During the same function, the Reserve Force Chief of Staff, Gen F Ibingira was handed over office by Lt Gen J Musemakweli.
In his farewell address, Gen P Nyamvumba thanked the appointing authority for having given him the opportunity to lead one of the best institutions in Rwanda.
“Together we have registered many achievements but a lot more needs to be done to get the Force to the intended level. I trust you will be able to achieve your mission as you have here a dedicated and strong team to work with. I wish you, your staff and the entire RDF all the best,” he said.
The newly appointed CDS Gen Jean Bosco Kazura in his takeover speech thanked President Paul Kagame for having entrusted in him to lead RDF, a strong institution at home and even beyond.
He also thanked the outgoing CDS for an exemplary leadership that led RDF to where it is today.
“We will emulate you aiming at even doing better. I am coming with humility and assure you to accommodate everybody’s contribution towards building RDF and our country in general,” assured Gen Kazura.
The current handover/ takeover office follows the changes and new deployments effected on 04 Nov 19 by President of the Republic of Rwanda and Commander in Chief of the RDF.
Police said Hakizimana was impersonating RIB officials and defrauding unsuspecting members of the public.
Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Emmanuel Kayigi, the Police spokesperson for the Western region, said that Hakizimana was arrested during the ongoing joint operation codenamed ‘USALAMA.’
Usalama, meaning safety in Kiswahili, is a regional operation conducted every year simultaneously in 28 Eastern and Southern Police Chiefs Cooperation Organisations (EAPCCO and SARPCCO) member states against high impact crimes including trafficking in human beings, people smuggling, illicit pharmaceuticals, narcotic drugs, and motor vehicle theft.
It also targets environmental crimes (wildlife crimes, illegal logging, and fishing), theft of copper cables and other metals, smuggling of minerals, a proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons, terrorism and tracking fugitives.
In Rwanda, it is conducted jointly by Rwanda National Police (RNP), RIB, Rwanda Standards Board (RSB), Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) and the Federation of Pharmacies, among others.
“Hakizimana used this opportunity of the USALAMA operation and would go shop-by-shop in Rubavu threatening owners that he was part of the operation from RIB attached to Gisenyi station, and getting money from them so as not to confiscate their goods,” CIP Kayigi.
He added: “At the time of his arrest, he had solicited money from one businessman, and was going to defraud two others. He was also found with a forged RIB identity card indicating that he was RIB personnel working at Gisenyi station.”
CIP Kayigi said that Hakizimana was defrauding people out of threats, but thanked one of the would-be victims, who were bold to call law enforcement organs.
He called for vigilance against such fraudsters. “Asking for a bribe is criminal itself; whoever asks for money in order to give a service, consider that as fraud and be quick to report such person to law enforcement agencies.”
In article 279 of law determining offences and penalties in general, it is stated that any person who, without title, usurps public, civil or military functions or poses the acts of one of these functions or falsely attributes to himself/herself the quality of a public official… with an intention to mislead the public, commits an offence.
Upon conviction, he/she is liable to imprisonment for a term of not less than two years and not more than three years with a fine of not less than Rwf300, 000 and not more than Rwf500, 000.
Kagame made the notice on Tuesday as he presided over the launch of the judicial year 2019-2020.
The Prosecutor General, Jean Bosco Mutangana revealed that the institution recorded increased cases of defilement in the judicial year 2018-2019.
“In particular, files related to such crimes rose from 2996 from 2017/2018 to 3363 in the previous year 2018/2019. We expended much effort to process these files handling 3350 representing 99%,” he said.
“It also goes with following up of crimes related to threatening a spouse. We received 1601 files last year and processed 1599 of them representing 99%. We won these cases at 93.7%. We continue to expend much effort in collaboration with relevant entities to safeguard Rwandan society,” added Mutangana.
Kagame lauded the progress of the judiciary over the past ten years but emphasized the need to seek alternative remedy for increasing crimes.
“I am not repeating all the cases. These issues have been already mentioned. Divorces are increasing as well as defilement cases. When it comes to defilement, the situation is much worse even though mature people don’t deserve rape. I have heard a lot of issues. There are increased numbers, judiciary’s improved efficiency handling more cases than before but I would like to add the third thing,” he said.
