The report on countries using Spyware was first published by The Washington Post and 16 other news organizations early this week indicating that 50,000 phone numbers are vulnerable to Spyware attacks.
Pegasus is a spyware developed by the Israeli cyberarms firm NSO Group that can be covertly installed on mobile phones (and other devices) running most versions of iOS and Android.
Rwanda is among countries accused of using the spyware along with Mexico, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Hungary, Togo, Morocco, India, United States of America (USA), Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
It is said that Rwanda might hack 3500 phone numbers using the technology.
Following the revelations, Ugandan media houses run articles that Rwanda uses Spyware to hack the former Chief of Staff of Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), Gen David Muhoozi; former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sam Kuteesa; former Prime Minister, Rugunda Ruhakana and the Joseph Ochwet, Uganda’s Director General of External Intelligence.
The statement by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Government’s Spokesperson, Dr. Vincent Biruta sent to IGIHE reacting to these allegations reads that they are rumours meant to misinform Rwandans and tarnish the country’s image.
“Rwanda does not use this software as confirmed in 2019. The country does neither possess such capabilities nor that technology. These are false allegations intended to tarnish Rwanda’s reputation internationally and mislead Rwandan residents,” reads the statement.
Rwanda refuted similar allegations in 2019 after Facebook Inc accused NSO Group from Israel of using Pegasus spyware to hack people’s phones.
At the time, it was said that the country targets opposition figures and human rights activists.
Speaking to the media in 2019, President Paul Kagame explained that Rwanda does intelligence on enemies highlighting that the country can’t spend money to use that technology deemed costly.
The day is observed at a time when different parts of Rwanda namely; Kigali city and seven districts including Burera, Gicumbi, Kamonyi, Musanze, Nyagatare, Rubavu, Rwamagana and Rutsiro are under lockdown effective from Saturday, 17th till 26th July 2021 to contain the spread of COVID-19.
In a message sent via Twitter handle, Kagame reminded Muslims to adhere to containment measures as they celebrate.
“Wishing a joyous Eid Mubarak to all Muslims celebrating Eid Al-Adha in Rwanda and across the world. Let’s continue to stay safe throughout celebrations with family and loved ones as we fight this pandemic together,” he tweeted.
Ahead of the celebration, Rwanda Muslim Community (RMC) urged Muslims to pray from homes while those from districts not put under lockdown were advised to participate in prayers respecting 30% of occupancy.
Eid al-Adha, which in Arabic literally means the “festival of the sacrifice”, commemorates the Koran tale of Prophet Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael but God offered him a lamb to sacrifice, ruling that no human life should be sacrificed in the name of God.
The day is marked with the sacrifice of an animal; usually a goat, sheep, or cow, and the distribution of the meat among neighbours, family members and the poor.
Flying to the destination was very much awaited by Rwandan community abroad who express sentiments of gratitude as they narrate seamless experience enjoyed while traveling to their mother land in the comfort of RwandAir’s aircrafts.
IGIHE recently visited Zaventem Airport in Brussels on Saturday 17th July 2021 where Rwandans and foreigners converged awaiting flight with RwandAir.
These include passengers heading to Rwanda, Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Bangui in Central African Republic (CAR) and Accra in Ghana.
With nostalgia for their homeland, many Rwandans met at the airport wore branded T-shirts bearing seemingly slogans evoking memory of their native land.
These slogans written in Kinyarwanda include ‘Inkotanyi ni ubuzima’ translated as Inkotanyi is life and ‘Rwanda Nziza’ translated as Beautiful Rwanda among others carrying significant message for Rwandans.
With great joy, simply because they are flying home with RwandAir, they revealed that RwandAir is an icon, flag and symbol of dignity which induces pride to them wherever they are.
Christine Uzamukunda is one of Rwandans living in Europe whom IGIHE met at Zaventem Airport.
The mother, who frequently visits Rwanda every year, has been travelling with RwandAir since the carrier launched flights along the route Kigali-London-Brussels.
Like other Rwandans, Uzamukunda expressed delight as she narrated how comfortable it is to fly onboard RwandAir.
