The elections took place on Friday 15th July 2022 in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia during the meeting of the Executive Council.
The meeting is convened twice a year in January and June or July.
The African Union adopted treaties establishing AMA in February 2019. It is expected to address challenges in the health sector particularly reinforcing the manufacturing of medicines of African continent to avoid heavy reliance on imports.
The Treaty for the Establishment of the African Medicines Agency (AMA) entered into force as of 5th November 2021, thirty (30) days after the deposit of the 15th instrument of ratification, on the 5th of October 2021, by the Republic of Cameroon at the African Union Commission.
Rwanda ratified treaties establishing the agency on 7th October 2019.
In November 2021, seventeen (17) member states of the African Union (Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Mauritius, Namibia, Niger, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Tunisia and Zimbabwe) have ratified the Treaty for the Establishment of the African Medicines Agency and deposited the legal instrument of ratification to the Commission.
At the time, Morocco had ratified the treaty but had not yet deposited the instrument of ratification.
{{About the African Medicines Agency }}
The African Medicines Agency (AMA) Treaty was adopted by Heads of States and Government during their 32nd Ordinary Session of the Assembly on 11th February 2019 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The African Medicines Agency aspires to enhance capacity of State Parties and AU recognized Regional Economic Communities (RECs) to regulate medical products in order to improve access to quality, safe and efficacious medical products on the continent. AMA shall build on the efforts of the African Medicines Regulatory Harmonization (AMRH) initiative (2009), which is led by the Africa Union Development Agency – the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD).
The AMRH initiative provides guidance to AU recognized Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and Regional Health Organizations (RHOs), to facilitate harmonization of regulatory requirements and practice among the national medicines authorities (NMRAs) of the AU Member States. AMA will be the second specialized health agency of the African Union after the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
The official send-off event was held on Friday 15th July 2022 at RDF Headquarters in Kimihurura and presided over by the Minister of Defence, Maj Gen Albert Murasira on behalf of the Commander-in-Chief of RDF. The event was also attended by the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen J Bosco Kazura, Service Chiefs, Generals and Senior Officers.
Maj Gen Murasira applauded the retirees and their families for their dedication, sacrifice and noble service to the country.
On behalf of the retirees, Maj Gen Ferdinand Safari thanked the President of Rwanda and Commander-in-Chief of Rwanda Defence Force for his good leadership and guidance in shaping a strong RDF family.
He emphasised that though they are retiring, they are still attached to RDF family and will continue to work for the development of Rwanda.
The retirees were also awarded certificates in recognition for their service rendered to Rwanda Defence Force.
Rwanda has started using Paxlovid pills to treat COVID-19 after initiating implementation of the accord signed in May 2022.
Paxlovid is an oral antiviral pill that patients tested positive for coronavirus can take at home and lower their risk of going to the hospital.
The Accord countries include all 27 low-income countries as well as 18 lower-middle-income countries that have transitioned from low to lower-middle-income classification in the last ten years.
Initially, Rwanda, Ghana, Malawi, Senegal and Uganda were the first five African countries which committed to join the Accord. Health officials in these countries will help identify and resolve hurdles beyond supply to inform the roll out in all 45 lower-income countries.
As of today, Rwanda has become the first country to benefit from this initiative where two-day training to health workers from different hospitals is taking place in Kigali City with a view to exchange information and share knowledge.
The Minister of Health, Dr. Daniel Ngamije has said that the training provided by experts from Pfizer is one of major steps for implementation of the accord helping Rwanda to access medicines on a not- for-profit basis.
“This training is aimed at helping our doctors from hospitals at national, provincial and district level to be equipped with knowledge and updated on prescriptions for proper use of medicaments,” he said.
Dr. Ngamije revealed that the accord also paves the way for other activities including research development, and up-skilling health care professionals.
Apart from the training, Rwanda has already received the first medicines including pills used to treat COVID-19.
“Rwanda has started receiving the first batch of medicaments. For instance, Paxlovid is being used to treat patients diagnosed with symptoms of COVID-19,” he said.
Paxlovid pill was manufactured by Pfizer. Towards the end of 2021, it was approved by the US as effective for treatment of COVID-19.
As the accord was signed this year, it was revealed that Pfizer will collaborate with participants to identify quick and efficient regulatory pathways and procurement processes to reduce the longer amount of time it can take to make new medicines and vaccines available in these countries.
Under the accord, Pfizer has committed to provide 23 medicines and vaccines that treat infectious diseases, certain cancers, and rare and inflammatory diseases.