“I can add the third thing when the number increased, and got means to solve court cases fast. I am wondering if adopting tougher punishments won’t help. The judiciary works efficiently but the good performance didn’t solve the matter. We should take steps farther to oppose it. I will leave that to concerned officials to analyze its feasibility,” added Kagame.
Statistics reveal that RIB received 2091 defilement cases in 2016/2017 that rose to 3060 in 2017/2018 and 3512 in 2018/2019.
The number of related suspects was 3417 in 2018/2019, 3001 in 2017/18 and 2092 in 2016/2017.
The prosecution explains that it wins defilement cases at 80%.
So far, 1355 cases were handled since 2016/2017 leading to the sentence of 1109 and acquittal of 246 suspects.
The prosecution also won 1168 of 1480 cases handled in 2017/2018.
The President of Rwanda Bar Association, Julien Kavaruganda explained that the body has a team of 30 lawyers specifically assigned to help children where 2450 were assisted in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice.
Figures from the Ministry of Health indicate that a total of 17,337 teens who gave birth at hospitals in 2017 were under 19. The number rose to 19,832 in 2018 and 15,696 in 2019.
It all began with a phone call, Erdoğan warning the American President Trump to withdraw his forces in the cities of Manbij and Kobanî within northern Syria near the Turkey-Syria border.
President Erdogan told his American counterpart Trump that his forces would be in jeopardy ahead of Turkey’s “Barış Pınarı Harekâtı” or known as Operation Peace Spring operation in English.
When I read about this, I thought it was a propaganda campaign meant to heighten tensions between both countries, until I watched Trump’s troops pulling out of Manbij.
Manbij had been turned into the Kurdish stronghold controlled by Syrian anti-government forces, Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Syrian Arab Army (SAA).
President Erdogan, a well know devoted Muslim, invaded a foreign state to create what he called a “safe zone”. In what would be seen as a suicide mission and a gross violation of the international laws by many, the tough and fearless Erdogan seemed to be on the other side of the coin; he launched attacks on the Syrian territory to secure the two cities at the Syria-Turkey border to repatriate thousands of Syrian refugees who had fled endless Syrian civil war to Turkey.
Risky Turkey’s deployment in Syria influenced the United States foreign policy.
Trump had created a coalition with the Kurdish forces to fight the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in the cities of Manbij and Kobanî. Unlike the United States, Turkey considers the Kurdish’ Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) as a terror organization so striking SDF was killing two birds with one stone.
President Trump’s the United States had threatened of imposing sanctions on Turkish ministers and other senior government officials if it continued to strike in Syria; Russian another key ally of the Syrian government also maintained its position opposing the operation and reinforced the deployment of its forces in Syria.
Surprisingly Trump decided to pull out his troops in Syria, which was seen as a betrayal to the Kurds as per their previous coalition in fighting the ISIL in the war-torn country. Many questioned the US’s credibility and saw it as a failure to its foreign policy.
Turkey’s tensions with Saudi Arabia and its main ally the United States of America could escalate further.
Political differences between Turkey, the United States, and the Saudi Kingdom show no sign of ending.
Not long ago, Jamal Ahmad Khashoggi, a Saudi Arabian controversial journalist who was seen a threat to the kingdom leadership was murdered inside a Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.
Since then Turkey and Saudi have been at loggerheads with Turkey accusing the Arab Kingdom of killing its own national on the Turkish soil; accusations that the Kingdom has consistently refuted.
Many thought the Khashoggi assassination would affect the existing US-Saudi Arabia relations as the US condemned his death and ordered an independent investigation.
Despite Turkey’s provision of all evidence pinning Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman Al Saud to Khashoggi death; both countries reiterated that their mutual interests were bigger than Turkey’s accusations.
Turkey’s strongman Erdogan has proven that the United States’ foreign policy can be influenced by other parties.
Though up to now many still wonder what could have triggered Trump’s decision of pulling out of Syria but Trump’s decision was strategic.
Erdogan had a noble cause to defend besides securing Manbij and Kobanî for Syrian refugees’ settlements, Erdogan was also protecting his country from the Kurdish terrorists who could carry out terror activities on the Turkish soil.
{{Sam Abdul Aziz Sewanyana Junior is a political analyst based in the Great Lakes Region.}}
The changes were announced yesterday with new forces in the command of RDF.
Gen Fred Ibingira has also been returned to his previous functions as the Reserve Force Chief of Staff.