“I am glad to see RwandAir continuing to operate smoothly, Rwandans standing up to show love for Rwanda and support their brand amidst the difficult situation of COVID-19,” she said.
“It induces pride to Rwandans and the country. We are experiencing difficult times where it is uneasy to make flights but you can see how passengers are crowded to fly with RwandAir. This evidences how the flight carrier enriches their experience,” said another passenger, Erneste Musengimana.
Excellent services, warm hospitality among other support received at the airport won his heart to travel always with RwandAir.
Maxime Prevot, a parliamentarian and the Mayor of Namur City in Belgium is among passengers met at the airport awaiting flight to Rwanda to attend the 41st General Assembly of mayors of Francophone cities (AIMF).
Apart from attending the meeting, the mayor visiting Rwanda for the first time observed that it is also an opportunity to learn from the country’s tragic history that led to the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi.
He plans to visit Kigali Genocide Memorial and the memorial site of 10 Belgian soldiers killed by troops of the then President Juvénal Habyarimana on 7th April 1994.
RwandAir’s Bruxelles-Londres-Kigali route is among destinations with a large number of passengers mainly Africans from the diaspora visiting their home land.
RwandAir is one of the world’s fastest growing airlines and operates one of the youngest state-of-the-art fleets on the African continent.
With a reputation for delivering a premium service to all its customers, RwandAir operates 12 aircraft with an average age of just under six years.
The airline currently offers services to 25 destinations across 21 countries throughout Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
Over 195,000 students are sitting for this year’s ordinary level and senior six national exams that kicked off countrywide on Tuesday 20th July 2021.
These include 122,000 from ordinary level, over 50,000 are completing senior six excluding 22,000 finalists from Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
The National Examinations and Schools Inspection Authority (NESA) has revealed that 20 of 106 students who tested positive for COVID-19 are from the City of Kigali.
The Director General of NESA, Dr. Bahati Bernard has said that these students are receiving special assistance to sit for exams in designated isolation rooms.
He further stated that transport arrangement for these students from home to examination centers and vice versa has been put in place to ensure they don’t miss exams.
“We made possible efforts to ensure no student misses exams because he/she is COVID-19 positive. We issued guidelines to be respected as we did previously,” said Dr. Bahati.
Apart from COVID-19 positive students, NESA has explained that other candidates are also facilitated to adhere to instituted measures to prevent spread of the virus.
Rwanda’s scenery has always been a heady mix for me; one of rugged beauty, rich culture, attractive landscapes, impressive wildlife, and beautiful savannahs.
The land doesn’t demand your attention the way billboards do, or traffic lights, or people with their bright clothes and private thoughts.
Whether it’s staring into a clear night sky and imagining a curtain of black pierced by pinpricks of light from distant stars, or watching the animals stretch languorously, or trees towering majestically in their realm; I take these pictures, in the hopes of engraving every single movement, athletic prowess, or adventurous expedition that makes Rwanda so dear to my heart.
{{1. Wait for me, Tarzan!}}
A picture capturing an ape pooping mid-air. This image still sends me off in hysterics. A memorable moment that makes me miss the parks.
{{2. Share, Now!… Please?}}
A picture I captured of two birds trying to share a meal. The orange glow around the two birds gives it a wonderful feel of late autumn.
{{3. Color me Red}}
I took this picture on a super spontaneous trip to Kibuye. The soft rays cast from the late afternoon sun permeating the waters, bringing out all shades of red, green, and orange from within. As the sun sets, it gives off a mesmerizing, yet mysterious feel, to this shot.
{{4. Daydreaming in colors}}
The luxurious pelt and distinctive wondrous expression of this golden snub-nosed monkey evoked past days of daydreaming.
{{5. Eat your greens}}
The largest of all the great apes, six feet tall and weighing more than 400 pounds, achieves this impressive stature on a mostly vegetarian diet of roots, bamboo trees, and tree bark foraged in the thick forests of their habitat.
{{6. Straight out of a movie scene}}
Tucked away at the summit of Mount Bisoke, this beautiful crater lake is always a spectacular sight for sore eyes.
