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{{Kigali Serena and Nyungwe Forest Lodge have been qualified as the only five star hotels in the country by East African Level Standards. }}

Thirty hotels were Wednesday given stars as recognition for their hard work.

The ranking is graded at the East African level standards. This aims at encouraging competitiveness among local hoteliers.

Rwanda is the second country after Tanzania to get the rankings, and the assessments were done by experts from the region.

In terms of better services, hotels with stars ranging from five to three tend to give better services despite the fact they might have expensive rates compared to the rest.

While four stars were awarded to Lemigo Hotel, The Manor Hotel, Mille Collines Hotel and Lake Kivu Serena.

Three stars were awarded to eight hotels including;Virunga, La Palme, Alpha Palace, Sports View, Beau Sejour, La Palisse, Golden Hill and Top Tower.

Hotels awarded with two stars include;Sabyinyo Silver Back Lodge, Michael Den, STIPP Rubavu, Stipp Kigali, Dream Inn, Mostej(Rubavu), Ishema (Musanze), Peace Land(Rubavu), L e Belvedere(Rubavu), Home Inn(musanze), Credo (Huye district), Aberdeen, Ninzi Hill Hotel, Okapi Hotel, Impala Hotel and Saint Anne Hotel (Musanze district).

Relay`s Gorilla Hotel is the only hotel appearing in the One star hotel category.

Hoteliers promise to do more to improve their stars by offering better services. “I want to hire more competitive staff and train those I have. I also intend to offer more varieties especially on cuisine,” said Saeed Alam the owner of The Manor Hotel.

The RDB Tourism and Conservation Department Head Rica Rwigamba explained,“The classification system covers 16 sections of the establishments and brings out different aspects of service delivery essential for customer satisfaction including safety and security, comfort and enjoyment.”

“It also covers physical and tangible characteristics of accommodation facilities such as location, dimension of the rooms, supplies in bathrooms and frequency of change of linen.”

“The non-tangible elements such as comfort, ambience, elegance, style and luxury are also assessed. The system also covers social contact in aspects such as staff grooming and communications skills,” added Rwigamba.

John Mirenge the Rwandair Chief Executive Officer (CEO) said,“In the past it was hard to guide foreign clients but with the new guide which will be placed in local aircrafts clients will be more informed on where to spend their leisure time for example.”

According to the RDB CEO John Gara, “these star ratings will certainly have various positive effects. This is an incentive and encouragement for our establishments to continuously improve. In addition, the discerning consumer will have an easy reference to what their preferred accommodation would be.”

Rwanda’s minister of East Africa Monique Mukaruriza noted, “This is timely with the region’s plan of forming a tourism hub with inputs from member states,” she said adding that there are many advantages of attracting more tourists including foreign exchange earnings that stabilise local currency.

Meanwhile the stars will be given yearly in order to rank those which were not recognized partly because during the assessment period they were still upgrading their standards like hotel Umubano formerly known as Laico regency which is being renovated.

{{Reports from National Police indicate that Youths are the most drug abusers in the country.}}

In efforts aimed at curbing illicit drugs among the youth, police yesterday completed one-day training of District Community Liaison Officers in fighting drug abuse and alcohol consumption among the youths.

The training workshop was held at the police’s general headquarters in Kacyiru.

Police had earlier recommended for the decentralization of the fight against drugs and alcohol among youth, to the lowest local governance levels.

The campaign will be done at the grassroots and spearheaded by the DCLOs in all districts of the country as was announced during the session.

Assistant Commissioner of Police, Vianney Nshimiyimana, the Commissioner for General Services,said that the general trend of crimes in the country has drastically reduced and accredited the work to DCLO’s.

He, however, noted that drug abuse among the youth is still a challenge. “As police, we need to establish mechanisms ensuring that Children are protected from drugs and alcohol”.

“They are the future leaders of the country. They should be guided to be more responsible people,” he added.

He urged for collaboration with other partners such as bar owners, religious and local leaders to effectively contain society crimes.

AIP Bonaventure Twizere, DCLO in Gasabo District commended skills gained that will help further combat the vice. “We will create anti drug clubs and recreation centres in Gasabo to sensitize the youth about the dangers of drug abuse”.

