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Following several protests of 1994 Genocide survivors against awarding human rights prize 2011 to Paul Rusesabagina, Lantos Foundation has hit back to survivors strongly insisting to award the winner.

This year’s Lantos prize has been surrounded by controversy of which the foundation has identified as manufactured controversy.

In a press release now on Lantos Foundation website, Katrina Lantos Swett, President of The Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice said the protest intended to smear what she called the good name of Rusesabagina.

“We did not intend to cause controversy with this year’s Lantos Prize, but it seems the controversy has found us anyway,” Katrina Lantos Swett a child of Tom Lantos the founder of the foundation said in a press release.

“We did not intend to step into the political disagreements that are currently swirling in and around Rwanda, but it seems we are not able to avoid that either.”

“ We originally chose Paul Rusesabagina as the Lantos Prize recipient purely based on his heroic actions during the 1994 Rwandan Genocide, not for his work since then through the Hotel Rwanda Rusesabagina Foundation. But we now find ourselves quite in awe of Paul’s willingness to stand up and speak out for freedoms in his home country, despite the backlash that work has caused,” She vehemently pointed out.

According to Katrina Lantos Swett, all reasons emerging against the awarding of self made hero aims at smear their 2011 human rights nominee Rusesabagina.

“The protest staged today is only the latest attempt to smear the good name of this year’s Lantos Prize recipient, Paul Rusesabagina. These protests were not staged when the Oscar-nominated film Hotel Rwanda was released, nor were they staged when Paul received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Bush. It was only once he started to speak out about the need for more freedom and democracy in Rwanda, including a Truth and Reconciliation process, that these attacks were suddenly manufactured,” Katrina complained.

“Unfortunately these attacks appear to be consistent with a disturbing pattern of censorship, intimidation and even violence that has been directed at those who have dared voice concerns about the government of Rwanda. This pattern is not unique to Rwanda. Other authoritarian regimes have responded in a similar fashion,” she claimed.

Katrina added; “As the child of Holocaust survivors, I, along with the Lantos Foundation staff, have made particular efforts to listen to the concerns of Rwandan genocide survivors who have contacted us. While many have thanked us for our decision to honor Paul Rusesabagina, there are others who have expressed contrary views.”

We have spent hours talking to these individuals by phone and email, and even meeting with some in person. The bottom-line is that the more we speak to them, the more it becomes painfully obvious that there is a script in place,”

She claims that Rusesabagina has devoted his life to telling the awful story of Rwanda’s Genocide and working to achieve genuine peace and reconciliation.

Human rights and Justice President said that Rusesabagina collected money from Hotel des Mille Colline survivors so as to feed them in the hotel and to bribe the murderous gangs that prowled outside the hotel gates.

“At the end of the day, it seems that his real offense in their eyes, is that he has been outspoken in defense of democracy in Rwanda even in the face of determined efforts to silence him,” she added.

It is said that Ibuka the survivors’ association president Dr Jean-Pierre Dusingizemungu is in United States of America to hold more talks with Lantos Foundation management to reconsider and don’t award Rusesabagina this year’s human rights prize.

The Lantos Foundation established the Lantos Human Rights Prize in 2009 to honor and bring attention to heroes of the human rights movement.

It is awarded annually to an individual or organization that best exemplifies the Foundation’s mission, namely to be a vital voice standing up for the values of decency, dignity, freedom, and justice in every corner of the world.

The prize also serves to commemorate the late Congressman Tom Lantos, the only Holocaust survivor ever elected to the U.S. Congress and a prominent advocate for human rights during his nearly three decades as a U.S. Representative.

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Close to ten days towards Egyptian parliamentary elections, voters in the diaspora have allegedly not told how they get involved in their elections.

Egyptians in Rwanda has told igihe.com that stuck and left out in the voting preparations.

The elections will be the first of its kind and Egyptians voters in Diaspora have not yet been given guidelines.

Rwanda’s Egyptian ambassador Khaled Abdel Rahman disclosed that up to now he has not received any guidance from his government in regard to the elections which are scheduled on 25th November.

