According to a statement released yesterday, organisers of Aviation Africa 2021 have taken the decision based on the increased cases of the delta variant across the African continent and hope that by moving to 2022, the event can transition to safer times when global travel confidence is back.
“We are very disappointed that we could not run Aviation Africa this year in Kigali as planned. The number of increased Covid-19 cases across the globe, mean we have to consider health & safety as our top priority whilst also ensuring we can bring a fruitful gathering to the event, and the current situation would not have allowed for that,” said Mark Brown, managing director, Times Aerospace, organisers of Aviation Africa.
“Rwanda has been one of the countries globally that has put in place a very secure Covid protection plan with strict entry and exit requirements and we remain extremely confident that holding Aviation Africa here next year will be the optimum option for our attendees,” he added.
Aviation Africa is a major trade event for the aerospace and defence industries. The event is a 2 day summit and exhibition. Speakers include leaders from African airlines, civil aviation authorities, business aviation and support industries.
Dr. Bienvenu was appointed to the position by the cabinet meeting held on 11th August 2021 chaired by President Paul Kagame.
The Senate approved his appointment yesterday during a plenary session after receiving a report from the senatorial Standing Committee on Social Affairs and Human Rights which also presented projections of Dr. Bievenu.
Dr. Bienvenu told the committee that he has expertise in drugs formulation and research beneficial to the country’s initiative to manufacture drugs and vaccines locally.
Dr. Bievenu pledged to fast track reforms aimed at revising guidelines for use of drugs in the country and draw attention to scrutinizing factories manufacturing drugs to ensure they meet international standards.
Rwanda Food and Drugs Authority was established by the law Nº 003/2018 of 09/02/2018 determining its mission, organization and functioning.
The mandate of the Authority is to protect public health through regulation of human and veterinary medicines, vaccines and other biological products, processed foods, poisons, medicated cosmetics, medical devices, household chemical substances, tobacco and tobacco products.
{{Who is Dr. Emile Bievenue?}}
Dr. Emile Bienvenu is a Pharmacist holding a Master’s degree (Pharmacology) from University of the Western Cape in South Africa, and a PhD (Medical Science) from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden in the area of Clinical Pharmacology. Dr. Emile combines research, academic and managerial skills.
He has been serving as a Senior Lecturer at the University of Rwanda, College of Medicine and Health Sciences. He also served as University Director for Innovation since 2017 prior to new his new appointment and as Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Research.
Previously at National University of Rwanda where he served as Lecturer, he has been the Executive Secretary for the University Research Office for six years (2002 to 2008). Dr. Emile also served as External Examiner at Muhimbili University of Health & Allied Sciences in Tanzania until 2016. From July 2011 until May 2013 he was the Head of Medical Procurement Division at Rwanda Biomedical Center. Since 2009 to 2020, Dr. Emile is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) for which he is a Member since 2002. He also served as Member of the Board of Directors at Rwanda Military Hospital (2012-2018).
Dr. Emile research focuses on therapy optimization based on pharmacokinetic and pharmacogenetic considerations, especially for HIV and TB co-infection. He is the Country Principal Investigator of a 5-year EU/EDCTP funded research project (2018-2023) focusing on Pharmacovigilance in East Africa. Dr. Emile authored a number of papers in peer-reviewed international Journals over the past 7 years and is a Reviewer for a number of peer reviewed Journals.
Dr. Emile is also an expert for hospital Drug & Therapeutic Committees (DTCs). He provided technical assistance as a resource person to the Ministry of Health in Rwanda (2006) in formulating the first editions of the Standard Treatment Guidelines and Drug Formulary.
Dr. Emile combines his pharmacology research with commitments in Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Among others, he completed a research attachment at McGill University in Canada (2008), where he contributed to the project “The alternative modeling of Intellectual Property Systems in biotechnology innovation”.
Dr. Emile has been serving as the Country Principal Researcher for “StArfrica – Startup Germany-Africa”, a 4-year German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs funded project (2020-2024).
The ceremony which took place on Tuesday 17th August 2021 coincided with the signing of performance contracts related to promoting hygiene and sanitation among members of the private sector, district development partners and sector executive secretaries.
