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While efforts are underway to ensure that the African Union Commission can leverage the best minds and skills, Minister Sezibera observed that strong accountability and performance systems are also essential for the AU institution to be more effective.

“Performance-based measures must be strengthened for the senior leadership and institutionalized across the entire organization, with adequate measures in place to address non-delivery. As we design performance management mechanisms for our Commission, we must also commit to being more accountable ourselves as member States, to fulfilling our obligations, and being held to account when we don’t” Minister Sezibera said.

Citing examples of achievements with ongoing AU reforms – notably the reduction in AU’s reliance on partners’ funding this year, Minister Sezibera noted that African Union’s self-financing in a sustainable and predictable manner will be a key determinant of its accomplishments.

For this to be sustained, Minister Sezibera encouraged member states to create the necessary growth, starting with the ratification of the African Continental Free Trade Area; and by honoring financial obligations, including by adopting the 0.2% levy through national legislative bodies.

The President made the remark in an interview with a French newspaper, Liberation on Sunday, November 11, 2018, when he was in Paris on the sidelines of Peace Forum which coincided with the 100th anniversary of the World War II.

President Kagame was among the four African heads of state invited to attend.
In the interview, President Kagame also talked about the issue of the current global leadership, the arrest of Diane Rwigara and Ingabire Victoire as well as Rwanda’s relations with France.

{{No one should look at their own interests only
}}

On world leadership today, President Kagame said that the idea is a good one, but today’s world remains divided between those who have too much power and impose the rules and those who suffer them and must apply them.

“These are part of the world I come from: the world of Africa and, more generally, underdeveloped countries. But now, even states that have too much power are divided! It is the philosophy of the “me first” that dominates openly. Nobody even pretends to speak in the name of good and evil. And this self-evident predominance of selfish interests is echoing in developing countries, becoming a competitive terrain, contributing to the global instability of the planet,” he said.

He said that Africa should also look at its weaknesses and invest more efforts in making reforms, if it wishes to achieve more.

“If Africa wants to weigh on the world stage, it must renounce in the same way the temptation of “me first”, strengthen its integration. But first and foremost, it must work to really take into account the needs of peoples. You have to be yourself, without systematically depending on the help of the West,” he said.

He noted that in Rwanda, when government set up medical insurance coverage for all, with varying contributions in accordance with incomes, some donors offered to finance those of the poorest but Rwanda refused, because “we consider that even the poorest have to take ownership of this system and pay, if only a very modest minimum.”

He added that Africa must go beyond the logic of charity.

“Desperate situations exist, with urgent needs. But we must also offer citizens the means to emancipate themselves, find enough hope for them to stay at home,” he said.

He added that Africa would have to learn about it without having to rely on the West.

President Kagame was also asked about the problem of immigrants in the European Union, saying that he found African countries willing to set up plans to deal with the problem in as a short period of time as possible.

He also said that on the subject of immigration, it is especially the impression that Westerners improvise strategies in the very short term while the problem is not demographics, but mismanagement of demographics, or more precisely bad governance.

“Before being a challenge, demography is an asset for Africa. I, rather, feel that it is this booming youth that will help change Africa. It is clear that it challenges certain practices, upsets the order of things. I remain hopeful that future generations will be better than our own and those who have contributed to the waste of this continent,” he said.

{{Rwanda’s development is very fast
}}

President Kagame emphasized that Rwanda is an ever-developing country, saying that changes are taking place very quickly and faster.

“It is now a country in peace, reconciled. Development is the cement without which all the other great principles are in vain. We can preach reconciliation, forgiveness, guarantee justice. But these are vain words if people are hungry or untreated. I’m not saying we have to neglect others, but should act with dynamism,” he said.

Last week, Randburg Chief Prosecutor Yusuf Baba announced that the inquest into the death of Karegeya would begin on 16 January 2019 and that he would question over 30 witnesses to get to the bottom of the killing.

Kayumba Nyamwasa, former General in the Rwandan Army, was in 2011 convicted and sentenced by the court to 24 years of imprisonment in absentia.

Nyamwasa faces charges including war crimes, terrorism, genocide and crimes against humanity.

