Pacifique Mugwaneza who deputized Harelimana is currently assuming the duties as the Acting Director General.
The statement released on 28th January 2023 by Prime Minister reads that Harelimana was removed from his duties owing to ‘managerial failure’.
Prof. Harelimana has been assuming the duties since 2018. He had previously served as a lecturer at different universities in Rwanda, Senegal, Benin, Ethiopia and Belgium.
Ituze Village will be developed on a plot of land located in Amahoro Village, Busanza Cell of Kanombe Sector in Kicukiro District.
The project was unveiled on 25th January 2023 during a ceremony held at Onomo Hotel. It brought together different officials, investors, bank executives and representatives from the real estate sector.
Established in 2020, Imara Properties is a joint venture between three Rwandans and three French nationals.
For the past three years, the company has overhauled Kigali’s settlements through various projects.
It has so far constructed modern housing units under “Isange Estate Rebero” completed in two phases. The first is comprised of 15 units while the second is comprised of 12 apartments and six villas for main residence or rental investment.
The CEO and Co-founder of Imara Properties, David Benazeraf has said that the third project is expected to meet housing demands for people seeking to own homes.
He disclosed that the company makes possible effort to contribute to urban settlements and meet clients’ needs despite existing large demand.
The units to be built under Ituze Village are relatively cheaper compared to the recently completed project in Rebero.
Benazeraf explained that housing prices might vary depending on numerous reasons including the value of plots of land and hiked cost of construction materials.
He revealed that the new prices will be ranging from Rwf59 million to Rwf90 million even though they might increase in some instances.
Benazeraf also said that more projects to build houses aligning with Kigali City Master Plan are under consideration.
{{Eco-friendly buildings}}
Architect Shyaka Hyppolyte who produced the design of Ituze Village has told IGIHE environmental preservation aspects will be considered during construction.
The housing units will be constructed using environment friendly bricks among other construction materials.
The first phase to build 50 housing units in Ituze Village will begin in March 2023.
The village will feature storey buildings with two or three floors that can be paid in installments. They are expected to be completed early 2024. The houses will have four rooms, three bathrooms, a kitchen and parking.
Individuals seeking to buy plots of land to build houses on their own have been also thought of in this project. Prices of the plots of land on the parcel between 300 and 419 square meters range from Rwf18 million to Rwf25 million.
Ituze Village is located in one of Kigali’s fast developing areas. Reaching the village from Kigali Convention Center is 20-minute drive.
It has a space dedicated for playgrounds including a basketball court, children’s recreational facilities, shops and food stores among others.
{{Contribution to urban settlements}}
[Imara Properties->www.imara-properties.com] has played a critical role in the execution of two mega projects to revamp urban settlements in Kigali City. These include Isange Estate Rebero.
The project was completed in two phases where the first one comprised of 15 housing units was officially inaugurated on 29th July 2022.
Construction of the second phase comprised of six villas and 12 apartments began in September 2022 where all houses have been already sold out except few apartments. They are expected to be handed over to rightful owners in November 2023.
Rwanda, especially the capital city, is in dire need of new and urban residential apartments to accommodate its rapidly growing population, which is expected to hit 22 million in 2050.
This stresses the need to draw attention to the country’s small land area and develop affordable homes to attract the growing middle class residents.
Starting from the current urbanisation rate of 18%, Rwanda’s Vision 2050 is targeting a 70% urbanisation rate by 2050.
Rwanda plans to build at least 150,000 new residential houses annually to cope with the growing population and hit the target of 5.5 million by 2050.
To this end, it has designated 1,100 hectares across the country including 890 in Kigali for affordable housing units.
Kigali City needs 859,000 houses to cater for the demand of 3.8 million dwellers in 2050.
So far, 1692 houses have been constructed under six projects in Kigali and secondary cities while others to provide 9000 houses are underway.
He was briefing parliamentarians on the state of relations with regional countries on Thursday 26th January 2023.
The fighting between FARDC and M23 resumed towards the end of 2021, nearly ten years after its defeat that saw some combatants fleeing to Rwanda while others fled to Uganda.
Despite the fact that combatants that resumed fighting were from the group that fled to Uganda, DR Congo continues to accuse Rwanda of supporting M23 in confrontations with FARDC.
