Igihe

Author: b_igi_adm1n

  • OFID Approves US$ 12 Million For Rwanda

    The Governing Board of the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID), meeting in its 140th Session, approved US$12 Million described as supplementary Loan to scale up Electricity Acess.

    The Loan will help Rwanda improve access to reliable and cost-effective electricity services for households and priority public institutions (such as schools and health centers) in urban and peri-urban areas, as well as densely-populated rural areas presently unconnected to the grid.

    Rwanda says, the additional funds will be dedicated to the construction of Rukarara Substation and Rukarara – Kilinda High Voltage line. The two activities will facilitate the dispatch in a reliable way, Energy from Rukarara Power Plant to the National grid (including to Kigali City).

    The line additionally help in the power transmission from planned Hydro Power Plants of Rukarara I & II and other different Micro Hydro Power Plants expected in the surrounding area.

    OPEC approved 12 loans and grants totaling over US$201 million to boost socio-economic development in 29 partner countries.

    The bulk of the funding will co-finance projects aimed at combating energy poverty, followed by loans to help bolster the agriculture, education, health and transportation sectors of the recipient countries.

    The portfolio of OPEC Fund for International Development include among other projects: A new project to co-finance lot 6 of the Kivu Belt Multinational Road withOFID’s contribution amounting USD 10 Million;
    Co-financing in the Rehabilitation of Kitabi-Congo Nil (Nyungwe forest) Road:USD 10 Million;

    The completed rehabilitation of Ngororero – Mukamira Road: 10,000,000 USD, Project.

    The Umutara Community Resources and Infrastructure Development Programme, total loan amounting USD 8 million;

    The Contribution to ongoing Three Hydroelectric Power Plants Rehabilitation Project: Mukungwa, Gihira and Gisenyi: USD 3 Million

    Ongoing Butare Water Supply phase II Project: USD 4 million.

    The discussions on the forthcoming cooperation is on;
    Infrastructure:

    Road: the financing of the construction of Base – Gicumbi – Nyagatare andNgoma – Ramiro – Nyanza Road Projects;

    Private Sector Development; Request for Credit Lines to finance SMEs and International trade through leading (Commercial and Development):

    Rwanda signed with OFID“Agreement for the Encouragement and Protection of Investment” on February 1, 2002 and OFID has announced the “International Trade Guarantee Scheme” in partnership with Chattered Standard Bank, BK has submitted an expression of interest for this credit line to support SMEsin range of 20 million USD.

  • International Day of Democracy

    On 8 November 2007, the UN General Assembly proclaimed 15 September as the International Day of Democracy, inviting Member States, the United Nations System and other regional, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to commemorate this day each year.

    Today we look back on yet another year of remarkable events in the story of democracy – a story that continues to be written by people who yearn for dignity and human rights, for an end to corruption, for a say in their future, for jobs, justice and fair share of political power.

    The” Arab Spring” is the most recent example of youth, women, and men from all social strata demanding greater space for civic engagement in decision making.

    These calls for transformational change were not so much about elections but rather a popular cry for choice, participation, transparency and respect for people’s legitimate quest for democratic space.

    These events have reaffirmed the pivotal importance of democratic governance as a system premised on inclusion, participation, non-discrimination and accountability.

    Democracies are not born overnight, nor are they constructed by holding one or two elections. Democracies are about acceptance and respect for the principles of equity, participation, transparency and accountability.

    It is also about the respect for human rights and the rule of law. This is why the UN supports not only the electoral process but a wide range of democracy initiatives.

    Approximately USD 1.5 billion each year is provided through UNDP to support democratic processes around the world, making the United Nations one of the largest providers of technical cooperation for democracy and governance globally.

    Interestingly, the United Nations Charter does not include the word “democracy”.The opening words of the UN Charter, “We the Peoples”, however, reflect the fundamental principle of democracy, that the will of the people is the source of legitimacy of sovereign states and therefore of the United Nations as a whole.

    The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the General Assembly in 1948, clearly projected the concept of democracy by stating “the will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government.”

    The Declaration spells out the rights that are essential for effective political participation. Since its adoption, the Declaration has inspired constitution-making around the world and has contributed greatly to the global acceptance of democracy as a universal value.

