The State Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Olivier Nduhungirehe confirmed that Twala has been summoned by his country.
“Yes. Any government has the right to summon its diplomat at any time,” he said.
Twala has been South Africa’s ambassador to Rwanda since 2012. He is summoned at a time when Rwanda and South Africa have shown willingness to launch talks aimed at re-establishing good relations between the two countries.
President Paul Kagame recently held a meeting with his South African counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa when he was in Argentina on the sidelines of G20 summit.
In March President Cyril Ramaphosa said that the problem of Rwandans being denied visas to South Africa would soon become history after holding talks with President Paul Kagame. However, up to now, no signs of good relations between the two countries have bloomed.
Drawn on aspects of Rwandan culture and traditional practices, Umushyikirano is a development program adapted to the country’s needs and context.
It is one of Rwanda’s largest gatherings bringing together leaders and citizens to reflect on the country’s progress and share ideas to solve ongoing challenges.
Governed by Rwanda Constitution Article 140, Umushyikirano is a forum to debate the state of the nation, local government and national unity.
{{Read More: [How eight resolutions made during the 2017 national dialogue been implemented
->http://www.en.igihe.com/news/how-eight-resolutions-made-during-the-2017.html]}}
Officers from RDF in the area reacted as instantly, pursued and fired, killing four of them.
Busasamana Sector executive secretary, Epimaque Uwimana told IGIHE that the attackers have not been identified and that the resident who caught the bullet at home was taken to Bugeshi health center.
Today, early in the morning local authorities summoned a security meeting at the scene of the attack, and residents were shown the bodies of the four attackers who were shot dead to see if they knew them.
They had documents that indicate that they are DRC citizens with voters’ cards.
Bugeshi and Busasamana sectors border the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They are often targeted by armed attacks from the country.
This weekend, on December 9, 2018, was one of happiness for over 200 children from 30 districts of Rwanda hosted by Mrs. Jeannette Kagame.
The children aged between 7 and 12 years old were treated to fun and games, as well as presents.
The First Lady reminded the children to set personal goals and strive to achieve them.
“You have to live with goals. If you draw, you must specify the number of what you will do. Someone who writes a poem must also target a certain number. You need to make your own plans, respect them, and take time to read and do other things that help you to acquire knowledge,” she advised.
She told them that their commitments will be achieved by co-operating with others, especially their parents.
“Let’s write the goals we want to achieve when we reach home, at least every month. This is the time to set goals for the new year. We have heard your wishes, our stakeholders are listening to you and we will look at them and see what we can do. Let your parents and your tutors know what you do at school, do not be afraid to tell them what’s on your heart and do not seek advice elsewhere, without talking to your parents first,” she told them.
She also reminded them that they should be physically clean, help their parents, and contribute to their community.
The children expressed gratitude for the programs that were brought to their communities and facilitated them to study. They said as a result of the programmes, students who had abandoned school returned and their lives were improved.
Fabrice Niyonkuru from Kagano Sector in Nyamasheke District recited a poem in recognition of the bravery of the people who eradicated Nyakatsi (grass-thatched housings) and the establishment of kitchen gardens.
“I thank President Kagame and Mrs. Jeannette Kagame who paid for ‘mutuelle’ health insurance for us. No one falls sick and remains at home. Now, we study and succeed. They introduced the Girinka Munyarwanda Programme for us and we drink milk. I thank you for the program that promoted people’s lives in all districts,” he said.
Kellya Cyuzuzo, a 12-year-old student in Camp Kigali, was delighted to be invited to the party and to the task they were given, saying she is prepared to “encourage children to maintain hygiene and help their parents.”
Children who have participated in this celebration are selected based on the performance they have shown in class, those from vulnerable families and those with special disabilities.
They ate and interacted with the staff of the Office of the President, Imbuto Foundation and Unity Club lntwararumuri which is comprised of current and former government members.
They received Christmas and New Year gifts. They were also entertained by Patience Uwiringiyimana, who created a talking toy dubbed “Golizo the Crazy”, children of the Rwanda Rocks Music School troops and various games organized.