The outstanding cells include Karambo in Kanama sector and Nsherima in Bugeshi sector which received two motorbikes worth Rwf2,924,000.
The Governor of Western Province, François Habitegeko who also graced the event urged awardees to keep up the momentum and encouraged more cells to strive for excellence.
“The recognition aligns with government’s good policies to achieve performance contracts. It leaves a lesson when you reward people with outstanding performance and criticize others for inefficiency,” he said.
“We also want residents to work together, concert efforts to fast track performance contracts,” added Habitegeko.
He explained that performance contracts signed yesterday are meant to promote hygiene and sanitation in Rubavu as one of secondary cities.
“As a tourism destination town, Rubavu must maintain highest hygiene standards. That is why they have signed hygiene and sanitation performance contracts to engage all stakeholders in sensitization for improved hygiene practices among residents,” said Habitegeko.
He stressed that the Western Province is also committed to eradicate malnutrition, tackle school drop outs among other priority areas to address challenges affecting residents’ welfare.
The Government of Rwanda introduced performance contracts known as ‘Imihigo’ since 2006 as a home-grown performance management tool to promote decentralization of governance, enhance accountability and efficiency to fast track national development.
The “designation is based on his command and control, flexibility, discipline, performance, and professionalism of the contingent commander personally and his unit as well,” the salutation published in the MINUSCA UNPOL monthly magazine–ECHO de la Police–reads in part.
RWAPSU 1-6 of 140 Police officers was deployed in Bangui in May. The unit is assigned to perform various VIP tasks including close protection of the Prime Minister, President of the National Assembly and Minister of Justice.
The Rwandan unit is also charged with close protection to the UN Special Respresentative of the Secretary General (SRSG) to MINUSCA and static guard at his residence as well as the protection of the two deputy SRSGs
They also conduct other assigned tasks including escort duties but also support the local communities in human security activities.
RWAPSU is one of the three Rwandan Police contingents deployed in CAR with two of them composed of 140 officers and another Formed Police Unit (FPU) of 180 officers.
The statement released last night shows that 557 people have caught the virus out of 8435 sample tests while 88 recovered.
The majority of new cases were found in Gicumbi: 52, Kigali: 45, Karongi: 41, Rusizi: 38 and Ngororero 35.
A total of 951,795 people have been vaccinated since Rwanda began countrywide inoculation program.
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.
Dr. Rutunga, 72, who is currently detained at Nyarugenge Prison, was recently deported from the Netherlands where he spent more than ten years.
He is charged with crimes including complicity in committing Genocide and extermination as a crime against humanity.
During the previous hearing, the Prosecution accused Rutunga to have committed the crimes between April 26 and 30, 1994 in former Butare Prefecture currently in Huye district where he was working as the Regional Director of the Rwanda Agricultural Research Institute (ISAR-Rubona).
It is said that Dr. Rutunga invited Interahamwe militia to kill over 1000 Tutsi who fled to ISAR Rubona during the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi.
He later fled to foreign countries and was denied asylum status by the Netherlands in 2000.
He worked partially as a researcher at Wageningen University in The Netherlands prior to his arrest in 2019.
Dr. Rutunga was born in 1949 in the former Ruhengeri Prefecture, currently Gakenke district in the Northen Province.
During the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi, he lived in what is today Rubona village, Kiruhura cell, Ruhashya sector, Huye district in Southern Province.
The meeting brought together Rwandan and International experts who offer strategic advice to the President and the government.
The meeting was attended by cabinet members including the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Vincent Biruta; the Minister of Health, Dr. Daniel Ngamije; Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Dr. Uzziel Ndagijimana; Minister of Infrastructure, Claver Gatete and the Minister of Trade and Industry, Beata Uwamaliza Habyarimana.
Also present at the meeting were Louise Mushikiwabo, the Secretary-General of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie and the Governor of the National Bank of Rwanda, John Rwangombwa among others.
International experts who attended include Ashish Thakkar, the Founder of Mara Group which established phones manufacturing plant in Rwanda; Dale Dawson, the Founder, Chairman and CEO of Bridge2Rwanda.The latter is a foundation formed to help expand Rwanda’s global network of friends, to encourage foreign direct investment and to create opportunities for Rwandan students to study abroad.