    The UN considers the following as essential elements of democracy:

    • Respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms

    • Freedom of association

    • Freedom of expression and opinion

    • Access to power and its exercise in accordance with the rule of law

    • The holding of periodic free and fair elections by universal suffrage and by secret ballot as the expression of the will of the people

    • A pluralistic system of political parties and organizations

    • The separation of powers

    • The independence of the judiciary

    • Transparency and accountability in public administration

    • Free, independent and pluralistic media

    As part of the next Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS 2), the Government of Rwanda acknowledges “Accountable Governance” as a key pillar for the sustainable development of the country.

    Many reforms have been put in place or are underway. Prime examples include the adoption of the decentralization policy, the reform of the justice, rule of law and order sector, the public sector reform, and more recently, the media sector reform.

    Rwanda is also widely hailed for having the largest percentage of females in parliament world over and for its successful anti-corruption work. Moreover, home grown initiatives such as Gacaca, Abunzi, Ubudehe, Umuganda, have achieved remarkable results.

    But the journey doesn’t end there. Reform must continue to be real and progressive. People want a virtuous circle of rights and opportunity under the rule of law, a vibrant civil society, and an enterprising private sector, backed by efficient and accountable state institutions

    Inclusive dialogue is crucial and diversity is strength.Stakeholders should work to promote pluralism and protect the rights of all regardless age, sex, race, religion, opinion, etc.

    Special attention needs to be paid to women and the youth by putting them at the center of efforts to build democratic futures.
    They have been at the forefront of movements for change. They have a right to a real say in governance and decision-making.

    In this regard, participation is therefore both a means and a goal such that people are recognized as key actors in their own development rather than passive recipients of commodities and services.

    Profound demographic pressures around the world make it imperative to make the voices of the women and young heard. Faced with bleak prospects and unresponsive governments, women and young people will act on their own to reclaim their future.

    Underpinning these prerequisites — and essential for long term success — is democracy education, the theme of this year’s observance. It is needed so that all citizens in all nations, in democracies young and old, established or fragile, fully understand their rights and responsibilities.

    Rwanda has made important steps towards adherence to international human rights norms by being party to almost all the core international human rights conventions.

    Rwanda has also successfully undergone a Universal Peer Review (UPR) of states in the Human Rights Council (HRC) last year.

    The upcoming parliamentary elections in September 2013 provide an opportunity for Rwanda to integrate democracy education in the civic education campaign and further provide space for inclusive dialogue to secure Rwanda’s democratic future.

    UNDP Rwanda is strongly committed to working with all stakeholders to develop initiatives that elevate democracy education as an integral part of all education initiatives and as a component of long-term governance strategies.

    In Rwanda, UNDP partners with the relevant stakeholders in celebrating the International Day of Democracy as part of the Peace and Democracy Week.

    This week provides an opportunity for all Rwandans to celebrate the benefits of the peaceful state they have and their valuable investment in a home grown democratic system.

    Let us build partnerships to develop and disseminate best practices so that Rwanda can be defined as a cradle of success stories and a role model for other states.

    Let us develop a culture of civic participation and education to explore opportunities brought by the various recent reforms and the vision 2020.

    In marking this year’s International Day of Democracy, let us use all our energy and creativity to advance this mission.

    Author is UN Resident Coordinator/UNDP Resident Representative a.i.

  • Human Rights Watch in DRC … Watchdog or Master Puppeteer?

    HERE we go again… Human Rights Watch, true to its mantra of “Hating Rwanda Much” has come up with yet another damning report accusing Rwanda, alongside the M23 mutineers, of a “horrific trail of new atrocities in Eastern Congo” defined as large-scale war crimes.

    This, of course, reeks of déjà vu… an ‘encore’ of some sort! We have indeed already witnessed the same methodology and media relays with the UN Group of Experts (GoE) report on the matter.

    Interestingly enough, the author of the HRW report and Senior Researcher in its Africa Division, Anneke Van Woudenberg, was omnipresent in mainstream media, vouching for a report she didn’t author… or did she? The similarities are too striking to ignore.

