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President Kagame made the appreciation as he attended the ceremony for the 25th Commemoration of the Genocide Against the Tutsi held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York where the ceremony is held for the 15th time.

He commended UN General Secretary, António Guterres and the President of UN General Assembly María Fernanda Espinosa for co-organising the event with Rwandans.

President Kagame explained that “A remembrance is an act of honor. More than a million lives were lost. We honor the victims. We honor the courage of the survivors. And we honor the manner in which Rwandans have come together to rebuild our nation.”

He said that a Remembrance is also an act of prevention.

“Denial is an ideological foundation of genocide. Countering denial is essential for breaking the cycle and preventing any recurrence,” reiterated Kagame.

The General Assembly voted overwhelmingly last year to adopt the proper terminology: Genocide against the Tutsi. President Kagame thanked member states with most sincere appreciation for this measure highlighting that there is evidence showing that foreign countries draw a lesson from the 1994 Genocide Against Tutsi pushing them to prevent re-occurrence.

President Kagame reflected how in 1994, three representatives on the United Nations Security Council consistently called for action, despite the resistance of more powerful states. They were Ibrahim Gambari of Nigeria, Colin Keating of New Zealand, and Karel Kovanda of the Czech Republic.

President Kagame said there is a milestone in the prevention of genocide with apparent evidence.

“France, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, and Switzerland have criminalized denial of the Genocide against the Tutsi, and Belgium has announced its intention to do so. Canada and France have designated April 7th as a day of commemoration. We applaud these steps, and encourage others to follow suit,” he noted.

Civilian protection doctrine

President Kagame emphasized that there is a significant advance related to peacekeeping where civilian protection has moved to the heart of peacekeeping doctrines with the strong support of the Secretary-General and the Member States.

“In 1994, the warnings of the United Nations Force Commander, General Roméo Dallaire of Canada, fell on deaf ears. In the absence of a protection-of-civilians mandate, there are limits to what good commanders can achieve. Nevertheless, he stayed and his forces did what they could. Captain Mbaye Diagne of Senegal saved countless lives, before giving his own,” he said.

For several years, Rwanda has been among the top five troop contributors to United Nations peacekeeping operations. President Kagame said that Rwanda intends to maintain this commitment saying: “Rwanda does not only contribute soldiers and police. We come to the task with the values instilled by our tragic history. As a nation once betrayed by the international community, we are determined to do our part to make things better, going forward.”

The 149-page book was launched on Wednesday at Kigali Marriot Hotel with the attendance of relatives and friends.

The book is a narrative.

Uwineza begins with the letter she wrote to her mother killed on 10th April 1994, her two elder sisters and her brother communicating to them of her sorrow and nostalgia after their death.

The letter Uwineza wrote in 2015 was her medical prescription following a long period experiencing trauma, with bad dreams especially related to her life during the genocide.
In her book, Uwineza directs a reader at the first days of genocide. She recalls how she lived happily with her family until she started days of gloom on 7th April when she woke and saw a soldier standing by her side who pulled her to the place where her mother and relatives were kept waiting to be killed.

Uwineza who was 10 years during the genocide, narrates how her mother was shot in the leg, how they spent nights in bushes hiding until 10th April when her family was taken out of nuns’ center known as Les Petites Soeurs de Jesus in Kicukiro. She never saw them again. Uwineza also narrates how she met her father again who was abroad during the genocide and her brother Johnny who survived.

After RPF Inkotanyi soldier rescued her, Uwineza tried to forget the bitter life she passed through but her efforts were futile.

“I lived as a person with two facets. A 10-year miserable old child holding an African print wrapper and an old person. I seemed to be a person with no problems physically but I had unending chagrin within me. I did things enabling me to forget the ten year-old child but could not be seen on the outer part,” she recalled.

In 2015, Uwineza had tough trauma and taken to a hospital where the doctor recommended her to write what she remembers happened to her during the genocide. The book came from what she wrote as a medical prescription.

“I started writing my feelings on a paper. Two years later, I still had scars but I felt hope within me. I recalled the last word my mother told me ‘go and live’. I realized that I had nonsense life over 22 years,” she unveiled.