He fled to South Africa where he also founded the Rwandan National Congress (RNC).

Sisulu insisted though that she did not think the inquest would upset the efforts by the two governments to normalize relations. She disclosed that she had met Kayumba to discuss with him South Africa’s plans to normalize relations with Kigali. She said she had been “pleasantly surprised” to discover that he was ready himself to negotiate with the Rwandan government to try to resolve his issues with it.

Sisulu said that when she held a conversation with Kayumba, the two countries had not yet discussed Rwanda’s expected demand that South Africa should curb Kayumba’s political activities in South Africa as a condition for normalising relations.

But if Rwanda did raise that concern, South Africa would raise its own concerns, she said.

In 2014, diplomatic relations between the two countries turned sour – leading to the expulsion of diplomats from both Kigali and Pretoria. South Africa expelled three Rwandan diplomats charging them of involvement in Kayumba Nyamwasa’s shooting. Rwanda also reacted by dismissing six South African diplomats.

Since then, Rwandans were barred from getting visas to South Africa while South Africans come to Rwanda easily.

While in Rwanda in March 2018, meeting the United Nations General Assembly, President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, requested the Minister of Foreign Affairs to monitor this issue.

In March 2018, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa arrived in Rwanda to attend the historic Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

He held bilateral talks with President Paul Kagame in Kigali.

Later on during the last panel of AfCFTA, Ramaphosa responded to a question raised by one of the participants about South Africa’s still denying visas to Rwandans.

“Consider Rwanda-South Africa visa issue, as a matter that is solved. We are working with President Kagame to put relations between Rwanda and South Africa on a much better footing,” President Ramaphosa said amidst much applause from the audience.

“Amongst the issues we discussed, was that we must resolve the challenge of issuing of visa to people of Rwanda wanting to visit South Africa,” he added.

“At the moment I spoke to President Kagame, we agreed that we would build a better relationship with South Africa and Rwanda, and our problems that we have made, with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), will soon be able to follow this issue.”

In a press meeting in Pretoria, Prime Minister Sisulu told journalists that the two heads of state demanded the ministers of Foreign Affairs for both countries to work on reinstating relations between the two countries.

Last week, Randburg City Chief Prosecutor Yusuf Baba, announced that an inquiry into the death of Patrick Karegeya, a former Rwandan army soldier who was shot dead in South Africa would start in January.

Sisulu said that all the issues could not undermine efforts that were invested in terms of restoring bilateral relations.

According to the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), Minister Sisulu said: “Do I think the problem of the former general will make things worse? No, but it will make things clear between us and Rwanda, why we have been in the present situation and what we are doing so that they will never happen.”

“I met with Rwandans led by Gen Nyamwasa, to tell them that we are going to negotiate with the Government of Rwanda and we would like to hear their views as refugees in our country, we had to start by talking with them,” he added.

“And I was pleased with their response, saying they are happy to have the opportunity to negotiate with the Government of Rwanda in order to resolve the issue on both sides,” he said.

Last month, it was reported that the Rwandan Prosecution was considering to issue arrest warrants against Kayumba Nyamwasa in South Africa.

Ms. Jeannette Kagame made the remarks as she addressed the special pre-conference luncheon of the International Conference on Family Planning held in Kigali from November 12-15.

Ms. Kagame revealed that due to concerted efforts and global partnerships formed by the Rwandan Government, more Rwandans are making formal decisions on family planning as years pass on.

“The gap in unmet needs for family planning among Rwandans, fell from 40% in 1992, down to 19% by 2015 whereas Rwanda witnessed an increase from 10% in 2005, to 48% in 2015 in the use of modern contraceptive methods.

“While this progress is encouraging,” she said, “we cannot slow down our efforts, as significant challenges are still ahead of us, for example. The need for more sufficient and accurate information on sexual and reproductive health, especially among the youth, the capacity of more healthcare givers to provide quality services and therefore effectively promote family planning and sexual reproductive health and the small number of players and partners providing adequate services and interventions in response to unplanned and teenage pregnancies.

The acceleration of economic growth and poverty reduction, she said, requires access to comprehensive family planning services, for a more favorable population age structure, with more people being of working age.

