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{{Chief Justice Aloysea Cyanzayire has said that Rwandan Judiciary has reformed largely ten years down the road.}}

Cyanzayire was briefing President Paul Kagame at his office Village Urugwiro on the progress of Judiciary in Rwanda.

This follows yesterday’s nomination of her successor Sam Rugege who has been her deputy since 2004.

According to the press statement from the president’s office, Cyanzayire whose 8 year non-renewable term of office ends this month made a courtesy call to thank President Kagame for relentless support towards the growth of judiciary.

With support of the president Kagame, Rwandan Judiciary is seen as the most reforming institution in the region using ICT to deliver justice, according to Cyanzayire.

Cyanzaire said that other areas where the Judiciary registered great success include capacity-building, where a big number of judicial staff have been able to acquire skills and experience.

Over the last 10 years, the Rwandan judicial system has undergone various reforms putting it on the international standards.

Members of the judiciary have received intensive training, both academic and on-job, and now they have the capacity to deliver justice, professionally.

The reforms have also seen a backlog of cases concluded and the population now gaining confidence in the justice system.

In August, the nominated Chief Justice Rugege made the remarks during a town hall meeting, broadcasted live on public television and radio that since, 2004, about 247,000 cases filed overwhelming judges, but with the reforms, more than 200,000 have been concluded.

He however added that some of the cases filed in the courts can be solved through unconventional means to bring down the rapidly increasing number of cases which is the major bottlenecks in the effecting justice.

“Cases are now unnecessarily multiplying in courts. The sad thing is that people skip the lower and the higher instance courts to file their grievances in the high court which increases the burden on the system.” He said.

He underscored that cases such as family issues would better be addressed by local leaders prior to going to the courts.

“Before 2004, only 74 judges had bachelor’s degree in law out of 702. This number has since been raised to 281. We train our judges before they begin to practice while others are sponsored for study tours,” Rugenge added.

Cases can also be filed online while video conferencing has been introduced to enable court proceeding to go on without having the concerned parties physically in the court rooms.

Cyanzayire who made her call to president Kagame to day, She also said that the rehabilitation and construction of court premises all over the country have had a big impact on the strengthening of the judiciary.

The Chief Justice told President Kagame that the Judiciary still faces a few challenges though, including the big number of outstanding cases and lack of highly experienced staff. Nonetheless, she pointed out that strategies were being devised to address them.

President Kagame thanked Cyanzayire for her services to her country and also pledged his and government’s continued support in building a strong judiciary that will serve Rwandans better.

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{{Information from Ministry of Foreign Affairs and cooperation indicate that Amb. William Nkurunziza will represent Rwanda as her diplomat to Sri-Lanka.}}

Amb. Nkurunziza on December 6, 2011 presented his credentials to the President of the Socialist Democratic Republic of Sri Lanka, His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa, at his offices in the country’s capital Colombo .

Nkurunziza has been the High Commissioner of Rwanda accredited to India, and also to Bangladesh.

Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon, Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the Maldives. It is part of South Asia.

As a result of its location in the path of major sea routes, Sri Lanka is a strategic naval link between West Asia and South East Asia and was an important stop on the ancient Silk Road.

Nkurunziza was the first Rwandan envoy to present credentials to Sri Lankan government following the two countries’ decision to establish diplomatic relations earlier this year.

In presenting his credentials, the High commissioner conveyed President Paul Kagame’s fraternal greetings and best wishes to President Mahinda Rajapaksa for his good health and prosperity of his country and people as well as the Rwandan president’s desire to strengthen and deepen bilateral relations between the two countries.

The Sri Lankan president warmly welcomed Rwanda as a friend and commended the country for its solidarity in international fora.

The ceremony was attended by the Sri Lankan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Professor G. L Peiris and other senior government officials.

After presenting credentials, the High Commissioner paid courtesy calls to the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Finance, Agriculture as well as the Secretary for defence.