Kagame coincidently promoted Gen Maj Jean Bosco Kazura to the rank of General and appointed him CDS.
Gen Fred Ibingira returned to Reserve Force Chief, the position he assumed between 2010 and 2018. He was subsequently replaced by Gen Maj Aloys Muganga and Lieutenant General Jacques Musemakweli.
Yesterday’s changes saw Lieutenant General Jacques Musemakweli, the previous Reserve Force Chief appointed RDF Inspector General.
Gen Maj Innocent Kabandana has been appointed Deputy Reserve Force Chief.
Brig Gen Didas Ndahiro has been appointed the Commandant of RDF Command Staff College in Nyakinama while Brig Gen Ephrem Rurangwa was appointed the Commandant of Rwanda Military Academy.
Colonel James Ruzibiza was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General and appointed the Commander of Engineering Brigade.
Colonel Karusisi Ruki has been promoted to Brigadier General and appointed Commander of Special Forces Operations Force while Colonel Joseph Karegire has been appointed Chief J3 (Operations and Training).
Among others, Colonel Faustin Kalisa has been appointed Chief J1 (Personnel), Colonel Adolphe Simbizi appointed Chief J4 (Logistics), Colonel Jean Paul Karangwa was appointed Commander of Military Police, Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Karuretwa is promoted to Colonel, Lieutenant Colonel Emmanuel Kanombayire is promoted to Colonel and appointed Second in Command of Special Operations Force , Lieutenant Colonel Jules Rwirangira is promoted to Colonel and appointed the Commander of Artllery Division.
Lieutenant Colonel Lausanne Ingabire is appointed Chief J9 (Civil-military relations) while Major Regis Rwagasana Sankara was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel.
Among others, Major Regis Rwagasana Sankara has been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
The changes were made yesterday pursuant to the provisions of Rwanda’s constitution of 2003 as amended in 2015 especially in article 116.
Before the new appointments, three of four positions which had no replacements following previous appointments got successors.
These positions include the Ministry of Sports and Culture, Esperance Nyirasafari, the State Minister for Social Affairs in the Ministry of Local Government, Dr. Alvera Mukabaramba who were appointed senators.
Others include Minister of State in Charge of Transport, Jean de Dieu Uwihanganye appointed ambassador to Singapore and Nadine Umutoni Gatsinzi, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion who was recently elected Kigali city vice mayor.
The cabinet reshuffle saw Kagame appointing Gen Patrick Nyamvumba,52,
to head the re-established Ministry of internal Security (phased out three years ago in 2016)
The latter was RDF CDS since 2013.
The Ministry of Sports and Culture was changed to the Ministry of Sports
Aurore Mimosa, the MD of Sonarwa Life Assurance Company Ltd has been appointed the Minister of Sports, created out of the former Ministry of Sports and Culture.
The segment of culture was merged with the Ministry of Youth, becoming the Ministry of Youth and Culture headed by Rose Mary Mbabazi who was the Minister of youth since 2017. Edouard Bamporiki, the former Chairman of National Itorero has been appointed the State Minister for Culture at the ministry.
Dr. Vincent Biruta, the former Minister of Environment has been appointed the Minister for Foreign Affairs replacing Dr. Richard Sezibera.
Dr. Biruta joined the cabinet since 2011.
He has been replaced by Dr. Jeanne D’Arc Mujawamariya who was previously Rwanda’s ambassador to Russia.
Nyirarukundo Ignatienne who was a member of the Lowe Chamber of Parliament has been appointed the State Minister for Social Affairs at the Ministry of Local Government.
Ingabire Assumpta has been appointed MIGEPROF Permanent Secretary while Dusengiyumva Samuel was appointed the Permanent Secretary in charge of social affairs at MINALOC.
Among others, Dr. Rose Mukankomeje (who once headed Rwanda Environment Management Authority) has been appointed the Chairman of the Higher Education Council (HEC), replacing Dr. Muvunyi Emmanuel.
Tito Rutaremara has been appointed the chairman of Rwanda’s Elders Advisory Council replacing Dr. Iyamuremye Augustin who was recently elected Senate president.
Marc Kabandana was also appointed a member of Elders Advisory Council.
Arsenal and Manchester United have been leading the way when it comes to the Europa League. And they will want to keep things this way as they are punching below their weight in their domestic league.
