Blog

The Kigali based car dealer company, RwandaMotor Ltd through another new company RwandaAuto Ltd, officially entered a distributorship deal that now allows the company to import and sell the worldwide standard and high quality of Hyundai products.

According to the company’s Managing Director Hugues Lefebvre, RwandaMotors will now cope up with its mission as the leading distributor of cars in Rwanda.

RwandaMotors has been dealing with different types of cars including Land Rover, Suzuki, and Afford.

Among the state of the art’s Hyundai products, a new brand car named ‘Accent’ has been for the first time imported into the country with unique features and the unique character of sensing the owner before opening it.

The Association of African Development Finance Institutions (AADFI) has ranked Rwanda’s Development Bank (BRD) as third best development bank on the African continent with A+ rating.

This was announced during the annual Forum of Africa Development in DRCongo.

BRD comes third best among the 73 financial institutions in Africa. BRD is considered to have exceptional financial condition with little or no nonperforming standards and operating standards.

President Paul Kagame has urged developing nations to strengthen governance and institutional coordination by establishing regulatory frameworks ensuring benefits are equitably shared to achieve green and sustainable economies.

While delivering a recorded video message at the Bonn 2011 Nexus conference running from November 16-18 in Bonn, Germany, President Kagame said:

“It is important to engage women, civil society and the private sector. In developing countries, the involvement of women is particularly critical given that they produce up to 80% of food and provide 90% of water and fuel wood.”

“We also need to educate our children and raise their awareness of the prudent use of water, energy, and land. This will result in better productivity and a more resilient environment for future generations”.

President Kagame also underscored the significance of regional and international cooperation and foreign direct investment in ensuring coordinated use of resources.

Kagame noted that besides job creation, capacity building and creating the necessary infrastructure, foreign direct aid brings with it innovative technologies that can be used for sustainable harvesting of water and harnessing energy resources as well as for sustainable farming for food security.

“I believe the first solution lies in enhanced management of what we have and finding innovative ways of producing more with the limited resources. The modern technologies at our disposal provide the means to do this.”

“What we need is the common understanding and political will to use them. At the level of policy formulation and implementation, we must adopt the nexus approach. It certainly creates synergies, and in our experience, facilitates more effective financial resource mobilization and allocation”.

He told the conference that in Rwanda, environmental and resource-conscious economic development is promoted as an integral part of the national vision:

“Within this context, we have created an environmental management authority, which among other things, ensures that an environmental and social impact assessment is carried out for every project before implementation.”

“Also, district level development plans include environmental and resource protection actions. In fact, the performance contracts signed by District Mayors every year include preventing soil erosion and protecting marshlands; as well as access to clean water and electricity.”

“They must incorporate energy efficient measures such as the use of biomass and promoting the use of biogas for domestic application; ecological sanitation, forest cover and others. To make these plans and systems work better, we plan to embed more modern and relevant techniques”.

The primary objective of the Bonn2011 Nexus Conference is to bring together a broad range of stakeholders from the water, energy and food sectors in an effort to improve understanding of the interdependencies and develop a joint perspective on the common challenges.

The conference will also showcase innovative solutions and help forge a common policy agenda to address the water, food and energy challenges.

In attendance at the conference is Dr. Norbert Röttgen, Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety among other high ranking officials.

President Denis Sassou N’Guesso of the Republic of Congo is expected in Rwanda on Monday, 21 November for a three-day state visit.

President Kagame is scheduled to hold talks with President Sassou N’Guesso and host him for a state banquet on Tuesday.

During his visit to Rwanda, President Sassou N’Guesso is scheduled to tour socio-economic sites in Kigali and the surrounding areas. The two heads of state will hold a joint press conference on Wednesday at Urugwiro Village.

Rwanda and Congo enjoy good and established relations, which were strengthened by the state visit by President Kagame to Brazzaville last November, during which he affirmed;

“We in Rwanda want to see our two countries, and indeed the whole of Africa, develop, grow and prosper. I believe that sustained cooperation between Rwanda and Congo is crucial in order to succeed in that noble mission”.

The growing relationship between Congo and Rwanda has been further facilitated by the recent launch of a twice-weekly flight from Kigali to Brazzaville by the national carrier, Rwandair.

The upcoming state visit will be preceded by a meeting of the Rwanda-Congo Joint Permanent Commission, to be held on 21-22 November with consultations by senior officials on both sides, followed by a ministerial meeting chaired by the two Ministers of Foreign Affairs.