“Improving family planning by availing comprehensive sexual education, is therefore essential to ensuring the holistic development of our communities,” she noted, adding that “we should continue to advocate for universal access to quality sexual and reproductive health services, so that our communities are able to fully enjoy the right to plan their families, whenever and however they wish.”

Speaking on the report entitled ‘Future Drivers of Growth in Rwanda’, launched last week by the Government of Rwanda with the World Bank, Ms. Kagame stressed on innovation, integration, agglomeration, and competition as key drivers for Vision 2050 for sustainable development as key drivers to be most focused on.

The total number of girls is 138,831 girls and 116,342 boys. In comparison with the students who sat for the exams last year, there has been an increase of 7.6 percent.

When he officially launched the primary school national exams at Kacyiru I Primary School, the State Secretary for Primary and Secondary Education, Dr. Munyakazi Isaac told pupils that the exams are an opportunity and time to show their skills.

“It’s a time to prove that you have the capacity to move on from one level to another,” he said.
He said that the exams are a time to self-evaluate for both learners and teachers and to take a look at how to address the learning challenges.

On the first day, exams include Mathematics and General Studies, while the second will be Science and Kinyarwanda, and English on the third day.

The statement was made to AFP journalist, who asked him about the recent remarks of OIF Secretary General Michaëlle Jean about the Rwigaras’ case.

On November 8, Michaëlle who is the OIF Executive Secretary until January 2019, when the newly-elected secretary Louise Mushikiwabo takes over, wrote on Twitter about the case of Diane Rwigara and her mother Adeline Mukangemenyi.

She said, “Let us take a close look at the lawsuit filed in Rwanda against the freedom activist Diane Rwigara and her mother provisionally released in early October, accused in a Kigali court of ‘inciting insurrection’”.

It is a statement that displeased many Rwandans on social media who criticized her.

While in Paris this week, President Kagame criticized Michaëlle’s statement, saying that the case has nothing to do with OIF.

“Our judiciary is independent; everybody should know. This issue is not in line with Francophonie,” he said.

President Kagame was attending the Paris Peace Forum, held in Paris in France. He was one of the 70 state and government officials from all over the world attending the event.
Many people have wanted to relate the case of Diane Rwigara and her mother, Mukamemanyi Adeline Rwigara to politics, an aspect Rwanda considers an invalid inference.

Diane is accused of committing offenses against state security and forgery of registration documents in the build up to presidential elections in 2017. Her mother is also accused of inciting public insurrection, divisionism and sectarianism.

The prosecution sentenced them both to 22 years in prison if the court finds them guilty of the charges facing them in the trial to be read on December 6, 2018.

The ceremony to officially launch operations of Onomo Hotel Kigali brought together different people who work in hospitality, hotels and tourism sector in Rwanda with different members of the private sector, diplomats and local authorities.

The $20 million Hotel is a three-star hotel painted with Rwandan traditional articles, baskets and other artifacts made in cow dung mixed with dust beautifully colored.

The hotel has three meeting rooms with capacity to receive up to 200 people, a Business Centre, a restaurant and a bar open 24/7 in addition to an outdoor swimming pool and fitness room.

The hotel has fast 3G LTE internet which enables clients to keep connected to the world once at the hotel.

Located in the Nyarugenge District, close to most of Kigali city’s businesses and a few minutes from its center, ONOMO Hotel Kigali will offer 99 rooms and 10 modern and fully-equipped suites in line with international standards, combining comfort and modernity.
The President of Onomo Hotels, Ruggieri Julien said they chose to extend their operations in Rwanda due to its vision.

“We started our operations from West Africa. To extend our operations, we found that Rwanda is the East African country with fast growing economy and good governance and then found that building a three-star in Rwanda is a good thing,” he said.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Michel Sebera said Onomo comes to the Rwandan market to expand Rwanda’s tourism based on conference hosting.
He said: “Rwanda has set up a firm platform to help private business people in expanding their investment. Rwanda supports the economy driven on services and will always help the private investors to provide good services.”

Rwanda projects to yield a $74 million income from the conference hosting tourism this fiscal year up from $42 million yielded in 2017.

