{The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Louise Mushikiwabo, has requested African leaders to stand against the enrollment of children in military outfits but instead support them into school.}
He made the call yesterday as she chaired the 661th council of ministers comprising the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) that discussed easing free movements, services, goods and elimination of children enrolment into the military.
“We have to fight the practice. Our children must be at school battlefields,” appealed Mushikiwabo.
“Heads of states and governments encouraged African countries to approve AU passport with the aim of promoting integration. Some countries including mine have already opened borders for all Africans,” she said.
Mushikiwabo explained that African continent presents best agreements among leaders on easing free movements but noted that there are challenges which have to be addressed to execute the program.
“We need African experts in security matters to attain free movements of people and goods in Africa,” she said.
Rwanda is chairing the AUPSC in February 2017 after replacing Sierra Leone represented by Amb. Hope G. Tumukunde.
The member states are Rwanda, Algeria, Botswana, Burundi, Chad, Congo, Egypt, Kenya, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Togo, Uganda and Zambia.
{President Paul Kagame has today presided over the commissioning of 478 military cadet officers who have been undertaking training for a year in the 6th intake at Rwanda Military Academy in Gako, Bugesera district, Eastern Province. }
Commissioned officers have been promoted to the rank of Second Lieutenant.
As he officiated at the ceremony, Kagame has reminded new officers to uphold Rwanda Defense Force code of conduct and contribute to the welfare of the nation.
“The profession you have chosen is an important responsibility we expect you to fulfill. The Rwanda Defense Force has a history in which we find the values that guide us in building our country. RDF is not just about military protection. We have a role in transforming this nation, working with and for the people. We must take part in finding solutions to the challenges citizens face,” he said.
Kagame said that Rwanda’s history gives heavier duties to Rwanda’s military and urged new officers to do their best to safeguard the country.
“The training you have received is about building this country and preserving what is built. It is your responsibility to protect the sovereignty of our country but most importantly, our citizens. True sovereignty means the well-being and dignity of our citizens. Protecting our sovereignty means working for the development of every Rwandan and ensuring that no one is left behind,” he said.
Kagame has wished new officers good work and cooperation to better accomplish their responsibilities.
{Senators have expressed concern over lack of accommodation for University of Rwanda students describing it as a threat to the quality of education if nothing is done to address the issue.}
The concern was raised yesterday as senators debated issues raised in the parliamentary commission for social welfare and human rights report that assessed government activities directed to higher learning institutions and universities.
Lack of students’ accommodation was among top worrying challenges raised in the report.
Senator Musabeyezu Naricisse raised an issue of students who live in ghettos.
“Let’s be sincere. Students can’t attain quality education when they are living in squalid conditions. Kigali Institute of Education (KIE) students and others living in Biryogo, experience a sorry state of accommodation which can’t allow them to concentrate and pass well,” he said.
Another senator Mukasine Marie Claire expressed shock; “What we saw doesn’t rhyme with the current national progress.”
Senator Ntawukuriryayo Jean Damascène also noted that the issue requires pragmatic solutions and special attention.
“It is not possible to attain quality education yet students live in ghettos,” he said.
The Senate president, Bernard Makuza has said the matter is worrying but urged managers of higher learning institutions and universities to respect laws.
“I remind proprietors of higher learning institutions and universities that they have to comply with the Presidential order no 51/01 of 13 July 2010 which spells out facilities required for higher leaning institutions including; lecture rooms, playgrounds, laboratory equipment, and accommodation,” he said.
Senators have also stressed the need to increase the monthly living allowances of Rwf 25,000 to match the current cost of living.
The University of Rwanda has capacity to accommodate only 12% of 3,812 student population 9% of who are girls.
{President Paul Kagame has urged African countries to open skies, work together to promote aviation transport because it would hardly progress without integration with other continents. }
He made the remarks today as he officially opened Aviation Africa Conference taking place at the Kigali Convention Center.
The Aviation Africa Conference brings together 550 delegates from 58 countries including 120 airline delegates and 56 exhibiting companies.
Addressing participants, Kagame said that Rwanda has stepped up efforts towards the creation of a single African air transport market ‘by fully opening up our skies’ noting that aviation travels in Africa should be extended to other continents.
He explained that Yamoussoukro Agreements need effective implementation to enhance Africa integration with other continents other than working alone.
“Yamoussoukro Decision still needs to be implemented & Africa remains more connected with other continents than internally,” said Kagame.
“When our skies are closed it is harder to make air transport safer, more reliable and more affordable. As we work to expand regional transportation and digital networks, we must do the same with air transport,” he added.