The stubbornness to draw attention on the root cause of insecurity, has seen DRC sounding alarms several times demanding the international community to impose sanctions on Rwanda and excluded M23 from negotiations as recommended by regional processes to restore calm in the country.
As he addressed parliamentarians, Minister Biruta said that Congo has been overlooking the root cause of the problem and dragged Rwanda into its mess to dodge processes that would put an end to this issue.
Dr. Biruta asserted that the problem of Rwandophones takes roots shortly before colonization era when some parts of Rwanda were annexed to neighbouring countries.
“There are former territories of Rwanda that are currently annexed to DRC. This was resolved during a conference held in Brussels in Belgium on 2nd February 1910. It brought together Germany which colonized Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania; Belgium which colonized Congo and the United Kingdom which colonized Uganda and Kenya,” he said.
“The resolutions went into effect on 14th May 1910 where every colonist started controlling designated areas. They made the repartition in their own reasoning but their decision resulted in the presence of some Rwandans in Congo and others in Uganda,” added Dr. Biruta.
During colonization era, Belgium took some Rwandans to Congo for hard labour in farmlands and excavation of minerals.
During the violence between 1959 and 1973, Dr. Biruta disclosed, more Rwandans fled to Congo ‘but the majority repatriated after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi was stopped’.
After Congo obtained Independence, Minister Biruta said that Kinyarwanda-speaking communities experienced prolonged unrest where the country used them for political interests.
He explained that they were sometimes accepted as Congolese citizens or called foreigners.
Dr. Biruta told parliamentarians that the situation worsened after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi was stopped, when Interahamwe and soldiers of the former Rwandan army (EX-FAR) at the regime of President Habyarimana fled with their arms to Congo (former Zaire).
“Between 1994 and 1995, members of EX-FAR and Interahamwe resumed military activities and intensified training that refugee camps were turned into military bases […] It is important to recall attacks carried out by Interahamwe in early 1996. At the time, the commander of the defeated army, General Augustin Bizimungu established a stronghold in Rutshuru territory where he started exterminating Kinyarwanda-speaking Congolese from Tutsi ethnicity owing to harbored genocide ideology,” he said.
From 1996, Rwanda started receiving the first batch of refugees from Kinyarwanda-speaking communities in DRC who are still accommodated in the country over the neighbouring country’s reluctance to repatriate them.
Dr. Biruta said that this situation sparked the creation of armed groups to defend the rights of Rwandophones including RDC Goma which birthed CNDP that later became M23.
“Those who were being killed and persecuted, formed groups to protect themselves realizing that the government had abandoned them,” he said.
Members of EX-FAR and Interahamwe formed ALIR which changed names at different times to FDLR. However, it was also split into different groups including RUD Urunana and FLN among others. […] On 23rd March 2009, there were agreements to integrate CNDP combatants into FARDC and recognize CNDP as a legitimate political party in Congo.
“At the time, Congolese government acceded to the concerns of CNDP including the repatriation of people forced to flee by FDLR and other armed groups but did implement the agreements. It failed to repatriate refugees but continued to support FDLR, which continued to fuel killings,” he noted.
As M23 resumed fighting in 2021, Congolese government started accusing Rwanda and demanded the international community to impose sanctions against Rwanda.
Dr. Biruta has explained that such behaviors are meant to divert attention from the root cause of the problem.
“DRC has continuously raised accusations that combatants attack from Rwanda and tend to push them to Rwanda during their fighting with intentions to draw Rwanda into the war. They wanted to drag Rwanda into the war because FARDC fights along with FDLR, supplies them with weapons, ammunition and the situation still stands,” he disclosed.
Dr. Biruta expressed concern over DRC’s behaviors to overlook the issue of Rwandophones, and blaming Rwanda for its mess which the international community digests as it is.
“They say that they attacked from Rwanda yet it is apparent that those who fled to Rwanda are still in the country. That is how relations started deteriorating until the current situation,” he stated.
Minister Biruta stressed the need to address the problem from root causes and consider the reason why M23 is fighting. He added that finding a solution has to go hand in hand with the protection of Rwandophones’ rights.
