Author: b_igi_adm1n

The special evidence hearing of the case of former Rwandan Minister of Defence Augustin Bizimana was concluded Monday at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in Arusha, Tanzania.

Bizimana is until now still on the run. The hearing was the third and last special evidence hearing with the case.

The Tribunal’s Spokesperson, Roland Amoussouga said, “Kindly be informed that the Bizimana special deposition resumed this morning with the hearing of the last remaining witness which was completed today. Consequently, the Bizimana special deposition has come to an end.”

Bizimana is charged with conspiracy to commit genocide, genocide or complicity in genocide, as alternative count, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

The other two cases whose special evidence hearings have already been completed include; Felicien Kabuga and Protais Mpiranya, former Commander of the Presidential Guard.

The special deposition hearings are being conducted to preserve evidence for future use if the fugitives in question were to be arrested.

Rwanda has received the seventh case from International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda ICTR to be heard before the country’s Judiciary.

The case involves Aloys Ndimbati, the former mayor of Gisovu commune, Kibuye préfecture.

Ndimbati is charged with genocide, complicity in genocide, direct and public incitement to commit genocide and crimes against humanity for murder, extermination, rape and persecution.

On Monday, the (ICTR) granted prosecution’s application for transfer to Rwanda of Ndimbati’s case.

In its decision, a Referral Chamber presided by Judge Vagn Joensen ordered the prosecution to hand over to the Prosecutor General of Rwanda, material supporting the indictment against the fugitive as soon as possible and no later than thirty days after the decision has become final.

The Chamber expressed its solemn hope that “the Republic of Rwanda, in accepting referrals from this Tribunal, will actualize in practice the commitments it has made about its good faith, capacity, and willingness to enforce the highest standards of international justice”.

Rwandans will celebrate their 50th independence annivassary on July 1,2012 but this time also merged with the 18th liberation usually commemorated on July 4 when the Rwanda patriotic Front rebels captured Kigali.

Prof Wole Soyinka a Nigerian academic is scheduled to speak at an international conference organised as part of independence celebrations.

Deliberations of the conference will commence under the theme; Governance and Democracy: an African Perspective.

The Rwanda Governance Board (RGD) said in a statement, “the 1986 Nobel Laureate for Literature will be among speakers including AfDB president, Dr. Donald Kaberuka.

Also Several other speaks have been lined up for the event including; former US Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Affairs, Dr. Jendai Frazer, Prof.

Margee Ensign – President of American University of Nigeria and Kenya’s trade minister, Moses Wetangula among others.

The conference scheduled for June 30 has been co-organised by Government of Rwanda in partnership with the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) and the Commonwealth Secretariat.

Workers of United Nations base at Entebbe, Uganda have organized a protest accusing the global institution of enslaving and exploiting them in their own country.

“We are not working today until the UN chief comes to address this issue,” one of the protesting workers said bitterly.

More than 120 protesting workers are attached to the cleaning department at the UN base. They are protesting the organisations’ decision to tender out cleaning services at the base to a Ugandan private company, which then cut their pay.

The workers told local press, “They told us they would tender cleaning services to a private company but it won’t affect our work. We were surprised when Safi Cleaners Limited, the new company reduced our pay from $283 per month to $48.”

The cleaning company is accused of not giving workers appointment letters, or medical insurance, saying that makes them slaves in their own country.

The Rwanda Minister of foreign Affairs and Cooperation H.E. Louise Mushikiwabo, has quashed the Human Rights Watch (HRW) for creating a rumour accusing Rwanda of involvement in the Easten DRC Crisis and passing on the rumour but also quoting HRW.

“Its ricdiculous, ” she said.

Mushikiwabo was responding to Press Questions at the United Nations headqarters in New York. “I am in New York for UN business and bilateral discusssions in washington aswell.”

“Its important for those of us who want peace. Not to allow a war of words that is starting to harm innocent people in the region.”

Mushikiwabo is accompanied by H.E. Eugène-Richard Gasana, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Rwanda to the UN; and Major Patrick Karuretwa, Security Adviser to the President.

The minister urged whoever cares about the great lakes region to calm down, look at facts and context of DRCongo.

She noted that these multiple reports that keep croping up, some of which have been retracted, have a dangerous impact on lives of people in DRC and Rwanda Citizens in the region. That is extremely dangerous.

“I want to clear the air about some of the recent security situation in Eastern DRC . There seems to be quite a flarey of mis information and disinformation.” She added.

Rwanda has been a subject of disingenious accusations related to a detoriorating security situation in DRC. This is not the first time Rwanda has been a scapegoat to problems in the region.

Responding to a DRC letter recently sent to the United Nations , Mushikiwabo said, “the letter was actually sent while I was on a plane back to Kigali after the meeting with DRC authorities on the situation in Eastern DRCongo.”

“We(Rwanda) are aware that DRC sent a letter to UN secutity council. We regrete this. Rwanda and DRC have been engaged in discussions and we will continue to meet . I was in DRC for talks on the Joint Verification Mechanism and operations against FDLR- rebels on the congolese side.”

Minister mushikiwabo noted that given the gravity of the violence and fear about potential escalations, Rwanda has engaged different actors in the region and authorities in DRC that the situation doesn’t get aggravated.

“Whatever happens, violence should end quickly in DRC. Refugees should be allowed to return home. There has been so much energy on rumours and allegations. We have seen violence against Rwandan citizens in DRC. Eleven young Rwandan men were captured in DRC near their own home in Rubavu on the Rwandan side, beaten and tortured.”

She said that government of Rwanda was concerned as a with bigorty and rhetoric on a number of websites, “ Those who care to findout out will find out that even with some media close to DRC, this rhetoric is remniscent of period prior and during the Rwandan to genocide.”