    On May 31, 2012, Radio France International (RFI) had the civilian and military spokesmen of MONUSCO, Mr. Toure Penangnini and Lt. Col. Mactar Diop, both downplaying the importance of the GoE UN report and highlighting the lack of evidence on Rwanda’s alleged involvement.

    Just three days after MONUSCO cleared the air on the issue, Kinshasa-based Reuters journalist, Jonny Hogg, pushed ahead with the same allegations, this time quoting HRW in the following terms: “… Officials within the Rwandan military have provided up to 300 fighters as well as weapons and ammunition to rebels battling government forces in neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo, Human Rights Watch said on Monday…”

    No less damning and not far behind was the Financial Times, quoting Anneke Van Woudenberg in the following terms: “…We have documented that Rwandan military officials at senior levels are clearly involved in support for the M23…”

    And that, ladies and gentlemen, is all it took for HRW to turn the World against Rwanda. But how did they manage such a remarkable ‘tour de force’? How can the UN mission, with all its military and logistical capacity, be taken to lesser account than a regular human rights organisation with questionable access to information?

    This is a skillfully executed mass media lobbying campaign on the part of HRW through one of its most valuable players, Anneke Van Woudenberg, present on all fronts every step of the way. According to nanojv.wordpress.com, “HRW provides International Press Agencies diverse incitements against Kigali in order to fuel THE New Politically Correct Narrative on Congo”.

    You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to guess the desired outcome of this NGO; if the UN report was about getting Rwanda to be sanctioned by the International Community, as wanted by Steve Hege since 2009, this latest ‘salvo’ was clearly designed to achieve what it (HRW) had unsuccessfully tried for years with the Arusha tribunal: indict Rwandan officials!

    This HRW’s obsessive quest against Kigali, though new to us, is all too familiar with another state, not unlike Rwanda… the state of Israel!

    It hardly took any digging on my part to find out the scandals of yesteryears involving HRW and the Jewish State. Founded as Helsinki Watch in 1978, HRW is based in New York, headed by Kenneth Roth, its unchallenged Executive Director since 1993. According to ‘NGO Monitor’, a ‘watchdog organisation’ watching the ‘watchdogs’, here are a few interesting facts worth noting about Human Rights Watch:

    • Its annual budget was $48 million in 2010; in September 2010, HRW announced a 10-year, $100 million donation from billionaire George Soros. With the grant, HRW plans to increase its staff by one-third and “to shape the foreign policies of these emerging powers, much as we have traditionally done with Western powers.”

    • Many HRW officials have a history of ideological bias.

    • In October 2009, HRW founder Robert Bernstein published an article in the New York Times (“Rights Watchdog, Lost in the Mideast”), strongly criticizing the organisation for ignoring severe human rights violations in closed societies, for its anti-Israel bias, and for “issuing reports…that are helping those who wish to turn Israel into a pariah state.” Bernstein could easily rephrase it using Rwanda and the Great Lakes.

    • In 2009, HRW held a fundraising in Saudi Arabia using HRW’s anti-Israel bias and the specter of “pro-Israel pressure groups” to solicit funds from “prominent members of Saudi society.” At the event, Whitson boasted that HRW allegations of human rights violations were instrumental in the Goldstone mission.

    • In September 2009, “senior military analyst” Marc Garlasco was revealed to be an obsessive collector of Nazi memorabilia. He was suspended and then dismissed, but his reports were not withdrawn. As shown in a Sunday Times (UK) article, “Nazi scandal engulfs Human Rights Watch” (March 28, 2010), the Garlasco issue was indicative of far deeper problems at the NGO.

    • HRW holds a portion of its budget from the para-governmental organisation Oxfam Novib Dutch funded through Dutch Government Funds.

    In light of this information, does it surprise anyone that Kenneth Roth is carrying on the age-old traditions of the organisation he heads, by any means necessary?

    On September 11, 2012, as much of the World joined in remembering the terrorist attacks against the US, which hit particularly hard the city of New York from which he operates, Kenneth Roth was busy tweeting the following: “Rwanda military still in eastern Congo, could be aiding & abetting the war crimes of the M23 rebels, @HRW finds.”

    I would have shrugged off this one as bad timing on his part if he had not already performed a similar stunt on the first day of the 18th commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda; feels like incitement to me!

