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  • Mugesera En Route To Rwanda

    {{The minister of foreign Affairs Louise Mushikiwabo has confirmed on her twitter that the Genocide suspect Leon Mugesera is en route to Rwanda.}}

    Mugesera was taken to Montreal’s international airport after being given a few hours to have left the Canadian soil not beyond 4pm Canadian time.

    “Leon Mugesera’s deportation, while decades past due, is welcome news for a people committed to healing and justice,” Rwanda’s Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo said in a Tweet.

    “Canada did the right thing.”Mushikiwabo added.

    She thanked Canadians, whom she said saw through an international legal labyrinth and decided Mugesera must go.

    According to eye witnesses, his relatives stood crying as they looked on, while Mugesera leaves the Montreal International Airport as Canadian border-services agents were standby to deport him.

    The longstanding legal battle of over 16 years to avoid deportation ended this Monday morning and is expected to arrive Monday night.

    The news came after Quebec Superior Court justice Michel Delorme issued a ruling against Mugesera on Monday morning.

    Mugesera’s lawyers had asked the court to hold off on his deportation until the United Nations could investigate claims that he would face torture if returned to his homeland.

    However, Delorme decided Monday the decision was not within his jurisdiction.
    Mugesera, 59, is wanted in Rwanda for allegedly inciting genocide and committing crimes against humanity, and has been fighting to stay in Canada for 16 years.

    His deportation was all but imminent last week, when his lawyers made a last minute bid to keep him in the country by appealing to the United Nations Committee Against Torture.

    The UN committee then requested that Canada hold off on making a decision until it could examine the allegations, a process that would have likely have taken a few months.

    That prompted the provincial court to stay the deportation order while the legal implications of the UN request could be assessed.

    Federal lawyers argued on Friday, however, that the provincial court didn’t have the jurisdiction to rule on immigration cases a stance that Delorme ultimately agreed with on Monday, saying such decisions were in the realm of the federal court.

    His is accused of inflammatory speech Mugesera gave in 1992 calling on Hutus to rid the country of Tutsis, whom he called cockroaches.

    The quick developments on Monday began to appear grim for Mugesera when he missed a detention review hearing before the Immigration and Refugee Board.

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  • Gasabo Court Rules In Favour Of Hotel Tech

    {{Gasabo District court judge, Dative Yankurije has ruled non-eviction of Hotel Tech management in the premises the Remera sector was ordering them to leave.}}

    Last week the Hotel Tech management had been served with a notice of ten days to vacate the premises even though the case had been in court pending the final ruling.

    In her ruling, Yakurije ordered the owner of Hotel Tech Pascal Ndahiro to remain in his premises registered under plot number 3315.

    She also ordered Gastabo District management to pay court fees amounting Rwf 8,200.

    The mayor of Gatsabo Willy Ndizeye noted that he can’t object the court ruling.

    “Public auction will follow and the money worth his investment will be put on an account provided by the commercial court and then he will be refunded his investment,” The Mayor added.

    Hotel Tech property is currently attached as collateral in a Gacaca case waiting to be publicly auctioned and the returns from which shall be used to compensate 1994 genocide survivors whose loved ones were killed in the same area.

    However, Pascal Ndahiro the proprietor of the Hotel Tech business said that the ultimatum forcing him out was illegal. He claims he has been given 10 days yet the matter is still in the court.

    “I have no problem vacating the place. However, the issue the authorities are ignoring is the investment put in and little time they are giving as if I am a criminal, I’m demanding Rwf 76 million I used in renovation of this hotel,” Ndahiro decried.

    “How do you close this business in just 2 days? Imagine they notified me on 13th requesting me to quit on 15th ,” Ndahiro added.

    There is another controversy that the Obudsman’s office has halted public auctioning of the premises for seven times as alleged by the two plaintiffs Alexandre Harerimana and Cécile Mukaruzamba in the Gacaca courts.