All these eminent officials expressed readiness to work with Rwanda in strengthening bilateral and sectoral cooperation between the two countries, says a statement by the Rwanda High Commission in India.

The High Commissioner also held discussions with the Executive Director of Sri Lankan Board of Investments as well as the Chairman and CEO of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.

In collaboration with the Chamber, the High Commissioner hosted 30 leading captains of Sri Lankan industry to a diner during which he articulated Rwanda’s proposition as an idea destination for trade and investments.

The presentation was well received with many executives expressing intentions to visit Rwanda and explore opportunities, especially in the construction, tea processing and power sectors.

Commenting on this new development, Ambassador Nkurunziza welcomed the formalization of relations describing it as part of “Rwanda’s expansion of its diplomatic footprint, gaining new friends and strengthening its source of solidarity in international fora.

“Sri Lanka is also a potential source of investment, especially in the construction, tea processing and power sectors where it has competitive strengths and sectors in which its companies are already expanding outward,” he added.

Sri Lanka, with a GDP of over $68 billion, is among the leading global exporters of textiles and apparel, tea, rubber and rubber products as well as gems and jewelry.

The High Commissioner was accompanied by his spouse, Leonia Nkuruh, and the First Counsellor, Alfred Ndabarasa, at the Credentials presentation ceremony.

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{{Reports from France indicate that unknown people have attacked the Rwanda Embassy in Paris.}}

The embassy located on 12, rue jardin 75017 Paris was attacked in the night of December 6 at around 10:00 pm when the unknown people who tried to burn the Embassy but fire fighters intervened and stopped the fire.

The Statement from the Embassy said that some unknown people came near the Embassy and through a cocktail bottle of Molotov in the Embassy through its windows.

The statement signed by Ambassador Jacques Kabale, asked Rwandans living around the town where the embassy is located to stay calm, and give a deaf ear to rumors about Presidential elections of DR Congo which is suspected to be the cause of the attack.

“No one has been hurt in this attack and security agents here are investigating to get those suspects who tried to burn the Embassy, and they are guarding the Embassy.,” noted Amb. Kabale.

Ambassador Kabale said that those people who tried to burn the Embassy through lit bottles containing petrol which blasted burning the curtains and the carpet in his own office,” Kabale said by Phone.

Ambassador Kabale calls upon Rwandans to stay united.

This act comes after the attack to Rwandan living in Belgium by the Congolese supporters of DR Congo Presidential Candidate Etienne Tshisekedi.

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{{After addressing the East Africa Summit on the EAC region future, the Kenyan Prime Minister, Raila Odinga has met President Paul Kagame in village Urugwiro.}}

The two-day summit hosted by Swiss-based Economist Group the publishers of The Economist weekly magazine tackled trade potential of the bloc.

It attracted investors, economists and government officials from the region and looked at how to determine the future of the region.

“I briefed the president about this conference, and also talked about a number of regional issues needed to unlock the potential and the bottlenecks experienced currently,” Odinga said.

Odinga said they also discussed the progress of the East African Community (EAC), and what countries need to do to speed up the integration process.

“We all know that EAC member states faster the process of getting rid of Non-Tariff Barriers,” Odinga said.

“The issue of work permits is of concern to all of us. Rwanda and Kenya have already led the way by removing work permits and we would like to see other member states follow suit and do the same”.

He had also previously called upon EAC member states to share intelligence and collectively fight pirates and terrorist groups in the Indian Ocean, in order to foster regional peace and economic growth.

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{{Two senior judicial officials Chief Justice and Deputy Chief Justice of Supreme Court have been nominated by President Paul Kagame and have been approved by the Cabinet.}}

Sam Rugege has been nominated as Chief Justice and Zainabo Sylvie Kayitesi as Deputy Chief Justice of Supreme Court, according to the cabinet meeting statement that sat this Wednesday.

Sam Rugege will upon senate approval replace Aloysea Cyanzayire who has served for 8 years which will end by the end of this month.

Rugege and his deputy have been nominated after the approval of Supreme Council of the Judiciary.