    In light of all this, it becomes clear to many an observer that HRW is a behind-the-scene stakeholder fueling the war in Congo in sync with the likes of Steve Hege to make Rwanda a pariah state…shame and shame again for their blind supporters.

    With Nanojv

  • Rain Destroys 100 Homes

    Over 100 homes have been destroyed by heavy storm in Rusizi district Bugarama sector leaving affected families homeless and in need of urgent help.

    The incident happened Tuesday when rain with heavy wind destroyed over a hundred homes and causing severe destruction to crops and other valuable property of residents.

    Gatera Egide the Bugarama sector leader has requested neighbours to shelter the affected persons in his sector until some help is delivered.

    The worst affected zones in Bugarama sector include Pera, nyange and ryankana.

    The sector leadership in collaboration with the security forces helped in quickly assessing the damage and calling for urgent help to affected residents.

  • Cécile Kayirebwa Drags ORINFOR to Court

    Prominent Rwandan artist Cécile Kayirebwa has dragged six media houses including the state broadcaster(ORINFOR), Radio Flash, Contact FM, Radio Isango Star,City Radio, Radio Voice of Africa.

    Her lawyer, Kizitio Safari told IGIHE that his client has ungergone financial loss because the accused media houses have been using Kayirebwas music without her permission—she also claims there have been no sales of her music because it was being broadcast freely.

    The artist is demanding compensation from ORINFOR a whooping Frw 90 Million and Frw30 from each of other media outlets accused—this brings the total claim of approximately Frw270 Million.

    However, the Commercial court has said it’s not in its competence to handle the case but will 2nd October pronounce itself on the case.

  • Congolese Youth Fear Recruitment into FARDC

    The recruitment of Congolese young men into the country’s military FARDC is faced with low turnup and a situation that is likely to derail Kinshasa government plans for a one million strong force which it claims would contain insecurity in the vast country.

    Currently the recruitment process is said to be ongoing in Ituri (Orientale Province).

    Only 200 candidates are said to have enrolled in three weeks. FARDC had anticipated about 1500 recruits from Ituri.

    Local sources indicate that some eligible youths reportedly have refused to get recruited because of the poor living conditions of the Congolese military.

    Other young potential candidates for recruitment also fear being sent directly to the war front in the Kivus where firepower from M23rebels is seen as unbearable.

    The FARDC head of the delegation in charge of recruitment in Ituri, Col. Désiré Lobho noted that the purpose of this recruitment is not sending new recruits directly to the war front but rejuvenate the FARDC.

    “The goal of this recruitment is to replace the military who have aged by young people who are recruited. These will not be sent to the front but the enrollment center in Kisangani, “said Colonel Désiré Lobho.

    The head of the delegation of recruitment Kasongo (Maniema), Colonel Bushiri Heradi lamented the fact that young people who want to serve under the flag are intoxicated by “politicians in bad taste” that dissuades.

    Since the beginning of August, the chief of General Staff of FARDC launched the operation of recruitment of young Congolese aged 18 to 25 years throughout the country.

  • Father of Nine Wins MTN Sharama Motorcycle

    A one armed father of nine children, Rugwizangoga Damien 69, has won a motorcycle prize in the ongoing MTN Sharama Prize draw.

    Rugwizangoga is an advisor in a transport company ATRACO at the Kibungo agency.

    During the draw, 20 telephones were awarded to winners including; 5 bicycles, 2motocycles, mattresses, laptops, internet modems also 10 people won each frw50000 prize money through mobile money transfer.
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  • 3 Want ICC Deputy Prosecutor Job

    International Criminal Court Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda on Wednesday submitted to the Assembly of States Parties the names of three candidates to be her Deputy Prosecutor.

    Raija Toiviainen of Finland, Paul Rutledge of Australia and James Stewart of Canada have been selected from 126 candidates who applied.

    The Deputy Prosecutor will be elected by the 121-member Assembly of States Parties at its 11th session, due to take place in The Hague from November 14 to 22.

    The chosen candidate must get an absolute majority.

    Canadian James Stewart is the only one with international justice experience, having worked as a prosecutor at both the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.

    He returned in 2007 to Canada, where he is General Counsel for the Attorney General of Ontario.

