Igihe

Author: b_igi_adm1n

  • Butaro Cancer Center of Excellence To be Opened

    The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Rwanda, Partners in Health, the Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation and the Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center will July 18, inaugurate the Butaro Cancer Center of Excellence, which will serve as the first national cancer referral facility in rural Rwanda.

    The Center, located within Butaro Hospital in northern rural Rwanda, is a critical element of Rwanda’s ambitious five-year plan to introduce cancer prevention, screening and treatment on a national level.

    The facility’s opening will mark a major milestone as the first center of its kind to bring comprehensive cancer care to rural East Africa.

    “Just a few years ago we had no system or financing mechanism to diagnose and treat AIDS in Africa. People said it was too expensive or too complicated. But today nearly 7 million people in developing countries are receiving treatment for HIV.

    We can do the same with cancer,” said Paul Farmer, co-founder Partners In Health and chair of Harvard’s Department of Global Health and Social Medicine.

    Rwanda has a population of nearly 11 million people — and not a single Rwandan oncologist. Childhood cancers like acute lymphoblastic leukemia, which has an 80 percent cure rate in the United States, are a virtual death sentence for children in Rwanda.

    “As Rwanda makes significant strides in combating major infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria, the government is also putting a lot of effort into the diagnosis and treatment of the most frequently occurring non-communicable diseases.

    The new Butaro Cancer Centre of Excellence not only comes at an appropriate time, but also feeds well into this vision and adds value to the interventions we have designed in combating NCDs.

    We appreciate the role of our partners in making this dream of screening, diagnosing, and treating some cancers become a reality in our country,” Dr. Agnes Binagwaho, Minister of Health.

    The Cancer Center of Excellence aims to address both existing resource limitations and the growing global cancer burden. The World Health Organization expects 16 million new cancer cases worldwide by 2020, with 70 percent in developing countries like Rwanda.

    The Butaro Cancer Center of Excellence will provide a full spectrum of cancer care including screening, diagnosis, chemotherapy, surgery, patient follow-up, and palliative care.

    It will also serve as the first facility to implement standardized cancer training and protocols that align with Rwanda’s new national guidelines.

  • Congolese Urged to Trust National Army

    Following reports that Congolese citizens are losing hope in their national army, Gen. Didier Etumba, the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) has called upon for public support and trust in the army.

    In a statement in Goma (North Kivu) Tuesday, July 10, Gen. Etumba claims that the military has conducted victorious operations and remains determined to defeat the rebels of the Movement of March 23 (M23).

    “People have confidence in the army. This is the only army that has done a good job, “said Gen.Etumba.

    He explained that during exchange of fire with rebels, “the FARDC have experienced small problems but overall, the operations were rather great victory for the army.”

    “The emphasis is perhaps on a few small problems that one or the other battalion of the Congolese army met in Bunagana or Ntamugenga Runyoni but we forget that the FARDC are trying to dismantle the rebels.”

    M23 rebels took control of border town of Bunagana, in North Kivu on Thursday, July 5. They rose after this success to Rutshuru center also taking control of the towns of Kiwanja Rubare Ntamugenga, Tchengerero, Jomba parish, and Kitagoma Kabaya, in groups and Jomba Busanza in Rutshuru territory.

    Meanwhile, the M23 rebels have called on the DRC government to open political talks after capturing key towns of Rutshuru and Bunagana at the DRC-Uganda border.

    “The Congolese government knows what was committed with the then CNDP rebellion on March 23, 2009 in the city of Goma. Nothing was realised so far”, Col Vianney Kazarama, the M23 Spokesman declared on Sunday, July 8.

  • Documentary Shows Kenyan Secrete Service, Army Protected Felicien Kabuga

    A new Television documentary aired by a Kenyan television station NTV broadcasted on Sunday a documentary claiming that the Kenyan army and intelligence services hid and protected Rwandan genocide fugitive, Felicien Kabuga, as late as 2008.

    OPEN LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gpxy4NxqboQ

    “In the footsteps of Felicien Kabuga” is the result of five months of investigations in Kenya and Rwanda.

    It claims that the National Security Intelligence Service (NSIS) and the Kenyan military formed a squad to protect the most wanted genocide suspect.

    The ICTR has indicted him for genocide, and the United States has put a five million dollar bounty on his head.

    According to the documentary, Michael Sarunei, a Kenyan army officer who was part of Kabuga’s bodyguard, secretly took pictures of the fugitive while admitted in a Nairobi hospital in 2008. Sarunei has since disappeared.

    According to a relative, he has been killed after the pictures he took were found by one of his colleagues who alerted Kabuga and his protectors in government.

    NTV showed three of these pictures to Rwanda’s prosecutor-general Martin Ngoga, who confirmed they were of Kabuga, though 18 years older than widely circulated pictures of him.