Kagame has also called for removal of challenges in African aviation transport which is still low compared to other continents.
“Removing barriers is imperative but not enough. We need to build capacity in different aspects of the aviation industry. We must consistently exceed expectations in order to compete globally,” he said.
He expressed desire to see many young Rwandans and Africans pursuing careers in aviation as pilots, engineers, designers, business analysts.
Kagame has said that Rwanda is committed to promoting aviation transport where RwandAir continues to expand its route network in Africa, and beyond.
He also observed that Rwanda is investing in infrastructure, upgrading Kigali International Airport and building the new Bugesera International Airport and working with others across Africa to create a conducive environment for private sector investment in the industry.
A similar conference was previously held in Dubai in May 2015.
{•Excellency, Paul Kaba Thieba, Prime Minister of the Republic of Burkina Faso
•Honourable Ministers and Senior Officials
•Air Force Chiefs
•Mr Abdullah Al-Sayed, Founder and Chairman of NEXUS
•Mr Alan Peaford, Editor-in-Chief of Times Aerospace
•Business Leaders & Distinguished Delegates
•Ladies and Gentlemen}
Good morning.
Allow me to warmly welcome all of you, to Rwanda.
For those of you visiting for the first time, I hope your schedule will permit you, to get to know what our country has to offer, even beyond Kigali.
This is an exciting time for our country, and our continent, as we see new networks and capabilities beginning to take shape, which bring us closer to the prosperous future, that our people want, and deserve.
I wish to acknowledge our partners for this landmark event, Times Aerospace, Access Group, and NEXUS, along with all the sponsors and exhibitors.
This is the first Aviation Africa Conference to take place on our continent, and it comes fifteen years after44 members of the African Union, committed to deregulate air services, and promote competitive regional aviation markets.
Rwanda has stepped up efforts towards the creation of a single African air transport market, by fully opening up our skies, and working actively with partner states, to do the same.
However, the Yamoussoukro Decision still needs to be fully implemented, and Africa remains more connected with other continents, than it is internally.
When our skies are closed, it is harder to make air transport safer, more reliable, and more affordable. The growth of the mega-businesses, which depend on a vibrant aviation sector, is also considerably slowed, hurting all of us.
As we work to expand regional transportation and digital networks, we must do the same with air transport, if we want to increase tourism, trade, and investment within Africa, and with the rest of the world.
However, we remain enthusiastic about the renewed focus, on the growth of aviation in Africa.
We hope that in the near future, when a passenger in Africa transits through a city outside the continent, in order to reach another African city, it will not be out of necessity, but by choice.
Removing barriers is imperative, but not enough. We also need to build expertise and capacity, in different aspects of the aviation industry.
The brand quality of African airlines rests on excellent service and comfort, an impeccable safety record, good corporate governance, as well as integrating the latest technology.
We must consistently exceed expectations, in order to compete globally.
An additional plus, is the opportunity to leverage our favourable demographic dividend.
We want to see many young Rwandans and Africans pursuing careers in aviation, as pilots, engineers, designers, or business analysts.
Finally, innovation is critical to ensure sustainability. While some legacy national carriers are no longer in business, new players continue to join the market.
We in Rwanda experimented with different business models, before creating RwandAir. Along the way, we gained a better understanding of what it takes, to succeed in this business.
For example, the aviation sector extends beyond the airlines, to include the full range of associated services, represented by many of you gathered here, such as airport management, cargo handling, catering, training, logistics, and maintenance.
RwandAir continues to expand its route network in Africa, and beyond. We are investing in infrastructure, including upgrading Kigali International Airport, and building the new Bugesera International Airport.
At the same time, we are working with others across Africa, to create a more conducive environment, for private sector investment in the industry, more generally.
This is why it is important, that the Aviation Africa Conference become a regular event in the years ahead, at which the partner ships that Africa needs, can be forged and deepened.
In Rwanda, we are very happy to work closely with you going forward, as hosts and collaborators.
The challenges facing our continent are well-known, but the enormous potential here, is just as obvious.
By working together, with a welcoming spirit, and a sense of urgency for Africa to keep getting better, we can all do our part, to keep things moving in the right direction.
I thank you, and wish you a productive conference.
{Despite global and regional economic challenges, Rwanda economy was resilient with a growth rate of 6.1% in 2016 from 6.9% in 2015. }
This has been revealed today by the governor of the National Bank of Rwanda (BNR), John Rwangombwa during the presentation of Monetary Policy and Financial Stability statement held in Kigali Serena Hotel.