“However I would urge Egyptians to calm down since it’s not only those in Rwanda who are affected rather everyone in the diaspora, so for the meantime were waiting for a directive and logistics from the electoral commission,” Amb. Abdel Rahman said.

These elections are considered vital for the country’s progress since the voted parliamentarians will be mandated to amend the constitution.

However some Egyptians in the country have argued that their country is not yet ready to hold elections and rather prefer the transitional leadership of Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF).

“The campaign process for instance is so shallow to an extent the political manifestos are not clear, really how do they expect us in Rwanda to follow the campaign process,” one of the Egyptians living Rwanda said. “another problem is we don’t know if will vote individuals or those proposed by political parties,” he added.

AlaaGalal a physician at CHUK hospital was quick to note that the political situation was not yet sober, a fact seen among the majority of youth who campaign to be in top leadership positions yet they lack the competence.

“You see even though the youth led the revolution and I don’t think its relevant to immediately give them top political offices, what is best is for them is to integrate them in the system with the supervision of experienced politicians serving as mentors and after ten years I believe we will have a better government led by competent leaders,” AlaaGalal remarked.

Mohammed Okasha a gynecologist in the same hospital noted that he was so worried with preparations of the elections since the country was still at a state of tension.

“I wonder how you can have elections when there’s no security, the several political parties are not organized apart from the Islamic Brothers, but otherwise I’m happy the diaspora has been given a chance to vote,” he said.

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The government has vowed to create 200,000 jobs annually so as to solve the problem of unemployment in the country, information from prime minister’s official website has indicated.

This was among the government’s plan as presented by the Prime Minister Pierre Damien Habumuremyi to the parliament early this week.

The unemployment rate in Rwanda was last reported at 30 percent in 2008.

Worldwide 2010 estimates indicated that unemployment was at 8.7% and 30% combined unemployment and underemployment in many non-industrialized countries or developed countries typically 4%-12% unemployment.

This year it has been reported that more than 200 million people globally are out of work, a record high, as almost two-thirds of advanced economies and half of developing countries are experiencing a slowdown in employment growth.

“In youth development, there will be increasing job opportunities by creation of youth cooperatives mounting to 350 new cooperatives,” Prime Minister said early this week.

Prime minister said the government will work on youth capacity building including vocational training to see how the number of unemployed youth would go under 5 percent.

According to the head of government, there will be programs to facilitate youth get environmental friendly building equipments like hydra forms so as to enable them build their own houses be it in towns or their settlements.

Efforts will also be put in programmes that help youth have good health including availing information that will change their perception and behaviors like equipping them about their reproductive health, fighting alcoholism and use of drugs among other evils.

Prime Minister said encouragement of reciprocal visits among youth with other countries will be done so as Rwandan youth get involved in international youth organizations.

Efforts for comments from Protais Mitali the Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture has been fruitless as the Minister says he is busy attending to a meeting.

“I am busy now, I have a meeting, I don’t think it will be easy for me for an interview,” Mitali said adding “May be try tomorrow”.

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The government has prioritised rehabilitation and construction of main roads so as to enlarge road network in the country, according to the state minister in charge of Transport.

Minister Alexis Nzahabwanimana said the Ministry of Infrastructure has prioritized the development and maintenance of road Transport infrastructure.

The minister was touring Kagitumba –Kayonza , Kayonza –Ngoma roads in Eastern Province yesterday.

The State Minister also visited 34 km unpaved Rwamagana-Zaza road which the 1st phase of 6 km and asked the Engineers assigned to rehabilitate the road to speed up so that the second phase of 28 km starts very soon.

The State Minister asked Eastern Province road users to be patient as plans for rehabilitation are underway and would begin soon.

The Mayor of Rwamagana District said that the rehabilitation of Rwamagana -Zaza road will enable economic exchanges between two districts.

Semuhire Claver, a resident in Sovu Sector said that the road had hindered severely their economic activities.

“We have been told since last year that rehabilitations will begin soon, but up to now there has been no development” Semuhire said.

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The president of Rwanda H.E Paul Kagame has noted that conflicts are still a major stumbling block undermining peace building and development in Africa and the world at large.

President Kagame was officially opening the high level meeting on post-conflict peace building that started today at Serena Hotel, Kigali.