Dr. Biruta made the disclosure on Thursday 26th January 2023 as he briefed parliamentarians on the state of relations with regional countries.
Rwanda’s relations with Burundi deteriorated since 2015 after a failed coup plot in the country that saw Burundians fleeing to Rwanda.
Eight years later, the relations are good and were reinforced through different meetings bringing together officials from both countries to take them to a positive trajectory.
“The relations were gradually mended, we exchange visits and I personally led Rwanda’s delegation during the Independence Anniversary celebrated last year,” he said.
“There were different meetings bringing together provincial governors and the border was reopened […] These developments constitute signs indicating that relations have been improving. Relations with Burundi soured for quite some time but we are getting back on track and we are optimistic that pending issues can be discussed to find a solution,” added Dr. Biruta.
For Uganda, Minister Biruta said that relations are at a commendable step where the 15th Joint Permanent Commission between Uganda and Rwanda is scheduled in March 2023.
On relations with Tanzania, Minister Biruta highlighted that both countries’ relations are vibrant where the implementation of signed cooperation agreements is ongoing.
He disclosed that relations with other regional countries including Kenya, South Sudan are also good.
On tensions between Rwanda and DRC, Minister Biruta shed light on circumstances that led to the current situation.
He said that the situation started worsening towards the end of 2021 when the fighting erupted between Congolese Army (FARDC) and the M23 rebel group.
DRC accuses Rwanda of backing M23, a claim which the latter has repeatedly rejected.
A statement announcing his appointment reads that Mutesi will assume duties effective 1st February 2023.
She joins BPR Bank Rwanda after serving as the Country Director for Trademark East Africa since July 2016 where she oversaw a strategic trade facilitation programme which contributed significantly towards increasing Rwanda’s trade, investments and jobs’ creation.
She previously served as the Head of Corporate Banking in Ecobank Rwanda and has served as a board member on the boards of BPR Bank Rwanda Plc, MTN Rwandacell Plc, Rwanda Cooperation (RCI), and Advisory Council of One Acre Fund in Rwanda.
Mutesi brings a diversified background in the private sector development and financial sector including corporate governance, credit management, strategy and product development, as well as credible expertise in risk management.
Commenting on the appointment; George Rubagumya, the Chairman of BPR Bank Rwanda said: “We are delighted to have Patience on board and particularly pleased with the experiencer she will bring with her invaluable background in Finance and Trade Development.”
Rubagumya also thanked George Odhiambo for progress made during his stay in office.
“On behalf of Staff, Management and Board, I would like to thank George for his undivided commitment during his time as Managing Director. I believe we are in a strong financial position to foster our desired momentum in the coming years. I wish him all the best in future endeavors,” he noted.
Mutesi expressed delight for the trust bestowed to her to lead the bank.
“I am honored to be given this opportunity to lead this bank and thank the BPR Rwanda Board of Directors and KCB Group for their vote of confidence. As I embark on this journey, priority will be on enhancement of our customers’ experience in dealing with the bank,” she stated.
“I am confident that through the last digital developments, our customers will transition into best-in-class financial services. By increasing provision of capital to businesses for quality investment, we will also support Rwanda’s ambition to foster a private sector driven economy,” added Mutesi.
BPR Bank Rwanda is the largest bank in Rwanda by branch network with 154 branches, playing a critical role in supporting a budding economy to drive financial inclusion in the country, focusing on inclusive growth, equality, financial opportunities, money management, investment initiatives and poverty reduction.
The visit is aimed at discussing partnerships between African countries and IMF which launched the Resilience and Sustainability Trust (RST) last year to help low-income and vulnerable middle-income IMF members address longer-term structural challenges such as climate change with longer-term, low-cost financing.
The RST started working with three countries including Barbados, Costa Rica and Rwanda.
As one of the pilot countries of the RST, Rwanda will access US$319 million to support climate change initiatives.
After receiving Kristalina on Wednesday, President Kagame commended him for her visit to Rwanda and IMF’s support to enhance climate change response in Rwanda.
“Thank you Kristalina Georgieva for your visit and for the innovative IMF Resilience and Sustainability Trust. It is productive and will play a key role in scaling up the work of Rwanda and developing countries towards a sustainable and green economy in our transformational journey,” he tweeted.