He was delivering a public lecture to students of IPRC Tumba on the history of Rwanda before, during and after colonial rule as well as the struggle for its liberation.
Gen Kabarebe said that President Kagame made a lot of reforms during the Liberation Struggle, particularly encouraging them to maintain solidarity as people striving for a common goal.
Rwandans who joined the struggle had come from different countries including Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and former Zaïre.
Gen Kabarebe revealed that President Kagame gave them a clear guidance and advised them to keep divisions at bay if they were to win.
He said that Kagame initially instilled the Rwandan spirit because the war leaves deaths, casualties likely to spark blame games as some people start complaining that they are overloaded, deployed in risky zones or on frontline.
Gen Kabarebe revealed that having common understanding among soldiers and working together to strive for shared aspirations reflect the role of a good leader who works tirelessly to prevent those intending to hold back achieved gains.
“These were our sources of strength. Even though we were few, we had a strong foundation of good leadership and positive mindsets. RPA drew its strength from a good leader, started a good fight and won. We don’t need any more governance lesson because Rwanda has a good leader,” he said.
Emmanuel Ndagijimana, one of students from IPRC Tumba revealed that the lecture inspired him to stick to the value of patriotism, keep up efforts to consolidate gains and work with others to achieve envisioned national development.
Marlene Rugambwa, another student said that the lecture gave her courage to contribute to the nation in his capacity.
To compile this list of the World’s Greatest Places, the top spots to visit this year, TIME solicited nominations of places from its international network of correspondents and contributors, with an eye toward those offering new and exciting experiences.
The list features prominent towns like Doha in Qatar where 100 new hotels are being opened to accommodate participants of the World Cup between November and December.
Often described as the friendliest African city, Kigali has been selected for its initiatives to push toward a green future, especially for its growing tourism trade.
These include GuraRide, the new Rwandan bike-sharing app which provides easy, affordable access to scooters, road bikes, and e-bikes, with docks peppered throughout the city.
Kigali is also upgrading its roads as part of the recently launched Kigali Infrastructure Project, which aims to ease congestion, provide more direct connection among hard-to-reach neighborhoods, and reduce pollution.
Newly created car-free zones, the most recent launched in Gisimenti, let residents and visitors take back city streets on weekends.
More investment has yielded more development in the tourism sector in the last year. The first 18-hole golf course in the city, at the new Kigali Golf Resort and Villas, hosted its first golf tournament last December.
These activities are an addition to the opening of the Nyandungu Wetland Ecotourism Park early in January which safeguards 121 hectares of endangered wetlands, including more than 70 bird species and a fig forest—viewable from walking routes and cycling paths.
Located southeast of Kigali, Bugesera International Airport is set to deliver more direct flights. Other infrastructures include a new Four Points by Sheraton opened in Kigali in June, just in time to house attendees of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
The annual list also features four best destinations in Africa including Nairobi City in Kenya, Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe, Franschhoek town in South Africa and Lower Zambezi Park in Zambia.
Other outstanding destinations on the list include Ras Al Khaimah (UAE), Park City (Utah), Galápagos Islands, Dolni Morava (Repubulika ya Tcheque), Seoul (Korea y’Epfo), Great Barrier Reef (Australia), Doha, (Qatar), Detroit, Kerala (u Buhinde), The Arctic, Ahmedabad (India), València (Espagne), Queenstown, (Vouvelle Zelande), Historic Silk Road Sites (Uzbekistan), São Paulo (Brazil) and Trans Bhutan Trail (Bhutan) among others.
[{{Click here to read more selected destinations.}} ->https://time.com/collection/worlds-greatest-places-2022/]
Speaking to IGIHE recently, the man who was in Kigali for Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2022, talked about relations between Uganda and Rwanda and disclosed how he was threatened over his criticisms among others.
As tensions between both countries escalated, the MP maintained that Uganda’s silence on allegations brought forth by Rwanda only served to exacerbate the situation.
Rwanda accused Uganda of harbouring dissidents with intention to threaten its security.
Uganda was also accused of harassing, abducting and torturing Rwandans crossing to Uganda for different reasons.
During an exclusive interview with IGIHE last year, Mbidde said that the closure of Gatuna border in 2019 was not the root cause of spoiled relations insisting that the decision was taken ‘to solve a problem’.
He explained that the arrest of Rwandans by Uganda’s security forces where some of them would spend a year enduring torture in detentions without consular access was a major reason that had to trigger the closure.