    Even though the official Seraphin Ntagwabira Rumaziminsi from the Ombudsman’s office dispute the times they have halted the process, he says the plaintiffs want to be the only ones benefiting yet there are several other survivors of the 1994 Genocide supposed to benefit.

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  • AFRICOM Commander In Rwanda

    {{The president of the Republic of Rwanda Paul Kagame has received General Carter F. Ham, AFRICOM Commander in his office at Village Urugwiro.}}

    This is in connection with AFRICOM the U.S established state partnership program with Rwanda that was established in 2009 and aimed at providing support to the Rwanda Defense Forces (RDF).

    General Ham’s visit is aimed at holding discussions with Rwanda military officials on how to further strengthen the existing partnership.

    General Ham said during the visit that the U.S troops have good relationship with Rwanda troops because they provide through trainings for capacity building focusing on sustainable security.

    Ham is a United States Army general, who serves as the second and current Commander, U.S. Africa Command. In that position, he has been in command of the initial 2011 military intervention in Libya.

    He served as an enlisted Infantryman in the 82nd Airborne Division before attending John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio. He was commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant through the Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (Army ROTC) in the Infantry as a Distinguished Military Graduate in 1976.

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  • ICC Confirms Charges Against Kenyan Politicians

    The International Criminal Court (ICC) pre-trial judges have just confirmed charges against four of the six Kenyan suspects accused of inciting wars during the 2007 post election violence.

    Those scheduled to face trials include, Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, Eldoret North Member of parliament (MP) William Ruto, head of civil service Francis Muthaura and journalist Joshua Sang.

    Charges against Tinderet MP Henry Kosgey and former police commissioner Hussein Ali were dropped.

    Reading a statement containing confirmed charges was Judge Ekaterina Trendafilova.

    “ In reaching our decision, we have reviewed all evidence to ascertain the necessary threshold had been reached. It’s our hope that this decision will bring peace to Kenya,” she read.

    The judge further emphasized. “As for Mr Kosgey and Mr Ali, I would like to tell them that the prosecutor may present a request to appeal against this ruling.”

    On the case against Ruto and Uhuru, the chamber was satisfied that they are criminally responsible for the alleged crimes as indirect perpetrators.

    Yet the chamber does not believe that the Kenya Police was involved in the crimes. “It is for this reason why we did not find the evidence against Mr Ali enough to sustain the charges,” said Trendafilova.

    The court found Ruto as an indirect perpetrator of the crimes, while Sang was an associate. However the chamber was not satisfied by the evidence against Mr Kosgey.

    Indeed, the prosecutor established substantial grounds to believe crimes against humanity were committed. The Chamber also found that the assaults were targeted to specific groups, belonging to Luo, Luhya and Kalenjin tribes.

  • Arsenal Needs Another Coach- Kagame

    {{The president of the Republic of Rwanda, Paul Kagame has observed that the London based football club –Arsenal needs another coach to improve.}}

    It is believed that president Paul Kagame is a fun to this club among these light professional football teams in the world.

    The team nicknamed gunners lost a 1-2 match to Manchester United at its home ground Emirates Stadium, Holloway, London yesterday in the ongoing Barclays Premier League.

    In his twitter conversation with one of his follower Philip Etale, Kagame said;

    “I very much support Arsenal-but to be honest Wenger needs to coach another team now and Arsenal needs another Coach for +ve…”

    “When a good team (players) and a good coach fail for long, to deliver, one of them has to change, or even both!! … ..Change to happen!!! Otherwise the team and the coach seem to be stuck with each other for no good….!” The twit read in parts.

    On the other hand, Arsenal’s first choice goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny believe Arsenal will finish the season in the top four despite the struggling side suffering their third defeat in a row on Sunday.

    Having previously slumped to humiliating away defeats to Fulham and Swansea, the Gunners slipped up again at home to the defending champions, Manchester United.

    The defeat left the Gunners five points adrift of fourth-placed Chelsea, and still 10 off their great rivals Tottenham in third.