Some newspapers continue to ask all congolese worlwide to strike Rwandans .

Egypt’s Islamist President-elect, Mohamed Morsi, has said that he wants to “reconsider” the 1979 peace deal with Israel.

“We will reconsider the Camp David Accord” that, in 1979, forged a peace between Egypt and Israel that has held for more than three decades, Morsi said in Cairo on Sunday, just before his election triumph was announced.

Morsi noted today that he wants to build ties with Iran to “create a strategic balance” in the Middle East.

“Part of my agenda is the development of ties between Iran and Egypt that will create a strategic balance in the region,” Morsi was quoted as saying.

Iran’s foreign ministry on Sunday welcomed Morsi’s triumph.

He said the issue of Palestinian refugees returning to homes their families abandoned in the 1948 Arab-Israeli war and the 1967 Six-Day War “is very important”.

The islamist added though that “all these issues will be carried out through cabinet and governmental bodies because I will not take any decision on my own.”

Morsi also said he was ready to improve ties with Iran. The Islamic republic broke off diplomatic relations with Egypt in 1980, a year after Cairo signed the peace deal with the Jewish state.

Although Morsi resigned from Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood to take the top job, Israel is wary of his election, fearing his Islamist record could jeopardise the chilly peace it has long enjoyed with its huge neighbour.

Rwanda has been selected to host the Secretariat for the Group of UN Member States, UN entities, International Non-governmental Organizations and other friends of Corrections involved in international peacekeeping and peacebuilding.

Rwanda’s Selection was made during the Fourth Annual International Corrections Conference held in Berlin.

The Correctional Services in Rwanda will be at the forefront in implementation of the Secretariat objectives.

The Secretariat will prepare and chair the Group’s annual meetings, act as the focal point for all communications with the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) and other United Nations entities.

It will execute its functions in close collaboration with the UN Criminal Law and Judicial Advisory Services (CLJAS), and participate in all Expert Level Forum meetings.

In her acceptance speech on behalf of government of Rwanda, ambassador Christine Nkulikiyinka noted that following the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi and the rapid achievements in institution-building, including in the correctional services;

“Rwanda is more than ever committed to share its success story with countries emerging from conflict, including in the area of security, Justice and corrections services”.

The United Nations hailed Rwanda for the great strides and rapid achievements in institution-building that has led to active contribution of troop, police and corrections personnel to UN-led international peacekeeping operations.

The hand-over and take-over ceremony between the out-going host – Sweden and the in-coming host – Rwanda, was witnessed by Dmitry Titov, Assistant Secretary General for the Rule of Law and Security Institutions (OROLSI), Deputy Commissioner General Mary Gahonzire, Rwanda Correctional Services.

Also present were Ina Lepel, Deputy Director General for Global Affairs, Germany Foreign Office, Thomas Dittman, the Director General, Federal Germany Ministry of Justice and representatives of UN Member States as well as other International Organizations.

At the Conference, Deputy Commissioner General Gahonzire, shared the Rwanda’s best practices in “Gender and Gender balance” including the role of Rwanda female Corrections Officers in peacekeeping Operations and achievements of Rwanda Corrections Services.

Rwanda delegation also comprised Assistant Commissioner of Police Jimmy Hodari, the Police Attaché at the Rwanda Permanent Mission who also doubles as the Liaison for Corrections affairs at the United Nations in New York.

The Secretariat is hosted on a rotational basis and at the end of its two years’ tenure of office Rwanda will host the International Corrections Conference.

President Paul Kagame honoured late Kosiya Kyamuhangire a pioneer of East Africa Revival Movement (EARM).

Kyamuhangire reportedly died of meningitis during an Anglican missionary convention in 1952 at Gahini, Kayonza District in the eastern Province of Rwanda.

President Kagame noted that “Today, on both sides of the border, we are united in honouring him and what he stood for. We, in Rwanda, particularly feel greatly honoured that Gahini, was found fitting to be his final resting place”.

The President and his wife Jeannette Kagame laid a wreath and unveiled a tombstone in honour of the late Kyamuhangire.

“The Christian revival that Kyamuhangire’s contemporaries spread across East Africa was in many ways the first real regional movement and places them among the first true East Africans. Their work personified our current EAC motto: “One people, one destiny” long before the organisation even existed,” the President observed.

“It reminds us that for centuries we lived as one and that the border that divide us is not only artificial and superficial, but with increased integration, should in a sense become irrelevant.

“And as we know, Late Kyamuhangire’s generation were not hostages of this border. They had a vision of the people of Rwanda and Uganda living as a family, feeling genuinely at home on both sides of the border because they sincerely believed that we shared a common destiny,” Kagame explained.

The late Kyamuhangire born 1914 was the father to Uganda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sam Kutesa. Kutesa was only four years when his father passed away.

Kutesa remarked, “The peace and stability that the Rwanda Patriotic Front government has brought to this country is what has enabled us to come and join our brothers and sisters in Rwanda that to honour my father 60 years after his death.”

“It was not possible to do so before the advent of the RPF government in Rwanda. I also want to Thank God for the excellent and brotherly relations that exist between our two countries Uganda and Rwanda,” Kutesa said adding that he his father had commitment and passion for spiritual revival.

Also the wife of Kyamuhangire late Elisabeth Kyozaire, William Nagenda and his wife, Rev. Musajaakawa, Yoweli Rutamwebwa, Abaishemwe, Mishakye Kikundo, Thomas Kabaho, Zabroni Rutafa Elimiya Kagyendagura, and Yeremiya Kagyendagura and others were honoured at the memorial event.

The function was attended by senior Rwandan and Ugandan politicians.