The forum dubbed ‘Rwanda Youth Connection’ was organised by Rwandan Community in Canada with the partnership of Rwandan Embassy in Canada.
The forum that will be conducted under the theme ‘The Future Filled With Endless Opportunities’.
Chargée d’affaires in Rwanda High Commission in Canada, Shakilla K. Umutoni said that the forum will be the opportunity to sensitize youth on using available opportunities in solving own problems and these of the country.
“Rwanda has chosen to invest in youth as a good way to sustain achievements. As President Paul Kagame has said, being youth is not enough, but they should create capability among themselves to face problems in the country,” she said.
Kabarebe had in this week been attending UN Ministerial Conference on Peace-keeping mission in Vancouver, Canada.
Among arrested is former Nyamagabe District Executive Secretary Jean Pierre Nshimiyimana.
All six officials were arrested Thursday, but mayor Mugisha had previously been reporting to criminal investigations department.
Speaking to IGIHE, the Police Spokesperson, ACP Theos Badege confirmed the news saying that investigations are still underway to ascertain more details.
“It is true , mayor Mugisha is under police custody over embezzlement and awarding shoddy tenders among others. He is with five accomplices, but investigations are still underway” he said.
Executive Secretary Nshimiyimana had resigned from his job in November last year after failing to explain tender issues indicated in the Auditor General’s report.
Some parents opt for lying to children about the divorce while others keep it a secret and rebuke a child who dares to ask about the status, holding children in confusion.
Dr Alphonse Sebaganwa, a lecturer and researcher at University of Rwanda’s College of Education and an expert in human behaviour and child’s education, says that parents should avoid lying to children and disparaging their ex-spouse because that may affect children for a life time.
“Children under seven years of age often remain unaware of what happened to their parents and ask many questions to each of the couple about why they are living separately, and indeed the questions are genuine,” says Dr Sebaganwa.
“It is so bad when a parent talks from their anger over their spouse’s deeds and tells a child that their dad or mum was selfish or adulterous or liar or was not providing for the family and more scornful words. The words can make a child hate another parent and develop cruel behaviour.”
The expert says that bad words against their parents make them lose trust in adult people and confidence in themselves, resulting in feelings of loneliness, disrespect adult people and poor school performance and more bad effects.
“When a parent tells a child that their ex partner was aggressive and brutal against them, the child may develop cruelty in order to revenge for the formerly brutalised parent,” says Dr Sebaganwa.
The best way to go about it
A child should be told about their parents’ divorce in a truthful way but the details differ depending on their age. Whatever their age is, never lie to your child but help them meet with another parent as often as possible.
A parent should not wait until a child asks about the divorce, instead should find appropriate time during their usual interaction time and tell children about the divorce.
“Tell the child that you will do everything that the mum or dad was doing for them like taking them to school, on tours, coaching and playing with them. Tell them that their parent living away still loves the child and that you will be visiting them. Promising to stay in touch with another parent will show a child that there is no disastrous situation in the family which keeps some unity and contact,” says Dr Sebaganwa.
Dr Sebaganwa insists on avoiding lies about parents’ divorce because a child will hear a different story from other people and make them lose trust in their parent.
Mr Mugabe had been under house arrest for days. The army made its move after a power struggle over his successor.
The military said on Friday it was “engaging” with Mr Mugabe and would advise the public on the outcome of talks “as soon as possible”.
Mr Mugabe was cheered by the crowd at the graduation ceremony after he spoke, a witness quoted by Reuters news agency says.
Neither the 93-year-old president’s wife, Grace Mugabe, nor Education Minister Jonathan Moyo – an ally of hers whose house was reportedly raided by the military – were present.
The army acted after Mr Mugabe sacked Vice-President Emmanuel Mnangagwa last week. Mr Mnangagwa was seen as a potential successor and his sacking paved the way for Mr Mugabe’s wife Grace Mugabe – who is four decades younger than him – to take over the presidency instead.
Mr Mugabe’s attendance at the graduation is an annual tradition but few expected to see him there.
The trio have been competing with colleagues from the University of Lay Adventists of Kigali (UNILAK), Kigali Independent University (ULK) and the University of Kigali (UoK).