The council also hosted Kaia Miller, Mauro De Lorenzo, Joseph Ritchie, Michel Roux, Dave King, Paul Davenport, Rod Reynolds, Pastor Rick Warren, Scott Ford and Christian Angermayer.
The road had been closed since the ISIS seizure of Mocimboa da Praia a year ago.
Reopening the road was possible, because the joint command of the Mozambican and Rwandan forces put an alternative bridge across the Quinhevo river on national road R782.
According to a report in Monday’s issue of the Maputo daily “Noticias”, the bridge, built of metal and timber, can bear vehicles with a weight of up to 60 tonnes. It will facilitate the movement of motorised infantry in operations to clean out terrorists from other parts of Mocimboa da Praia district.
A team from the National Roads Administration (ANE) visited Mocimboa da Praia on Sunday to assess the requirements for a more thorough intervention to improve the road.
Previously the main link to Mocimboa da Praia and its port was along road N380, which is currently impassable due to terrorist destruction of another bridge.
Further north, in Palma district, people displaced from their homes in Palma town by the ISIS raid of 24 March, are beginning to return, according to a report in the independent newssheet “Carta de Mocambique”.
The security provided by the joint Mozambican-Rwandan forces has made it feasible for some residents to return to their homes in the town. Since late March many of them had been living in the resettlement town of Quitunda, which was initially set up for workers of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) project run by a consortium headed by the French oil and gas company, TotalEnergies.
After the terrorist attack, Total withdrew all its workers, and people displaced from Palma town fled to the relative safety of Quitunda.
One of those who returned to Palma town, Aruna Nchute, told “Carta de Mocambique” she had seen no signs of any new fighting in the town. Others are more cautious and prefer to stay in Quitunda, or make their way to the provincial capital, Pemba.
When the Secretary of State for Cabo Delgado, Antonio Supeia, visited Palma last week, he guaranteed that the government is committed to restoring normal life to the town, starting with the re-establishment of public services.
There are also reports of displaced people begin to drift back to the towns of Macomia and Quissanga.
The incident took place today morning around 9a.m.
Witnesses have told IGIHE that the fire outbreak emerged as workers welded metals and quickly caught mattresses.
“The fire gutted the facility when welders joined metal parts. Flames spread to mattresses which immediately started burning uncontrollably,” said Uwase Clarisse.
She revealed that encouraging workers at the furniture market to own fire extinguishers would be helpful in case similar incidents occur.
Another witness identified as Selemani Habimana has said that mattresses should be sold separately from the main business workshop to avoid similar incidents.
As fire gutted the furniture workshop, police rushed to intervene with five firefighting trucks.
To receive the special offer, fans and journalists are urged contact their respective national federations in their home countries for more details.
This partnership is considered a further confirmation of Rwanda’s commitment to continue investing in the growing African sports industry as a gateway for the youth to express themselves and lay a foundation for a better future.
Commenting on the partnership, Desire Mugwiza, the president of FERWABA said: “This is a great opportunity for everyone across the world who would love to watch the FIBA AfroBasket 2021 and visit Rwanda. We welcome you to enjoy the games and experience the Land of Thousand Hills.”
The CEO of RwandAir, Yvonne Makolo said that the carrier is delighted to join the partnership to promote basketball throughout the continent.
“It is a privilege to support Africa’s senior national teams through the FIBA AfroBasket 2021 taking place here in Kigali which we believe will foster and develop talent as the teams compete for the title,” she noted.
“As a proud African carrier, RwandAir is committed to continue uniting people through sport and championing African talent,” added Makolo.
RwandAir flies to 25 destinations worldwide including 20 on the African continent, two in Europe, two in Asia and one in the Middle East with 22 of these active at the moment.
These include Abidjan, Abuja, Accra, Bangui, Brazzaville, Brussels, Bujumbura, Cape Town, Cotonou, Dar es Salaam, Douala, Dubai, Harare, Johannesburg, Kilimajaro, Kinshasa, Lagos, Libreville, Kigali, London, Lusaka and Nairobi.
Sixteen teams from across the continent will compete in the 30th edition of the FIBA AfroBasket. The Kigali Arena will host all the 36 games of the competition with the final taking place in Sunday, September 5.
