121 classrooms and 108 school pit latrines for the vulnerable in selected areas, improve health and sanitation and conducting agricultural activities on 4,511 hectares of land.
Briefing journalists about this year’s activities on Thursday, the RDF and Military Spokesperson, Lt. Col Innocent Munyengango said that the activities are aimed at supporting national programmes.
“Historically, Army Week has developed in scope, duration and impact to the well-being of Rwandans. All these activities are aimed at supporting National Programmes in addressing human security issues affecting the Rwandan population,” Munyengango said.
One of Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) missions as provided in article 10 of the law determining the forces’ mission, organization and powers; is to participate in humanitarian activities in case of disasters and to contribute to the development of the country.
“The RDF requests every Rwandan’s participation in support of this noble cause that contributes enormously to improving the welfare and well-being of our population; a pre-requisite for a transformed, strong and sustainably secure Rwanda”, Munyengango added.
Munyengango said that the activities have big impact on the economy of the country. Last year the interventions enabled the country to save a total of Rwf71 billion.
The award was received by Prime Minister, Dr. Eduard Ngirente yesterday in an event that took place in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Premier Ngirente and Rwanda Development Board Chief Executive Officer, Clare Akamanzi are in Argentina where they are attending the Global Summit of the World Travel and Tourism Council.
In his acceptance speech, the Premier emphasized the role of tourism in Rwanda’s development.
“Tourism is core to Rwanda’s development and has become the leading source of foreign exchange earnings with an annual average growth of 11% over a five-year period,” Ngirente said.
He further stated that the award given to Rwanda is a renewed energy to the Country for achieving more in conservation, Travel and Tourism.
In a tweet, Akamanzi said that the award is a result of the progress the sector has made in Rwanda.
“Rwanda received the inaugural world Global Tourism Leadership Award by the WTTC today (Thursday) in Buenos Aires, in recognition of the remarkable progress the sector has made. Very proud!” Akamanzi said.
The award follows last week award which RDB scooped for being the second best investment promotion agency in the East African region in attracting transformational projects. It was awarded at the Annual Investment Meeting (AIM) conference in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
{{About WTTC}}
WTTC is a global body that brings together all major players in the Travel and Tourism sector like airlines, hotels, cruise, car rental, travel agencies, tour operators and technology among others.
The body enables players to speak with one voice to governments and international bodies.
The organization was formed in 1991 by a group of Travel & Tourism CEOs who felt that the sector’s contribution to economies and job creation was not being recognized.
Their objectives were to use empirical evidence to promote awareness of Travel and Tourism’s economic contribution, to expand markets in harmony with the environment and to reduce barriers to growth.
The elections took place on Monday 16th April during the coordination and management meeting of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Other African states elected include Botswana, South Africa, Gambia and Cameroon.
The Executive Board was created by General Assembly resolution 48/162 of 20 December 1993 and is responsible for providing inter-governmental support to and supervision of the activities of UNDP, UNFPA and UNOPS.
As a member of the Executive Board, Rwanda will seek to ensure that the programmes and initiatives of UNDP are tailored to the needs of programme countries including Rwanda. This is an important part of the work done through the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Rwanda to the United Nations and contributes towards ensuring that Rwanda has a voice in the international development system.
The key activities of the Executive Board include implementing the policies formulated by the General Assembly and the coordination and guidance received from the Economic and Social Council; receiving information from and give guidance to the head of each fund or programme on the work of each organization; ensuring that the activities and operational strategies of each fund or programme are consistent with the overall policy guidance set forth by the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council, in accordance with their respective responsibility set out in the United Nations Charter
The Executive Board also monitors the performance of the fund or programme; approves programmes, including country programmes, as appropriate; decides on administrative and financial plans and budgets; recommends new initiatives to the Economic and Social Council, and through the Council, to the General Assembly, as necessary; encourages and examines new programme initiatives; submits annual reports to the Economic and Social Council, which could include recommendations, where appropriate, for improvement of field-level coordination.
Kagame was speaking Wednesday while participating in a High-level roundtable discussion on the ‘State Fragility, Growth and Development’ in London, United Kingdom ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
The discussion focused on encouraging and promoting inclusive economic growth in fragile and conflict situations as a key priority for global security and international development.
“The difference between resilience and fragility is the quality of politics. Are we mindful of the need for accountability and to benefit all citizens without exclusion?,” he questioned.
