Tag: HomeNews

{{Two men in Kirehe District have been arrested in possession with 300 Kilograms of Cannabis.}}

Police identified the suspects as Jean Paul Ndarifite 26 (a.k.a Murera) and Jean Marie Vianney Shyirambere 30. The suspects were arrested at Minini Cell, Mahama Sector in Kirehe District while attempting to cross over into Rwanda from Tanzania.

Police sources also said, after crossing the border the two hid the narcotic in the bush while they solicited transportation.

They eventually convinced a motorcyclist to transport the cannabis until they switched to a vehicle that would get them to Kigali.

The two men were later arrested while soliciting for transportation from Kirehe to Kigali thanks to the timely information from the local citizens and Community Policing Committees in Kirehe district.

The two are detained at Kirehe Police Station.

{{Two men identified as Bizimana Faustin 27 and Simbankabo Jean de Dieu 24have died in a gold mine where they were illegally mining the precious gem in the wee hours of the night in the district of Burera.}}

The victims were resident at Nyarusebeya,Mbuye in Rukozo sector of Rulindo district. They died on Tuesday night deep in the mine due to suffocation. The mine had been closed and all mining activities suspended.

Musabyimana Ferdinand the Rukozo sector executive secretary told IGIHE, “The deceased had illegally entered the mine past midnight to extract gold and later lacked enough oxygen and suffocated to death.”

Musabyimana said the local authorities had sensitized local miners to form Associations and conduct mining activities legally with proper equipment.

The 88-year-old Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe was said to be close to death. He is believed to be suffering from prostate cancer.

His wife, Grace, and close family members are reported to be at his bedside.

Rumours over Mugabe’s health have been widespread in recent weeks because of his frail appearance, it was said that due to his condition which has now deteriorated, there were claims that he has agreed to hand over power to his feared henchman and defense minister, Emmerson Mnangagwa.

There was heightened speculation when the Zimbabwe government postponed a cabinet meeting at the last minute as well as the actions of Zimbabwe’s vice president, Joice Mujuru, who reportedly cut short her trip to Asia to return home and prepare for the possibility of Mugabe’s death.

There was no comment on Mugabe’s health tonight from either his family or from the Zimbabwe government.

Mugabe’s aides have denied there is a medical emergency, claiming he is enjoying an Easter break in Asia with his family.

{{A woman is feared dead after drowning in water when a passenger boat she was travelling in capsized. Efforts to retrieve the body of Nyirantezilyayo are still ongoing.}}

Nine passengers were onboard from Boneza sector to Musasa sector in Rutsiro district in the morning hours on Monday.

Eight passengers were rescued by divers from the Marine Police unit while the body of one woman, Julienne Nyirantezilyayo, was still missing. She is presumed to have died after several hours of searching proved fruitless.

According to sources from the Marine Police Unit, the cause of the accident was due to heavy waves that upturned the boat. The sources further noted that passengers didn’t have any life jackets.

Though not common, such accidents do happen from time to time and Marine Police has through its outreach program to residents urged people to use certified water vessels.

The commanding officer of Marine Police unit Superintendent Eugene Mushayija has discouraged people from using banned boats such as canoes for transport and urged them to always wear life jackets.

“We would not have lost someone had all the passengers had their life jackets on,” Superintendent Mushayija said.

Rwanda National Police calls on people using water transport to abandon travelling in non certified water vessels but also demand to have life jackets distributed to them before embarking on their journeys.

{{Police in Nyagatare at Rwempasha sector have arrested two people in connection with promotion of genocide ideology.}}

According to police interrogation report, One of the suspects aged 22 allegedly on 7th April terrorized Eugenie Kawera a genocide survivor resident at Rwempasha.

The suspect allegedly said, “Bazakomeza Babice” (You (Tutsi) will continue to be killed).

This happened at the beginning of the national 18th commemoration of the Genocide against the Tutsi. About a million ethnic Tutsi were killed in the 1994 Genocide.

Police revealed that about four cases have been reported nationwide in connection with promotion of genocide ideology.

Another suspect arrested is aged about 37years resident of Nyagatare district.

He told local leaders, “Am tired of drinking Tutsi blood”. He said as local leaders were mobilising local residents to attend village meetings to discuss history of genocide.

During the commemoration week, citizens in every part of the country gather in their cells and discuss the country’s history especially that led to the genocide against the ethnic Tutsi.

However, Police is still investigating further about the suspects.

If found guilty, the suspects risk imprisonment between 20 and 25years and fine between Frw 2-Frw 5million subject to the law against Genocide Ideology of 18/2008.

Police spokesman Supt. Theos Badege urged citizens to provide timely information about such cases.

