As the world was celebrating the World Food Safety Day, under the theme “Food safety, everyone’s business”, it was noted that food safety is a shared responsibility between governments, producers and consumers; everybody has a role to play from farm to table to ensure the food we consume is safe and will not cause harm to our health.
The World Health Organization (WHO) stated that Lack of adequate food hygiene can lead to foodborne diseases and death of the consumer; children being the most vulnerable to these diseases, whereby per year numbers about 125 thousand children death.
KCP Ltd has been working in Ruhango district, the Southern province, for now eight years and distributes its products throughout the whole country.
Mbabazi Christian, the Chief Executive Officer of KCP Ltd in an interview with IGIHE, said that the company is on a good track, receiving raw products from farmers from five different districts in the Southern Province, with branches in the eastern province in Bugesera district and there two have started working in partnership with farmers in the area.
“We have the capacity to receive about 120 tons of raw product from farmers per day. We have expanded from the Southern to the Eastern province and are encouraging every area of the country to have cassava plantations and become our suppliers. The factory work at only 35% of its installed capacity.”
{{How is the quality?}}
While talking about the quality, Mbabazi said that the government has greatly contributed in bringing quality product, among which was the introduction the Rwanda Standard Board (RSB) that has played a great role in providing internationally recognized and customer suited standardization services.
“The RSB and other companies work in partnership with the Ministry of Trade and Industry; they can penalize you if you are ever found selling product that are not up to the quality standard.” He said
“There are many other companies that are working in cassava flour processing. But Kinazi remains the market giants.”
There is a risk exposition to people consuming bad quality products
Mbabazi said that people should be more careful as they purchase their flour; they need to see if their products are certified by the RSB.
“We do what we have to do as a company nationwide, this starts from the factory; we have a team that examines each of our products before distribution to make sure that they are all up to the quality standard. We ask of the people that consume our products to be aware because if they are not careful they might easily consume bad quality products that can have bad consequences on their health.”
Though they have not been identified yet, there are people abroad who are said to be selling Kinazi cassava flour but have it repackaged as their own product and sell at a very high price.
KCP Ltd Quality controller, Viateur Ngabonzima said that the company has standards by which they examine the cleanness of their productions starting for the staff member, to the machines used in processing among other things.
“Kinazi cassava flour has been certified by the RSB. It was also accredited by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, thus has been allowed on the US market,” he said.
The Kinazi factory currently has a market in Rwanda and on the European continent; exports are at more than 40%, where they plan to expand to the United States because there is a large market.
The company says that its flour is not only made of bread but also can be mixed with other flour and made into Cake, Capati, Pizza among others.
The Cabinet meeting, on Tuesday, okayed the resumption of interprovincial movements, movements between provinces and City of Kigali as well as taxi-moto services, effective today June 3.
However, public and private transport to and from the districts of Rusizi and Rubavu is closed. Public transport in the two districts is also prohibited. Only goods and cargo trucks transiting or destined to these isolated districts will be allowed, but under the set safety guidelines, with only two people aboard, including the driver.
Rwanda National Police (RNP) spokesperson, CP John Bosco Kabera said that the resumption transport operations and movements doesn’t mean leaning back or loosening on the directives and guidelines to combat COVID-19.
“This is rather a time to win the fight while observing all the safety measures against the pandemic such as hygiene, washing hands regularly, wearing face mask, social distancing and the curfew,” CP Kabera said.
Movements are prohibited between 9 AM and 5 PM.
Motorcyclists, he said, must abide by the directives issued by Rwanda Utility Regulatory Authority (RURA) including having hand sanitizer, a fabric to wear inside the helmet, wear face mask, use a meter and cashless payment and leave enough distance in their parking lots.
Equally, passengers using motorcycles should also respect everything required of them like compulsory wearing of face mask, cashless payment of fares and sanitizing their hands before boarding.
To transporters that were already in their operation, CP Kabera said, nothing has changed on the safety directives; “continue to exercise maximum compliance.”
“As movements resume in most parts of the country, which comes with increased traffic flow and movement of people; we inform you that we have also resumed the road safety awareness–Gerayo Amahoro–to prevent road accidents.”
The year-long Gerayo Amahoro campaign was put to halt in its 46th week. RNP, therefore, reminds road users on the following:
{{DRIVERS }}
Avoid using a phone when driving
Don’t drink and drive
Regulate your speed; respect the speed limit.
Wear a seatbelt at all times
Respect traffic control signposts and pedestrian rights
{{MOTORCYCLISTS }}
When you drink don’t ride
Wear a helmet at all times. This applies to your passenger as well.