Apart from illegal detentions of Rwandans, Mbidde revealed that his country had started working with subversive groups intending to destabilize Rwanda.
He pointed out an example of Charlotte Mukankusi, a member of Rwanda National Congress (RNC) who received Ugandan passport and her colleagues who met with President Museveni.
Mbidde revealed that he was the first person who openly pointed out those issues in Uganda as the government remained silent.
Commenting on his country’s reactions to his criticisms, Mbidde recently told IGIHE that his colleagues isolated him an unpatriotic person.
“I got isolated because of those positions that I hold, by many sections of the people including my own colleagues in parliament. They really think I am not nationalistic enough, as to defend the wrong things that my country is doing,” he said.
Mbidde highlighted that pointing out where the government is wrong on an issue is of utmost importance to save it from danger.
“In my opinion, I did not even make those statements for anyone’s benefit but for mine. That this has to stop immediately. A lot of our people did not address the reasons for the border closure. They always addressed the closure. When you begin with that only, then you miss out the proper point for discussions,” he noted.
Due to his position on the issue between Rwanda and Uganda, Mbidde received threats but insisted that he is always comfortable to point out what is going wrong irrespective of whatever circumstances.
“Security forces also trailed me. I got a lot of threats, the president came out and openly called me Munyarwanda,” he disclosed.
The parliamentarian said that the situation did not scare him because Obote had also called Museveni a Munyarwanda.
“It is okay. Even if I would die, I would have died a very happy person if…I have raised somebody that can cry, stand up and strangle my killer without being paid. So, I do not regret what I did and I will partake of the circumstances that are continuous,” he noted.
Despite the setbacks, Rwanda and Uganda have embarked on a journey to restore relations that had deteriorated since 2017.
Both countries decided to turn a new page for relations following visits of Lt Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba to Rwanda two times in 2022 where he met with President Paul Kagame leading to the reopening of Gatuna border.
Lt Gen Muhoozi is the first born son of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni serving as the Senior Presidential Advisor on Special Operations and Commander of Land Forces of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF).
The court has also ordered immediate arrest of Bucyibaruta, 78, who has been under trial for two months over complicity in Genocide and crimes against humanity in Gikongoro prefecture which he headed during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
He was given ten days to have appealed against the verdict.
During trial proceedings, the Prosecution had requested the court to hand life sentence to Bucyibaruta.
At the heart of the case against the convict, were several “security” meetings, either ordered or attended by Bucyibaruta, which prosecutors had argued were actually planning sessions for the killings.
Specifically, Bucyibaruta was accused of having persuaded thousands of people to take refuge in the Murambi Technical School, by promising them food, water and protection.
Days later, in the early hours of April 21, tens of thousands of Tutsis were executed there.
The court also examined Bucyibaruta’s responsibility in the massacre of around 90 Tutsi pupils at the Marie Merci school in Kibeho on 7th May 1994 and in the execution of Tutsi prisoners including three priests in Gikongoro prison.
It is said that Bucyibaruta, who has been in France since 1997, has several health problems and was allowed to remain under house arrest during trial to receive treatments.
Richard Gisagara, a lawyer who followed up the case has welcomed the ruling.
“Let us reflect on victims in Kibeho, Murambi, Cyanika and Kaduha among others. I am grateful to those who entrusted me with heavy responsibilities to represent them,” he said.
Bucyibaruta was born in Musange in1944. He served as the prefect of Gikongoro Prefecture from 4th July 1992 to July 1994.
Initially, he fled to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and later went to France in 1997 where he lives up to date.
The sentence handed to Bucyibaruta is considered as a great step made by France which was for long blamed over sheltering masterminds of Genocide against the Tutsi roaming freely.
Following the visit of French President, Emmanuel Macron to Rwanda last year, the country pledged to work with Rwanda to bring to justice individuals suspected of role in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
Umbrella organizations of survivors of Genocide against the Tutsi and human rights activists had requested for trial of Bucyibaruta in 2000.
The man in question is Felicien Habanabakize, 43, hailing from Gisozi Sector of Gasabo District in Kigali City.
Hospitalized for 13 years at Kibagabaga Hospital, his legs are paralyzed, pleading for God’s mercy to save his life, as he spends all the times on his hospital bed.
Habanabakize was admitted at the hospital in January 2010, after falling from a house he was roofing in 2009. His back was seriously injured that it affected the backbone.