Uwineza encouraged Rwandans to write their history especially survivors of the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi to desist denials.

“The past will be forgotten if we don’t write. I will write so that the person denying the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi won’t convince me. I won’t engage in battle with him but I will influence through writings because the truth always prevails,” she said.

Wilberforce Murengezi, the father of Uwineza commended her daughter’s efforts to write a book featuring history and testimony of her family noting that God made it possible to rebuild hope despite endured sufferings.

Dr. Jean-Damascène Gasanabo, Director General of the Research and Documentation Center on Genocide within the CNLG said that Uwineza’s book is a contribution to the country and encouraged the youth to write and using all platforms lest genocide history is forgotten.

Apart from losing a parent, sister and brother, other 30 relatives from Uwineza’s wide family were killed during the genocide.

The book ‘Untamed, Beyond Freedom’ is sold at Rwf 15,000. It is available at Ikirezi library and Amazon online library.

At a juncture like this, world media descends on Rwanda to cover the bad, the ugly and the unacceptable that befell humanity as the world looked the other side. A few journalists, however, deliberately take time to visit communities and mingle with individuals, people who survived the wrath of genocide and document how they have picked pieces, held together and moved on, living with others confirmed to have visited that vindictive anger on them and their families.

In my deliberation today, I only wish to reflect on how institutions in Rwanda, just like individuals, are getting their act together in the midst of a plethora of challenges.
Bad as our history has been, culminating into the 1994 pogrom, Rwandans have refused to be hostages of that dark history. Under the visionary leadership of president Paul Kagame, we have instead mobilized our inner strengths, rediscovered our energy towards building the foundations that had been so much shaken by the hate-governments and we are, eventually, building the walls that bind us as a people, focusing more on what benefits and unites us than what divides us.

It begins with restoring our dignity. The Rwanda despotic regimes of yester-years, prior to1994, were bent on keeping a section of Rwandan people ostracized. Kagame’s leadership has reversed all that and, instead, has succeeded in taking good where it had never stepped before, talking to all people with one mellifluous educated voice of looking to the future with steadfast focus, empowering and actually giving them (all) the torch to light in the darkest of corners so that they do not stumble, nay, fall again.

Kagame has been leading from the front, telling and showing the followers, Rwandans, how possible it is – to live, to school, to work, to play and to develop together.

The Rwanda government is now using poverty alleviation as a creative path towards the destruction of genocide ideology and hopelessness. The Girinka, for example, where one gives a calf to a neighbor (even when one is a former enemy) with contagious passion is something that ignites love. It is, of course, a direct agent against poverty, but an indelible and underlying symbol of reconciliation.

Some of the practices that Rwanda has come to be ubiquitously known for, including zero tolerance to corruption, are deliberately crafted and followed to the dot, to demonstrate to the world that even when, prior to 1994, individual leaders’ inner parts of the hearts were corroded by corruption and hatred, we in this generation, are building an incorruptible breed of servants, servants that are standing tall, serving our country with dignity, commitment and love.

On the surface, one may think that the Rwandan Government intolerance to corruption stops at that per se. No, it is more than that. A mind built to be incorruptible, resisting to be tempted by a few dollars to deviate from the norm for personal gains; such a mind can hardly be tempted to betray the cause, the nation, and humanity. These are the foundations of patriotism that we, in this generation, wish to consume and nurture.

These have been spread, and should be deepened, in other areas as; universal medical insurance, through which the government is telling every Rwandan, that you can be treated socially and medically with all the dignity that you deserve; universal access to good farming practices, physical and soft infrastructures and a host of other .

For individuals, near and far, that have been trying to tell Rwanda’s story with bigotry mendacity, we do not wish them luck, that’s why we’re committed to continuing hardworking, telling our story, as it is; for we are experiencing it, and we can tell it all.

Your slipshod perception of Rwandan issues is neither disappointing nor discouraging us; instead, it is giving us reason and energy to commit to changing things for the better of every Rwandan and prove you and your ilk wrong. We have overcome imbecility, there is no way we can fail to triumph and flourish in the midst of tranquility.