Avoid using a phone when riding
Avoid bad maneuvers
Respect traffic control signposts and pedestrian rights
{{PASSENGER}}
Your safety is your responsibility; report bad driving/riding
When on a motorcycle, stay focused, don’t be distracted by phone
Avoid putting the motorcyclist under pressure to speed for personal reasons
{{PEDESTRIAN }}
Walk on the left side of the road facing oncoming traffic
Use pedestrian crosswalks where they exist and avoid using a phone or earphones when crossing.
Walk fast but don’t run when crossing the road
{{CHILDREN}}
Avoid going or using the road without the company of a responsible person
A responsible person; when in company of a child, hold their hand and walk from the left side of the road.
Don’t loiter or play in the road
When in the vehicle, children occupy the back seat and wear seatbelt
When driving, ensure children are not playing/jumping in the car or with their head, arms out
CP Kabera said: “Rwanda National Police thanks all partners and citizens of Rwanda in general for their role in this period to combat COVID-19 as well as Gerayo Amahoro campaign. Your continued partnership is paramount.
To every citizen of Rwanda, the slogan is now #RwanyaCovid19, #GereyoAmahoro until we win the fight against the pandemic and make road safety our culture for the safety of everyone on the road.”
Rwanda National Police spokesperson, CP John Bosco Kabera said that despite the death of one of the Rwandan Police peacekeeper of COVID-19, who was serving under the UN Mission in South Sudan, measures are being strengthened to protect the peacekeepers.
“RNP is saddened with the death of PC Mbabazi Enid, who was part of Rwanda FPU-1 contingent deployed in Malakal, South Sudan. We condole with the bereaved family. We honour PC Mbabazi for her selfless service is ensuring safety and security for her country and restoring peace in other countries. She died in the name of security and peace,” said CP Kabera.
“We have jointly stepped up measures to further guarantee the safety of peacekeepers including educating them on the spread of the pandemic and effective protection,” CP Kabera said.
In her condolence message, UNMISS Police Commissioner, Unaisi L. Vuniwaqa said:
“It is with deep regret that the news of the sudden demise of our dear colleague Enid MBABAZI is received. The entire UNPOL Component grieve the contingent as well as her dear family back at home. We honour her contribution to the mission and the people of South Sudan.
On behalf of the Component,we wish to convey our profound condolences and pray that her soul rests in peace. May the blessings of the Almighty be with her family and all Rwanda FPU members here in South Sudan.”
UNMISS FPU Coordinator, Lt. Col. Mikhail Bychikhin also said: “… we convey to your personnel our deepest words of sympathy and condolences for the loss of your comrade.”
The Special Representative of the Secretary General to UNMISS David Shearer, in his guidelines against COVID-19 to protect peacekeepers issued back in April, among others, urges those feeling sick and experiencing coronavirus-like symptoms, such as fever, cough, shortness of breath or breathing difficulty to stay in their accommodation, call the supervisor and the UNMISS medical clinic.
Supervisors are also required to consider whether some staff can work from their accommodation instead of the office. Where necessary to maintain a physical presence in the workplace, the team may take turns at working from home and the office to minimize unnecessary contact.
The SRSG also emphasized the WHO safety guidelines; when you are at work, wash your hands frequently with soap and water or use hand sanitizer, not to shake hands with others; social distancing, to sanitize their equipment regularly; avoiding holding meetings or where deemed necessary to ensure the meeting room is large enough for participants to sit at least one meter apart.
Kagame reminded leaders that though results-oriented leadership requires a high level of commitment and discipline, challenges such as the Covid-19 crisis can make their responsibilities heavier, yet offer learning opportunities.
“Difficult times such as these make your work even more challenging. It requires us to work in unconventional ways. But it also teaches us important lessons we can apply in difficult times or in normal times. There is no reason we will not prevail,” he said.
The president added that when leaders take an oath, they commit to working towards transforming the country and that when they accomplish what is expected of them in an exemplary way, Rwandans benefit.
“All of us leaders should always uphold that when it comes to fulfilling our duties in public service, we should not confuse our own interest with that of the country,”
“When you take the oath to fulfill this duty, it means that you accept this heavy responsibility to work for your country and our people and to transform what we have into even more resources,” President Kagame said.
Among the leaders who took oath are Manasseh Nshuti, the State Minister in charge of East African Community Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Jean Chrysostome Ngabitsinze the State Minister for Agriculture.
While President Kagame was comforting all Rwandans who were set to start working on Monday but couldn’t due to sudden changes, he urged Rwandans to remain patient and vigilant.
This is following a decision by the government to put on hold plans to reopen more sections of the economy, including travel between provinces and resuming of motorcycle public transportation means, which were supposed to be restored today.