After competing before a jury composed with international armed conflicts law experts, the trio representing UR law students were selected to represent the country in Arusha on November 18th to 27th in the competition that bring together law students from English speaking countries in Africa.
The competition’s format is a simulated war-crimes trial, in which the teams take turns playing the roles of both the prosecution and the defence.
Speaking on behalf of the UR’s winning team, Elysée Rugundana said that they learnt a lot in the competition and he is optimistic that his team will shine in Arusha.
“They are different articles on law governing aarmed conflicts that I was not aware of, I was also not aware of suitable behaviors in court. I learnt much about the difference between international armed conflicts and internal armed conflicts” he said.
According to the Head of RCRC delegation in Rwanda, Pascal Cuttat the competition aims at raising awareness about international law governing armed conflicts and sensitizing all people to implement them as a way to avoid armed conflicts which results in negative impacts to civilians and their properties from across the World
“Our organization will continue to support these competitions and other activities aimed at sensitizing population on implementation of international laws governing armed conflicts” said Cuttat
UR team will be fully sponsored by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) which is also the organizer of the competition both locally and internationally.
The appeal was raised yesterday, as the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Political and Gender Affairs together with the state minister for Constitutional and Legal affairs in the Ministry of Justice, Evode Uwizeyimana started scrutinizing the draft law that seeks to amend the Penal Code.
However, The state minister for Constitutional and Legal affairs in the Ministry of Justice, Hon. Evode Uwizeyimana refuted this, saying that making the ‘genocide crime’ a specific law, would be globalizing it, while there are still some countries that don’t agree on the matter.
“What we can do is to put in place different penalties for genocide-related crimes because making ‘genocide crime’ as a specific law can be considered as globalizing it. We should remember that there are some countries that don’t agree on this matter” he explained.
MP Evaritse Kalisa highlighted the fact that Rwandans understand the crucial importance of tough penalties on genocide crime as they witnessed consequences of the genocide as a crime against humanity.
Kalisa added that on both Political and law grounds, genocidal acts should not be taken on with an easy leverage.
“We lived and saw what happened during the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi; we saw the Trauma and destruction it left behind in our society. It is on these grounds that I stand on requesting that the Penalty for Genocidal crime be reviewed as a specific law with specific penalties different from genocide negation, divisionism and trivialization,” he said.
The President of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Political and Gender Affairs; MP Alfred Rwasa Kayiranga stressed too on the fact that a relevant scrutiny from the government was needed on the issue of penalties on genocide crime.
The students were also urged to utilize their holidays for the good of their families and communities rather than wasting it in non-developmental and unlawful activities, which at times result into arrests and unwanted pregnancies for the case of girls.
In Kayonza, Assistant Inspector of Police (AIP) Leonille Mujawamariya, the District Community Liaison Officer (DCLO) reached out to students of Fawe Girls School, and challenged them to pursue their academic careers rather than wildly things.
“You are now going for holidays, desist from drinking alcoholic beverages, night clubs and for the case of girls, temptations from men that might result into child pregnancy,” AIP Mujawamariya told the students.
“There are men who seduce young girls like you with phones, money and even taking them out for luxury life, and end up in sexual acts leading to pregnancies, contracting STDs and forcing them to drop out of school. Don’t leave room for such. Know why your parents sent you to school and what the country desires from you,” she added
She reminded them to stand up for their rights and report all forms of child abuse they either encounter or witness.
Similar messages were also delivered to students of St. Vincent in Misanze and Nyarutovu in Gakenke where police, local leaders and mentors educated the youngsters on positive living, staying focused and reporting wrongdoers to police.
{{Source: RNP News}}
The District Police Commander (DPC) Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Alex Ntaburana led about 100 police officers in an exercise headed by Dr. Marie Chantal Kanakuze, the head of National center for blood transfusion.
The DPC, while addressing the gathering including residents, shortly after the voluntary blood donation exercise, said that “health is part of security.”
“Before being police officers we are Rwandans, and we all strive for the wellbeing of Rwandans and the country,” he said.
He said that the police has a duty to work and support communities to ensure their own safety, but added that their health is a national priority, and so is the priority of everyone.