Service sector growth in 2016 was 7.7% up from 7.0% in 2015, contributing 49.7% of GDP, followed by industrial sector contributing 14.6% and agriculture with 29.6%.
BNR has attributed the growth of service sectors to the gain in hosting events including CHAN, WEF, AU Summit and Kwita Izina among others.
Transport has also been identified as a growing sub-sector with RwandaAir being in the lead, having opened six new routes.
Agricultural production contracted in the first three quarters of 2016 having grown by 3.7% down from 5.3% of 2015. Drought has been cited as a responsible factor for this slump.
Industrial sector grew by 5.0%, down from 6.7% in similar period of 2015. The decline is attributed to instability in the minerals market.
The gap between imports,exports is 5.9% in 2016 equaling USD1649.8 million from USD1752.5 in 2015. Authorized exports increased 7.1% while licensed imports decreased by 2.7% in 2016.
Rwanda economy is expected to rise by 6.0% in 2017.
In general World’s economy decreased by 3.1% in 2016 down from 3.2% of 2015 while Sub-Sahara Africa has seen it economy decreasing by 1.6% over the reduction of exportations, drought, Ebola in the West and political chaos in some countries.
Africa Sub-Sahara economy is expected to rise by 2.8% in 2017.
This article appeared in the January 2017 issue of Forbes Woman Africa
Rwanda, striving for gender equality, serves as an example of how a nation could be built by communities. In an exclusive interview with FORBES Woman Africa, the country’s First Lady, Jeannette Kagame, tells us how the 15-year-old Imbuto Foundation has been taking Rwanda and its people forward.
{{When does a country become synonymous with its community?}}
Just visit Rwanda on the last Saturday of any month, and you will see it here, in this hilly East African country, where the masses – from ministers to farmers, shopkeepers to entrepreneurs – rub shoulders to become one harmonious, homogeneous entity; laying roads, digging the earth, planting trees, and cleaning gutters and drains; holding broom, shovel and spade.
The only thing that counts is the richness of the earth, the fresh mountain air and a united mission to keep the streets green and immaculately clean as a contribution to nation-building and improving the living conditions of the country’s 11.5 million citizens.
It’s on one such Saturday that FORBES Woman Africa is invited to travel upcountry to Rwanda’s verdant Rulindo district, past Kigali’s bustling traffic and up the winding roads when the city’s modest skyscrapers appear no match for the country’s magnificent hills.
It’s the day the country observes Umuganda, a home-grown initiative that requires people from all walks of life – villagers and city-folks – to congregate for community work, once a month, from 7 to 11 in the morning.
Today, most of the action is in this northern province, where schoolgirls in blinding yellow and pink uniforms, rural women in colorful African dresses, and men in gum boots, form neat lines to take their turn planting saplings in the fertile earth.
Today, they are also awaiting a special visitor who will dig the earth with them under the hot mid-morning sun.
The earth is an apt way to introduce the Imbuto Foundation—the word ‘Imbuto’ meaning ‘seed’ or ‘fruit’ in Kinyarwanda, Rwanda’s local language. And the special guest is none other than the foundation’s President, Jeannette Kagame, the nation’s much-loved First Lady, wife to the country’s dynamic President, Paul Kagame.
There is collective silence and adulation when she arrives, wearing denim pants and shirt and a yellow cap, getting to work right away with a shovel. A stone’s throw away, in a classroom, young girls aged 10 to 12 are seated in a circle on straw mats, ready to welcome her.
They call this ‘the circle of friendship’, and around them are their mentors, young women themselves, aged 18 to 25.
Today is also the launch of the third year of Imbuto Foundation’s successful 12+ program in the area.
The program, in line with the national plan under the Ministry of Health, has achieved significant milestones, reaching 52,000 girls nationally over the last two years. Such milestones are significant as Imbuto celebrated its 15th year in 2016.
The girls are taught about savings, discipline and confidence, in tandem with Imbuto’s motto to ‘engage, educate and empower’. The younger girls are also taught about sexual health; ground-breaking by itself, as sex is still a taboo topic in the communities, and the girls are equipped with the knowledge about their bodies early, before they transition to adolescence.
In the classroom, the girls pass around a ‘speaking ball’ to each other, taking turns to voice their opinions in Kinyarwanda. They speak with supreme confidence – unfaltering even in the presence of the First Lady – drawing their hands on the charts in front of them, promising to never break their circle of friendship. Her Excellency listens to them keenly, before they pass the ball to her, and she politely introduces herself.