Miss France 2000, Sonia Rolland Uwitonze is Onomo Hotel’s brand ambassador and she says it is a privilege and pride for her.

“It is special for me because I have never been employed by any hotel in Rwanda before. I was very impressed by the fact that they used the Imigongo arts on the walls of the hotel and that is why I accepted to be their ambassador. When you look at the hotel from afar, you see Rwandan identity and arts. I am very proud to be the ambassador of hotel that defends the Rwandan local products and partners,” she said.

The Onomo Hotels chains has now 12 hotels on the African Continent with plans to have finished constructing a total 20 hotels by 2022.

The latest hotel belonging to Onomo Hotels was officially opened in Durban on October 7 this year adding to others located in Dakar, Abidjan, Libreville, Bakamo, Lomé, Conakry, Rabat, Cape Town, Sandton, and Johannesburg among other African cities.

The official opening of Onomo Hotel Kigali was graced by fashion models including Moshions House, Inzuki Designs and Art Explosion with talented acrobats from Gatenga Youth Centre.

Official numbers by the Rwanda Development Board indicate that in 2017, Rwanda had 10 488 hotel rooms.

She made the highlights in Dubai recently where she attended the ongoing summit of International Telecommunication Union (ITU) that started on October 29 and will be concluded on November 16, 2018.

In an interview with Maximillian Jacobson Gonzalez, ITU senior communications officer, Ingabire said that Rwanda has not stopped working on the development of technology.
She said that Rwanda has realized that technology should not be treated as a separate sector but it is a tool that eases development and other sectors of life.

“I am glad we have surpassed the idea that technology should be separate from other sectors, but it is now considered a tool to facilitate many economic institutions,” she said, citing a variety of examples such as in health where drones are used to transport blood to remote hospitals.

She said that this approach has helped the country to save the lives of many because blood is delivered on time and cannot get spoilt.

On ICT in education, the minister said the One Laptop Per Child Project which started in June 2008 aimed at providing one computer for every child had, until February 2018, provided about 270,000 computers in 1523 primary schools, enhancing children’s creativity.

“We have a great deal of interest in nurturing talented people, by expanding our research in skills and innovation. Nurturing talent is in line with different programs where Rwanda is aiming to be on top in innovation,” she said adding that universities of international repute including; AIMS, Carnegie Melon University, and Andela are supporting the government in the honing of IT skills.

For the past nine years that IGIHE has been in operation, it is Rwanda’s best Internet website and the most widely read. IGIHE and its journalists bagged five prizes.
A total of 33 awards were given among which IGIHE scooped five, with one as the most popular online news website. . Prizes worth Rwf3.2 million were given out.

By the evening of November 7, 2018, the figures published by Alexa’s International Institute which publishes websites’ traffic indicate that IGIHE.com is ranked third in the country.

It is behind Google.com and YouTube (both for Google). Out of Rwanda, IGIHE.com is also a major source of news in Burundi and ranks 8,261st among all websites across the world.

More than 100,000 readers visit IGIHE website on a daily basis.

Karake Mweusi, a veteran journalist who chaired the jury, said that they evaluated 846 stories from from 43 media houses, most of which were feature stories (94) and the ones about the rights of children and gender balance.

Of all the stories, 42.1% were drawn from online platforms and about 80.8% submitted by male.

The third Rwanda Media Barometer (RMB) 2018 was also released. RMB is produced every two years as a tool to regularly assess and monitor media development in the country. In general, media has improved by 2.8% from 69.6% in 2016 to 72.4% in 2018.

It was conducted by Rwanda Governance Board (RGB) based on eight indicators, including a new one aimed at looking at the level of public trust in media. The barometer indicated that public trust in media is at 75.3 percent.

RMB 2018 population sample size was 11,872 up from 3000 in 2016. All districts were covered while in 2016, only 15 were covered.

The least performing indicator was ”Commitment to professional codes of conduct,” with 64.2%, while “A system of regulation conducive to freedom of expression and media freedom,” ranked best with 81.3%.