The Reds, who slumped to their fourth league defeat of the season with a 1-0 loss at Bournemouth on the weekend, are currently only 10th in the Premier League with 13 points from 11 matches – 18 points behind runaway leaders Liverpool.
Although slightly better, the Gunners are also not having the domestic season their fans are hoping for. They have four points more than United and are fifth, but six points adrift of the fourth-placed Chelsea.
In the Europa League, both clubs are looking strong and seem well en route to the knock-out stage.
Arsenal has an unblemished record in Group F, ahead of their away trip to Vitória de Guimarães. They have a three-point advantage over Eintracht Frankfurt, who are away to Standard Liège in the other group game on Thursday.
United, meanwhile, top group L followed by Dutch club AZ Alkmaar. Partizan Belgrade, who visit Old Trafford on Thursday, sits third.
Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s team has yet to concede in the Europa League but have also only managed two goals – one in a 1-0 win in their opening game against Astana and the other in the 1-0 victory in Belgrade on the last match-day.
Pressure on Solskjær will only have been increased by the defeat against Bournemouth and the Norwegian will be keen to ensure that United qualify for the next round as early as possible.
But with French international Paul Pogba out injured, the coach is running out of options to play up front.
In Germany, Bayern Munich will be in a tough position when facing Borussia Dortmund for this Saturday’s Bundesliga Klassiker.
It will be for the defending champions the best possible opportunity to bounce back at home from the humiliating 5-1 defeat against Eintracht Frankfurt on the weekend.
But a day after the defeat in Frankfurt coach Niko Kovac was fired. His assistant Hansi Flick was given the job on an interim basis.
The former Bayern midfielder’s task will not have been made any easier as three center-backs have been ruled out. Jerome Boateng, Germany international Niklas Süle and Bayern’s most expensive ever signing, Lucas Hernandez, will all be missing.
Their opponent Borussia Dortmund, meanwhile, go into the match buoyed by a 3-0 league victory against the only previously unbeaten team in the Bundesliga, Wolfsburg.
That victory occurred just a few days after Dortmund came from behind to beat the log leaders Borussia Mönchengladbach 2-1 in a cup match.
A victory for the home side would see Bayern move ahead of Dortmund, who currently is second in the Bundesliga three points behind Mönchengladbach, while Bayern is fourth, a further point behind.
History clearly favors Bayern, who have won the last five Klassiker at home, scoring an astonishing 22 goals and conceding just three.
Football fans throughout Africa will be able to see if history repeats itself or if Dortmund will be able to have the upper-hand on Munich as Der Klassiker, as well as Europa League matches, will be shown live and exclusive on the StarTimes football channels.
The second meeting is organized by joint Rwanda, Uganda commission established by Luanda agreements signed by both countries Heads of State on 21st August 2019.
It has been two years since Rwanda, Uganda relations worsened. Rwanda expressed concerns over Rwandans who travel to Uganda for business purposes but are abducted, imprisoned and tortured accused of being Rwanda’s spies.
Some of the deportees testified that they were forced to join the rebel group of Kayumba Nyamwasa which pins Uganda to be supporting rebel groups against Rwanda.
This saw the Government of Rwanda advising citizens not to travel to Uganda for their security following testimonies of hundreds of Rwandans tortured and deported from Uganda.
On 20th October 2019, Chimpreports medium based in Uganda made a publication that Uganda’s foreign affairs ministry sent an invitation to Rwanda for the second meeting mending relations on 13th November 2019.
At the time, Rwanda was not informed of the invitation. The State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Olivier Nduhungirehe expressed concern that Rwanda didn’t receive the invitation that both parties didn’t agree on the date.
Amb. Nduhungirehe has today told IGIHE that the letter was sent later that Rwanda is getting ready to attend though the schedule of 13th November might be modified on the Ugandan side.
During the previous meeting held in Rwanda on 16th September 2019, Rwanda provided a list of Rwandans detained in Uganda and the Republic of Uganda committed to verify the information for the purpose of processing those named through a due judicial process and releasing those against whom no evidence of criminal conduct will have been found.
The release is among resolutions of first Rwanda-Uganda peace talks discussing the implementation of Memorandum of Understandings to end political turbulence signed in Angola.