The JPC will focus on upgrading the General Cooperation Agreement already re-negotiated last year, and MoUs in multiple sectors with special emphasis on trade, agriculture, natural resources and human settlement.

The German Development Bank (KFW) has given Rwanda a grant of Euros 36.25M that will be used for the construction of a power transmission line to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Daniela Beckmann(Left in photo) the KFW country director noted that combined effort in generating power in the region was essential especially in lowering the cost of energy.

“We are supporting similar project in Burundi which will later be combined in both Congo and Rwanda’s grid,” Daniela said.

The minister of finance John Rwagombwa who signed the grant on behalf of Rwanda government noted that the aim was to establish a regional power pool. “This is a high voltage transmission line that is connecting six countries in the region,” he remarked.

Rwagombwa added that Rwanda’s methane power can also be used to boost electricity in the region, “This connection is important and it will open doors for the sale of our methane power,” he commented.

Charles Kanyamihigo the director of infrastructure development noted that the construction of the 200 Km transmission line is scheduled for completion in 2014.

“The cables will be placed above the fact that requires an expert to oversee the process, so work commences immediately we get someone competent,” he pointed out.

The National Police is holding a man suspected to have used falsified documents to evade taxes (VAT).

The suspect is identified as Iyaremye Fred the director of Festimo Company that deals in the installation of telecommunications masts.

Iyaremye was arrested early this week while trying to falsify documents worth Frw40Million that was likely to enable him evade government taxes (VAT) equivalent to Frw7Million.

However,by press time Iyaremye neither denied nor confirmed he had committed the crime but said, his accounts were better placed to elaborate on book keeping matters and that he has never authorized them to evade taxes.

The Police Spokesperson, Supt. Theos Badege explained that there was an audit carried out leading to the discovery of forged receipts.

Badege warned businessmen against tax evasion.

The Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) will deliver its judgment in the case of two former Rwandan senior military officials, including the alleged mastermind of the 1994 genocide, Colonel Théoneste Bagosora, on December 14, 2011.

The other official is Lieutenant Colonel Anatole Nsengiyumva. Delivery of the judgment had earlier been set for December 15. A statement issued Wednesday by the press and public affair’s section of the Tribunal did not disclose the reasons behind the changes.

Bagosora, former Director of Cabinet in the Defence Ministry and Nsengiyumva, who was in charge of military operations in Gisenyi, are appealing against life imprisonment sentences imposed on them on December 18, 2008 after being convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Col. Bagosora was convicted of the offences for his role in the killings of Prime Minister Agathe Uwilingiyimana and 10 Belgian peacekeepers in charge of her security.

He was also found responsible for crimes committed at several roadblocks in the Kigali area and in his hometown of Gisenyi, northwest Rwanda, between April 6 and 9, 1994.

Nsengiyumva was found responsible for massacres at Mudende University, Nyundo parish, as well as the targeted killings of civilians in the area under his command.

He was also found guilty of sending militiamen to the Bisesero area of Kibuye prefecture to kill Tutsi refugees in June 1994.

The duo was tried jointly with two other military officers, Brigadier-General Gratien Kabiligi and Major Aloys Ntabakuze, in the so-called “Military I case”.

Ntabakuze was also convicted of same offences and sentenced to life imprisonment by the lower court, while Kabiligi was acquitted.

Ntabakuze, ex-Commander of Para-Commando Battalion, had appealed alongside Bagosora and Nsengiyumva and their appeal hearing was set for March 30, 2011.

However, Ntabakuze’s appeals case was separated from the others after his lead counsel, American lawyer Peter Erlinder, failed to show up on March 30. Ntabakuze’s appeal was heard on September 27, 2011, and the Appeals Chamber is still drafting the judgment.

The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) has cleared the prosecution to call eight extra witnesses to challenge the defence of alibi for former Rwandan Planning Minister Augustin Ngirabatware that he was not in Rwanda as of April 23 to May 23, 1994.

“The Chamber considers that the accused’s alibi for the period of April 23 to May 23, 1994 was not reasonably foreseeable with the degree of detail necessary to preclude the calling of rebuttal evidence thereon,” reads part of the decision dated November 14, 2011.

It noted that the alibi evidence for the accused that within the period in question he was in Senegal and Swaziland arose only in the course of his testimony in contravention of defence disclosure obligations under the Rules.

It ruled, therefore, that the anticipated testimonies of the witnesses “may contradict portions of the accused’s alibi, (hence) have significant probative value.”

Therefore, the Chamber ordered the prosecution to present its rebuttal witnesses immediately after the close of the defence case expected in the first quarter of 2012.