    There have been eighteen permanent and five caretaker managers of Arsenal since the appointment of the club’s first professional manager, Thomas Mitchell in 1897.

    The club’s longest-serving manager as of 2009, in terms of both length of tenure and number of games overseen, is Arsène Wenger, who was appointed in 1996.

    Wenger is also Arsenal’s only manager from outside the United Kingdom. Two Arsenal managers have died in the job – Herbert Chapman and Tom Whittaker.

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  • Public Cry Of Hiked Fruits’ Prices

    {{Many of the people living in Kigali city are crying foul of high prices of fruits in different markets.}}

    Jeanne Uwitije says that a person of low income is difficult for him to buy any kind of fruits.

    She says, “The price of fruits is comparable to the corn flour which may satisfy the whole family.”

    Uwitije added that it is difficult to feed any kind of vitamin to a child instead of using Rwf500 for banana; we buy flour and other food for cooking.

    Jean Pierre Munyabugingo, load transporter, says that they are no longer valuing fruits because of the price, I accidentally take them in restaurant when they have prepared them for instance or when I come

    He said, “Fruits come after you have eaten; once I have eaten, the rest is meaningless”.

    One mother from Kimisagara market, a fruits seller, said that they do not sell at a high price intentionally but it is from different factors.

    She said, “We buy from other businessmen at a high price. We expect, from a lemon sack of Rwf 40,000, worn-out fruits besides transport tickets and money for load transporters.”

    She added that they have noticed that most of their customers are people with strong abilities or restaurants, hotels or people from supermarkets.

    In Kimisagara market, a kilogram of tomato cost between Rwf 1,200 and Rwf 1400, a kilogram of lemon between Rwf 700 and Rwf 800, ripe banana between Rwf 700 and Rwf 800 respectively.

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  • Wanted For Illegal Car Deals

    {{The police is hunting for a man identified as Ismail Uwimana for his alleged illegal cars dealing in the country.}}

    It is said that Uwimana has been in this illegal buying and selling cars so as to avoid taxes.

    Available information has indicated that, Uwimana brings cars into the country and puts old number plates as a way of dodging taxes.

    According to the official website of Rwanda National Police, Uwimana has a network of other culprits because they help him remove and attach the number plates.

    However some of the accomplices in this illegal act have been arrested and they include Uwimana’s wife, Hamida Uwihanganye, Issa Nkundabagenzi, Yahaya Mukundabantu, Hashim Habimana.

    According to both RRA and Police, the following vehicles are among those which were on the streets with old number plates but were later detected; Toyota Corolla RAA255K, Toyota Land Cruiser RAA496L, Toyota Land cruiser RAA 664B, Toyota Land Cruiser 974w, Toyota Land Cruiser RAA 074J, Minibus Toyota Townace RAA375C, Isuzu Trooper RAA785V and Minibus Toyota Townace RAA415Q.

    Reports indicate that many vehicle owners were unaware that the log book registration numbers of their vehicles were not genuine.

    The garage owners play a distinct role which includes importing vehicles and giving them old number plates to authenticate local ownership.

    Last week, Police nabbed four suspects involved in the scam.

    ACP Emmanuel Butera, who is in charge of operations and public order at the Rwanda National Police, said there are some people who commit such crimes hoping to elude law-enforcement organs, adding that police, in collaboration with other stakeholders like RRA, will always unearth such criminal actions.

    “We are still carrying out investigations to establish whether there are other people who engage in such habbits,” Butera stressed.

    Butera advised whoever plans to buy a car to always carry out thorough investigations about the vehicles that they would want to buy.

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  • Today Determines The Fate Of Mugesera’s Deportation

    {{A Canadian court will today give its final ruling on whether Genocide fugitive Leon Mugesera should be deported to Rwanda ending a decade legal battle of running away from justice.}}

    Mugesera who was supposed to have been deported last week by Thursday, has narrowly extended his deportation twice first by a surprise illness and last Friday his lawyer tried to him more time in the Quebec Superior Court.