Her next stop is further down the dirt road, for a community gathering after Umuganda, where she is expected to speak to the thousands gathered on the hills, patiently waiting under cheerful umbrellas for a glimpse of their First Lady.
Greeted with music, ribbons and flowers, there is rapturous applause from the crowd when she arrives. The cool country breeze complements the convivial mood. The district mayor speaks about how the previous phases of the 12+ program have influenced the girls to open bank accounts, start kitchen gardens, and importantly, stay in school.
A 10-year-old girl, Amina Merci Dieu, steps up to the podium to speak about how she built a vegetable garden, sold the vegetables she planted and persuaded her parents to open a savings account. She speaks without fear, walking up to hug the First Lady when she is done.
I am seated next to Assumpta Ingabire, Director General in charge of Local Government Inspection, who was formerly with Imbuto.
“Our First Lady is such an inspiring role model. You can share your problems with her and she always sees things in a positive way,” she says, smiling.
“Imbuto does not work in a vacuum; it works in line with national priorities, working with communities. Without our communities, things would have taken forever [to rebuild],” says Sandrine Umutoni, Acting Director General of Imbuto Foundation.
It’s a pertinent point, as the country has had to reconcile and persevere to rebuild itself after the horrific genocide against the Tutsi that killed a million of its people in 1994. The only way it could turn around was by involving its communities.
Imbuto was initially launched as Protection And Care of Families against HIV/AIDS (PACFA) working to help families and genocide survivors with AIDS. It changed its name to Imbuto at the end of 2007, incorporating a holistic model for individual development, focusing mainly on educational projects.
One of Imbuto’s flagship programs is a girls’ education campaign called Best Performing Girls (BPG).
“The girls who graduate from high school get training in IT, and also get laptops, which the First Lady hands out every year in March,” says Umutoni.
“They call her ‘mother’,” she adds. “In Kinyarwanda, when they call a person that, it means the person has accompanied you through difficult challenges, guiding you, counseling you, and providing support at specific moments in your life.”
Imbuto also organizes a Youth Forum Series every year. In addition, the foundation works with 22 cooperatives across 13 districts, introducing women to income-generating vocations. With the money, they pay school fees and medical insurance and enter new entrepreneurial activities.
The week that FORBES Woman Africa is in Kigali to follow the First Lady’s activities is when the King of Morocco is also visiting, to sign an memorandum of understanding with Rwanda on specific health and education projects. The Princess of Jordan, Sarah Zeid, is also visiting.
As part of her packed schedule, the First Lady also attends a meeting with members of the 20-year-old Unity Club that she heads. The club brings together current and former members of cabinet and their spouses to promote unity and reconciliation in Rwanda.
The meeting with the Unity Club members takes place at Imbuto’s temporary office in the President’s office complex in Kacyiru – their office on the same grounds is being renovated – a stunning manicured setting with frangipani trees, hibiscus flowers, ferns and foliage.
The First Lady is dressed in a smart beige and black suit and sits at the head of the mahogany table in the meeting room. She listens patiently and intently, speaking softly in Kinyarwanda as the ladies consult the files in front of them. She offers solutions and better approaches for some of the issues raised. It’s an in-depth discussion that goes on for over two hours, the seriousness interspersed at times with jokes by the First Lady, displaying an effortless sense of humor.
One of the ladies at the meeting is Radegonde Ndejuru, the First Lady’s advisor, who has been with Imbuto for 10 years now.
“We have a family spirit at Imbuto,” says Ndejuru. “Her Excellency is always so respectful. Her text messages to everyone starts with ‘good morning’ or ‘good evening’. We put passion in everything we do as that is the way she does it. She also has a phenomenal memory and shows great attention to detail… I always ask her: ‘do you sleep enough?’ She is here in the morning, reads a lot and what I admire is she always follows through projects.”
In March 2016, at the 5th Kigali International Conference Declaration General Assembly in Algeria, the First Lady was presented an award along with United Nations’ Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in recognition of their contribution to women’s empowerment and their fight against gender-based violence.
Rwanda is a global model for gender equality. The World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap Report 2016 ranks Rwanda fifth globally for closing the gender gap in various spheres. The country has the highest representation (64%) of women in Parliament.
As part of gender mainstreaming, there is a Gender Monitoring Bureau in every institution in Rwanda, as the country works towards achieving a middle income status by 2020.
The First Lady works with a team of young, spirited, hard-working women, who exemplify the qualities of their leader. It is clear they have a great admiration for her work.
Before we settle for the interview, Mrs. Kagame, as she is also called, begins by asking how I am, with a disarming smile. And that aptly sets the tone for the rest of the conversation. It’s easy to see how this mother of four has won the hearts of Rwandans.
