Kagame was speaking Thursday in an interactive session with members of the African Union Broadcasting (AUB) gathered in a General Assembly in Kigali.
The Head of State said that African Union has been there for sometime and is about how countries can work together to achieve what they have to do.
“This time we actually have to pay our bills. If you don’t pay your bills you actually end up paying even more than you would had paid directly. The one who pays for you in the end owns you,” he said.
He said that some initiatives of the African Union are not new.
“The 0.2% levy has been defended, argued about and is now very clear as one of the ways forward in being able to pay for our activities. Maybe with time we will realize that we are wasting our own opportunities. We have to do something for ourselves as a continent. African leaders now think it is time to do what we ought to,” he said.
Kagame said that Africans should learn from their past failures and apply lessons learnt.
In Rwanda, he said, having learnt a lot of lessons the hard way, Rwandans are very realistic about their situation and the global issues that affect them.
“We understood that we have to do what is good for us and find out what works. The model we have is as simple as what we want as Rwandans. We want peace, prosperity and security for everybody,” he noted.
Speaking about African refugees, Kagame said that Africans have to confront the issue as it is happening and figure out how to manage it.
“As African countries, we collectively need to find root causes to why our people are leaving to go die or be sold as slaves elsewhere,” he said.
He said that Public policies, however good they may be, if they are still producing people wanting to leave their countries, those policies need to be rethought and fine-tuned.
President Paul Kagame said this as at Kigali Convention Centre while attending the General Assembly of African Union Broadcasting (AUC) that has been underway since Monday, March 12, 2018.
He illustrated the chances of Africa setting new milestones and changes relayed in the adoption of the Continental Free Trade Area.
“If Africans find ways of dealing with the fear of the Continental Free Trade Area; when adopted, it will be the best thing to ever happen to our continent. The benefits will be enormous. Broadcasters need to be out there explaining this to our citizens.”, he said
The Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) was adopted during the 30th African Union Summit that was held in Kigali.
It will bring together the Africa’s fragmented three main organisations;the Common Market for Eastern and Southern African countries (COMESA), the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
It is a combined market of over 1.2 billion people, the largest in the world but which, unfortunately has not transformed into intra-African trade as is the case of the European which is half of the market.
A free trade area that encompasses the whole continent will be a great turnabout in an area that has a combined GDP of over $3 billion that is lying to waste.
Problems in diplomatic relations between Rwanda and France take roots from the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi where French Government sponsored genocidal government and some French soldiers who were in the country under Opération Turquoise, a French-led military operation in Rwanda in 1994 under the mandate of the United Nations participated in the execution of the genocide.
While speaking to the Media on Tuesday, Mushikiwabo said that President Macron has proven the will to restore the relationships.
Mushikiwabo was referring to how Macron met with President Paul Kagame twice since he took office in May last year.
Macron met with Kagame in New York in September 2017 on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. Both Heads of States also met last week in New Delhi, India on the sidelines of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Founding Summit.
Mushikiwabo said that under Macron’s leadership, there is a need to restore the relations between both countries, contrary to previous leadership which needed to run their relations on the condition that Rwanda keep quiet on France and soldiers’ role in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, things which she says is impossible.
She said that Rwanda continued to seek good relationship with France; however, they were given conditions that they should neglect history which the country passed through.
“Countries’ relationships can’t go forward by neglecting the vital part of our history, which is why we always disagree. As you there are people wanting to falsify history by involving in genocide denial and involving in the politics of this country,” she said.
Alain Juppé who was France Foreign Affairs Minister since 1993 to 1995 and Prime Minister since 1995 to 1997 is among French politicians who continue to deny the genocide against the Tutsi due to their role when he was in high ranking positions of France during the genocide.
The most terrible case is that of Saturday 10th March lightning that killed 16 worshipers of the Seventh Adventist Church in Nyaruguru District of Southern Province leaving many injured and hospitalized. The previous day, also in the same district, it had struck 18 students leaving one dead.
On March 5th in Ngoma District of Eastern Province, lightning struck and killed ten cows in Kazo sector as was confirmed by Ngoma District mayor, Aphrodise Nambaje.
On March 3rd in Rubavu District, five people were injured, 26 houses were totally destroyed, 924 houses partially destroyed and 138.5 hectares of crops were damaged following the downpour in the district.
That’s a peek from statistics from the Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs (MIDIMAR) which show that from January to March this year, disasters killed 33 people from across the country, leaving 143 injured.
{{Why a spate of disasters? }}
Speaking to IGIHE, the Acting Director for Risk Reduction and Disaster Preparedness at MIDIMAR, Alphonse Hishamunda said that the disasters continue to increase due to the rain season and rainstorm.