AIP Angelique Abijuru, the DCLO of Bugesera District noted that cooperation with citizens is paramount in addressing the challenge of drug abuse among youths.

“The general public has always provided information about drug dealers which has helped Police in seizing and destroying them and culprits apprehended,” Habijuru said.

She advised parents to be responsible and always monitor their children.

{{Police is holding a suspected fraudster found in possession with 11 laptops worth Rwf9.7m, stolen from an Indian businessman using a forged cheque.}}

Three of the laptops had already been sold by the time of arrest.

In an interview with press, Police Spokesperson, Supt. Theos Badege said that the suspect identified as Jean Remy Shema had been residing in a guest house in Remera-Giporoso where he had many computers selling them at a giveaway price.

“After receiving the information, we swung into action to verify and indeed we went to the hotel and found 11 laptops with the suspect.”

“After questioning him, he said he had bought the laptops for re-sell but we later discovered that we had another case involving the same person, so we had to arrest him,” Badege said.

{{The U.S. government has welcomed convictions by the Arusha Based international Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) of the leaders of a political party tied to the 1994 Rwandan Tutsi genocide.}}

The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda announced the convictions of former National Republican Movement for Democracy and Development President Mathieu Ngirumpatse and former MRND Vice President and Minister of Interior Edouard Karemera on charges of genocide.

U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said that while at least nine fugitives are still on the run, the ruling was a positive development.

“The United States welcomes this ruling as an important step in providing justice and accountability for the Rwandan people and the international community,” he said.

Both of the leaders were key figures in the interim government that helped establish the Interahamwe militia that played a dominate role in the execution of 1994 Tutsi Genocide.

ICTR found both leaders responsible for sexual violence committed against Tutsi women and girls during the Genocide.

Both men were convicted for their role in criminal acts meant to destroy the Tutsi population in Rwanda. Both men were sentenced to life in prison for their role in the genocide.

{{French government has announced that effect from January 1, next year a special court to try Rwandan genocide cases will commence.}}

The latest development follows the approval of a law on December 13, 2011 to establish the tribunal.

Rwanda’s Prosecutor General Martin Ngoga commended the move saying, “I understand there has been a plan in France to set up a special chamber to deal with genocide cases, I’m unaware it is now done, nevertheless if France implements the plan it will most likely help to move forward the process of these cases that are many in France where the country has done badly on this subject .”

He added, “of course lack of such an arrangement cannot constitute a serious excuse for what they have not been doing, but setting up a special chamber would demonstrate more than ever before a new chapter of seriousness that should be attached to a problem of that magnitude.”

When fully operational, the Paris based court will prioritize on concluding 20 genocide cases piled in France’s several intermediary courts.

Indeed, among the Rwandan genocide offenses include, war crimes, torture, both genocide ideology and denial.

Yet in order to strengthen its capacity, the court will work jointly with the international criminal court to gather more evidence especially from recent captured suspects who have worked with Rwandan rebels based in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic Congo (DRC) who are also suspected to have contributed largely to the genocide.

Meanwhile Political leaders in France have condemned the recent attack of their colleague who spearheaded the formation of this special court.

Last month, the French Minister of Justice told Hirondelle News Agency that four examining judges will be exclusively assigned to the special genocide unit of Paris Tribunal de grande instance that will commence duties in January 2012.

The French Assembly passed the law creating this special unit on November 16. It will serve as a special forum to deal with crimes against humanity, crimes of war, and acts of torture.

Along with the four magistrates, one judge from the office of the Prosecutor, two Registrars and six other employees coming from the Minister of Foreign Affairs will also be assigned to the special unit, the Minister of Justice’s spokesman Bruno Dabre said.

The unit will have to handle in priority twenty Rwandan cases out of a total of 340 files. Bruno Dabre added that the financial resources of the unit have not been yet disclosed.

According to the new law, examining judges will be entitled within the frame of a Rogatory letter and with the approval of the concerned state to conduct hearings in that territory.

The special unit will also inherit the case opened against French soldiers for alleged rapes committed in 1994 during Operation Turquoise.

Proceedings in this case are slated to be transferred from the Army Court on January 1st, 2012.

