The two-week peacekeeping course is conducted by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) in partnership with Rwanda National Police (RNP).
It seeks to align the officers with the UN peacekeeping standards such as command, administration, human rights due diligence policy, community oriented policing, and capacity development.
Others include monitoring, mentoring and advising, protection of civilians, use force and firearms as well as arrest and detention in peacekeeping operations.
The commandant of PTS, Commissioner of Police (CP) Robert Niyonshuti, while opening the course, said that Rwanda National Police has put training at the forefront to address challenges in policing both in and out the country in peace support operations.
“Without effective training of police officers, we can’t achieve our best performance and we cannot manage to effectively serve the community, which is the mission of Rwanda National Police,” CP Niyonshuti said.
He appreciated the existing partnership between the RNP and UNITAR in enhancing the skills, knowledge and attitude of police officers in peacekeeping and other policing fields.
“Police officers to be deployed for peacekeeping operations must be trained to enable them understand and manage mission challenges.
This course prepares professional police officers into competent peacekeepers,” said the commandant.
The village will house vulnerable residents and others from disaster-prone areas from different parts of Rubavu District in Western Province who were affected flooding and landslides mainly occasioned by River Sebeya overflow.
The disasters that hit different parts of the country took lives of over 130 people in Western, Northern and Southern Provinces of Rwanda.
Anticipated to be completed by the end of June 2023, the model village will accommodate 120 families from various areas in Rubavu. The village is being constructed on land previously used for a small modern village that sheltered vulnerable residents from Rubavu.
The model village is being built by Ministry of Defence/Reserve Forces while Gasabo 3D Design Ltd is supervising construction works. Meanwhile, Rwanda Housing Authority (RHA) is monotoring the implementation of the project on behalf of the Government of Rwanda.
Niyonshuti Elie, an employee of Gasabo 3D Design Ltd and a construction supervisor, mentioned that the village’s construction is nearing completion.
Comprising two phases, Rugerero Model Village is almost finished, he said. The first phase consists of three multi-storey blocks that will provide housing for 120 families.
The second phase encompasses essential infrastructure, including roads, an Early Childhood Development Center (ECD), a furniture workshop, a market, an extension and renovation of Muhira Health Post, electricity and water supply, a playground, public toilets, and a vegetable and fruit farm, among other amenities.
Each housing unit within the village consists of two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a toilet. Additionally, each house has a back porch with laundry facilities, a kitchenette, and a sitting area. The front porch is shared among all residents, serving as the entrance to their respective homes.
Another housing unit will accommodate 40 families, with each family receiving a room along with a bathroom, a toilet, a kitchen, a living room, and a veranda. The residents will use the back exit of the unit to access their respective courtyards.
While private bathrooms are available in each house, public lavatories are also provided.
Furthermore, each house has its own water and electricity meters. The front of the building units is adorned with a beautiful garden featuring fruit and ornamental trees, providing a refreshing ambiance.
The village features well-constructed roads, open spaces, and water reservoirs. Additionally, an Early Childhood Development Center (ECD) with six classrooms, a head teacher’s office, a kitchen, and a conference room will be established. The school will be equipped with necessary educational resources and recreational facilities to cater to the children residing in the village.
Sports enthusiasts will find delight in the basketball and volleyball courts, which are complemented by stadium-like seating areas. Livestock sheds will also be constructed to facilitate animal husbandry, including chickens that will be distributed to village residents.
To ensure easy access, a tarmac road connecting the Kigali-Rubavu highway to the village is also under construction.
The suspects were arrested during an eight-day special crackdown on the cultivation of cannabis in Arusha region north of the east African nation that started on May 31, said the statement by the Drug Control and Enforcement Authority (DCEA).
The statement said during the operation, specifically around the foot of Mount Meru, a dormant stratovolcano located 70 kilometers west of Mount Kilimanjaro in the southeast Arusha region, 953 hectares of cannabis were destroyed by the anti-narcotics authorities in collaboration with the police.