He, however, observes that behind this spate of disasters are a combination of nature and human activities. Floods and landslides are caused by a combination of the results of climate change and poor use of land.
“Cutting down trees and razing down entire forests, lack of radical terraces and lack of proper drainage systems all feed into deepening the problem,” he said.
From the beginning of this year, disasters have destroyed 1674 houses and 13 classrooms and damaged 541.1 hectares of crops. They killed 27 livestock and destroyed 11 bridges.
Among 33 deaths recorded since this year started, lightning occupy the big number with 27, rainstorms and five landslides.
A total of 143 people were injured by disasters. Among them, lightning injured 124, rainstorms injured eleven, floods injured five and landslides injured three.
In 2017, disasters killed 67 people leaving 133 and destroyed 5768 houses and 198 classrooms. They also damaged 5251.1 hectares of crops and killed 587 livestock.
The same year, disasters also destroyed three health centers, damaged 13 roads, destroyed 37 churches, 49 bridges, 17 administrative bureau, ten water supplies and 79 transmission lines.
{{Why lightning continue to claim many lives }}
As has been observed, from January to March this year, among 33 people killed by disasters, 27 were killed by lightning.
Also in 2017, among 67 people killed by disasters, 24 of them were killed by lightning followed by rainstorms which killed 21.
MIDIMAR’s Hishamunda said that when it rains, affected people are likely to be in conditions which attract lightning.
“Nowadays, there are heavy rains followed by lightnings people who are outside their homes, close to water areas are likely to be struck by lightning; it is rare to see people struck from inside their houses,” he explained.
He explained that from inside the houses lightning struck those who don’t disconnect electronic gadgets and without lightning arresters.
He urged people to avoid using electronic sets like mobile phones when it is raining as they attract lightning.
He said that people should avoid going close to towers and metallic fences when it is raining. He added that people should avoid seeking shelter under trees.
“It doesn’t rain abruptly, people should consider seeking shelter at good places and avoid any contact with water,” he added.
Hishamunda said that MIDIMAR encourages owners of big structures and public places to install lightning arresters so as to avoid the risks.
“Regulations indicate that owners of public places like churches, hospitals, markets, administrative offices should install lightning arresters,” he said.
On the case Nyaruguru lightning that struck worshipers from inside the church, Hishamunda said that MIDIMAR has learnt that the church had no lightning arrestors and had connected electronic gadgets from inside and outside the church, some of which were directly exposed to the rain.
“If they had disconnected these equipment earlier or if they had lightning arrester, that tragedy would have been avoided,” he added.
He said that last year, MIDIMAR wrote to all districts and the Ministry of Local Government requesting them to conduct inspection of big structures to establish whether they have lightning arresters.
The Government has intervened in supporting the victims.
For the case of Nyaruguru lightning, the district promised to foot all medical bills for survivors as they also met all cost for burial of deceased.
The government provides roofing to people whose houses were destroyed and neighbors support them through community works (umuganda) to construct or rehabilitate their houses and other relief.
The auction of unspecified tobacco quantity is set for 28th March, 2018 at the factory located in Gikondo industrial area in Kigali in order to recover tax arrears, according to an announcement by a bailiff, Mr. Védaste Habimana.
“As requested by RRA and after reviewing the tax-establishing decisions given to Premier Tobacco Company Ltd; with an intention to recover tax arrears, the professional bailiff announces to the general public that there will be an auction of tobacco stock of Premier Tobacco Company Ltd on Wednesday 28/03/2018,” reads part of the statement released yesterday and signed by lawyer Védaste Habimana.
Visiting the stocks will start next Tuesday, afternoon.
Details of the stock quantity and amount of arrears remain unrevealed but bailiff Habimana has referred IGIHE to RRA for further details which remained unavailable by press time.
{{IGIHE is trying to get the details from RRA and the factory’s management.}}
Suspects are Apostle Charles Rwandamura, Reverend Pastor Fred Nyamurangwa, Bishop Innocent Rugagi, Rev Emmanuel Ntambara, Pastor James Dura and Pastor Emmanuel Kalisa Shyaka.
Speaking to IGIHE, the Prosecutor General Jean Bosco Mutangana said that they received the case file on Monday 12th and currently, they are analyzing it.
Following their arrest, Police said that all pastors are suspected of having had plans to tamper with the exercise of clamping down on churches that do not meet structural standards across the country.
Police said that some church heads formed a group with the aim of impeding the exercise.
Agriculture sector contributed 31%, industry sector 16% and services sector contributed 46%.
Last year, agriculture production increased by 7%, industry by 4% and services by 8%.