It is an honor she was bestowed upon by UNAIDS Executive Director, Michel Sidibé, on December 7th, 2018 during the presentation on the vision and status of global HIV response by Michel Sidibe and UN Undersecretary-General at the Kigali Convention Centre. It was attended by government officials, the private sector, and ambassadors, among others.
Mrs. Jeannette Kagame is the first to receive this responsibility given in recognition of her role in improving lives.
She thanked UNAIDS for the confidence it has in her by appointing her Ambassador of a department (Adolescent Health and Wellbeing) that cares for health worldwide.
“It is my great honor to share this moment with you today. To be named Special Ambassador of Adolescent Health and Well-being, by an institution committed to seeing healthier communities around the world,” she said.
“This is something that I cannot take lightly – and for that, I am humbled and sincerely grateful. This recognition goes beyond highlighting my efforts in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Rwanda, and ensuring the health and well-being of our adolescents,” she added.
Mrs. Jeannette Kagame explained that the journey she embarked on, along with her team, since 2001, was one rooted in the conviction to see all Rwandans educated and living a dignified and prosperous life. She said she believed that it was what they deserved.
“Indeed, through this journey, we have witnessed a tremendous positive change. This is reflected in the lives of hundreds of thousands of our people, as they grow more knowledgeable about their health; but also, demand better quality services, while holding their leaders accountable,” the First Lady said.
Mrs. Jeannette Kagame said that the step achieved is based on the vision of the Government of Rwanda but noted that the journey is continuing.
“This being said, however, we cannot sit back with the satisfaction that the worst is behind us. As the face of HIV/AIDS continues to change, we must remain vigilant, in order to respond to emerging challenges, in a timely manner,” she said.
She thanked partners including AVEGA, Solace Ministries, Rwanda Women Network and others.
“We share this recognition. Let’s continue the commitment to eradicate HIV/AIDS so that our children can live and grow well, “she said.
She promised to continue the commitment such that HIV/AIDS will have been completely eradicated by 2030.
Rwanda surpassed the target 90-90-90 in 2020 set by UNAIDS and achieved 95-95-95, where it targets that 95% of HIV-positive people will be aware of it, and 95% of them taking ARVs, and 95% of the virus so weakened in the body and cannot be passed on.
Minister of Health, Dr. Diane Gashumba said that “Mrs. Jeannette Kagame has contributed to the fight against AIDS, especially in women by striving for HIV contamination-free century in Rwanda.”
UNAIDS Director General, Michel Sidibé, pointed out that Rwanda made a significant step towards the fight against AIDS but that it should not make people slow down on the fight against HIV/AIDS.
“Recently, we marked 30 years of the fight against AIDS. It is a time of mutual consultation and commitment. In recent years, people did not understand it and even said that it was expensive and should not be politically justified. Through your own will, we may say we got out of critical times, we have confidence,” he said.
He appreciated the role of Mrs. Jeannette Kagame in dealing with AIDS.
He said that in less than 10 years, Rwanda has doubled the number of people on HIV treatment and that since 2010, AIDS-related deaths are down by almost 50% while mother to child transmission rate is 1.5%- on the way to ensuring no baby is born with HIV.
Moreover, he said that Rwanda knows all about the power of HIV testing because more than 90% of healthcare facilities provide it, and between July 2017 and June 2018, more than 2.5 million people accessed HIV testing services.
He appreciated the role of Mrs. Jeannette Kagame at the launch of the Organization of African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA).
“She’s a loving parent to others. I will always remember that I had the opportunity to get acquainted with someone who has the heart of doing well to others, the people of Rwanda and the world. It’s someone who wants to build a bridge connecting people instead of setting up a separating wall,” he said.
Over the past seven years, the number of people succumbing to AIDS in Rwanda fell off from 6000 in 2010 to 3100 in 2017. The number of patients on HIV treatment rose from 89,000 to 186,000. New HIV contamination prevalence fell off from 9300 down to 7400 people.