“I was taken to the University Teaching Hospital of Kigali [CHUK] following the accident. I spent two weeks there before I was transferred to the University Teaching Hospital of Butare [CHUB] for back surgery.
After spending six months awaiting surgery at the hospital, doctors told me that my situation would be much worse and result into death if they performed the procedure because I had an injury on the backbone below the neck,” he narrated.
Since then, CHUB transferred him to Kibagabaga Hospital in Gasabo District. His arms and legs are paralyzed that he is unable to move and spends all his days reclining in bed.
Because of leaning for several years, he has multiple wounds on his back, thigh and legs. He receives medication but they seem to be always fresh as the parts of his body are lean on his bed.
This has led to depression because of his deteriorating life.
“There are times when I wish to die, but cool down as I see others in similar conditions. I just stay in my bed and wait for God’s mercy because I can’t do anything about it,” he said.
Realizing that there is no hope for recovery, his family seems to have abandoned him and no longer visits him. Habanabakize depends on good Samaritans to survive.
Psychologists helping patients and families on daily basis have revealed that such circumstances affect mental health making it harder to accept such painful life.
Habanabakize is among other patients who have spent several years of sufferings in hospitals.
Emmanuel Nyandwi, 35, is in his fifth year at the hospital after falling off a bridge. His legs are also paralyzed. He last saw his relatives visiting him in 2018 and never came back.
Nyandwi also disclosed that family’s affection is much needed in such situation because it helps them overcome depression with a feeling that they are not alone.
Their burdens are not only limited to physical suffering but also endure emotional pain. The hospital bills bring a huge blow to their life as they have no sources of income. According to Nyandwi, the hospital charges him Rwf15, 000 every month and the money keeps increasing due to failure to pay.
His family initially catered for the bills but no longer do so due to lack of means.
Jean Baptiste Muvunyi has been on ventilators helping him to breathe for the past four years.
It all started by swelling of the chest. He thought the condition would be easily treated but worsened overtime.
“Realizing that my health conditions were worsening, I went to a health center hoping to be treated and return home. However, I never returned because the situation was more severe than I thought,” he revealed.
He was immediately transferred to Kibagabaga Hospital where he was put on ventilator until today.
Muvunyi highlighted that patients spending long time at health facilities need special care from their families, nurses and doctors to move on with life.
Before the sickness, he was a mason. Muvunyi hopes to recover one day but worried about the cost of services.
He revealed that doctors recommended him a device that can help him to breathe but it would require Rwf6.5 million which he cannot afford.
As Muvunyi said, he was promised to be discharged once he gets means to buy the device. He is waiting patiently that good Samaritans would one day bring a smile to his life by helping him cater for the price.
Muvunyi and Sephora Uwingeneye, a mother of three suffer from the same sickness. Uwingeneye is always worried about the education and wellbeing of her children.
{{Need for special support}}
The Director General of Kibagabaga Hospital, Lt col Dr Ernest Munyemana has said that patients staying in hospital for a long time are likely to be abandoned by their families.
“Under such situation, patients feel desperate and depressed. If psychologists do not stay closer to them, their health conditions can be much worse and might end up catching new diseases,” he said.
This hospital mainly receives patients with serious illness who need special medical care.
In most cases, patients who spend long time in hospitals include those with serious injuries unable to perform any activities or cannot breathe without ventilators among others.
In some instances, relatives are irked over the prolonged stay in hospital and give up on their patients.
Dr. Munyemana pointed out an example of a patient who spent almost 10 years without any support from her family at the hospital. After passing on, Dr. Munyemana said, relatives came to pick the deceased for burial disguising themselves as neighbours.
“They were identified by hospital employees who once saw them looking after the patient and informed me. We approached them for discussions,” he said.
The hospital helps patients by linking them to people who pray for them.
The management also identifies patients without means to cater for hospital bills and link them to donors willing to support needy patients.
It also works with districts to identify avenues for possible support to lessen patients’ burdens.
Dr. Munyemana has encouraged people to subscribe for Mutuelle de Santé to access health services and families to make it a habit to visit patients lest they feel isolated.
“Some patients have no families to take care of them but we blame families which abandon patients and come to the hospital sometimes to confirm whether they are still alive or not. People need to be kind hearted and understand that people catching diseases need special attention especially when hospitalized,” he said.
The management of Kibagabaga Hospital says that the facility receives between 200 and 250 out patients every day and has the capacity of accommodating 200.