The NISR Director-General, Yusuf Murangwa said that the quarter four of last year contributed enough to the growth of the GDP as it increased by 10.5%, here, he said agriculture, industry and services grew remarkably.
“Agricultural growth was boosted by good harvest of food crops in season B and C to 10%, industry to 10% and services to 11%,” he explained.
He said that the growth of industry sector was boosted by good production in mining and quarrying which contributed 51% and food processing industrial production grew by 16%.
Murangwa said that the production of textiles, clothing and leather industries grew by 19%. However, the production of industries making tobacco and beverages reduced by 8% while infrastructure was reduced by 1%.
Wholesaling and retailing trade grew by 19%, transport services grew by 16% and financial services grew by 14%.
According to the AU, it is expected that the leaders of Africa’s 55 countries will sign an agreement that will launch the AfCFTA at the Kigali meeting.
The AfCFTA will make Africa the largest free trade area created since the formation of the World Trade Organization, according to the pan-African bloc.
Mushikiwabo, also the government spokesperson, said the AU reform “is on and irreversible.” There have been some reluctance on the part of some countries but the progress is happening, she said.
Rwandan President Paul Kagame took over the chairmanship of the AU during the 30th AU summit in January to lead the supervision of the implementation of AU institutional reforms.
In 2016, African leaders decided that institutional reforms of AU were urgent given the role the AU is expected to play in achieving Africa’s Agenda 2063 vision of inclusive economic growth and development.
Funded by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), the three-year programme which aims at improving English language literacy and numeracy among students of primary one, two and three grades (P1, 2 and 3) is jointly being implemented by Education Development Trust, British Council and VSO, the three organisations which designed the programme in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Rwanda Education Board (REB).
Launching the programme, Minister of State in charge of Primary and Secondary Education, Dr. Isaac Munyakazi commended DFID as an outstanding partner in Rwanda’s education and said BLF marks “a significant commitment in supporting the development of quality education.”
Munyakazi said that the programme comes at the right time as the recently concluded 15th National Leadership Retreat (Umwiherero) resolved improving quality of education among other resolutions.
“Building Learning Foundations Programme is a very welcome and timely intervention by UKaid. The programme will benefit Rwandan children by building the capacity of English and Mathematics teachers, enhancing school leadership for learning and strengthening the country’s education system,” he said.
British High Commissioner to Rwanda Joanne Lomas hailed Rwanda’s strides in education such as school enrolment at 99% and inclusive education that considers both genders and people with special needs.
“I am delighted to launch the new Building Learning Foundations project. Through this three-year nationwide project, the UK will provide £25.3 million for improved teaching and learning in lower primary grades 1-3 – with a focus on English and Mathematics. BLF is a strategic investment to ensure that all Rwandan children have the foundational skills needed to contribute to continued social and economic development,” she said.
The Programme running until 2021 will provide all English and Mathematics teachers in lower primary grades with toolkits which include self and peer-study books with audio and video material on an SD card, as well as continuous professional development linked to the toolkits. The Programme will also provide capacity development to all Sector and District education officers.
Teachers welcomed the programme saying that it will support them to lead nationwide school improvement.
Georgine Mukarugira, Headteacher of Saint Paul Muko Primary School in Rusizi District, said the programme has made her shift from being school administrators to leaders of learning as her school was considered in BLF’s pilot phase that started in July 2017.
“BLF comes to provide us with the skills and resources to lead on school improvement for learning achievements, to budget, manage school grants, staff and learners, and maintain effective reporting and data management,” she said.
Building Learning Foundations is built on three foundations to ensure sustainable impact by focusing on teacher development, school leadership for learning, and system strengthening. Each foundation has a focus on inclusive education practices for pupils with Special Educational Needs to ensure no child is left behind.
Mushikiwabo who is also the Government Spokesperson was speaking in Kigali on Tuesday in a press conference that revolved around different matters.
She said that violation of rights of Rwandan nationals living or working in Uganda started last year , denting relations of both countries.
“These problems started in Uganda where Rwandans faced hardships, some were imprisoned and others faced different troubles. Some were released and others are still imprisoned. Here in Rwanda we can’t destabilize a Ugandan, they are our relatives, we share many things, we share blood, we have relationships with many Ugandans,” she explained.
She said that when such problems take place, the government approaches the counterparts and discuss on their causes and ways to handle them.
Mushikiwabo said that Rwanda has observed that there is no reason for mistreatment of her citizens in Uganda.
“We as Rwanda, we didn’t notice any reason, we cannot wish to see a Ugandan person facing a problem in Rwanda,” she said.
“We wish to see both countries’ relationship back as normal. Our people need good relationship for their benefit,” she said.