Meanwhile, HIV/AIDS prevalence was 210,000 people in 2010 and 220,000 in 2017.
Sebastian Kurz who was in Rwanda for a one-day official visit is also the President of the European Union. He arrived in Rwanda on Thursday for his first official visit.
The visit came after new Austria’s Ambassador to Rwanda, Dr. Christian Fellner presented his credentials to Kagame on Wednesday.
In a joint press conference with Sebastian Kurz, President Kagame said Rwanda enjoys a strong and productive relationship with the European Union, which “we are happy to continue to build on.”
“Europe and Africa are neighbors, and we share several priorities including trade, security, migration, and the environment. These are all related to another common preoccupation, and that is maximizing opportunities for the young people of our respective continents” Kagame said.
Kagame explained that “the upcoming Africa-Europe High-Level Forum is an opportunity to build practical collaboration on several fronts, and we look forward to co-hosting this event in Vienna,”
“Rwanda continues to mobilize African leaders to participate in this important forum, so that we can continue to seek ways to unlock the potential of the digital economy, as a pathway to inclusion and prosperity,” Kagame said.
He also said that in the forum, “We will also be discussing in a wider context all kinds of activities including investments and partnerships that can and continue to bring Africa and Europe together so that this can lead to positive developments on either side.”
{{Europe ‘incited’ Africans to migrate
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On migration, President Kagame who is the current Chairperson of the African Union said: “If you look at numbers of people leaving our continent going to Europe, we have to ask ourselves how can this be managed properly. The how is there, we should have done this long ago but it’s never too late to do the right thing.”
“The partnership with Europe and Africa should have invested properly, created an environment to retain our young people and guarantee them that staying in your continent or country is better for you and you can find safety, security and jobs,” he said.
“If you look at the history of this migration, for a long time, let me use words you would not like, Europe was inciting, inviting people to go to Europe. The message was your countries of Africa are governed badly and you should come to us. The impression created was if you have a problem in your country, whether it’s false or true, just come to our paradise. And people came. To the point where people can’t have migrants anymore,” sadly Kagame said.
Kagame asked what can be done so that people feel happy about living in their country to which he answered as: “We can still have a conversation between Africa and Europe.”
“The kind of investment you spend on people who have come there is so huge that if you invested in Africa, we could create industries. The problem is not Europe; we have our own fair share of the blame we have to take,” Kagame said facing Sebastian Kurz.
“The way people are addressing it is through firefighting and sometimes it doesn’t put out the fire, it inflames it. We all need to sober up and find solutions even if they are complicated. We can’t find an easy solution to a difficult problem,” Kagame advised.
Kurz congratulates Kagame on Africa free trade area agreements signing and Rwanda’s impressive economic growth
In his remarks, the Federal Chancellor of Austria, Sebastian Kurz congratulated Kagame and leaders responsible for the impressive growth Rwanda saw in the last years, the fact that Rwanda ranks second in easing business and the free trade area agreements signed during Kagame’s term as the Chairperson of the African Union.
“During the last years, in Rwanda, you had the economic growth of nearly 10 percent and now it is 7 percent. It is extremely high economic growth and it is also impressive.” Kurz said.
“The World Bank index says that Rwanda is among the best places to do business in the world. I think many reforms which have been done going in the right direction, have resulted in the positive economic development which has taken place here in Rwanda.” Sebastian Kurz added.
“I would also like to thank you for your leadership in the African Union by establishing the free trade area for the whole continent. This is a very good development for Africa as a whole and economic development in Africa.” He said.
The call was addressed to the Minister of Culture and Sports, Espérance Nyirasafari, Minister for Gender and Family Promotion Solina Nyirahabimana, the State Minister for Constitutional and Legal Affairs, Evode Uwizeyimana and the Minister of State in charge of Social Affairs and Social Protection, Alvera Mukabaramba during a Family Promotion stakeholders’ seminar at the Parliament, Thursday where they discussed issues that pose a threat to the Rwandan society and accelerating development based on the principles of a secure family.