{Vice President Hamid Ansari on Tuesday said India was Rwanda’s strong development partner.}
“We in India see ourselves as a strong development partner to Rwanda. We are already cooperating in sectors such as solar electrification, food processing, skill development and hydropower projects,”
Vice President Hamid Ansari said in an address at the University of Rwanda.
“India’s engagement with Africa has its own unique script, based on what Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called ‘strong emotional link’ defined by our shared history of struggle against colonialism and our aspiration to bring prosperity to our people,” Ansari said.
Ansari was on a visit to Rwanda from February 19-21.
Speaking on the outcome of the visit of the Rwandan President Paul Kagame to India, Ansari said: “During President Kagame’s recent visit, an understanding has been reached for a new line of credit worth $80 million for a road project. We are also committed to continuing and enhancing the provision of scholarship for training of Rwanda civilians and defence personnel under various technical cooperation and cultural cooperation programmes.”
Kagame was on his maiden official visit to India from January 9-11.
During his visit, both sides agreed to raise the level of bilateral cooperation to a strategic partnership and India extended a $120 million credit to bring over 41,190 hectares of cultivable land under irrigation in the African country.
On the bilateral trade between the two nations, Ansari said: “Our bilateral trade has doubled over the last five years, but as $106 million, remains modest and much below its potential. Rwanda has a dynamic economy and ranks highly in the ease of doing business, providing many incentives for inventors.”
On Indian investments in the African agriculture sector and its market potential in India, he said: “The growing middle-class in urban India can become a dependable consumer for African food processing Industry.”
“India provides a long-term, stable and profitable market to the goods and services that Africa generates. For India, Africa has the potential to become a major contributor to our energy security and food security requirements. This is a ‘win-win’ situation.”
“The quantum of Indian investment in Africa has increased in recent years and is presently estimated to be about $35 billion, with a large part of it concentrated in Southern and Eastern Africa,” he added.
India has announced concessional credit of over $10 billion for Africa, over a period of next five years.
{Rwanda National Police (RNP), yesterday, received two fugitives at Gatuna border post, who had escaped prison and fled to Uganda.}
Boniface Ndimubanzi, 58, a genocide convict and Valence Ndikuryayo, 31, who was convicted for forgery and deceit, was arrested separately recently by Uganda Police Force following an Interpol arrest warrant issued by Rwanda.
Ndimubanzi was handed a life sentence in 2009 by a Gacaca court in Tovu Village Kiyombe Sector of Nyagatare district for genocide related crime he committed in former Murambi commune, currently Gatsibo District. He escaped Nsinda prison in February 2012 after serving three years.
He was arrested in Kyankwanzi in Kiboga District where he was apparently working as a casual laborer.
Ndikuryayo, on the other hand, who had been convicted for forging land titles through which he defrauded people in Kimironko Sector of Gasabo District, was arrested in Mubende District where he had since settled.
RNP spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Theos Badege, said that following their escape, a notice was issued by Interpol Kigali through the I-24/7 communication tool, which connects all the 190 Interpol member countries.
He lauded the act by their counterparts in Uganda adding that “it materializes the existing cooperation between the two countries and respective police forces.”
The deportation comes two days before a bilateral meeting between the RNP and Uganda Police Force to be held in Kigali, which will mainly focus on strengthening the already existing cooperation in various areas of policing and fighting cross-border crimes in particular.
{Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Louise Mushikiwabo has sent condolences to the bereaved family of Vitaly Churkin, former Russia ambassador to UN who breathed his last in New York yesterday. }
“Heartfelt sympathy to family, friends and country, of long-time #Russia Amb. to the United Nations, Vitaly Churkin! RIP, dedicated diplomat!” said Mushikiwabo in a tweet.
The Rwanda’s ambassador to Belgium, Olivier Nduhungirehe has also expressed sympathy over the death of late Vitaly Churkin saying that he learnt a lot from him in UN Security Council.
He has died one day before celebrating 65 years.
According to reports, Vitaly Churkin collapsed after a heart attack at work.
CNN has reported that the latter was rushed to Presbyterian Hospital in New York where he died.
Vitaly Ivanovich Churkin was born in Moscow on 21st February 1952. He spoke fluently Russian, French and English.
Churkin served as Russia’s ambassador to Belgium between (1994- 1998) and Canada (1998 -2003). From 2003 to 2006 he was ambassador with special duties in the ministry of foreign affairs before he replaced Andrey Denisov as Russia ambassador to UN on1ST May 2006.