The government of Rwanda has got its priorities. Today, the killers live in the same villages as the survivors, they go to the same churches, fetch water from the same springs, attend the same village meetings. Reconciliation has been a strong RPF tenet. And, mind you, here is a very sensitive issue. Bringing the killers and survivors (orphan s, widows, widowers) back together is not something you easily attain in 25 years. The delicate balance between justice and healing, remembering and ‘moving on’ is supposed to give effective reconciliation.

President Macron disclosed it yesterday as he hosted representatives of Ibuka-France at his office.

Macron takes the decision a few days after receiving the invitation to participate in the 25th commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi where he will be represented by France parliamentarian of Rwandan origin Hervé Berville.

During talks with representatives of Ibuka-France; Macron expressed consolidation with them in remembrance period contemplating on heinous killings that characterized the 20 century.

Following the discussions, France presidency announced three resolutions by Macro aligning with ‘the implementation of what he promised President Paul Kagame during his previous visit to Paris on 24th May 2018.’

These include establishing a special commission of researchers and experts in history to investigate and analyze documents on Rwanda’s history between 1990-1994 kept in France.

President Macron said that the committee of eight experts led by Prof. Vincent Duclert will assume the task of ‘Assessing writings kept in France related to genocides between 1990 and 1994 to analyze the role of France activities during that period and contributing to better understanding of Genocide against Tutsi.’

The delegation will make the report within two years and facilitate the preparation of curriculum for the education of genocide history in France.

President Macron also unveiled that a platform to explain the history of the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi and mobilizing people to engage in research projects on genocide with an emphasis on Tutsi genocide is set to be established.

Dr. Sezibera revealed this to the media yesterday noting that they took advantage to meet in the retreat after attending the recently concluded National Leadership Retreat held in Gabiro Combat Training Center.

“The retreat is meant to assess embassies’ activities, Rwanda’s diplomacy in general and promoting Rwanda’s international relations. It also aims at seeking means of implementing the country’s broader plans and the resolutions of the retreat of senior government leaders,” he said.

Dr. Sezibera revealed that some of the areas of focus in the retreat include promoting Rwanda’s youth in the diaspora with a platform of updating them on what is happening in their country, promoting inter-trade between countries in which diplomats live, discussing investment and modern technology among others.

“We will assess how to work together as Rwanda’s diplomats and the way of fostering performance and respond to issues concerning our duties and guidance of President Kagame Kagame during the retreat of senior government officials,” he noted.

Among others, diplomats will hold discussions with representatives of the private sector; discuss commemoration of the 1994 Genocide Against Tutsi and assess how far Rwanda is positioned in the preparations of hosting the upcoming Common Wealth Summit.

The US$ 10 million facility was constructed by RDB and funded by the African Development Bank.

The handover aims to transfer the management and operations of CMU Africa as an institution of higher learning to the custodian ministry.

The campus is moving to the newly constructed state of the art facility located in the Kigali Special Economic Zone this year from Telecom House in order to offer a better teaching and learning experience to its students.

Speaking during the handover event at the Ministry of Education’s offices, Dr. Eugène Mutimura said:

“The new CMU-Africa campus is part of the 15-hectare land designated by the government as the Kigali Innovation City with an aim to address the issue of limited capacity in hardware and software engineering, network design, and large-scale ICT project management in Africa. We are pleased of this opportunity that has been extended to us by RDB to manage the new modern facility that will continue producing the finest graduates in Information Technology, Electronic and Computer Engineering that can share their attained knowledge with others in the country.”

Ms. Clare Akamanzi, the RDB Chief Executive Officer said: “CMU Africa is envisioned by the Government of Rwanda as one of the ICT Centers of Excellence that can drive the much-needed talent that can drive the country’s economic growth through digital transformation. It is worth noting that since its establishment in Rwanda in 2011, CMU Africa is the only U.S. research university offering its Master’s degrees courses with a full-time faculty, staff, and operations in Africa. Over 145 students have graduated from the new facility so far who can work anywhere in the world. This new facility is capable of receiving extremely competitive students from all over Africa with modern classrooms and amenities to ensure that they attain Masters degree certificates that are of the same standards as those offered at the varsity’s headquarters at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the USA.”