He challenged sponsors whether they keep putting money into a country without knowing how it is being put to use.
Using an example of Rwanda, Kagame said that the government put a framework in place where both sides could measure the results.
“We involved our citizens as we went along. The story of Rwanda proves that fragility need not be a permanent state. It can be resolved,” he said.
Kagame observed that fragility can affect all countries regardless of level of their economies.
“Fragility, as we have discovered, can affect both small and big states, poor countries as well as rich ones, including multiparty systems. This affects growth and human development,” he added.
The High-level roundtable brought together Heads of Government and senior business leaders from across the Commonwealth and is chaired by Former United Kingdom Prime Minister David Cameron, the Chair of the Commission of State Fragility, Growth and Development.
The new body was established under the Law No 12/2017 of 07/04/2017. It has the responsibilities to carry out criminal and counter-terrorism investigation, crime intelligence, and economic and financial crimes investigations.
The handover event which took place at Police Headquarters in Kacyiru was presided over by Justice Minister Johnston Busingye.
RIB will be supervised by the Ministry of Justice and will have its headquarters in Kacyiru.
At the handover ceremony also was the Inspector General of Police Emmanuel Gasana; the Secretary General of RIB, Jeannot Ruhunga and Deputy Secretary General Isabelle Kalihangabo.
Speaking at the event, Busingye said that the handover marks the history of the country especially in the rule of law. He said that it is a journey which started back in 1990s and a journey for good and forever.
“I want to thank the great work done by Rwanda National Police in ensuring safety of Rwandans and their property. Police has contributed to the growth of our country and the formation of RIB is proof to that,” he said.
He said that the handover of responsibilities is going to ease the work of all parties in the justice sector and improve professionalism and efficiency.
“RIB was established to continue in the line that RNP has drawn in stopping and dismantling different crimes. I encourage close partnership between both institutions and thrive for good of all Rwandans,” he said.
Speaking at the event, IGP Gasana said that restructuring security organs helps them acquire new knowledge in combating contemporary crimes like cyber-crimes, cross border crimes, terrorism, crimes undermining the economy of the country and drug abuse and trafficking among others.
“RNP will work closely with RIB in our respective responsibilities so that we will leave no vacuum for criminals to occupy,” he said.
“I want to thank the police officers who have been transferred to RIB for the job well done. They are professional and committed officers who contributed greatly to the mandate of the police and I’m certain they will continue to perform exceptionally while in RIB,” he said.
RIB Secretary General, Col Ruhunga, thanked RNP for the efforts invested in building the judicial police to where it is today having contributed to effective justice delivery.
“This is a firm foundation we are going to build on and take it forward,” he said.
RIB has the mission of preventing and pre-empting criminal acts by identifying and investigating all kinds of physical or cyber-crimes.
Kagame is currently in United Kingdom for the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting scheduled for April 19th to 20th.
Prince Harry of Wales is a member of the United Kingdom royal family. He is the President of African Parks, the organization that manages Akagera National Park among other facilities on the continent.
Since December last year, Prince Harry started to work with African Parks in various capacities to advance wildlife conservation across Africa and around the globe.
African Parks is a conservation NGO, founded in 2000, that manages national parks and protected areas on behalf of governments and in collaboration with local communities across Africa. With 13 parks under its management, they have the largest area under conservation for any one NGO on the African continent.
African Parks are the managers of Rwanda’s Akagera National Park, the only savanna park with the central Africa’s largest protected wetland.
Since the management of Akagera National Park was taken over by African Parks, the park has seen a number of developments, including restocking it with the Big five, through trans-locating lions and rhinos to the park.
Despite witnessing the slaughter scenes of his family and relatives, spending days amid dead bodies and blood during the genocide and post-genocide hardships, Gasore has managed to overcome the past and committed to change the lives of the community he survived from.
Currently he’s married and has three children; he has regained the hope and works towards the bright future of the country.
{{How he survived the genocide}}
Ntarama is among the regions where the genocide plan was experimented before 1994. Though he was too young, Gasore says that he started facing discrimination in school back in 1992.
“Ntarama is among places where genocide plan was experimented from, with different discrimination activities but in 1992 murders started and people were killed from their homes,” he recounts.
Some members of Gasore’s family had been living in Kigali, but, he and grandmother had been living in Ntarama. When the genocide started, Gasore and his grandmother sought refuge in Ntarama Catholic Church where his grandmother was murdered before his eyes.