Some of the major challenges facing the Rwandan family unit that were highlighted include; domestic violence, divorce, teenage pregnancies, promiscuity, and drug abuse, among others.
MP Pie Nizeyimana said that male prostitutes are a silent problem that is growing and pose a real threat to the family unit.
“Promiscuity is increasingly becoming common to the extent of destroying families. Women can get involved in this behavior, ‘kwipfubuza’, loosely paraphrased as an act of looking for another sex partner because yours does not satisfy you (participants burst in laughter). It’s fun, but it’s a problem,” he said.
He said this behavior emerged recently but is taking on a new face and needs to be urgently addressed.
“What are we going to do stop this behavior and eradicate it?”, he wondered adding that it will constitute a threat to the family in the future.
Nizeyimana further said that another social challenge that needs to be addressed is bleaching which he said damages skin and has negative consequences to the society.
“I wonder whether the law should not punish someone caught with bleaching lotions in the same it does to one with drugs,” he said.
Minister Uwizeyimana said that it is not easy to identify the male sex workers because they act clandestinely.
He added that in discussing promiscuity, people should look at all sides since it emanates mostly from relationships especially when it happens between married individuals.
He cited an example whereby a husband is always busy with work, and when they come back home, they find that their wife has already fallen asleep. He said this is a challenge because they cannot fulfill conjugal responsibilities.
“When a woman needs but cannot find you, you just remain her husband in papers without conjugal obligations,” he said.
Article 136 on adultery and its punishment, stipulates that anyone who has sex with someone else other than their spouse has committed a crime.
When convicted by the court, they are sentenced to a term not less than six months but not exceeding one year.
The High Court announced the acquittal of Diane Rwigara and her mother prosecuted for attempting to cause insurrection, forgery and the use of forged documents with charges of incitement to violence for her mother. On November 7, the day of the opening of the trial, five hours were enough for the Rwandan justice to close the hearings. The judges decided not to follow the requisitions of the prosecution, which had asked for the maximum penalty for these charges, i.e 22 years in prison. The verdict marks the end of a legal soap opera that lasted more than a year.
The Rwigara case began in 2017. On May 3rd, Diane Rwigara announced her candidacy as an independent in the presidential election. On 7 July, his candidacy is reported by the Rwandan Electoral Commission (NEC), which alleges the presence of several false signatures on the list she presented.
On August 29, 2017, Rwandan police raided Rwigara’s home, which resulted in the seizure of cash ($130 000), computers and mobile phones. The police then had two motives: the first concerning the alleged falsified signatures in Diane Rwigara’s application, the second relating to suspicions of tax fraud against the family business Premier Tobacco Company, managed at the time by Diane’s sister, Anne Rwigara.
Diane Rwigara, her mother Adeline, and her sister Anne are remanded in custody on September 24th in the 1930 prison. On October 23, charges against Anne Rwigara are dropped.
{{Insufficient evidence
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After more than one year of court proceedings, the judges of the Kigali High Court did not retain the charge of ‘attempt to causing insurrection’ against Diane Rwigara. It was based on comments made at a press conference on July 14, 2017, during which the candidate announced the launch of her political party, the People Salvation Movement.
She then spoke about the death of her father, late businessman Assinapol Rwigara who died in February 2015 in a car accident; a version challenged by the family, which evokes a disguised assassination.
On the other hand, on the charge of ‘forgery and use of forged documents’, the judges considered that, if the forgeries were indeed attested, there was still doubt about Diane Rwigara’s responsibility. The evidence presented to the court by the prosecution, including the results of the Kigali Forensic Laboratory, which analyzed the authenticity of the signatures, does not constitute sufficient evidence to prove Diane Rwigara guilty, the judges ruled.
In particular, the prosecution accused the candidate of having collected the signatures of people who died or who were out of the country among the 600 she submitted to the NEC. Other signatories on this list deny support. For the Court, these testimonies are not enough to prove the responsibility of Diane Rwigara in the falsification of signatures.