{{Awards}}

– {{Most Popular Online Publication:}} Igihe.com

– {{Feature, documentary/ Magazine:}} TV: Didier Ndicunguye RBA RC Rusizi

– {{Popular TV Talk show:}} Ntugasaze Muzehe Quiz (TV One)

– {{Business, Finance and Economics: }} Marie-Anne Dushimimana (The New Times)

– {{Investigative Journalism award:}} Janvier Nhimiyumukiza (Izuba Rirashe)

– {{News reporting award:}} Latifah Akimana (RBA)

– {{Photographer of the Year: }} Plaisir Muzogeye (Kigali Today)

– {{The best TV drama:}} Seburikoko (Afrifame)

– {{Best Radio Drama:}} Ikinamico of Radio Rwanda

– {{Best radio news anchor: }} Xavera Nyirarukundo and Jean Daniel Sindayigaya (RBA)

– {{Service Deleivery Reporting Award:}} Latifah Akimana (RBA)

– {{Scoop of the Year:}} Constantin Tuyishimire (TV One)

– {{Sports Journalist of the Year:}} Fidele Bugingo (Imvaho Nshya)

– {{Talk show of the year:}} Uruhare rw’ Itangazamakuru (Isango Star)

– {{Video Journalism Award: }} Fidele Sindayigaya (TV One)

– {{Media Sector Development Award:}} Kellya Uwiragiye (Media for Deaf Rwanda)

– {{Community Radio of the Year:}} Radio Huguka

– {{Most Popular Radio: }} Radio Rwanda

– {{Most popular TV Station:}} Rwanda Television

– {{Best Radio Talk Show:}} 10 Sports (Radio 10)

– {{Unity and Reconciliation Reporting Award: }} Prudence Kwizera (Igihe.com), runner-up: Eric Muvara (KT Radio).

– {{Gender and Children Rights Reporting Award}}: Winner: Donah Mbabazi (The New Times), runner-up: Fidele Twiringiyimana (TV One)

– {{Anti-Corruption Reporting Award: }} Paluku Rene Pedro TV1, Runner-up: Donah Mbabazi (The New Times)

– {{Rwanda Green Growth Reporting Award: }} Alfred Ntakirutimana (TV1), first runner-up: Michel Nkurunziza & Frederic Byumvuhore (The New Times), second runner-up: Alexia Bizumuremyi (Rwanda Inspirer)

– {{ICT and Telecommunication Reporting Winner: }} Steven Muvunyi CNBC AFRICA
Health Reporting Award: Lydia Atieno (The New Times)

– {{Grassroots Reporting Award:}} Winner: Kelly Rwamapera (The New Times), runner-up: Jean Paul Turatsinze (RBA)

– {{Ikinyarwanda Kinoze Award: }} Prudence Kwizera (Igihe.com), runner-up: Jean Claude Ndayishimiye (Igihe.com)

– {{Culture promotion Award Winner: }} Maniraguha Ferdinand (Igihe.com)

– {{Best TV news anchor:}} Bienvenue Redemptus (RBA)

– {{Best Female Journalist of the year}}: Evelyne Umurerwa (RBA)

– {{Journalist of the year: }} Donah Mbabazi (The New Times)

They had responded to the invitation by the then acting minister of security, Jean Baptiste Rwasibo, who invited them to participate in a meeting that would discuss strategies to peace and security in the country.

Most of the delegates were members of Grégoire Kayibanda’s political party who was the acting Prime Minister.

In that morning, the place where the meeting was scheduled to take place was well-organised.

Every prefecture’s seats were marked.

Rwasibo made a speech and thanked those who were present and reminded them that they were the messengers of the people.

Kayibanda was next, as prime minister and as a leader of the dominant party.

He began by reading the decisions taken, asking participants to confirm.

“The kingdom, the altar and guardians have been abolished. From now on, the Republic of Rwanda will be featured with a red, yellow and green flag,” he said.

No elections were made, but participants were required to confirm by raising their hands and they considered the majority.

After the Republic was confirmed, each participant received a ballot paper and voted for the President of the Republic.

Dominique Mbonyumutwa of MDR Parmehutu was elected president even though he was the only candidate.