“It is important for citizens to understand the measures that are being taken to fight this virus. What it requires of us is not just to wait for one day or time we can predict, none of us can say we know the date this will end,”
“Things are not only dependent on a set date; it is also dependent on what happens in that time. When there are new developments, we have to re-evaluate if our predictions still stand. That is why we have chosen to take more time,” he said.
He urged all citizens to be patient for a few more days as the situation is reassessed and new measures issued so as to ensure the safety of all people even as the country looks to reopen key segments of the economy that remain closed in averting the spread of COVID-19.
“I ask you to be patient; every institution is working to confront this virus while also finding ways to return to a normal life. We will do everything we can and leave no solution unexplored. I believe that nothing can stand in our way,” President Kagame said.
Kagame thanked Rwandans and the leaders for their continuous cooperation in ensuring that the Covid-19 pandemic is defeated and reminded them to continue working together to completely eliminate the pandemic.
While the U.S. government has committed more than US$5 million to date in emergency funding in support of Rwanda’s COVID-19 response, private American citizens, U.S. companies, and non-profit organizations based in the United States have also organized private contributions to support the Rwandan people during these difficult times.
“I am pleased to see so many American citizens and U.S. organizations getting involved in coronavirus response and relief here in Rwanda,” said Peter H. Vrooman, U.S. Ambassador to Rwanda. “It truly is an ‘All-of-America’ fight against coronavirus for us, both at home and around the world.”
“The private sector showcases America’s ‘can-do’ spirit and illustrates the depth of the partnership between our two countries,” said Vrooman. “I want to thank these U.S. citizens and organizations and all others making a real difference in the lives of Rwandans all across this country.”
Pennsylvania-based Azizi Life partners with rural Rwandans to lift lives through fair trade. The nonprofit raised more than US$10,000 in contributions from online donations, mostly from the United States, to support more than 500 artisan and beekeeping partners and their families for one month.
U.S.-owned Impano Sportswear has shifted its Kigali production line to face masks, in support Government of Rwanda guidance requiring cloth face masks in public. In addition to custom designs and branded masks, Impano is also producing sports masks.
In coordination with local partner Abahizi Rwanda, U.S.-based life and style brand Kate Spade New York has shifted local production in Rwanda to face masks, while still continuing its seasonal handbag production. The company has donated 24,000 masks to community members in Masoro.
USAID’s Power Africa advisor helped blended-learning leader Kepler to apply for a US$50,000 grant for portable solar chargers for laptops so that 163 undergraduate students at Kiziba refugee camp can attend class online.
Kids Play International, established by a three-time U.S. Olympian, promotes gender equity through sport and the Olympic values in post genocide impacted countries. Due to COVID-19, the non-profit raised over US$9,000 to supplement its current after-school sports-based programming in Rwanda and Cambodia. Kids Play has providing almost 3,000 kilograms of food to the families of 300 youth involved in its programming, feeding more than 1,500 people across both countries. Kids Play will also bring water and sanitation solutions to more than 10,000 community members.
Atlanta-based Kula Project is a non-profit that has been empowering Rwandan coffee farmers through business and leadership training since 2015. Thanks to an online fundraising campaign and an awarded food relief grant, Kula has worked with Kayonza, Gakenke, and Nyamasheke districts to provide food, masks, and soap directly to 1,060 households. It has also given additional financial support to the districts as they continue their community response.
MindLeaps, a U.S.-based non-profit that uses dance to develop the cognitive skills and social-emotional learning of at-risk youth, has donated more than 2,000 kilograms of food to more than 230 families in Nyamirambo and Rwezamenyo.
Atlanta natives Erin and Colton Parks live and work in Rwanda. The Parks Family collected donations from more than 100 family and friends in the United States and worked with Rwandan friends and local government offices to distribute food to more than 10,600 families.
Partners In Health, locally known as Inshuti Mu Buzima, has worked with the Government of Rwanda to strengthen primary and chronic care services in the public health system since 2005. PIH directly supports the National Joint COVID-19 Task Force by providing staffing expertise in data management, communications and analytics. PIH also bolstered national COVID-19 testing capacity by providing an RT-PCR machine that conducts 73 tests an hour to the National Reference Lab and strengthened facility readiness for COVID-19 response in the District hospitals of Kirehe, Rwinkwavu, and Butaro. In addition, PIH is ensuring the continuation of care for cancer patients in the lock down context by distributing oral cancer treatment by drones in partnership with Zipline.