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{{Uganda’s based Jose Chameleon is expected to rock Kigali City in a concert scheduled at The Manor Hotel in Nyarutarama for two days to end the year 2011.}}

Chameleon will perform tomorrow Thursday 29 and Friday 30 and then invited by Quelque Part Bar & Restaurant.

According to the event organizers, Chameleon will perform along with popular local artists including Kitoko and Dream Boyz.

Joseph Mayanja aka Jose Chameleon was born 1979. He mainly sings in Luganda, English and Swahili and has become a Pop Idol in Africa with several of His songs popular on Radios and Tvs, in Bars and Clubs all over the continent.

Several of His songs have turned into popular dialect such as Basiima Ogenze, Shida Za Dunia, Nekolera Maali, and Mama Mia among Others.

He is generally credited with the rejuvenation of Popular Local Music in Uganda at the turn of the Century.

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{{The media bills have been tabled in the lower chamber of parliament again by Political Affairs and Gender Committee following the approval by the plenary session in August.}}

Protais Musoni, Minister in charge of Cabinet Affairs, has said that there were clauses hampering the media which had to be removed.

Some articles include the one that require a certain amount of money to set up a media house and specified academic qualifications requirements for journalists to practice journalism.

“There are some who have not been trained in journalism and can do or may do better than those qualified in journalism,” Musoni told the member of parliament before taking on the the scrutiny which is supposed to be completed before this month ends.

Media analysts say the removal of restrictive clauses may compromise quality in the media in this generation.

However the Minister does not see that way saying that when entrance into any sector becomes easy, it facilitates competition which makes the sector grow fast.

Musoni argues that competitive market will automatically eliminate poor quality emphasizing that many people have been discovered to have better journalistic skills without having necessarily went journalism schools.

Previously, the draft law also required a Rwandan journalist to have, either an associate’s degree in journalism or communication, a certificate obtained from an institute of journalism and communication, or a university degree in another field with training in journalism.

“It is not that we wish the media to have unqualified people. But media practitioners will also want to employ competent people so as to give quality,” The Minister said adding that Editors’ forum will be formed to monitor the profession.

The Lower Chamber had proposed that Rwf 50 million be the initial capital requirement for radio stations, Rwf 100 million for television and Rwf 6 million for print media.

Apart from the Media Bill, lawmakers are also examining a bill on access to information, and two bills on the functioning and organization of the Media High Council (MHC), as well as the Rwanda Broadcasting Agency (RBA).

Unlike before, media regulation will now be carried out by the Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Agency (RURA).

The bill on access to information aims to enable the public access to information in the hands of public institutions, and some private bodies.

Members of parliament are exepcted to complete srutiny of the bills by Friday.

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{{Rwanda’s continued gender sensitivity has seen at least 9 female police officers join a contingent of 160 police officers under the Formed Protection Unit (FPU).}}

The contingent which has left for Jérémie town in southern Haiti will be under the command of Chief Superintendent, Toussaint Muzezayo.

“Rwanda has been ranked first by Department of Peacekeeping Operations(DPKO) in female contributions in UN missions,” Police spokesperson Supt. Theos Badege has said.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched a campaign in August 2009 to lift the percentage of women peacekeepers to 20 percent in police units by 2014, and to 10 percent in military contingents.

It is estimated that only 2.3 percent of the 88,661 military peacekeepers serving in 17 different missions are women, whereas in 2008 they made up 2.18 percent of military contingents.

It has been also reported that approximately 8.2 percent of the 13,221 UN police are women, a figure that jumped from 6.5 percent in April.

In 2000, Resolution 1325 of the UN Security Council called on the Secretary-General to progress on gender mainstreaming throughout peacekeeping missions and all other aspects related to women and girls.

Subsequent Security Council resolutions outlined more comprehensive methods for using peacekeeping missions to protect women and girls from sexual violence in conflict and post-conflict zones, including increasing the number of women peacekeepers.

The first all-female Formed Police Unit (FPU), was deployed in Liberia in 2007, where a significant difference to the women victimized in rampant sexual violence during the country’s civil war was attained.

A five-year campaign to boost the number of UN female peacekeepers was also launched though not many countries have equally involved in realizing the campaign.