    The Prosecutor has thus chosen like her predecessor Luis Moreno Ocampo to work with one Deputy rather than two.

    Ocampo initially had both Bensouda and Serge Brammertz as deputies, but did not replace Brammertz when he left in 2006.

  • Rwanda Achieves MDG Target of Reducing Children Deaths

    A UN report says Rwanda has already achieved Millennium Development Goal (MDG) number 4 of reducing the deaths of children under five years by two-thirds below 1990 levels by 2015.

    Estimates developed by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation show that only 54 Rwandan children die out of every 1000 new borns.

    The report was released on Tuesday by the UN children agency UNICEF.

    In 1990, Rwanda’s child mortality rate was 174 deaths per thousand live births. Massive government investment saw figures come down to 112 by 2008.

    The latest UNICEF report puts Rwanda among 10 countries with countries with greatest decline in under-five mortality rate.

    The major factors behind Rwanda’s targets is said to be the reductions in the spread of malaria and pneumonia.

    A few years back, Pneumonia had been one of the biggest threats to survival of children in Rwanda. It was killing one in five children in Rwanda and is responsible for 23% of all child deaths.

    Various mass vaccination campaigns against pneumonia have seen those figures drop.

    Rwanda’s First Lady Jeannette Kagame has been the biggest advocate for a disease free livelihood for Rwandan newborns.

    Her efforts have seen thousands of children immunized against some of the biggest killer diseases.

    As for malaria, before a child is born in Rwanda, the mother will have slept in the mosquito net during pregnancy.

    The same child will be born with the same service and grow up with it.

    All this is thanks to a strict program at health centres across the country requiring mothers to seek a free net when pregnant and have another for the new born.

    Rwanda has implemented an insurance plan that covers 90% of treatment costs for families.

    This program greatly relieves the financial burden of illness, as families only have to pay 10% of their medical bills.

    The government has also given community workers basic training on how to diagnose and administer basic antibiotic treatment, after which patients can be safely transferred to better-equipped and staffed hospitals or larger community.

  • Kigali Hosts EAC Monetary Union Protocol Negotiations

    Kigali is hosting talks aimed at establishment of a central bank and other institutions in the East African region.

    Rwanda’s chief negotiator, Dr Frank Kigabo also Chief Economist at the National Bank of Rwanda, noted that deliberations are focused on remaining articles promising that these would be finalised by the end of the meeting this Saturday.

    “We have to establish various institutions like a regional central bank, enforce mechanisms, monetary institutions and a statistics bureau before the single currency comes into force,” he told The New Times.

    The meeting will negotiate draft provisions 68 – 81 of the draft EAMU Protocol covering Part M on General Provisions.

    The above provisions touch on among others: Harmonization of Policies, Laws and Systems; Law(s) Governing the Monetary Union; Business Continuity Mechanism; Safeguard Measures; Instruments to Support Partner States with Macroeconomic and Structural Imbalances; Admission, Suspension, Expulsion and Withdrawal and Inter linkages with other Areas of Cooperation.

    Addressing the delegates this morning, the Deputy Secretary General in charge of Planning and Infrastructure Dr. Enos Bukuku said the meeting marked another bold testimony to the collective resolve to deliver a Protocol on Monetary Union for the people of East Africa and in many respects lower the cost of doing business in the region.

    He said the provisions to be negotiated during the Kigali meeting were critical to any monetary union because they underpin any integration initiative in this sector.

    He therefore urged all Partner State delegates to do their utmost to build consensus quickly. “We can ill afford brackets at this advanced stage of our negotiations” cautioned Dr. Bukuku.

    “Our people, energized by the benefits out of the Customs Union and the Common Market, the challenges associated with the same notwithstanding, are more than ready to embark on reducing the cost of doing business by attaining a Monetary Union” said the Deputy Secretary General.

    He reminded the Negotiators that many East Africans within and beyond the region were anxiously awaiting any insights from the meeting on what needs to be done right to make monetary integration work for the EAC.

    The High Level Task Force meeting is preceding the 2nd Meeting of the Sectoral Council on Monetary Union to take place 14-15 September 2012 at the same venue. The HLTF will be briefing the Sectoral Council on the progress so far made in the negotiations.