    There was also an intervention of Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Committee against Torture (OHCHR-CAT) said to have requested by his family.

    The UN torture office asked the Canadian court to stop the whole process for it to investigate the claims that Mugesera would be tortured by Rwandan government if deported to face justice for his role in the 1994 Genocide.

    The Canadian federal government lawyer, Lisa Meziade has however her government have spent over six years assessing if there would be possible torture of 59-year former linguist lecturer when deported but found none.

    She added that the federal government is not bound by UN treaties, even if the country ratified them, if they are not incorporated into domestic laws.

    The Quebec Superior Court still remains with powers to decide whether Mugesera should be deported or not and immediately orders of his deportation will follow booking of the next flight in the range of hours decided.

    It is said that mid this week Mugesera will be brought to the Rwandan soil, according to analysts.

    In a 1992 speech, Mugesera called the Tutsi “cockroaches” and “scum,” as he encouraged the Hutu to kill their neighbours.

    Mugesera was a vice chairman of the party (MRND) that plunged Rwanda into 1994 Genocide that claimed over one million lives.

    In his insidious speech on November 22, 1992, he allegedly told 1,000 party members that “we the people are obliged to take responsibility ourselves and wipe out the Tutsi” and those they should kill and “dump their bodies into the rivers of Rwanda.”

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  • Northern Army Commander Commend Rehabilitation Centers

    {{The army commander of Northern Province Brig Gen Alexis Kagame has recommended detention of disobedient young generation in rehabilitation centers as a way to help them change their immoral behaviors.}}

    Addressing residents of Gasiza sector, Rulindo District in a closing ceremony of a monthly campaign on good-governance, Kagame added that rehabilitation centers like Iwawa are ideal since they offer trainings on vocational skills.

    He said the beneficiaries become productive once they are integrated back in their respective societies and also serve as a role model to their former quack friends.

    Kagame’s reactions are considered among solutions to curb the rise of crimes orchestrated by mostly the youth who are often caught in the acts of drug abuse, prostitution, robbery etc.

    He further encouraged residents to report acts of indiscipline to relevant authorities since keeping silence on the issues facilitated the spread of insecurity in their neighborhoods.

    In this respect, he cautioned particularly on domestic violence since it was among the leading cases resulting to deaths in the district.

    “No one should take the law in their hands, we’re tired of hearing a man or a woman has died, if someone has really wronged you, report them to the police or local leaders and the law will take its course,” he advised.

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  • Ambassador Kabale Woes Italian Businessmen

    {{A statement from the diplomatic office of Rwanda to Italy has indicated that Ambassador Jacque Kabale has embarked on wooing Italian businessmen to come to Rwanda.}}

    In accompaniment of the Italian Consul, Dr. Lucianno Longo met the captains of industries of Turin, at the Faculty of Economics of University of Torino – Scola di Administrazione Aziendale.

    This meeting falls under the plan of the ambassador to network with the business community in Italy (Roma,Torino and Milano).

    It has been estimated that more than 60 Heads and senior representatives of majors companies in Italy attended a conference.

    After giving a detailed description of Rwanda policies and economic environment today, the Ambassador Kabale presented the business opportunities and the priority sectors of investments.

    The Italian businessmen have also expressed their interest and their desire to discover and create a business connection with Rwanda.

    A first delegation that includes Mr. Giancarlo PUDDU, CEO Market Nexus, leader in market analysis and strategic partner of the Italian SME sector are expected in Rwanda this year.

    Following this meeting, the Vice-chancellor of the University, Mr. Valter CANTINO and the Ambassador Jacques Kabale met and envisioned collaboration between universities of both countries.

    A proposed academic visit of 2012 Italian undergraduate students, in the field of agriculture,and a search for bursaries for Rwandan students were mentioned.

    This stay ended in a visit of a factory of spare parts for vehicle (Torneria Serra Inc). This one uses a state-of-the-art technology and covers a considerable part of the Italian market.

    The meetings and the discussions proceeded in a convivial, friendly and constructive atmosphere.

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