Early last year, the United Nations Police Commissioner General, Ann-Marie Orler, visited Rwanda appreciating Rwanda’s gender sensitivity and called upon nations to contribute towards female recruitment or sending to peacekeeping mission.

She announced that the DPKO Police Division had taken up a drive to recruit more female police officers, that targets 20 percent in 2014 from 8 percent 2009, with a long-term goal of having a 50-50 ratio of men to women.

The second Rwandan contingent to Haiti will replace another 160 police officers that were deployed nine months ago, whose mission has ended and expected to be in the country by December 31.

FPUs, among others, provide humanitarian assistance, conduct patrols and guard VIPs and key installations.

Currently, there are 416 police officers on mission in Sudan, Liberia, Ivory Coast and Haiti.

As at October 2011, it was estimated that 1,342 female police officers represented about 9.4% of the total police deployment of 14,239.

This reflected a marginal improvement over the participation of female police in peacekeeping. This improvement also covered participation in FPU.

However, a number of African member states appear to have taken on the challenge of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) on Women, Peace and Security, by deploying all-female contingents.

African examples include Namibian Police Force (31 females in UNAMID), Rwanda (89 in Darfur), Tanzania (25 in Darfur) and Ghana (35 in Darfur).

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{{The mayor of Kayonza District John Mugabo has announced that 10,000 people will undergo adult literacy trainings in a period of six months.}}

The aim is to reduce poverty and giving them basic skills which would also facilitate them in managing small income generating activities.

At least 3 classrooms in every sector will offer lessons on reading, writing and counting numbers supported by Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) that is so far trained 150 teachers on special syllabus.

The executive secretary of southern province Jean-Marie Vianney Makombe commended ADRA’s initiative adding that it is in line with government initiative to alleviate poverty.

“Education is important in improving one’s welfare and also enhances the country’s development,” he said.

Maxime Ngarambe one of the teachers urged those who are illiterate not to feel shy of going to class even though they’re old since the program doesn’t ignore anyone.

“I ask local leaders to help us in the campaign process and encourage those who are defensive of the school because of their inferiority complex,” he remarked.

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{{Rwandan prosecutor general Martin Ngoga has announced that the government will file charges against the recently released genocide suspect Callixte Mbarushimana by International Criminal Court (ICC).}}

According to Ngoga there’re charges he never faced at the Hague based court like the original genocidal cases.

Ngoga says Mbarushimana was tried crimes committed under his command of the FDLR in the volatile east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in 2009, and not his alleged participation in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.

Mbarushimana was released last week after the court concluded that there was no enough evidence in all five counts of crimes against humanity and eight counts of war crimes, including charges of murder, torture, rape, inhumane acts and persecution, and destruction of property.

“We shall definitely press original Genocidal charges. He never faced those charges at the ICC. We said in the past and we so repeat, that, there is no relenting until he faces his day in court,” Prosecutor General Martin Ngoga, said on Monday.

However, Mbarushimana is believed to be a senior member of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) operating in eastern DR Congo, whose fighters were widely believed to be responsible for hundreds of deaths and sexual assaults
He is said to have returned to France where he has a refugee status and worked as a computer specialist.

Rwanda has in the past issued an indictment for his arrest but French authorities paid no heed.

Mbarushimana is believed to have played a role in organizing and executing killings during the 1994 Genocide, where he was a computer technician in the UNDP office in Kigali.

In 2001, a UN investigative team linked Mbarushimana with the murder of 32 people, including Tutsi colleagues at the UNDP.

After closely monitoring the trial at the ICC, Rwandan prosecutors, remain undeterred as they seek to bring him to justice for his alleged involvement in the Genocide.

Mbarushimana was arrested in France last October after the ICC Prosecution issued a warrant for his arrest on five counts of crimes against humanity and eight counts of war crimes, committed by FDLR in DRC.

On October 11, 2010, Mbarushimana was arrested in France, where he had been living as a political refugee since 2003.

On arrival in French capital, Paris, Mbarushimana was taken by police to meet an investigating magistrate who is to notify him of his parole conditions, says the AFP.

Despite ICC charges being dropped, the AFP says he is under investigation in France for his alleged role in the 1994 Genocide, hence the interview with the judge.

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