Before meeting with Kagame, Kristalina interacted with different top officials in the country and the region including authorities in the finance ministry, and central bank governors.
She hailed Rwanda’s efforts to mitigate effects of climate change and reiterated IMF’s commitment to partner with Rwanda along the journey.
The Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Dr. Uzziel Ndagijimana extolled IMF for making great strides with regards to the provision of funds allocated for climate change resilience.
He disclosed that Rwanda is glad to work with RST and ready to invest in projects aimed at enhancing climate change response.
These include Ireme Invest launched COP-27and Green Gicumbi among others.
The accusations are part of a statement released by DR Congo on Tuesday 24th January 2023 after Rwanda shot at a warplane Sukhoi-25 belonging to Congolese Army (FARDC) violating its airspace in Rubavu District.
Short videos shared on social media show that the fighter jet flew back to Goma airport where firefighters extinguished its burning right wing.
However, the Government of Congo has through a statement released by government spokesman Patrick Muyaya refuted the violation of Rwanda’s airspace claiming that the fighter jet was attacked during its landing in Goma.
He said that directing the fire at a Congolese aircraft is a provocation inciting war and aimed at reversing the progress of Luanda and Nairobi processes to restore peace in eastern Congo and the Great Lakes Region.
In the morning of Tuesday 24th January 2023, M23 captured Kitchanga region in Northern Kivu Province after hours of intense fighting against the Congolese Army.
DR Congo has again blamed Rwanda for the attacks claiming that they are happening at a time when the country begins to register eligible voters and demanded the international community to exert pressure on Rwanda and M23 rebel group to stop actions that may tamper with elections’ preparations.
A political analyst and journalist, Tite Gatabazi has observed that the statement reaffirm other utterances of Muyaya that ‘elections won’t take place’.
“Complaining that Rwanda wants to disrupt elections is a stand taken by DRC to put its problems on the shoulders of Rwanda,” he said.
Gatabazi continued to explain that the failure of Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi to facilitate access to education, build decent roads and health facilities, provide electricity and safe water among other basic utilities prompts him to divert citizens’ attention by externalizing his country’s problems.
“Tshisekedi is dodging Luanda and Nairobi peaceful processes to postpone elections and tries to find a reason to convince Congolese citizens that Rwanda is behind the turmoil that triggered delays,” he noted.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission in DRC (INEC) is being denied support and necessary resources to fulfill its mandate.
The commission has been claiming that it is not ready because it was denied funds to make preparations on time. Besides, there have been irregularities in the registration of eligible voters as well as in the issuance voters’ cards, identity cards and passports.
The INEC has for several times requested equipment facilitating voters’ registration exercise upcountry but ended to no avail.
“This shows how there are no external factors influencing poor preparations by the electoral commission. The onus remains on DR Congo government,” said Gatabazi.
President Paul Kagame recently accused Congolese President of seeking an excuse to postpone presidential polls by putting security problems in eastern Congo on the shoulders of Rwanda.
“[…] If he is trying to find another way of having the next elections postponed, then I would rather he used other excuses not us,” he said.
The statement is part of the Head of State’s speech towards the end of last year after receiving the oaths of newly appointed cabinet members including the new Minister of Health, Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana and the State Minister in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Ivan Butera.
As per claim filed last year, the family of Rusesabagina who was handed 25-year jail term, says that he was lured into Rwanda from the United States where he had been granted refugee status. It further reads that Rusesabagina was kidnapped under a breach of Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act.
His family also claimed that the Government of Rwanda, its leader and former Minister of Justice and State Attorney General, Amb. Johnston Busingye were involved in the process ‘of abducting and luring Rusesabagina into Rwanda’.
The lawsuit further indicates that Rusesabagina was drugged and taken to Rwanda where he was ‘tortured and imprisoned illegally’.
In consideration of these objections, the family demanded his release as well as a compensation worth US$400 million (over Rwf409 billion).
The court’s decision on 23rd January 2023 reaffirmed Rwanda’s position that it did not kidnap Rusesabagina who is serving his 25-year sentence after he was found guilty of terrorism charges.