Thanks to US$60,000 in donations from people in the United States and other countries, U.S.-based Rhoda Consulting helped local NGO Dufatanye provide emergency food and soap distributions to more than 5,000 households in Nyanza. This is more than 91 tons of food impacting more than 31,000 individuals.
Boston-based Shooting Touch uses the mobilizing power of basketball as a tool for health education, intervention, and improved well-being for rural communities. Unable to take to the court, Shooting Touch is providing weekly phone credit to 15 women at each court they have built, in order to establish a “buddy system” to maintain camaraderie during these isolated times. This calling task-force offered an open ear, recording the concerns of their teammates, as well as provide them with at-home stretching routines, fitness exercises, mental health coping strategies, and phone numbers for free support – to more than 1,000 families.
TEACH Rwanda is a Pennsylvania-based organization for American educators to help Rwandan preschool and primary teachers learn to use modern, research-based teaching methods. Their exemplary school in Muhanga, Bright School, includes many students from vulnerable families, so the school has provided food to 67 families to date, with even larger food distributions to come. Teachers regularly call students’ families, as well, to check-in and to encourage project-based learning at home.
The University of Global Health Equity (UGHE) is a global university based in Rwanda. An initiative of Boston-based Partners in Health, it offers a unique community-and facility-based approach to medical training that centers on vulnerable populations. UGHE presents a long-term solution to pandemic preparedness and response in training students to build, repair, maintain, and grow resilient health systems capable of preventing and withstanding future outbreaks, as well as contributing to critical research in this area.
Currently, its alumni are well-trained to contribute to frontline efforts in contact tracing, testing operations, delivering medical supplies and training community health workers, in Rwanda and other countries. Campus resources are being allocated towards the response, including redeploying drivers to transport patients to facilities facing interruption like the Butaro Cancer Center.
Matt and Andrea Miller, along with parents and friends of Virunga Valley Academy, an American international school in Musanze, raised more than US$15,000 for food relief, which helped more than 1,000 families in Musanze district.
Kentucky-based Word Made Flesh invests in women living in vulnerable communities in Rwanda, providing access to dignified work, vocation and life skills, financial literacy, counseling, and deep friendship through community. Since the start of the COVID lockdown, Word Made Flesh has worked with local government leaders to distribute food to 450 households in Kangondo, more than half headed by a person living with HIV.
U.S. tech start up Zipline is using drone-based delivery to support medical response to COVID-19 in Rwanda and Ghana, delivering testing samples in-bound from rural areas and distributing outbound PPE and other medical supplies like cancer meds.
This “All-of-America” approach is helping people around the world. American private businesses, non-profit groups, charitable organizations, faith-based organizations, and individuals have now provided more than US$4.3 billion in donations and assistance globally, more than any other nation, since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
Sauna and massage are among the prohibited services in this period when the country is fighting and preventing the pandemic of novel Coronavirus
The violators were paraded to the media Sunday afternoon at Remera metropolitan.
Among those arrested are Raymond Bizwinayo, the hotel proprietor, Christopher Tuyishime, the manager and Alexis Nyiridandi, who is in charge of the Sauna.
Bizwinayo distanced himself from the unlawful acts, arguing that Sauna and massage services were under different management although they were operating within the same facility.
Tuyishime said that Sauna and massage services were opened the same day the government opened hotels and other hospitality establishments.
Nyiridandi alleged that the gym section remained closed as directed by the government and feigned knowledge that Sauna and massage were still closed since salons were also given green light.
Alexandre Kanyambo, one of the arrested clients narrated that he was called by a friend informing him of a place open to Sauna and massage services.
“I left Gacuriro to Remera, joined my friend to the hotel where we were caught. I wasn’t aware that these are among the prohibited services, but now I know I breached the government directives to be in a congested place like Sauna,” said Kanyambo.
To Uwase, another suspect, she argued that as she was jogging that evening, she had a smell of Sauna as she went passed the hotel.
“I followed the Sauna smell to Lebanon hotel, I was arrested inside with other people, few minutes after I had entered,” said Uwase.
Rwanda National Police (RNP) spokesperson, CP John Bosco Kabera said that the actions were contrary to the “outlined and clear government directives and guidelines” meant to prevent the spread of Coronavirus.
“Sauna and massage parlour are among the prohibited services in this period. These people were in the same room where, if one of them was infected with the virus, he or she could have infected others; it was risky and unlawful,” said CP Kabera.
He added: “At this level, we expect everyone; owners and managers of business facilities, and the public in general to be at the peak of positive response. But of course, we still have such people whose actions hamper the government response to the problem in our midst, and putting lives of other people at risk.”
“These people came from different areas of Kigali, met in one place and no one knew the status of the other.