The officers promoted to Major General include Vincent Nyakarundi, the Head of Defence Intelligence; Willy Rwagasana, the Commander of the Republican Guard and Ruki Karusisi, the Commander of Special Operations Force.
RDF Spokesperson, Ronald Rwivanga has been also elevated from the rank of Colonel to Brigadier General.
The statement released by RDF shows that the appointment takes immediate effect.
Major General Vincent Nyakarundi was appointed as the Head of Defence Intelligence in 2019.
Both Nyakarundi and Rwagasana had been promoted to the rank of Brigadier General in 2018.
Meanwhile, Karusisi Ruki had been elevated to Brigadier General in 2019 when he was appointed as the Commander of Special Operations Force.
Ronald Rwivanga had been also promoted from Lt Colonel to Colonel in June 2021. He was named RDF Spokesperson in December 2020.
The Head of State made the disclosure during an interview with a journalist of FRANCE 24, Marc Perelman held after the tripartite summit in Angola to seek a durable solution for the tension between Rwanda and DRC.
Kagame revealed that he wishes and hopes the recent discussions to be fruitful.
“I don’t think anyone is interested in tensions or conflicts or whatever crisis. So, it is on that backdrop that I am happy, that we even agreed to meet in Angola under the mediation of President Lorenzo, and indeed we had good discussions. I think both sides, at least, what I assessed to be, were looking forward to making progress,” he said.
“I hope so, that is what I think, that is what I want. Talking may not be good enough but it is what you need to start with. So, the fact that we talk, I think is good. And we can build on that for tangible results and I think this one in Angola is another step forward,” Kagame added.
Following the Luanda summit in Angola, Congolese Army (FARDC) continues to fight M23 rebel group which has captured many areas.
DRC government has not stopped accusing Rwanda of supporting M23 claiming that it is the reason why the rebel group did not lay arms down.
President has said that there are different parties in a fighting where they are all concerned with the ceasefire.
“In fighting, there are different parties involved. It is not one party. Talking about cease fire, refers to parties fighting. It is not M23. It’s M23 and those fighting against them,” he said.
President Tshisekedi recently warned of a war with Rwanda if ‘it continues provocations’.
President Kagame has said that Tshisekedi didn’t inform him about the possible reaction face to face.
“He didn’t tell me but I saw it in the Financial Times. But I am just saying, for me, I don’t so easily and carelessly anticipate war or even look forward to it. So, let’s put that aside.The reason we were in Angola is to make sure that any misunderstanding, any conflict, tension is resolved amicably not through fighting,” he revealed.
The Head of State also revealed that he is always surprised that people rush to accuse Rwanda of involvement in DRC conflicts. He was responding to the journalist who asked him about recent report by US embassy in Congo that Rwandan soldiers are in DRC.
“Rwanda is accused by the US or anybody but they are silent deliberately, I guess, on issues of FDLR that have been there for the last 25 years. You would imagine when you hear people say those things you have just mentioned. It is as if Rwanda is just a trouble maker that went into Congo, started a war. […]
They are even silent about the bombings of our territory by Congolese Army, they are silent about infiltration in November 2019 of this FDLR who entered into the Northern part of our country and caused mayhem. If we are talking about provocations, how do you decide to shell across the border into the population?” he wondered.
{{M23 is not a Rwandan problem}}
Kagame has said that Rwanda doesn’t support M23 highlighting that the rebel group doesn’t have roots in Rwanda.
“It is a long story. First of all, M23 is not a Rwandan problem and these are not Rwandans. And we don’t need them for anything. Second, the history of these M23 people is well known, has been discussed with President Tshisekedi himself, the government of Congo and so on. These are not people who came from Rwanda. How Congo makes that problem of M23, a problem of Rwanda is something I cannot understand,” he stated.
The President said that problems of DRC are complex and involves many parties where singling out one and attach it to Rwanda is disregarding the truth.
He pointed out an example of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a rebel outfit comprising masterminds of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, the shelling by FARDC on Rwandan territory and the support of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).
“This problem was there in 2013 or 2012. Now it is back ten years after. What do you think went wrong? I would ask anyone to tell me why these problems, which are actually in my view, can be addressed very easily,” Kagame stated.
“Why does it go on for ten years, and it comes back? In fact, some parts of it, have been there for the last 25 years and the international community, everybody have spent so much money talking about solving these problems based in the Congo. And yet, we have it again in 2022. Do you really see that Rwanda is the problem in that? Can’t anybody see that the problems lie elsewhere?’ he wondered.