“Conflicts undermine human progress, affects peace and development therefore it should be resolved,” said Kagame.

Kagame added that nations recovering from wars should give priority to general aspirations of its people adding that this can also be achieved through Improving social cohesion and economic development.

He also gave a brief history of how Rwanda has emerged from the 1994 Genocide war in 1994 and how stability was achieved.

“After the war there was a need to restore public order and political stability as well as ensuring repatriation of refugees, marginalized people were also brought on board and women who are often undermined were given top leadership positions,” Kagame remarked.

“Good committed leadership at all levels is essential,” he added, “continued dialogue has enabled shaping of the national vision, this has also enabled Rwandans to make their own decisions and decide on their priorities, now all Rwandans enjoy progress of the country,” president Kagame added.

He further pointed out that Rwanda has also set Institutions that enhance accountability such as the Auditor General office , ombudsman’s office etc.
“And this has deterred the culture of impunity.” President noted.

Kagame noted however that Rwanda’s remaining challenges include Forces Democratiques de Liberation du Rwanda(FDLR) rebels in the Eastern part of DR Congo.

But the president added that the continued collaboration with DR Congo is showing progress in weakening the armed group.

President Kagame said peace building discussions were timely given the number of African countries emerging from conflicts and learn best practices from countries which have progressed from wars.

Judy Cheng Hokins a UN assistant Secretary General in charge of peace building insisted on accountable governance as well as respect towards human rights as way to ensure peace building and political stability.

Hokins hailed Rwanda’s progress adding that it was remarkable to have Rwanda on top 20 countries on the right path of achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

She also hailed the presence of over 50% women in decision making positions.

“The UN will continue to support Rwanda on its path to stability and I urge other countries to envy Rwanda’s way of empowering women, as well as adhere to global commitments especially those that aim on enhancing peace building,” Hokins said.

The President of Burundi Pierre Nkurunziza said that his country was also progressing well from a series of ethnic and political conflicts.

President Nkurunziza added that his country was becoming stable which has enabled the country send military forces for peace keeping missions in some of the war torn Somalia, Sudan, Haiti and Ivory Coast.

“Rwanda’s progress has been an inspiration to us and we are trying to strengthen our legislative assembly and also integrate our security systems,” said Nkurunziza.

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The United Nations-African Union Hybrid Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) Joint Special Representative Ibrahim Gambari has expressed his regret of why United Nations watched as 1994 Genocide was taking place in Rwanda.

Professor Gambari who has visited Kigali Genocide Memorial Cite is in the country for a two-day meeting on post-conflict peace building.

The meeting aims at drawing from Rwanda’s experience in addressing some of the critical challenges the country faced in building peace and bringing unity and reconciliation after the Genocide.

“Every time I come at this Genocide memorial I am hurt and saddened by what befell on Rwanda. United Nations should put in action Never Again,” Gambari said at the Memorial cite.

Gambari was accompanied by Lt. Gen. Patrick Nyanvumba UNAMID Force Commander who said that Rwanda was exemplary in building peace and also contributing to peace building elsewhere.

Several other dignitaries who turned up for the high level peace building meeting has also visited the memorial cite.

The meeting was organized by the government of Rwanda, in partnership with the African Development Bank (AfDB), and the U.N. Peace Building Commission.

The meeting with a theme ‘Peace and State Building; The Rwandan Experience’ have also attracted the leadership of the six countries currently on the UN Peace Building Commission (PBC) agenda, namely Burundi, Central African Republic, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

It also included four other countries emerging from conflict like Côte d’Ivoire, Haiti, South Sudan and Timor Leste; as well as the Chairs of the UN Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) Country Configurations.

Countries whose top leadership is confirmed so far at the Kigali meeting are South Sudan, Burundi, Cote d’Ivoire, and Timor Leste.

Recently Louise Mushikiwabo, Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs said that the meeting aimed at enhancing the ongoing global dialogue on peace building, and getting Africa to be a more important contributor to the process.

Participants will assess Rwanda’s journey towards reconciliation, reconstruction and development, with a focus on leadership and national ownership; innovative approaches to reconciliation and socioeconomic development; and the strategic use of aid, as the key drivers.