We want to repeat this; whoever breaches the directives will be arrested and we continue to thank some members of the public for the partnership and reporting such serious violations.”
Félicien Kabuga was one of the world’s most wanted fugitives, believed by authorities to have been responsible for underwriting the 1994 Rwandan genocide and providing the hundreds of thousands of machetes that ethnic Hutu marauders used to slaughter at least 800,000 citizens. But until his dramatic capture on May 16, in a dawn raid, Kabuga had been living in hiding for 26 years in Kenya, Germany, and, recently, in France.
Here, for the first time, Serge Brammertz, the man behind the manhunt, describes how it worked and why it succeeded.
If Brammertz did not already exist, Hollywood might have imagined him. For years, the Belgian who had helped track down Bosnian Serb war criminals Radovan Karadžić and Ratko Mladić as well as investigate the Hezbollah operatives allegedly responsible for assassinating Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri had been known in human rights circles as something of an Indiana Jones of international justice.
With his salt-and-pepper hair and tailored suits, the 58-year-old prosecutor had a knack for making a lasting impression. And Saturday, May 16, 2020, was no exception.
At 6:30 a.m., as Brammertz manned the phone at his home in The Hague, a phalanx of armed gendarmes flew through the door of a third-floor apartment in a Paris suburb and arrested Kabuga, 84, who will soon face Brammertz in court, most likely in Tanzania.
Hunting génocidaires (the perpetrators of genocide) had largely become an analog business in a digital world. Investigators waited for tips from informants. Then they set off to do the shoe-leather work of canvassing suspected hideouts and interviewing potential accomplices.
Brammertz helped change all that in 2016, when the U.N. Security Council named him chief prosecutor of an important body with a forgettable name: the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals. He applied the tools of the counterterrorism trade including cell phone geolocation, “pattern of life” intelligence, and sophisticated, big-data-crunching analytical tools to hunting war criminals.
Brammertz’s mandate was to finish the work of both the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. It fell to him to round up and prosecute fugitives from two of the most bloody and shameful episodes of the past half-century. And few targets loomed larger than Kabuga, who had a $5 million U.S. bounty on his head.
Colonel Èric Emeraux took part in the raid. “After 26 years as a fugitive,” he said, “when you find 20 members of the gendarmerie, plus prosecutors, in your flat on a Saturday morning, you understand it is the end of the game.” Emeraux, as the head of France’s Office for Combatting Crimes Against Humanity, Genocides and War Crimes, worked closely with Brammertz. (Emeraux moonlights as the electronic dance music composer Matthias Ka.)
The French colonel explained that despite two months of intensive investigation, his team wanted proof positive that they had the right man. So, the minute Kabuga was nabbed, a police technician swabbed the inside of the old man’s cheek and raced the genetic material to a forensic lab, where the DNA was compared against a 2007 sample from Germany Kabuga’s last-known location.
Two hours later they had a match and Brammertz had his man. (Kabuga’s lawyer has said that his client should be presumed innocent, and that he wants to be tried in France, not before the U.N. tribunal based in Tanzania. The next hearing is on May 27th.)
{{Vanity Fair: Kabuga was formally indicted in 1997, but has been a wanted man since the Rwandan genocide ended in July 1994. Do you think he was surprised to be caught after all this time?}}
Serge Brammertz: If you have been living quietly in the middle of Paris, I imagine you are probably surprised when after so many years you’re finally arrested. This investigation is still ongoing, but I am personally convinced that he has been in that apartment for many years. And, you know, he was rarely seen by neighbors. He very rarely went out for walks. So, he was living the quiet life of a retiree.
{{It is hard to imagine a man whose face has been on most wanted posters for decades with a bounty on his head living in Paris, or any metropolis.}}
Well, you know, when Radovan Karadžić went into hiding, he changed his identity. He became Dr. Dabić. He lost, I think, 20 kilos. He changed his physical appearance, growing a long white beard. He changed his accent and was living in the open and working as a healer.
And he even went on TV shows using his new identity without anyone knowing that he was the most wanted war criminal from the former Yugoslavia. So, each fugitive has a different story.
{{When you became chief prosecutor in 2016, you changed how the fugitive-tracking team operated. Tell me about that and how you homed in on Kabuga.}}
For a long time, the tracking team’s focus was on working with informants, different human sources who [simultaneously] would report that Kabuga was in Gabon, Madagascar, or Burundi, which obviously couldn’t be the case. So, we tried to change this reactive way of investigating to become proactive, focusing on analysis and collection. We started assembling and analyzing telephone data, financial and immigration records, travel plans, and so on. As we became more data driven, it allowed us to concentrate our investigation on Western Europe.