When I was perusing through my work, this dramatic capture brought out pure nostalgia. I would definitely hike again for hours, just to see this moment again.
{{7. Wild Majesty }}
A majestic African Fish Eagle perched on a branch in Akagera National Park, with its plumage perfectly in place.
Speaking to the youth from diaspora early this month, Gen Kabarebe reflected on formation and weakness of FDLR highlighting that the rebel group’s doomsday is nearing.
“Genocidaire soldiers fled to neighboring Zaire, current Democratic Republic of Congo where they formed ALIR rebel group which later birthed FDLR. The rebel group attacked Rwanda at different times in 1996 and 1997 until 2001,” he said.
Gen Kabarebe explained that the rebel outfit led by divisive politics was split into different groups based on places of origin.
“The rebel group comprised of remnant masterminds of the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi is based in DRC. Due to divisive politics, it was later split into different groups based on places of origin. Those calling themselves ‘Abakiga’ with intensions to attack from the Northern part of the country stayed in FDLR while those calling themselves ‘Abanyenduga’ led by Rusesabagina and Wilson Irategeka moved to Southern Kivu region and raided Rwanda through Nyungwe,” he noted.
“They were mired in divisive politics and split them into groups based on likely differences. Those who fled to Burundi attacked Rwanda from Nyungwe but majority of forces that stayed in Congo were subjected to attacks and were defeated by FARDC which sent approximately 330 to Rwanda. The remaining small number of rebels who escaped to Burundi started raiding Rwanda through Nyungwe Park,” added gen Kabarebe.
He further observed that their doomsday is closer considering the fact that Burundian soldiers launched operations against these rebels.
“They were defeated as days went by. Burundi soldiers recently launched attacks against these rebels and arrested some of them. To this end, I can only conclude that they are on the verge of defeat. Their doomsday is coming closer because their forces in Southern Kivu have been defeated while those who survived were sent here currently undergoing rehabilitation programmes at Mutobo center,” he said.
“Those attacking from Nyungwe Park were repelled by Rwanda’s soldiers and returned to Burundi. However, Burundi soldiers are also hunting them. So, they are in last days,” added Gen Kabarebe.
FDLR rebel outfit is comprised of remnants of masterminds of the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi who at different times plotted hit-and-run attacks to Rwanda and repelled back.
After Rwanda Patriotic Army (RPA) currently Rwandan Defence Forces (RDF) soldiers won the liberation struggle, soldiers of former Rwandan Armed Forces (FAR) fled to Eastern DRC forests where they formed the Army for the Liberation of Rwanda (ALIR) that birthed the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).
Since 2019, Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) has been plotting attacks to disarm terror groups operating in DRC forests that saw some members killed and others extradited to Rwanda.
These include top military commanders like Juvénal Musabyimana alias Jean-Michel Africa while Col. Nshimiyimana Asifiwe Manudi was arrested.
Gen. Sylvestre Mudacumura, the chief of the FDLR rebel group which has been operating in Eastern DRC for many years was also killed in September 2019.
Mudacumura was killed with his deputies including Col Serge, Col Soso Sixbert, and his secretary Maj Gaspard among others while more 15 fighters were arrested.
Disarmament of rebel groups in Eastern DRC has been among priorities since President Antoine Felix Tshisekedi took over from Joseph Kabila Kabange.
Tshisekedi made the pledge, few days after FARDC launched operations to quell rebel outfits in the region.
These efforts led to the killing and arrest of hundreds members of terror groups against the Government of Rwanda operating in DRC forests. These include FDLR, RUD-Urunana FLN and RNC.
Following the arrest and deaths of top military commanders, FDLR lost some of its strongholds.
Some of arrested commanders include Marc Nizeyimana from FLN while the group’s top commander Lt Gen Wilson Irategeka was killed along with his lieutenants in FARC attacks.
The incident took place on Sunday 18th July 2021early morning around 4a.m in Kabushongo village, Busoro cell, Nyamyumba sector of Rubavu district.
It is said that the boat was carrying paving stones from Nyamyumba to Boneza sector in Rutsiro district.