“The crackdown was intended to control the cultivation of cannabis in the country and it will be sustainable,” said Aretas Lyimo, the DCEA Commissioner-General.
Lyimo said the cultivation of cannabis has been mushrooming in some parts of the country.
It is illegal to possess or use cannabis in Tanzania, under the Drug Control and Enforcement Act of 2015.
Twelve out of 15 British tourists, along with 10 Egyptian crew members and two Egyptian tour guides, were rescued by another boat, “while the search for the three missing is still underway,” said the statement.
Initial investigation showed that the fire was likely caused by a short circuit in the boat’s engine room, according to the statement.
Mohamed Bendary, the Red Sea Governorate’s secretary-general, said that the accident took place off the coast of the Elphinstone area, some 25 kilometers north of Marsa Alam.
The Egyptian prosecution is currently further probing into the accident, said the statement.
Their user-friendly platform makes it easy for people to connect and transact with others in their community, without the hassle and fees of traditional marketplaces. With the platform, you can buy or rent a property without the intervention of a third party also known as a commissioner.
Catchyz is expanding its reach in East Africa and whether you’re looking to sell your used items, promote your business, or find local events and job opportunities, Catchyz has everything you need in one convenient place.
The company recently received an undisclosed investment from Reach Holding; an investment group, and it plans to use the funds to expand its operations in Africa in years to come.
The prominent United Arab Emirates (UAE) based investment company specializes in investing in various sectors worldwide.
With a diversified portfolio, Reach Holding invests in companies across multiple industries, including health and beauty, manufacturing, hospitality, education, real estate, healthcare, insurance, and more. With a proven track record of successful investments, Reach Holding is committed to supporting innovative businesses and driving growth in critical sectors globally. As a strategic partner to its portfolio companies, Reach Holding provides valuable resources and expertise to help businesses achieve their goals and succeed in today’s competitive marketplace.
The recent investment from Reach Holding will allow Catchyz to expand its operations in the East African region, with plans to offer its online marketplace in other countries in the area. The company aims to provide customers access to a wide range of products and services while contributing to the local economy and supporting small businesses. “We are thrilled to have received this investment and excited to expand our operations in East Africa,” said Hammad Muhammad, CEO of Catchyz. “Our goal is to provide customers with a convenient and accessible way to get products/services they need, while also supporting local businesses and contributing to the region’s economic growth.
Catchyz is a subsidiary of a Dubai-based company called Catchyz Holding, and its CEO Mohammad Hammad decided to expand in Rwanda considering several factors including Rwanda’s ease of conducting business, its safety and its internet penetration rate.
The online marketplace offers a range of products and services, including electronics, fashion, health, and beauty products, among others, and you can advertise your business, job opportunities, events, etc on the platform.
Customers can browse and get items, or acquire services through the website or mobile applications, with delivery available throughout Rwanda.
Creating a shop on Catchyz is a straightforward process. Firstly, create an account on the platform by providing your personal and business details. Then, select the option to create a shop and follow the prompts to customize your shop’s appearance and add products or services. Ensure that your product descriptions are accurate and include clear images.
You can also set your shop policies, such as shipping and returns, to ensure smooth transactions. Lastly, you can advertise job openings or apply for job opportunities through the platform’s job board feature. Catchyz offers a user-friendly interface and various marketing tools to help you promote your shop and reach potential customers.
With its online marketplace, Catchyz is quickly becoming a leading provider of quality products and services in the region. As it expands its operations, the company is poised to make a significant impact on the East African economy and the lives of its customers.
Interested individual can access more details [{{here}}->https://www.catchyz.com/en/rw]
This first ever forum is organised by the Delegation of the European Union to Rwanda and the Government of Rwanda through the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and will be held at the Kigali Convention Centre.
The forum will convene private sector companies from the European Union member states and Rwanda to explore investment and trade opportunities as well as partnerships with businesses in Rwanda. The European Union is the biggest source of Foreign Direct Investment to Rwanda, with investments worth US$ 210 million registered in 2022.