He was appointed as a deputy Chief Justice at the Supreme Court 2004, following the appointment of the incumbent Chief Justice Cyanzaire who was appointed into the office in 2003, when Rugege was a Professor of Law at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) in Cape Town, South Africa.

Kayitesi, Rugege’s nominated deputy is the chairperson of the Rwanda National Human Rights Commission.

Rugege studied law at Makerere University in Uganda, Yale Law School in the United States of America and Oxford University in England where he obtained LLB, LLM and D.Phil. degrees respectively.

He started his law career as a lecturer at Makerere University, he then taught at the National University of Lesotho and University of Swaziland, rising to the position of Associate Professor.

During 1995 as visiting Scholar at Cornell Law School where he taught African Law.
His last teaching post before being elevated to the bench was in Cape Town, South Africa, as Professor of Law at the University of the Western Cape (UWC).

Justice Rugege was appointed to the Supreme Court of Rwanda in 2004 and since 2005, he is also the Principal Judge of the First Instance Division of the Court of Justice of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).

Other appointments included Valens Munyabagisha as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Internal Security, replacing Penelope Kantarama who now a Senator.

Dr. James Vuningoma, former Vice Rector of Kigali Institute of Education (KIE), has been appointed the Executive Secretary of the newly created Rwanda Academy of Language and Culture.

Regis Gatarayiha, was confirmed as Director General of Rwanda Utility Regulatory Agency (RURA) while Yusuf Murangwa replaces Diane Karusisi as the Director General of the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR).

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{{The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) made a special appeal to the United Nations Security Council to find a lasting solution of getting host countries to acquitted persons who remain in safe houses under the Tribunal’s protection.}}

‘’The Tribunal has had no other choice but to call upon the assistance of the Security Council to find a sustainable solution to this issue,” stated ICTR President, Judge Khalida Rachid Khan in a letter to the President of the Council.

She explained that efforts to find host countries for the five acquitted persons proved unsuccessful due to the absence of a formal mechanism to secure the support of the member states to accept those persons in their countries.

Three persons whose acquittals have been confirmed on appeal are still trying to find a host country. They are former Rwandan Transport Minister André Ntagerura, General Gratien Kabiligi and Protais Zigiranyirazo, brother-in-law of the late former president Juvénal Habyarimana.

Two more people are waiting to know whether their acquittals will be confirmed by the ICTR Appeals Chamber including, former Foreign Affairs Minister Jérôme Bicamumpaka and former Health Minister Casimir Bizimungu.

Ntagerura has been looking for a host country for the longest time. He was acquitted by the lower court in February 2004 and the decision was confirmed on appeal in February 2006.

‘’The Tribunal considers the settlement of persons acquitted by an international criminal tribunal to be a fundamental expression of the rule of law and is concerned about the consequences of failing to fulfill this obligation,” ICTR President underlined.

In the same letter, President Khan also told the Security Council that the effort to track down the remaining nine fugitives including the top on the list, Felicien Kabuga, the alleged financier of genocide was still on.

‘’The Prosecutor continues to seek due diligent from Kenya in the discharge of its international obligation pursuant to Security Council resolution 1966 (2010) by expediting work on the tracking and arrest of this top-level fugitive,” she states.

Apart from Kenya, the letter also called upon other member states especially the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the neigbouring Great Lakes countries and countries in the Southern African region to double efforts in tracking down the remaining fugitives believed to be in the hide out in those countries.

The other two most wanted fugitives are ex-Rwandan minister for Defence, Augustine Bizimana and former Presidential Guard Commander, Major Protais Mpiranya.

ICTR President Judge Khan and the Prosecutor, Hassan Bubacar Jallow are expected next Wednesday, December 7, 2011 to present before the UN Assembly in New York reports on the progress and challenges facing the Tribunal in the implementation of the exit strategy.

It was expected that the Tribunal would conclude its first instance trials by December 31, 2011 but it is now evident that it is not possible despite all the efforts made.