According to the rules, the defence is also entitled to call witnesses to produce “evidence in rejoinder” to contradict such rebuttal evidence, if need arises.

The defence hearing resumes on January 30, 2012. Three witnesses have remained to testify for Ngirabatware. Already 31 witnesses have testified for him since he opened his defence case on November 16, 2010.

The prosecution closed its case on August 31, 2010, after presenting 20 witnesses, in attempt to support charges of conspiracy to commit genocide, genocide or in the alternative, complicity in genocide, direct and public incitement to commit genocide and extermination and rape as crimes against humanity.

Ngirabatware was arrested in Germany on September 17, 2007 and transferred to ICTR custody in Arusha, Tanzania on October 8, 2008. His trial took off on September 22, 2009.

Meanwhile Earlier, Ngirabatware 53years pleaded not guilty to ten counts of genocide and crimes against humanity during his initial (2008) appearance before the UN-backed International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR).

The accused was transferred to Arusha, Tanzania, after a prolonged one-year legal battle in Germany over his trial before the UN Court, trying key architects of the 1994 genocide.

Ngirabatware was suspected of encouraging the mass murder of members of Rwanda’s Tutsi minority by arming the Hutu majority.

Prosecution claimed, among others, that Ngirabatware channeled funds from his ministry to purchase arms “not for national defence, but to arm the civilian population to carry out massacres.”

“Ngirabatware is also on record to have publicly made speech to exterminate Tutsis,” claimed the prosecution, adding that the speech was even re-broadcast over the hate radio RTLM.

He served as Rwanda’s planning minister for the four years leading up to the genocide and had since then lived in Gabon and in France for long periods.

Ngirabatware faces charges of genocide, complicity in genocide, direct and public incitement to commit genocide, crimes against humanity (murder, extermination, rape, inhumane acts) and serious violations of the Geneva Conventions and of Additional Protocol II.

He is the son-in-law of most wanted fugitive Felicien Kabuga, who has also named by the ICTR as a genocide suspect. Kabuga, a wealthy businessman, alleged to have financed the genocide and suspected to be hiding in Kenya.

International and Rwandan media practitioners sank into recurring disagreements about media freedom in Rwanda.

Much as International media practitioners pointed an accusing finger to Rwanda blocking media freedom, their counterparts retaliated saying there is a sense of responsive journalism needed though they believe a lot has to be done to develop Rwandan media.

A very hot discussion emerged from Rwanda’s practicing journalist Shyaka Kanuma who presented his paper on media freedom versus social responsibility where he mentioned that Rwanda had to adopt responsive journalism and has to draw a line of how far media freedom should be practiced.

Kanuma’s presentation lifted a hot debate that International media practitioners attacked their counterparts in Rwanda saying that they are censuring themselves.

The attacked Rwandan media practitioners retaliated by saying that international media has not been responsible while dealing and reporting about media freedom in Rwandan case where the most world atrocities of 1994 Genocide occurred.

Shyaka Kanuma, Editor-in-chief of Rwanda Focus news paper, Albert Rudasimburwa the CEO of Contact FM and others insisted there was a high need of responsive journalism in today’s Rwandan society other than hunger for freedom.

Patrice Murama the executive secretary of Media High Council said that Rwanda has developed largely considering to where it was since 1994.

“We have advocated for decriminalising defamation. Recently parliament amended the penal code reducing the length of sentence.It is hoped that parliament will someday consider decriminalizing defamation and actually it is not for only journalists but for the whole Rwandan population,” Mulama said.

Mulama also criticized international media giving an example of reporters with boarders which published an article with a heading ‘Three journalists arrested in the space of a week’ which he found irresponsibly written.

Mulama emphasised that the two journalists were arrested like any other citizen in the country noting that one was arrested due to driving under influence of alcohol and another over suspicion to have stolen a computer from his work place.

Reporters without borders wrote that the latest journalist to be arrested was Joseph Bideri, the editor-in-chief of the New Times, who was released without charges.

Others include Jean Gualbert Burasa, of Rushyashya news paper allegedly arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol and René Anthère Rwanyange, also allegedly held for theft of a laptop computer at his work place.

Henery Maina from Kenya says that Rwandan media practitioners are justifying what he termed as nakedness reminding the participants that many countries in Africa was facing the same challenge.

He advised that the important view should be understanding one’s status as far as media freedom and social responsibility.

Media practitioners both international and local are in a 3rd national dialogue with a Theme; Building capacities for sustainable media development in Rwanda”

Promoting media Freedom, responsibility and professionalism of the media has been on top of the two days dialogue.