Held under the theme ‘Rwanda-your gateway to Africa’, the two-day interactive event, open for all companies to attend, will feature plenary sessions on Rwanda’s business environment and investment opportunities with a focus on sectors with outstanding growth potential including Agribusiness, Mining, Health and Pharmaceuticals, Financial and Digital Services, and Green and Sustainable economy.
Commenting on the forum, the Ambassador of the European Union to Rwanda, Belen Calvo Uyarra noted that the EU-Rwanda business forum will further strengthen Rwanda and EU trade relations.
“With the organisation of the first EU-Rwanda Business Forum, the EU underpins Rwanda’s development vision to involve private sector more prominently in the economic transformation of the country. We are inviting EU businesses to come to Rwanda to explore business opportunities and invest in jobs and growth in Rwanda. The event will also promote the establishment of partnerships between Rwandan and EU companies to cooperate with and develop thriving businesses.”
On her part, Clare Akamanzi, Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Development Board said that the EU-Rwanda Business Forum will be a great platform for the European private sector to explore the trade and investment opportunities in Rwanda and exchange knowledge with their Rwandan counterparts on how to do business together sustainably.
“For the economy to thrive, Rwanda can benefit from the expertise and resources at the disposal of the private sector of developed EU countries and this forum will be a great starting point as we look to create more jobs and improve livelihoods of our people,” she stated.
The event will also offer opportunities to set up structured business-to-business (B2B) and Business to government (B2G) networking meetings. In addition, development finance institutions will attend to showcase the opportunities linked to the European Fund for Sustainable Development (EFSD+), a financing tool of the EU’s Global Gateway investment mobilization framework for partner countries.
{{About EU}}
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of 27 member states in Europe, which have conferred certain policy-making powers to the Union, while retaining others.
Through the Common Foreign and Security Policy, the EU has developed a role in external relations and defence. It maintains permanent diplomatic missions throughout the world and represents itself at the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the G7 and the G20.
The EU’s foreign and security policy, as well as political dialogue between the EU and Rwanda are conducted by the High Representative and the Commission, represented in Rwanda by the EU Delegation. Regular political and sector dialogues covering the whole breadth and depth of the relationship provide platforms for discussing respective policy priorities and reforms and underpin EU development assistance in support of these.
The EU and Rwanda have a long-standing partnership focusing on promoting global governance and cooperation in international institutions, promoting sustainable and inclusive development of Rwanda, as well as increasing trade and investment between the parties.
{{About RDB}}
The Rwanda Development Board (RDB) is a government agency in Rwanda with a vision to transform Rwanda into a dynamic global hub for business, investment, and innovation. Its mission is to fast-track economic development in Rwanda by enabling private sector growth.
According to reports, Muvunyi had requested medical assistance in the United Kingdom (UK) but his plea went unanswered. He was arrested in the United Kingdom in 2010 and sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Muvunyi was discovered dead in the shower by one of his housemates on June 10. He had been residing in a safe house in Arusha, Tanzania, since his release in 2012, and he relocated to Niger in 2021.
Witnesses testified that Muvunyi played a role in inciting ethnic tensions during the genocide through inflammatory language and metaphorical calls to violence.
It is said that his metaphorical call worsened the situation, as Hutu men married to Tutsi women were encouraged to surrender them to be killed.
His convictions and sentence were initially overturned on appeal, leading to a retrial where he was found guilty of one charge of direct and public incitement to commit genocide.
The early release of the convicted perpetrator had sparked protests.
CP Bahizi visited Malakal Field Office in the wake of the violent inter-communal conflicts in the Protection of Civilians Camp (PoC), which broke out on June 8, and left 19 people dead and some 64 others injured.
The PoC is under the protection of Rwanda FPU-1. The two platoons of Rwanda FPU-3, which operates in the capital Juba, were deployed in Malakal to reinforce FPU-3 in the volatile region.
CP Bahizi thanked the peacekeepers for their professional response to contain the situation in the camp.
“You are required to act professionally as laid down in the UNMISS mandate in order to minimize the risks while executing your tasks. Whatever you do reflects on the United Nations, your contingent and your country, Rwanda,” CP Bahizi told the Rwandan Police peacekeepers.