He cited an example of people that get involved in fatal accidents and lose a lot of blood and in need of blood to survive.
“The blood we donate is for our relatives and friends… to save them in times of need,” the DPC said, urging everyone to donate blood.
Dr. Kanakuze thanked the officers for the voluntary act, and the role of Rwanda National Police in health development activities.
More than 1000 police officers have donated blood this year as part of the implementation of the memorandum of understanding between Rwanda National Police (RNP) and Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) to partner in aspects of health and security related healthcare.
The agreement particularly binds the two parties in blood donation, fighting against drug abuse among the youth, mental health, and sexual and gender based violence.
Other areas include enforcement of laws and regulation against risks of Non Communicable Diseases, fighting counterfeit, selling and smuggling of pharmaceuticals; research activities, creation of data base for health care provision; prevention and detection of fraud and public funds embezzlement in health care agencies.
The mood is a major shift considering that people here usually avoid discussing sensitive political matters in public, wary of attracting the attention of authorities with little tolerance for dissent.
But after the discontent of recent years, the military’s surprise takeover on Wednesday appeared to give a new impetus to free speech on the streets of Harare.
“If this comes to pass, we will regard this in the future as a ‘second Independence Day’, after that of April 18, 1980,” said Tineyi Chimwanda, who identified himself as a local businessman.
“This is how it feels.”
{{‘Pleasing development’}}
In power since 1980, Mugabe, 93, led Zimbabwe’s fight for independence in the 1970s.
However, he has frequently faced accusations of political repression and economic mismanagement, and many Zimbabweans – especially the urban population – blame him for a long litany of woes, including rampant unemployment, widespread poverty and acute cash shortage.
In the early hours of Wednesday, the Zimbabwean army, which has previously been used as a way to suppress the opposition, placed the president under “house arrest”.
A broadcast by military spokesman Sibusiso Moyo, announcing the army’s seizure of power, was repeatedly aired on the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation’s sole TV channel – for years a mouthpiece of Mugabe and his close associates.
Moyo’s speech was cheered by a group of restaurant customers during lunch time in central Harare.
The military denies it is staging a coup, saying its move is meant only to deal with “criminals” within Mugabe’s circles.
The president and his family, the army said, were “safe and sound”.
The statement, however, is being seen as a careful attempt by the military to keep a lid on potential unrest and ensure a bloodless transition from Mugabe’s rule.
The few who reported for duty on Wednesday followed the proceedings via the state TV channel from their workplaces and from bars.
“As a junior intelligence officer, I can tell you most us are pleased by this development,” said a member of the Central Intelligence Organisation, Zimbabwe’s dreaded spy agency.
“Only the senior guys, our bosses, who benefit from the oppressive system, will not be happy with this.”
{{Uncertain future}}
The army’s intervention is believed to have been prompted by the sacking of Emmerson Mnangagwa, a war veteran, as vice president.
His dismissal came after months of a power struggle within Mugabe’s ruling ZANU-PF party over the issue of a successor.
On Monday, army commander Constantine Chiwenga gave warning that the military would not “hesitate to step in” if what he called the purge of former independence war fighters at ZANU-PF continued.
Mnangagwa, an ally of Chiwenga, leads a party faction that is at loggerheads with another led by Mugabe’s wife, Grace, and some younger members of the party.
Speculation is that Mnagangwa, who fled from Zimbabwe after his sacking, will return home to lead a transitional government following Wednesday’s events.
As the day wore on, residents of Harare could be heard discussing the sudden turn of events with excitement and anticipation.
Few, though, were ready to view the developments as “the end of Mugabe”.
“End of Mugabe? No, hard to believe. Too good to be true,” said Daniel Mkwananzi, an accountant.
“I feel the old man will fulfil his ambition of dying in office.”
The Police Spokesperson, ACP Theos Badege said that Karekezi was arrested Wednesday.
“Karekezi is under Criminal Investigation Department, where he is being interrogated about ICT related charges,” he said.
He said investigations are underway.
Karekeziwas arrested on the same day his assistant coach Hamad Ndikumana Katauti passed away. However, Badege explained that there is no connection between Karekezi’s arrest and Katauti’s death.