Rwanda-Uganda delegations came up with a number of issues of mutual interest and concern between both countries.
“We will discuss on implementation of previous resolutions, discuss the current situation with Uganda and address a press conference later,” Nduhungirehe has said.
Following the first meeting, it was agreed that the next appointment was set within 30 days in Kampala within 30 to assess the implementation of resolutions.
Both countries agreed to follow due process in dealing with each other’s citizens; reiterated commitment to refraining from acts of destabilizing each other; finalize the extradition treaty in order to provide a framework for future exchange of criminal fugitives and cease all forms of hostile propaganda in both mainstream and social media.
Both countries also agreed that the issue of free movement of persons, goods, and services across the common border and other outstanding issues shall be discussed in the next meeting.
The opening ceremony of the first meeting of the Ad Hoc Commission on the implementation of the Luanda Memorandum of Understandings between Rwanda and Uganda was attended by the Minister of External Relations of Angola, Manuel Domingos Augusto and Gilbert Kankonde Malamba, the Deputy Prime Minister of Interior of DRC.
The Rwandan delegation was led by Amb. Olivier Nduhungirehe, the Minister of State in charge of the East African Community while Sam Kutesa, Uganda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs leads the Ugandan delegation.
Rwanda was also represented by Gen Maj Frank Mugambage, Rwanda’s ambassador to Uganda; the Minister of Justice, Johnston Busingye; the Minister of Local Government, Prof. Shyaka Anastase; Gen Maj Joseph Nzabamwita, the Secretary-General of the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) and Col Anaclet Kalibata, the head of External Intelligence at NISS.
Uganda’s delegation also included the Minister of Defense, Gen. J.J Odongo Abu; Amb. Joseph Ocwet; the Director-General External Security Organisation (ESO), the State’s Attorney General, Byaruhanga and Uganda’s ambassador to Rwanda, Oliver Wonekha.
Facilitators included Angolan Ambassador to Rwanda, Horacio Uliengue; Angolan Foreign Affairs Minister and DRC Deputy Prime Minister and head of Intelligence Inzun Justin Kakiak.
The jury of citizens to partner with judges during the trial of Neretse will be selected today afternoon. He faces 13 murder charges and 3 charges of attempted murder during the Genocide.
Neretse trial will begin on Thursday as reported by Soir, Belgium-based media house.
Neretse, currently living in France will provide his defense beginning Thursday and expected to last long due to a large number of witnesses.
Fabien Neretse was born in Ruhengeri, Rwanda, in 1957. Influential businessman and bureaucrat during the regime of Juvenal Habyarimana, Neretse was from 1989 to 1991, the Head of the Rwandan Authority for Coffee (OCIR-Café), a governmental agency then in charge of the coffee exports. He is a former Lieutenant in the former Rwandan Armed Forces (ex-FAR), at the rank of Lieutenant.
According to the charges, Neretse is one of the founders of the Interahamwe, the pro-Hutu militia which was involved in the massacres in Rwanda. It is said he would provide them with weapons, means of transportation and money to finance the genocide.
He is said to have directly participated in the genocide campaign, particularly in the planning of the massacres committed on the Mataba hill, and inactions perpetrated in the provinces of Ruhengeri, Gisenyi, and Ndiza.
Neretse is also suspected of having rounded several Tutsi families trying to escape from Rwanda in the early days of the genocide and executed under his watch.
He is in particular accused of having caused the death of a Belgian national, Claire Beckers, who on 9 April 1994 was trying to escape from Kigali with her husband Isaïe Bucyana and her daughter Katia. Upon information allegedly provided by Neretse, the Belgian-Rwandan family was arrested at a roadblock and summarily executed.
At the end of the genocide, Neretse fled to France where, in order not to be recognized, he used a fake name. He settled in Angouleme, where he lived quietly as Fabien Nsabimana until 2011 when he was arrested.
The contest usually brings together African girls at the end of every year.
As she contested in Miss Rwanda, Uwase pitched the project of supporting orphaned children and promoting the initiative of integrating them into families.
Last year, Rwanda was represented by Shanitah Umunyana at Miss University Africa contest which left Sacur from Mozambique crowned the winner.
Umunyana reached the finals along with the other 10 girls.
Miss University Africa gets US$50 000, a brand new car and becomes the ambassador of United Nations students.