Gasore and some Tutsi who had survived the murder at the Church sought refuge at a nearby primary school where they used to spend nights and spend daytime in papyrus swamp at River Akanyaru.
When perpetrators found their whereabouts, they launched attacks on them and killed some but Gasore survived. He says that attackers had arms and traditional weapons which Tutsi failed to resist.
Luckily, Gasore and some people who were still in the papyrus swamp were saved by former Rwanda Patriotic Army (RPA), a force that stopped the genocide.
{{Healing journey}}
Like other survivors, the genocide left Gasore with emotional and physical scars.
“It was not easy in the post-genocide period as we had lost our beloved parents and friends, we were scattered, traumatized and bereft of human emotions,” he explains.
Gasore was supported to resume school. In 2002, when he was in senior two, he reflected on all hardships he faced and how he survived the genocide and decided to shape his future.
He later found that he was talented in athletics which he carried on in high school; the sports won him a scholarship and earned him some money which he used in supporting other vulnerable children.
“After realizing that I’m passionate in athletics, it helped me to regain the hope. I played for my then school and won different competitions to the national level,” he recalls.
“After completing high school, different universities offered me free scholarship so that I would play for them. I chose to join Abilene Christian University in USA under a scholarship thanks to sportsmanship in me,” he adds.
At the university, Gasore raised his bar in athletics and networked with many people of different backgrounds.
In 2008, Gasore started different activities to support Rwandan community starting from his home area, Ntarama.
“I thought that I should take my activities in Ntarama, a region where I survived from. Then I started with small activities like donating domestic animals to people and paying their health insurance among other activities,” he said.
He said that after marriage in 2010, he started to think widely and establishing sustainable activities in Ntarama and across the country.
{{How Gasore’s activities impact the community }}
In 2014, Gasore published a book dubbed ‘My Day to Die’ and sold many copies which earned him money to buy a plot which he used in constructing a Centre for his foundation ‘Gasore Serge Foundation Community’.
Through his foundation in 2016 he started to construct different houses and currently has 15 houses for different purposes.
They are used for nursery schooling, teaching children from poor families in the community, health post and people use houses as a centre for reconciling families and teach handcraft and tailoring to women from the community.
As children in the school are from poor families, he started different programmes like serving them with porridge, food and milk.
In the Centre he rears domestic animals which he donates to vulnerable people.
Gasore Serge Foundation Community has 34 permanent employees and 150 part time jobs.
{{Future dreams}}
Gasore said that he plans to construct a primary school as part of taking development activities close to the people.
“I think that I will stop at that primary school and concentrate on my family as I will have provided possible contribution to the lives of the community. Those activities will go in hands of people for their management,” he said.
In February this year, Gasore was awarded by Abilene Christian University as a person who has established activities that impact the society. Also his wife Espérance Gasore who manages the health post, was in March awarded by the USA embassy in Rwanda as an outstanding woman.
In a statement, RDF said that the officers crossed the border while on patrol.
Those involved are a Lieutenant and one Private, from the 11 Infantry Battalion.
Both soldiers were arrested by the soldiers of the Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC) deployed along the border.
RDF said that the incident occurred in the general border area at Karundo Village, Mbungangali Cell, Gisenyi Sector, at around 10 meters from Rwanda-DRC border.
“This incident was caused by the lack of clear border demarcation between Rwanda and the DRC. It is a regrettable but common cross-border incident as on several occasions we have returned FARDC soldiers who had accidentally crossed to our side. For instance, 34 FARDC soldiers have been returned to DRC between 2016 to 2018,” Lt Col Innocent Munyengango, Defence and Military Spokesperson said in a statement.
He said the RDF and FARDC, together with the Great Lakes Region Expanded Joint Verification Mechanism, handled the incident amicably and the two (RDF officer and Private) were handed over back yesterday to RDF authorities in Rubavu.
In a statement released by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, Sirleaf will receive the award in a three-day event dubbed ‘Mo Ibrahim Governance Weekend’ which will convene prominent African political and business leaders, representatives from Civil Society, multilateral and regional institutions as well as Africa’s major international partners to debate issues of critical importance to Africa.
The weekend will be concluded with a public concert highlighting some of the best performers on the continent.