While preparing for stage three, Kudus admitted that he believes Huye-Rubavu stage will determine the Tour du Rwanda winner 2019.

“It will be harder because all teams are competing with us but I would say that the real Tour du Rwanda will begin on stage three because we are going to race a 200km which will be a bigger task,” says Merhawi.

It’s a greater achievement to this 25year old cyclist who took over other cyclists while climbing Mukamira area thus winning stage three after the win of stage two Tour du Rwanda 2019.

The Rwandans in near positions are Joseph Areruya on the 10th position and Valens Ndayisenga on the 12th position.

Top five of stage two, Tour du Rwanda 2019
1. Merhawi Kudus (Astana Pro Team):05H21’15”
2. Rein Taaramae (Direct Energie):05h21’30”
3. Matteo Badilatti (Israel Cycling Academy):05h21’58”
4. Hernan Ricardo (Interpro Cycling Academy) 05h22’13”
5. Rodrigo Contreras Pinzon (Astana Pro Team):05 h22’17 “

Best Riders Awarded

The Skol jersey was given to the stage winner; Merhawi Kudus
The Yellow jersey was given by Miniscop to Merhawi Kudus
The Cogebanque jersey is awarded to the best hilly rider, Merhawi Kudus
The jersey for the rider with the highest sprint offered by SP was given to Rohan Du Plooy
The jersey for the best competitor offered by Rwanda Tea was given to PrzemysAw Kasperkiewicz
The jersey for the top African at the front, offered by Rwanda Air was given to Merhawi Kudus
The jersey for the nearest Rwandan, offered by RBA was awarded to Joseph Areruya

Stage Three of 2019 Tour du Rwanda [PICTORIAL]

This was announced on Thursday as the bank presented the national economic outlook which showed that as export volumes increased, the value of-of imports also increased by 12.4%.

BNR Governor John Rwangombwa explained that the disequilibrium came about when the value of imports increased by 9.5% while exports increased only by 5.5%.

BNR explained that the increase in imports was a result of infrastructural projects which include the electricity plant being built in Gisagara, the Bugesera Airport, different Road construction projects, and more.

“Currently, the increase of Rwanda’s exports is credited to the introduction of Made-in-Rwanda,” Rwangombwa concluded.

The conference hosted over 450 participants including 35 heads of state, 50 ministers of foreign affairs and over 30 ministers of security affairs.

In the past, President Kagame has been critical of the ICC for training its efforts towards African affairs alone without giving due consideration to countries from elsewhere in the world.

Details of what transpired in the meeting between President Kagame and the Chief Prosecutor have not been made public.

Jean Paul Muhirwa, a father to one child, had been working in business for six years. He was brought back to Rwanda after six days in Kisoro Prison.

“I was arrested on my way back to Rwanda where I had come to renew my official immigration documents which had expired. They told me that they would bring me to court but when I explained to them that I had been living in Uganda and married a Ugandan woman, I was released with the other Rwandans,” Muhirwa said.

Florence Yankurije, one of the four women who were arrested on February 5 in Uganda says she had been living in Uganda for five years married to a Ugandan husband with whom they had two children.

“I was stopped while I was coming back from Rwanda where I had come to visit my family. I had passed at the border with no problem but they arrested me while in Uganda explained Florence accusing me of staying in Uganda illegally,” she said.

Assouma Namahoro, and Annonciata Nyiramahirwe say they had been given temporary residential documents but they were arrested, spent nights in detention and were given even no water to drink.

Nyiramahirwe says she was taken out the car that was taking her to Kampala.
“On our way to Kampala, all the buses were stopped and searched at a place called Nyakabande and some people were taken out and brought to prison. I was released after presenting my cross border legal papers, but I have now lost the Rwf7500 amount that I had paid for transport fare,” she said.

Nyiramahirwe said some other Rwandans stayed in detention and for their release, they are usually asked a Sh2 million bribe (about Rwf500,000).

Since 2017, arrests of Rwandans travelling to Uganda have become rampant, with some raising concerns of illegal detention and abduction.