{{Haitians and 189 Rwanda National Police officers serving in United Nation Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) and Rwandans working in Haiti were Saturday joined by UN community for the 18th commemoration of genocide against the Tutsi.}}

In two separate events held concurrently in Jeremy and Port au Prince Rwanda Police officers gave testimonies of what happened during the 1994 genocide.

Jean Marie Rusimbuka, a Congolese National in charge of human rights in MINUSTAH congratulated Rwandans for their efforts in rebuilding their country after the 1994 genocide.

Rusimbuka noted that genocide begun in 1959 as he saw many Rwandans fleeing ethic clashes. The commemoration event was nationally broadcasted in Haiti.

{{On Thursday, April 12, 2012, the U.S. Mission Employees Association will pay tribute to Colleagues and former employees of the U.S. Embassy-Rwanda who lost their lives during the 1994 genocide.}}

The 1994 Genocide against Ethnic Tutsi claimed about a Million lives.

Ambassador Donald W. Koran and a representative of the survivors will lay of wreaths at the Memorial Plaque at the U.S. Embassy in Kigali, built in remembrance of the 25 U.S. Mission employees who lost their lives during the 1994 Tutsi genocide.

Honorable Protais Mitali, Minister of Culture and Sports has been invited at the event.

{{Heavy rains destroyed many house roofs in Kigarama sector, Kirehe district in eastern province on 9th April.}}

In the afternoon at 1pm, it rained so heavily that nine house roofs, maize barn and the seventh day Adventist church were destroyed.

Murangira Celestin, executive secretary of Cyana sector says that it wasn’t due to the faulty houses but natural calamity.

“We are using quick ways to restore the roofs by using community works, and the remaining support will come from the government.”

Murangira Celestin said that shelters have been provided, while they restore the houses with the left undamaged iron sheets.

For the remaining house roofs, he said they would ask for support from the upward authorities.

{{Every Year during the Genocide commemoration week, Ngarambe Zenock a genocide survivor resident at Ngoma district has to come to terms with one of the worst torments.}}

Ngarambe told IGIHE that unknown people during this commemoration period, attack his home by smearing his house with urine and human faeces. This 6th April the same was done to his house again.

Ngarambe, whose children and family were killed during the 1994 Tutsis genocide, says that in 2010, he received a tract saying:” we will get you by whatever means, and we will burst that belly of yours”.

This is the third time Ngarambe is being terrorised with similar attacks. It once happened in 2011 where they carried baskets and calabash full of human faeces and also painted his house with urine and faeces.

Ngarambe says he is traumatised by such attacks. The attackers always perform similar acts at the beginning of the genocide commemoration week.
Ngarambe told IGIHE, “attackers must be from this neighborhood. I think they are more than one people because a single person cannot carry all those baskets and calabash full of faeces.”

Umwari Médiatrice another genocide survivor, a neighbour of Ngarambe had alo been encountering such attacks. Recently, she has been brutally attacked and injured that she was unable to speak.

The executive secretary of Cyasemakamba sector Kamanzi Lucien said: “We patrolled and safeguarded the house the whole night till the patrol shifted at 4:00 Am to another place, but at that shift moment, that’s when they attacked. We are now strengthening the security here, and once they get caught, they will be severely punished”.

The Acting Mayor of Ngoma District, Mupenzi George, said, “measures have been taken to strengthen the security.”

He also called upon Ngarambe’s neighbours to be supportive in ensuring genocide survivors’ security.

Police Spokesperson Supt. Theos Badege said that they are still carrying on the investigation to find out who are behind those acts.

Until now, no suspect has been identified.

{{Belgian Police in Brussels have arrested a Rwandan politician, Boniface Rutayisire, who on Saturday April 07, tried to protest against the 1994 genocide against Tutsis in the middle of a busy suburb of Brussels, Belgium.}}

Rwandans are currently honouring the 18th commemoration of the genocide against Tutsi. About a Million Ethnic Tutsis were killed during the 1994 Genocide.

Rutayisire was taken in on charges of disturbing public order, on the same day when more than 700 people took part in events organized by the Rwandan embassy in Brussels to commemorate the slaughter of Tutsis.

Reports say that Brussels police arrested him but there is no clear information on whether he was charged in court, released or is still in custody.

Rutayisire is accused by genocide survivors and campaigners of being a leading member of a vocal negationist lobby which denies the 1994 genocide against Tutsis.

He has a political grouping ‘Banyarwanda & Tubeho Twese’ which advances the notion that what happened in Rwanda was not genocide, but civil war.

The controversial exiled politician is said to have woke up in the morning and went to camp at Woluwe -Saint-Pierre stadium where he had planned to set up a parallel commemoration event apparently in honour of “all victims” of Rwanda’s conflicts.

Independent minds say that Rutayisire was out to commemorate the civil war and not the genocide against Tutsis.