{{What was your starting point?}}
The last place we were one hundred percent sure Kabuga had been was in Germany back in 2007. He was there under a different identity and had surgery. His son-in-law [Augustin Ngirabatware] was arrested in September that year.
[He was subsequently convicted and sentenced to 30 years for genocide and crimes against humanity.] Kabuga was with him in Germany, but this was not discovered until later.
Last spring, we were convinced that he never left Europe. Three months ago, based on analysis of travel movements, we narrowed it down to the U.K., Belgium, and France. And after looking at the most recent data we had collected, we concluded that it was highly likely that the specific area in France we had identified [Asnierès-sur-Seine] was the hiding place.
{{What kind of tools did you use to pin him down?}}
Cell-tower analysis, phone number analysis, and other technical tools. We got very, very close down to a number of streets in this particular area. And then the French who had been providing information as part of our task force put this fantastic operation together by locating the apartment and, once the apartment had been located, setting up a very successful operation.
At a time when nationalism is ascendant, Kabuga’s capture appeared to require considerable international coordination and cooperation.
Definitely. We are a tribunal. We cannot do wiretaps, surveillance, and financial investigations. We relied on our partners at Interpol, Europol, and the police services in the U.K., France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Luxembourg. They collected information that we requested at the national level, which we then put into our analytics system. That allowed us to narrow our focus.
{{Did the pandemic make this operation more challenging?}}
Yes and no. It is difficult to set up surveillance on an empty street in the middle of a lockdown. People are looking and it looks quite suspicious. So, one definitely has to be much more careful in the use of surveillance techniques. On the other hand, we took advantage of the lockdown. It paused the movements of persons of interest his support network. We could determine who was likely with him in this place, which only confirmed our working hypothesis.
Actually, we were anxious for rapid intervention an arrest to take place before the lockdown was over, and he or the people around him started to move.
[Col. Emeraux recounted that his men had actually mounted a camera in a vehicle parked on Kabuga’s street, which they monitored remotely using iPhones. “We could see the street without being in the street,” he said, adding that the French had initially planned on arresting Kabuga on Tuesday, May 19. But, it seems, cabin fever was setting in among his circle of protectors. “We were geolocating the family’s phones and we saw them moving. So, in coordination with Brammertz, we moved up the operation to Saturday, fearful he might leave.”]
{{It sounds like you had a stroke of luck in the unluckiest of times.}}
I’ve seen it with other fugitives we have arrested. There are years of investigation and then there’s this one phone call to this one person where you get this one number that makes the entire case. Luck is important.
{{Is it fair to say that you adopted tactics, techniques, and procedures from the counterterrorism world like “pattern of life” analysis and applied them to the hunt for suspected war criminals?}}
Yes. Our methodology, technology, and the way of investigating was very, very similar. We know that nowadays, everyone knows what kind of technologies can be used and that [those involved] are extremely careful about what they say on the phone or do online. That’s why you really need to use different analytical methods.
As the U.S. did in the hunt for al-Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden and other high-value targets, you didn’t necessarily go after Kabuga, you went after those around him.
Exactly. In the early days, the tracking team would follow leads provided by a number of so-called informants. But what we had learned with Mladić, definitely, and it’s absolutely the case with Kabuga, is that you have to go for the fugitive’s support network.
We identified close to 20 persons of interest, which we reduced to five or six by the end. And by zooming in on what they were doing, where they were going, how they were communicating, well, it led us to conclude that he was almost certainly in that specific area. We could also see that persons of interest were rarely traveling to Africa, were mainly moving in Western Europe, and the majority of them were living and had residence in France, Belgium, and the U.K.
{{Twenty-six years is a very long to remain at large. What have you learned about his tradecraft?}}
Kabuga had more than 20 different identities and three different passports. When he was arrested, he was using another identity. So we believe there were four passports [in all] from different African countries. And the problem is that these passports were not fake or stolen. They appear to have been delivered by competent authorities with the correct stamps on them. That’s probably the result of corruption or other forms of interference.
{{It sounds like he had friends in high places.}}
What we have learned with Karadžić, Mladić, and now Kabuga is that in the early years after they’re indicted or are on the run, they still have a lot of supporters because they were standing for some political idea.
That was certainly true of Mladić and the military. And it is obvious that in the first few years, Kabuga had strong support from his political allies, many of them refugees in other countries.
But over time these fugitives cannot rely on a broader network. And their network becomes much, much smaller. In the end, the only thing they can rely on is their family.
{{Before his arrest, did you consider Kabuga the world’s most wanted war criminal?}}
If you ask any victim or survivor of the genocide in Rwanda, I think everyone would mention Kabuga as being the most wanted person—the man they most want to see in court because of the role he played.