    The Kenyan government, which has long denied the existence of Kabuga in Kenya, rejected the new allegations.

    “This particular government has not been aware of anything to do with the protection of Mr Kabuga. We are working very closely with the Rwandan government to ensure that this man is arrested,” government spokesman Alfred Mutua was quoted.

    The United States and the ICTR have repeatedly claimed that Kabuga has been hiding in Kenya, but the government has rejected the accusations and asked for evidence to prove the allegations.

  • Thomas Lubanga Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison

    A former Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga has been sentenced to 14 years in jail for war crimes.

    The International Criminal Court today sentenced Congolese militia leader Lubanga to a total of 14 years in jail for war crimes. The Prosecutor had asked for 30 years.

    On March 14, the Court had found Lubanga guilty of war crimes for conscripting and using child soldiers to fight in Ituri (eastern Democratic Republic of Congo) from September 1, 2002 to August 13, 2003. At the time he was president of the Union des patriotes congolais (UPC).

    Lubanga has been in jail in The Hague since March 2006, i.e. more than six years. The judges said this time spent in detention should be deducted from his sentence, meaning that he has just under eight years left to serve.

    The judges have not yet handed down a decision on reparations which could be allocated to victims.

    Lubanga is to serve his sentence in a third country. Six countries have so far signed agreements with the ICC to host its convicted prisoners in their jails : Mali, Serbia, Finland,Belgium, the UK and Austria.

    Lubanga’s trial started on January26, 2009. He is the first person to be judged by the ICC since it was created ten years ago.

  • Manor Hotel Rollsout Specialised Events

    After the thrilling masquerade ball party held at the Manor Hotel last Saturday, the Manor hotel has rolledout more specialized events to compliment daily events at the hotel.

    Irene Nuwagaba, the hotel’s marketing manager, explains, Monday is Shisha night, Tuesday movie night, Wednesday beautiful singles, Thursday Karaoke, Friday Swagger night, Saturday Reggea-Ragga and Sunday which consists of two events, Teenz Buzz and Bollywood night.

    Nuwagaba says, “we’re improving our menu. on 27th July we’re organizing the first food and wine testing- it’s an event meant to officially launch our new menu in all our three restaurants including: the Indian, Chinnese and Italian hotels, also our main bar we be serving unique drinks such as margarita.”

    After the food and testing event the following evening will consist of the masqueraded ball night on 28th July. The event has been repeated due to a high demand obtained from the hotel’s suggestion box.

    The yet to be introduced meals will be from Mongolian and a dinner to launch the meals will be held on 3rd August.

    “Due to geographic proximity and deep historic ties with china and Russia, Mongolian cuisine is also influenced by Chinese and Russian cuisine.

    Our favorite will be Mongolian barbecue which is beef meat and vegetables cooked in large, round, solid iron griddles at temperatures of up to 300 °C (572 °F).”

    Also part of the new menu, is African dishes which consist of the majority local cuisine, an event to serve the meal officially will be held on 17th August.

  • Egypt Army Conflicts With Civilian President

    The newly sworn-in first civilian president of Egypt is at cross roads with Military council after the new leader ordered parliament to resume against court decision that had suspended it last month.

    The order by President Mohammed Morsy has pushed his leadership into a conflict with the military council which has said the decision to dissolve the country’s parliament must be upheld.

    The military closed parliament last month after a court ruling. Its latest intervention is seen by some as a challenge and warning to the president, sworn in barely a week ago.

    On President Morsy’s orders, the speaker has convened a meeting of parliament on Tuesday.

    Crowds were gathering in Tahrir Square ahead of the meeting called for 10:00 (08:00 GMT), in defiance of the military’s decision.

    The Muslim Brotherhood – which has the biggest bloc of seats in parliament – said it would participate on Tuesday “in a million-man march in support of the president’s decision and reinstating parliament”.

    The military council said it was confident “all state institutions” would respect the law and constitution.

    Analysts say the political truce in Egypt appears over.

  • Man Arrested Over Theft of Electric Cables

    A man identified as Etienne Rutagengwa 28, is being detained by Police in Nyarugenge district in connection with theft of electric cables belonging to Energy Water and Sanitation Authority (EWASA).

    Rutagengwa was arrested while stealing electrical cables in Rugunga cell at 1900hrs with intention to sell them to one Nzeyimana a resident of Gikondo, in Kicukiro district.

    The most targeted cables are those made in copper because they are sold as scrap to dealers who in turn sell them outside the country borders.

  • Workshop to Address Skills Gap in Natural Resources Management

    The Rwanda Development Board (RDB) organized July 9, a workshop on“Development of short courses programs”.

    The five-day workshop aims at developing the necessary skills of conservation organizations and individuals in the central Africa in fields related to sustainable forest and natural resources management.