Among officials who have confirmed their attendance include, Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara who will be in the country from 25th to 27th April. It is expected that Ouattara will have discussion with his Rwandan counterpart, President Paul Kagame.
{{How Sirleaf was chosen the awardee of the Prize}}
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf served two terms as President of Liberia from 2006 to 2017. She is the fifth recipient of the Ibrahim Prize, which recognises and celebrates excellence in African leadership.
In its citation, the Prize Committee praised her exceptional and transformative leadership, in the face of unprecedented and renewed challenges, to lead Liberia’s recovery following many years of devastating civil war.
Announcing the decision, Dr Salim Ahmed Salim, Chair of the Prize Committee, said “Ellen Johnson Sirleaf took the helm of Liberia when it was completely destroyed by civil war and led a process of reconciliation that focused on building a nation and its democratic institutions. Throughout her two terms in office, she worked tirelessly on behalf of the people of Liberia. Such a journey cannot be without some shortcomings and, today, Liberia continues to face many challenges. Nevertheless, during her twelve years in office, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf laid the foundations on which Liberia can now build.
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf became President of Liberia on 16 January 2006, after winning the 2005 national elections. She served her first term 2006-2011 and was then successfully re-elected for a second term, serving in office 2012-2017.
Since 2006, Liberia was the only country out of 54 to improve in every category and sub-category of the Ibrahim Index of African Governance. This led Liberia to move up ten places in the Index’s overall ranking during this period.
On hearing the outcome of the Prize Committee’s deliberations, Mo Ibrahim said “I’m delighted that the Prize Committee has decided to make Ellen Johnson Sirleaf an Ibrahim Prize Laureate. In very difficult circumstances, she helped guide her nation towards a peaceful and democratic future, paving the way for her successor to follow. I am proud to see the first woman Ibrahim Laureate, and I hope Ellen Johnson Sirleaf will continue to inspire women in Africa and beyond,”
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf joins Hifikepunye Pohamba of Namibia (2014), Pedro Pires of Cabo Verde (2011), Festus Mogae of Botswana (2008) and Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique (2007) as an Ibrahim Prize Laureate. Nelson Mandela was made the inaugural Honorary Laureate in 2007.
{{About Ibrahim Prize}}
The Ibrahim Prize aims to distinguish leaders who, during their time in office, have developed their countries, strengthened democracy and human rights for the shared benefit of their people, and advanced sustainable development.
The Ibrahim Prize is a US$5 million award paid over ten years and US$200,000 annually for life thereafter. The Mo Ibrahim Foundation will consider granting a further US$200,000 per year for ten years towards public interest activities and good causes espoused by the Ibrahim Laureate.
The candidates for the Ibrahim Prize are all former African executive heads of state or government who have left office during the last three calendar years, having been democratically elected and served their constitutionally mandated term.
Rugirangoga was speaking Sunday in a yearly ‘Healing Mass’ at Amahoro National Stadium.
The mass also aimed at commemorating the victims of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.
He urged people who committed the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi to seek for pardon and also urged survivors to forgive. He said that a country without forgiveness becomes ashes.
He said that for a person to live peacefully they should forgive and the sinner should seek for forgiveness.
“When we don’t ask for forgiveness or forgive from the bottom of our hearts we can’t get eternal life. Seeking for forgiveness and forgiving is the knot of peace,” he said.
Rugirangoga is also a pact protector. He forgave the killers of his parent and supported their children’s education.
“Both perpetrators and survivors have one another’s keys to heaven; no one should blame another. Whoever opts to seek for pardon should do so and the other side should forgive. We are like being burnt in a house that is open; for us to get out from that house, we need one another,” he said.
Speaking at the Mass, the Minister of Sports and Culture, Julienne Uwacu said that Christians really know that the death is not the end of life based on Jesus’ history.
She said that remembrance of Jesus’ death should bring people to honor and remember the death genocide against the Tutsi victims succumbed to.
“It would be a shame to see people remembering Jesus’ death which they didn’t witness and forget the death of children, parents among others who died the similar death as Jesus,” she said.
She urged Christians to sacrifice different necessities during the commemoration period. She stressed on role of forgiveness as a weapon towards a secured country.
“The country, peace and security we have today are the price of forgiveness. The country has pardoned and put forward the unity of people,” she added.
The healing Mass was organized by Catholic Church’s Regina Pacis Parish Remera.