{{The king is overthrown in absentia}}

It should also be noted that, in July 1960, King Kigeli Ndahindurwa had attended a meeting in Bujumbura, which was a territory of Rwanda-Urundi.

While in Burundi, it was reported that he was not allowed to return to the country. He sought refuge in Zaire.

When he was about to attend the meeting, there were conflicts in the country.

Leading Hutu parties such AS MDR Parmehutu and APROSOMA were in a great campaign all over the country, proclaiming the ills of the kingdom.

For example, on April 20, 1960, the provisional council (Conseil Provisoire) that acted in the same way as the nowadays parliament, gave Kigeli burdensome decisions to discourage him, to maintain peace in the country.

Among the decisions, they requested him to leave Nyanza and relocate to Kigali with four people who would have been from the most prominent parties at the time, including MDR, Aprosoma, RADER and UNAR.

They also requested to remove the government, including Kalinga and the council of royal guardians.

Kigeli rejected them because he thought it was a betrayal.

After rejecting them, MDR and APROSOMA wrote to the Government of Germany on April 30, 1960 saying that since the king refused to heed their wishes, they had cut relationship with him.

On June 6, 1960, MDR Parmehutu leaders gathered in Ruhengeri led by Kayibanda, saying that they didn’t want the kingdom but the republic.

From the same month, there were local government elections as it had been confirmed by the United Nations.

MDR secured the biggest number of positions.

From the time that the kingdom was abolished, the government was in the hands of the Belgians for six months.

On the day PARMEHUTU announced that the kingdom was abolished, King Kigeli Ndahindurwa had gone to Kinshasa to meet the UN Secretary General to discuss the issues of Rwanda.

MDR Parmehutu, backed by Belgians, violates UN’s decisions

In response to the request of King Kigeli, who was in exile yet political parties such as UNAR which backed him, on December 20, the UN General Assembly made two decisions.

One demanded Belgium to reconcile conflicting political parties in Rwanda, allowing Kigeli to return to the country and to prepare for a referendum to confirm whether or not citizens supported the reign of Kigeli.

A meeting between the two disagreeing sides was held in Belgium in January 1961, with a large number of respondents supporting the implementation of UN decisions.

MDR and APROSOMA rejected it, claiming that UN decisions were against the wishes of the people.

As a result, they called on all local authorities on January 28.

In disregarding the decisions of the UN, Kayibanda and MDR were backed by Belgium.

This was confirmed by the fact that shortly before the Gitarama coup, Kayibanda himself visited Col. Guy Logiest, the special resident of Rwanda, and informed him about the coup.

Note that in 1988, Logiest wrote a book where he said: “I could not possibly support him in the rebellious act, but I could not refuse to support him, either,”.

“I did not want to, but I did not have any way (to refuse to) […] I promised to help him in organizing the meeting to protect the public’s welfare, host the delegates, to prepare for the place where it would bee held and providing the speakers.”

{{Rwanda’s independence does not prove productive}}

On April 25, 1961, there was a referendum as it had been requested by the UN to see whether Rwandans still wanted the kingdom and Kigeli.

In the election, 79% voted against the kingdom and Kigeli.

Shortly thereafter, King Kigeli, who was in exile rejected the outcome of the election.

Former senator Antoine Mugesera, a member of Rwanda’s Elderly Advisory Council, this year, published his book “Rwanda 1959-1962, La Révolution manquée” loosely translated as “a lost revolution” saying that the revolution started by Kayibanda and his colleagues didn’t benefit Rwanda.

“The Kingdom was abolished, but the problem was that they enforced ethnic divisions.

“They didn’t have a vision as revolutionaries.”

“Had they not enforce ethnic divisions, they would still get power, but we would not have the same problems as we do. And they didn’t even free the Hutus, but poisoned them with ethnic divisions.”

He further stated that the problem in Rwanda was that almost all those who sought their independence were not motivated by the willingness to seek the welfare of all Rwandans.

“Belgians did not like Kayibanda; they liked the one who gave them trust to continue ruling. And the Tutsis would have won independence by giving Belgians confidence, saying that they would do what they wanted them to do.” he wrote.