Rwanda FPU-1 contingent of 240 peacekeepers, is also charged with providing conducive environment for humanitarian activities, escort duties and crowd control, among others.
Specifically, the category of Food and non-alcoholic beverages witnessed a 25.4 percent increase compared to the previous year, but experienced a 3.8 percent decrease on a monthly basis. Similarly, ‘Alcoholic beverages, tobacco, and narcotics’ saw a 21.5 percent annual increase and a 0.7 percent increase on a monthly basis. The Transport sector observed a 7.6 percent increase in prices on an annual basis, along with a 0.2 percent increase on a monthly basis.
Figures further show that the prices of “local products” increased by 15.9 percent on an annual basis, but experienced a 1.5 percent decrease compared to the previous month. Conversely, prices of “imported products” rose by 8.7 percent on an annual basis but decreased by 0.5 percent on a monthly basis.
Notably, the prices of “fresh products” displayed a significant annual change of 38.3 percent, yet underwent a monthly decrease of 4 percent. Meanwhile, the prices of “energy” increased by 5.9 percent annually and rose by 0.2 percent on a monthly basis.
When excluding fresh products and energy from the general index, the overall inflation rate remained at 8.7 percent on an annual basis, but experienced a 0.5 percent monthly decrease.
Their meeting with Kagame on Friday 9th June, discussed ongoing projects as well as the recently signed MoU to establish the Gen-Farm project in Bugesera.
“The project will provide farmers with access to VW electric tractors as part of an effort to establish a holistic ecosystem of e-powered mechanised farming services,” the Presidency stated.
The GenFarm project aims to create a holistic ecosystem of e-powered mechanized farming services in Rwanda. One of its key components involves providing farmers with access to VW electric tractors, with the goal of promoting sustainable and environmentally friendly farming practices. This initiative aligns with Rwanda’s commitment to carbon neutrality and reducing carbon emissions through climate action.
On the same day, the Government of Rwanda signed an MoU with Volkswagen to implement the GenFarm Project, which will establish a modern farm utilizing electric tractors.
The MoU, was signed by the Rwandan Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources, Dr. Ildephonse Musafiri, CEO of Volkswagen Mobility Solutions Rwanda, Serge Kamuhinda and Chairperson and Managing Director of Volkswagen, South Africa, Martina Biene, in the presence of Imelda Labbé, member of the Brand Board of Management of Volkswagen for Marketing, Sales and After Sales.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI) made the announcement on Friday, highlighting the project’s objective of generating carbon-neutral business opportunities and fostering sustainable socio-economic development within the community. As part of the agreement, the Rwandan government will provide land in Gashora, Bugesera District, for the project, as well as assist with permitting and licensing requirements.
The GenFarm Project envisions a sustainable and inclusive business ecosystem that benefits rural areas in Africa. Through the partnership between Volkswagen Group Innovation and Volkswagen Mobility Solutions Rwanda, the pilot project in Rwanda seeks to provide reliable and environmentally friendly mechanized farming services. An interesting aspect of the initiative is that excess energy used to charge the electric tractors will be harnessed to power post-harvest handling and storage processes.
Rwanda’s commitment to mechanized technologies in agriculture is emphasized in the Ministry of Agriculture’s Annual Report for 2021-2022. The report highlights the importance of adapted mechanized technologies in enhancing farm yields, minimizing harvest and post-harvest losses, and optimizing resource utilization. Collaboration with various stakeholders has resulted in a 13.7 percent increase in mechanized land from over 62,200 hectares in 2020/2021 to 70,740 hectares in 2021/2022. The goal is to achieve 50 percent mechanized farm operations by 2023/2024, with the current figure standing at 36 percent.
By embracing electric tractors and promoting environmentally friendly farming practices, Rwanda aims to make a positive socio-economic and environmental impact on its communities. The GenFarm project represents a significant step towards achieving these goals and creating a greener and more prosperous future for Rwanda.