    The workshop was organized through KCCEM (Kitabi College of Conservation of Environmental Management in conjunction with Network of Forestry and environmental management institutions in Central Africa (RIFFEAC) with the support from GIZ (German Agency for International Cooperation).

    The workshop taking place (9th -13th July) is convened at La PalisseNyandungu-Kigali.

    Participants are drawn from Higher Education institutions in various countries including Gabon, DRC, Central African Republic, Congo Brazzaville, Cameroon, Burundi, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Germany and Rwanda.

    They will share knowledge, skills and experience to deal with sustainable management of forests and biodiversity, while developing a curriculum of mid-level career professionals and communities needed in the region.

    Nasasira Richard the Acting Principal of Kitabi College of Conservation and Environmental Management (KCCEM) told said that 30 participants will discuss developing short courses for capacity enhancement in as far as sustainable management of forests and biodiversity is in general.

    He added that participants will learn from the Rwandan experiences on how trainings have been planned, executed and monitored.

    A field excursion in south west of Rwanda, where KCCEM is located at the edge of Nyungwe National Park will demonstrate how the college has organized and trained different groups of communities around Nyungwe National Park in conserving biodiversity.

    To challenge the skills gap in the mid-level management of the regions’ Natural resources, the government of Rwanda through the Rwanda Board of Development (RDB), established Kitabi College of Conservation and Environmental Management (KCCEM) aimed at developing capacity for Conservation and Environmental Management and tourism mid-level professionals in the Albertine rift region.

    Participants will be enabled to design and develop training programs that meet the training needs for management of natural resource challenges that include; lack of skilled personnel, as most skilled personnel are attracted by other high-level jobs.

    He noted,“We are joined here to work together to make sure that we contribute and add value to the present and future workforce that will lead our nations to the desired sustainable Development”NASASIRA, The KCCEM Principal emphasized.

    The workshop is aimed at facilitating all the network member institutions to develop short term training programs that will bridge the skills gap provided to highly trained personnel and the mid mid-level professionals who in most cases do much in the conservation sector.

    NASASIRA added that “the workshop will address the issue of qualified personnel who tend to seek employment outside of protected areas, which results in a skill gap in the mid-level management of the Albertine Rift’s natural resources, a problem that is common in all central African countries”.

    To find a sustainable solution, institutions in central African countries are advised to work together, contribute and add value to the present and future workforce that will lead our nations to the desired sustainable Development through very useful short term training programs.

  • Rwanda-France Agree on University Medical Cooperation

    The Ministry of Health on 9th July, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with France that will serve as a framework for a structured university medical cooperation that will improve healthcare in Rwanda.

    The Minister of Health, Dr. Agnes Binagwaho signed the MoU with Chantal Bes, the First Counsellor of Co-operation, Cultural and Development Affairs at the French Embassy in Rwanda.

    Dr. Binagwaho explained that the agreement would be specific to a few medical fields including intensive care and reanimation, emergency care, anesthesiology, cancer logy, oncology and plastic surgery among others.

    These priorities were set by both the health ministry officials and French officials, following meetings that were held in November 2011 and February 2012.

    The agreement states that the French actors are committed to come to Rwanda on a regular basis to provide theoretical and practical teaching, give Rwandan medics internship opportunities in France as well as assist Rwandan institutions in the elaboration of the academic curriculum.

    Based on the same agreement, Rwandans willing to study in France will also be able to acquire scholarships.

    Officials noted that the memorandum of understanding provides a general framework in which institutions from both sides have to develop their partnerships, in line with the priorities designed by the government of Rwanda.

    The Honorable Minister of Health noted that this initiative is another move that will equip Rwandan medics with higher skills which will in turn accelerate the much desired goal of ensuring quality service delivery in Rwanda.

  • Congolese Bishops Threaten to Moblise Citizens To Defend DRC

    Reports from DRCongo indicate that a plenary assembly of bishops, members of the Congolese National Episcopal Conference of Congo (Cenco) in Kinshasa have called upon Congolese citizens to say “No to the balkanization of the DRC”.

    The statement was made July 9 by Father Leonard Santedi, general secretary of the Cenco at the end of the assembly.

    Fr. Santedi also announced large-scale actions to be taken through all the Catholic parishes of DRCongo.

    “The war in eastern Congo is killing peaceful citizens. We are conducting an awareness campaign so that people realize that our country is at war and defend every inch of our territory, “He said.

    Meanwhile, Wednesday, Uganda will host an emergency meeting of eleven countries in the Great Lakes region aimed at discussing urgent measures of defusing the intensified fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

    Uganda government is the current chair of the 11-member International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), to prevent conflicts with potential for cross-border ramifications, while promoting sustainable regional peace, security and development.

    The urgent meeting will be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopian because ICGLR members will convene there, beginning Tuesday for a scheduled Inter-Ministerial meeting of the African Union – ahead of the continental bloc’s Heads of States and Governments summit later at the weekend.