The boat operated by Bernard Ndayisaba along with his son Etienne Hakizimana, 20 was striken by strong wave and capsized after crossing the area designated for extraction of methane gas in Lake Kivu.
Following the incident, Hakizimana swam and survived while his father Ndayisaba sank with the boat.
The Executive Secretary of Nyamyumba sector, Heritier Kazendebe has said that Ndayisaba’s body has not yet been retrieved.
“It is still difficult to retrieve his body because he sank with loaded boat,” he explained.
Kazendebe expressed condolences to the bereaved family and assured support to retrieve the man’s body for burial.
The previous accident in Lake Kivu took place in October 2019 when a truck belonging to Chinese company constructing the road along Marine headquarters to Bralirwa plant in Rubavu district skidded off the road into Lake Kivu leaving two of 10 passengers on board dead.
The statement released last night shows that 1997 people have caught the virus out of 50 880 sample tests while 976 recovered.
Kigali city remains the major hotspot where 1391 of new cases were found yesterday.
Rwanda confirmed the first Coronavirus case on 14th March 2020. Since then, 54 549 people have been tested positive of whom 38 186 recovered, 15 725 are active cases, 76 are critically ill while 638 have succumbed to the virus.
Coronavirus symptoms include coughing, flu, and difficulty in breathing. The virus is said to be transmitted through the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract.
Rwandans are urged to adhere to COVID-19 health guidelines, washing hands frequently using soaps and safe water, wearing face masks and respecting social distancing.
The Infrastructure Investment Economist at AIIB, Suzanne Shaw recently told CNBC Africa that the loan is meant to boost economic recovery by financing private sector investment in the areas including textile manufacturing, agro-processing and construction.
Shaw explained that the loan was approved in consideration of the impact of COVID-19 pandemic which has had a big impact on the world, particularly the African continent.
“It is important for the bank to be relevant to its members. This loan from AIIB will help to boost economic recovery and build resilience in Rwanda post Covid-19 to put the country back on the path to sustainable growth. This is very important to meet to the needs of our members in a time of crisis like this,” she said.
The loan is AIIB’s first engagement in Rwanda since it became member in 2019.
It is also the bank’s first investment in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Shaw stated that the loan is expected to restore Rwanda’s economy which experienced first recession in 20 years.
“Rwanda has for the last couple of decades implemented a number of structural reforms to improve the economy and put it on goof growth path. What we have seen with Covid is that the country experienced its first recession in 20 years. This is huge when you think about a country like Rwanda that has been on great path in terms of economic growth,” she noted.
“We are convinced that by providing this loan, we can have an impact on the country by bringing it back to recovery but also ensuring long term economic resilience and growth. The loan will go to finance investment by private sector in the areas of textile, agro-processing, construction and line manufacturing which is also part of the country’s plan to put itself on the path of pre-Covid growth by investing in these sectors,” added Shaw.
The loan will be repaid within 34 years and six months with a grace period of 5 years and half.
The loan was approved by the bank’s fourth annual board meeting held in Luxemburg.
AIIB is a multilateral development bank that aims to improve economic and social outcomes in Asia. The bank currently has 103 members as well as 21 prospective members from around the world.
As he presided over the ceremony held at Bria on 16th July 2021, MINUSCA Force Commander, Lt Gen Daniel Sidiki Traoré thanked Rwandan peacekeepers for their effort to bring back peace in CAR as well as providing medical support to MINUSCA.
“You are awarded medals on merit. Rwanda Battle group has done an outstanding job in peace keeping as well as providing medical services to peace keepers and the public during their tour of duty” he said.
RWA MED VI Commander, Col Prof. Alex Butera said both contingents (RWA BG III & RWA MED VI) operated in a very tense environment since their arrival in mission area with the escalation of activities by armed groups.
“However, we managed to carry out our role of ensuring sustainable Health protection of forces as well as protecting civilians in conflict zones,” he noted.
Rwanda maintains 2 Infantry Battalions, a Mechanized Battle Group and a Level II Hospital in support of peacekeeping operations in CAR.