For an international prosecutor, it is very important to stay in close contact with survivors and victims. For the rest of us, this was something that happened 26 years ago. But for those survivors and victims, their lives stopped 26 years ago. Those massacres of their lost ones are still today at the center of their life.
I would say the same of the mothers of Srebrenica who I met so many times. You cannot bring back their loved ones. You cannot change their difficult situations. But you can provide some form of relief by bringing to justice those who are responsible for their suffering.
As the Minister of Defence in the Interim Government during the genocide, Bizimana was indicted by the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in 1998. He was charged with thirteen counts of genocide, complicity in genocide, extermination, murder, rape, torture, other inhumane acts, persecution, cruel treatment and outrages upon personal dignity, all in relation to crimes committed during the 1994 genocide.
Among the crimes charged, Bizimana was alleged to be responsible for the murders of former Prime Minister Agathe Uwilingiyimana and ten Belgian United Nations peacekeepers, and for the murder of Tutsi civilians throughout Gisenyi, Ruhengeri, Butare, Kibuye and Cyangugu prefectures.
This confirmation of death is the result of an exhaustive investigation by the Office of the Prosecutor combining advanced technology with extensive field operations, and involved exceptional cooperation with partner authorities in Rwanda, the Republic of the Congo, the Netherlands and the United States.
Late last year, the Office conducted DNA analysis on previously-obtained samples of human remains from a grave site in Pointe Noire, the Republic of the Congo. Subsequent investigations and comparative DNA analysis by the Office over the last several months ruled out that the remains were those of any other person.
The Office further verified additional evidence concerning the circumstances of Bizimana’s death. Accordingly, the Office confirms today that Augustin Bizimana is deceased. It is believed that he died in August 2000 in Pointe Noire.
The Office expresses its particular appreciation to the Netherlands Forensic Institute and the United States Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory for their critical technical support and assistance in this matter.
With the arrest of Félicien Kabuga last Saturday and today’s confirmation, the Office of the Prosecutor has now accounted for two of the three major fugitives indicted by the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR).
The remaining major fugitive is Protais Mpiranya, former commander of the Presidential Guard of the Rwandan Armed Forces, and the Office continues to actively pursue him. The Office is also actively pursuing the five other fugitives indicted by the ICTR, Fulgence Kayishema, Phénéas Munyarugarama, Aloys Ndimbati, Ryandikayo and Charles Sikubwabo.
The Office of the Prosecutor calls on all UN Member States to intensify cooperation in order to bring the remaining fugitives to justice.
In Rwanda, like in many other economies, this pandemic has impacted largely the employment opportunities and careers among youth. This is largely due to the fact that the majority of young professionals find opportunities in SMEs, which, at the moment have been hit hard by the pandemic.
{{How will the covid-19 pandemic affect youth employment?}}
Well, the economic shock of the pandemic will be felt by everyone, but it will be especially harsh for the youth. For instance, in Rwanda most of the youth population is low skilled, and likely to struggle in any economic downturn. Plus, many of the SMEs where these young people find jobs are at a high risk of collapse, if effective measures to respond to covid-19 are not implemented. Moreover, Rwanda was already facing a youth employment crisis and the effects of covid-19 pandemic are an unwanted addition to this rapidly growing challenge.
Additionally, Coronavirus will reduce individual consumption, and neither Rwanda SMEs nor the government entities have the market infrastructure ( such as internet connectivity) to help mitigate this shock. This decline in individual consumption will drive the unemployment rate even higher. In fact, the sectors that are most at risk of the pandemic disruptions in Rwanda are: wholesale and retail trade due to border closure, manufacturing administration services, and hospitality ( including tourism), all of which are key sources of youth employment. The decline of consumption in such industries will undoubtedly result in increasing youth unemployment.
Another key aspect to youth unemployment is lack of skills. The skills gap that currently exists among youth is likely to widen due to training programs shutting down following Covid-19 breakout and the fact that many businesses are minimising costs by firing or canceling any internship programs. As a result, youth unemployment will continue to rise due to lack of on demand skills.
Responding to youth employment after the covid-19 pandemic:
While the current outlook may seem worrisome, there are a number of opportunities for us to respond to the crisis. Here are some ways we can innovate upon existing tools and infrastructures to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 on youth.
First, we should be supporting the resilience of SMEs, the largest employment base of young people in Rwanda. These businesses will be looking to bounce back quickly after the pandemic, so benefits like funds to create more internships opportunities and training might help stimulate quicker recovery. However, quick incentives from the governments are not sustainable for job creation, thus, this calls for the private sector to join forces together with the government. These current interventions should also somehow improve creation of jobs in the long run.