Judge Richard J. Leon stated that the lawsuit is not persuasive where there is no evidence that Rwanda violated other country’s sovereignty.
During trial proceedings, the court resolved that Rusesabagina brought himself to Kigali after he was tricked into travelling to Burundi in 2020 by the promise of work.
As court proceedings began, the Deputy Spokesperson of the Government of Rwanda, Alain Mukuralinda said that the country was ready to defend its stand.
Since Rusesabagina was arrested in 2020, his family ignored the basis of accusations against him but kept sounding alarms to exert pressure on Rwandan government to release him.
The Court of Appeal recently upheld the 25-year jail term handed to Rusesabagina over membership of terrorist group and complicity in terrorism acts through by MRCD/FLN group which he led.
The crimes were committed between 2018 and 2019 when MRDC/FLN combatants plotted attacks to Rwanda which claimed lives of nine innocent residents in Southern Province.
They left many others gravely injured, and caused significant material and economic damage in South-West Rwanda.
90 victims in this case from the districts of Nyaruguru, Rusizi and Nyamagabe have appealed for compensations amounting to over Rwf1.6 billion.
This incident is a violation of Rwanda’s airspace for the third time since November 2022.
Short videos and photos shared on social media show the warplane’s left wing burning and the other side of the plane with bullet holes.
The warplane was shot but did not crash down immediately and continued to fly until it landed at Goma airport where firefighters rushed to put out fire on the burning wing.
Following the incident, the Government of Rwanda released a statement announcing that defensive measures were taken and warned the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) against repetitive provocations.
“Today at 5:03 pm, a Sukhoi-25 from the DR Congo violated Rwanda airspace for the third time. Defensive measures were taken. Rwanda asks the DRC to stop this aggression,” reads the brief statement.
Witnesses who were at the small border between Rwanda and DRC have told IGIHE that they heard loud explosion while returning from Goma and saw a jet in the sky flying back to Congo.
Previously, DRC’s fighter jets violated Rwanda’s airspace two times where one landed briefly at Rubavu airport.
Rwanda has condemned provocations by DRC which has been in the past few days making utterances alluding to imminent attacks on it.
On Wednesday last week, Congolese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Christophe Lutundula released a statement whose conclusion reflected previous utterances by Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi at the United Nations (UN) Security Council on 20th November 2022 where he said that his country resolved ‘to put an end to insecurity in eastern part of the country whatever the cost’.
Reacting to the statement, Rwanda referred to it as a threat of war.
Goma airport where DRC’s jets are parked is currently used by mercenaries from Europe who manage it and oversee maintenance of the Sukhoi fighter jets acquired from Russia.
Recently, the Government of Rwanda released a statement indicating that the recruitment of foreign mercenaries by the DRC is a clear indication that the country ‘is preparing for war, and not peace’.
President Paul Kagame recently said that Rwanda is overstocked to deal with those mercenaries, if need be.
{{Related stories: }}
[Rwanda says DRC fighter jet violates its airspace ->https://en.igihe.com/news/article/rwanda-says-drc-fighter-jet-violates-its-airspace]
[Rwanda condemns repeated violations of its airspace by DRC fighter jets->https://en.igihe.com/news/article/rwanda-condemns-repeated-violations-of-its-airspace-by-drc-fighter-jets]
[Rwanda condemns DRC over utterances alluding to imminent attacks->https://en.igihe.com/news/article/rwanda-accuses-drc-of-making-utterances-alluding-to-imminent-attacks]
[Kagame assures that Rwanda is overstocked to deal with DRC’s mercenaries->https://en.igihe.com/news/article/kagame-assures-that-rwanda-is-overstocked-to-deal-with-drc-s-mercenaries]
[DRC turns back on negotiations with Rwanda->https://en.igihe.com/news/article/drc-turns-back-on-negotiations-with-rwanda]
[The fate of DR Congo’s aircraft which violated Rwanda’s airspace 26 years ago->https://en.igihe.com/news/article/the-fate-of-dr-congo-s-aircraft-which-violated-rwanda-s-airspace-26-years-ago]
[DRC wants a war – Analysis->https://en.igihe.com/news/article/drc-wants-a-war-analysis]