During her trial, Diane Rwigara’s defense regretted that ‘none of the people whose signatures were imitated were summoned to the trial. According to Diane Rwigara’s lawyers, the candidate had asked her relays in the area to collect signatures and was therefore not aware of the use of the forgery.
“Why were these people not prosecuted? Asked Pierre-Célestin Buhuru before the verdict. “It’s a trial that could have lasted a year if we had heard all the witnesses,”
{{Private conversations
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Diane’s mother, Adeline Rwigara, was also prosecuted for “inciting violence” and “promoting sectarianism,” charges based on WhatsApp audio messages sent to her sister, Tabitha Mugenzi, among other things. Adeline Rwigara acknowledged that the phones found by the police on which these records appeared, belonged to her. “We believe that incitement to insurrection can’t be retained in this case, as the exchanges in question were not shared with the public, they are private conversations,” explained Gatera Gashabana after the requisitions. An opinion shared by the High Court judges in their verdict.
Two of the nine ambassadors have offices in Kigali with one having an office in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania while six others have offices in Nairobi, Kenya.
Among ambassadors who presented credentials to President Kagame is Ambassador of India, Oscar Kerketta becoming India’s first Ambassador to operate in Kigali after India opened its embassy in Kigali.
After presenting his credentials to President Kagame, Ambassador Kerketta said he will mostly focus on improving bilateral relations after India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s visit in Rwanda that saw two countries signing eight finance agreements worth $200 million.
The agreements include investments and projects to boost agriculture through irrigation projects.
Ambassador Eduardo Filomeno Leiro Octávio of Angola said, after presenting his credentials to President Kagame, that the activity marked both nations mutual will to boost bilateral political and economic relations.
He said Rwanda and Angola’s relations are improving as Angola offers tourist visa for Rwandans on arrival. Oshen Health Care, an Angolan international medical firm has invested $24 million in King Faysal Hospital with plans to set up an internationally standardized heart surgery Centre in Rwanda by 2020.
The Ambassador of Austria to Rwanda, Dr. Christian Fellner, revealed that the Chancellor of Austria who also doubles as current Chairperson of the European Union, Sebastian Kurz will on Friday, be in Rwanda for an official visit.
“Austria and Rwanda have good relations which we plan to strengthen. Many delegates will come to Kigali including a group of traders who will visit Rwanda Development Board (BRD), different organs and in the near future, Members of Austrian Parliament will also visit Rwanda,” said Ambassador Christian Fellner.
“On Friday, Our Head of State will be in Kigali. He with President Kagame will hold talks on a conference to be held in Vienna on December 18, this year,” he added.
Prof. Dr. Ratlan Pardede representing Indonesia said his utmost target is to develop trade and investments between the two countries through the private sector.
“My goal is to accelerate economic growth through trade between Indonesia and Rwanda. Trade volumes between Rwanda increased from $4 million to $7 million in 2017,” Ambassador Pardede said.
Other ambassadors who presented their letters of credence to President Kagame include Australia’s Ambassador to Rwanda, Alison Helena Chartres, Ambassador Fernando Estellita Lins de Salvo Coimbra of Brazil to Rwanda, František Dlhopolček, Ambassador of Slovakia to Rwanda, Ambassador Marti Gómez of Argentina and Ambassador Uriel Garibay of the Republic of Philippines to Rwanda.
Ambassador Claver Gatete, the Minister of infrastructure of the Republic of Rwanda signed the agreement for the Government of the Republic of Rwanda. For the Government of the Russian Federation, the Agreement was signed by the Director General of the State Atomic Energy Corporation “Rosatom” Mr. Alexey Likhachev.
The Agreement creates a solid basis for the establishment of Center for Nuclear Science and Technology in Rwanda for peaceful purposes as a basis for social economic transformation of the country through modernization of several vital sectors of the economy such as; agriculture, health, pharmaceuticals and industry, geology and mining, environment, and electricity generation among other applications.
The agreement also prescribes cooperation in such areas as fundamental and applied research in the field of peaceful atom.