A great example would be the Alibaba Global E-commerce Talent Challenge 2020 that the government of Rwanda together with Alibaba a chinese e-commerce company and African Leadership University established which seeks innovative digital solutions to support people, businesses and other institutions during the covid-19 pandemic. Such initiatives will not only help with the Covid-19 relief but will also result in creation of more jobs in the long run.
Finally, to combat the impact of Covid-19 both in a short run while ensuring sustainability in the long run, we need to recognise the importance of skills development and the need that currently exist. Many young people need to be prepared for the market when things start to pick up. In the short run, however, it is urgent that there are systems in place that allow youths to continue to gain hands on experience and to learn the skills they need to succeed in a workplace.
Ventures such as Talent Match that are working tirelessly to best equip youth with practical skills through their training and mentorship program should be supported especially during this time when such platforms are critical to ensuring that we build an agile workforce.
In an effort to combat the negative effects and the disruption caused by coronavirus, Talent Match is working on a number of initiatives to help youths stay at work while supporting SMEs to stay afloat through talent sourcing and skills training. Reach out to them if you need talent support or would like to partner, there is no better time for their services than now.
Youth unemployment in the covid-19 world is no doubt a huge challenge, and it will require strong and determined players across the development sector to innovate and adjust our current support systems. But, if we act quickly and do it in the right way, we can support an employment-rich recovery, improve economic resilience and reduce the impact of the pandemic and its economic fallout on the youth.
The development was revealed by Finance and Economic Planning minister Uzziel Ndagijimana while presenting the Budget Framework Paper to Parliament on Thursday, May 21. He also said that the plan prioritizes activities that will accelerate the economy, including agriculture, private sector development and youth employment, transport, and energy.
Ndagijimana told Members of Parliament that the budget for the fiscal year 2020/21 will reflect medium-term fiscal path which allows for increased spending to reach National Strategy for Transformation (NST1) goals while maintaining public debt at sustainable levels.
“The proposed total resources estimated for fiscal year 2020/21 amount to Rwf 3,245.7 billion. This amount is made up of Rwf 1,605.7 billion of domestic tax and non-tax revenue, external grants of Rwf 492.5 billion and external loans of Rwf 783.4 billion,”
“Total tax revenue collections are projected to reduce to Rwf 1,421.4 billion in 2020/21 which is Rwf 147.6 billion short of Rwf 1,569.0 billion projected in the 2019-20 revised budget. The decline in tax revenue collection is a result of the economic effects of COVID-19 pandemic,” Dr. Ndagijimana said.
At least 57.2 per cent of the total budget will go towards job creation and entrepreneurship promotion, Made in Rwanda promotion, as well as development of border facilities, and industrial parks.
Ndagijimana told parliamentarians that export promotion, increasing electricity access, accelerating transport projects, and increasing agricultural productivity, are among the priority areas.
According to the framework, Government is expected to spend Frw3,245.7 billion in 2020-2021 fiscal year, which is Rwf228.7 billion higher than the revised budget estimates of Rwf3,017.1 billion.
Of this, Rwf1.8 trillion has been set aside for all economic transformation activities for July 2020 – July 2021 financial year.
“In line with the plan to address the impact of COVID-19 on the economy and the well-being of the people, the budget for 2020-1021 will focus on implementing the government’s economic recovery plan,” Ndagijimana said.
The budget will also facilitate small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) to access finance, and the Government expects to provide startup capital to agribusiness.
The Rwanda Development Bank (BRD) will continue to be recapitalized to enable it to play an increased role in the expansion of the private sector to accelerate growth, according to the framework paper.
Some Rwf 7.2 billion will be invested in BRD next year, while the national carrier RwandAir whose operations have been adversely affected by the pandemic will be financed at Rwf145.1 billion.
The Minister told parliamentarians while presenting the draft budget that the Government will particularly prioritise healthcare and agriculture, among other things.
“We shall place more focus on building a sustainable health system through establishing hospital infrastructure, availing medical equipment, and providing training to healthcare workers,” he said.
At least Rwf 248.87 billion has been allocated towards the health sector.
Similarly, cash crops production for export will be strengthened through increased production of coffee and tea, as well as expropriation for new investments in tea production while post-harvest losses will be reduced through establishing new drying shelters and storage facilities.
Agriculture production could be affected by bad weather conditions, despite efforts put in place to be more climate resilient, according to the Finance Minister.
The agriculture sector, which will receive some Rwf 92.2 billion in the new draft budget, currently represents 24 percent of our Rwanda’s gross domestic product (GDP).
