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President Paul Kagame has said that Genocide will never happen again in the country.

“Our country is on the right path. There is no chance-not in a million, that anyone will take us back to the past. It can’t happen,” He said.

The President was speaking at Amahoro National stadium officially opening the 18th commemoration of the Genocide against the Tutsi which claimed a million lives in 1994.

“We shall always commemorate the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi so that everyone can know the bad history of genocide our country went through…And what caused the genocide so that they can also continue remembering even in the period we shall no longer be around,” He said.

“Children born in Genocide are now with legal adult age allowing them to make decisions. They have grown up in the country with unity and where citizens have equal value, children have equal rights and opportunities and citizens are equal before the law.”

He noted, “Today we(Rwanda) are more powerful and have huge capacity than before. Rwandans have built their own security, improved their welfare and are happy with their role in nation building. This gives them hope for the better future.”

The Rwanda Embassy in Washington USA are today April 7th and 8th holding the 18th Commemoration in remembrance of all that was lost during the Rwanda 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

All are invited in supporting friends and families who were affected by this horrible crime.

During this period people will learn the history of what took place. Listen to the special guest speakers who are also firsthand witnesses of the nightmare that became part of our world history.

Share the pain of a time in our history that forever changed a whole culture and made a huge mark in how we view the world as a whole.

The program will begin at 2 pm until 9:30 pm at the Gaston Hall, at Georgetown University and resume at 10:30 pm until 2 am at the Dahlgren Chapel, at Georgetown University on 37th Street & O Street, N.W. Washington D.C. Then on Sunday, April 8th from 1 pm till 3 pm at the National Mall, Washington DC.

According to an embassy official, “Easter Weekend marks the beginning of Spring. It’s a time to give thanks for the many blessings we have.

This weekend shows your support and join this very special commemoration to honor those lives lost during a horrific time in our world history and learn how it forever changed lives across the globe.”

Steven Charles Kanumba a Tanzanian Film actor has been announced dead. The celebrated film actor passed away last night. The cause of his death hasn’t been established.

Steven Kanumba had returned from a night club New Maisha in the Tanzania capital Dar es salaam in company of his 19-year-old lover Elizabeth ‘Lulu’ Michaels.

Kanumba attempted to grab his lovers phone because she was being telephoned by suspicious callers in the process ‘Lulu’ pushed Kanumba who fell on the floor and died instantly at about 2:30Am.

Kanumba and Lulu had partied all nightlong at New Maisha club and returned home without any trouble until the fateful incidence concerning the phone in their house.
Today Morning dozens of people thronged Kanumba’s House to have a glimpse.

(Lulu in Photo above)

Kanumba (born January 8, 1984), was a multi award winning Tanzanian actor, with a career spanning more than a decade.

Kanumba had received numerous awards, including; Best Actor of the Year, 2006, Best Actor in Tanzania Award, 2007, Best Artist of the Year Award, 2007/2008.

Kanumba began acting at an early age, acting in as many church plays as he could, until he had the opportunity after leaving school to act and train with the Kaole Sanaa Group and receive special training with Dr Nyoni at the University of Dar es Salaam which served as a major stepping stone for his mainstream acting career.

Kanumba began his acting career with appearances in a host of local Tanzanian soap operas like, Jahazi, Dira and Tufani just to name a few.

He then expanded his horizon by venturing into the film industry, his first movie being Haviliki, which was just the beginning of great journey, for “The Great”.

Not only was Kanumba a Tanzanian household name, but he also acted in Nollywood (Nigeria) with some of the greatest names on the Nollywood scene which expanded his career and experience from just being a Tanzanian star to an African star with ambitions of acting in Hollywood.

Having achieved so much before the age of thirty, Kanumba felt that he had only just begun. He looked forward to a long and fruitful career in every area of the film industry.

Not only was he a successful film star and producer, he was also very active in philanthropy. He had recently been named the OXFAM GROW ambassador for Tanzania.

This week, Rwandans mark the 18th anniversary of the April 7, 1994, genocide that took place in their country. For many, this is a somber but very necessary exercise, and many will visit sites where their families and friends were killed.

On April 7th and April 8th, 2012, Rwandans and friends of Rwanda from across North America will gather in Washington D.C to remember the lives of over one million people who were killed during the genocide against Tutsi in Rwanda in 1994.

The keynote speech will be delivered by Carl Wilkens, an acclaimed human rights activist and the only American who chose to remain in Rwanda as the genocide against Tutsi unfolded, risking his life to deliver food, water, and money to those in desperate need.

In this story we are going to see who is this man and what he did during the genocide against Tutsi in Rwanda in 1994.

Who is Carl Wilkens?

According to wikipedia Carl Wilkens is the former head of theAdventist Development and Relief Agency International in Rwanda. In 1994, he was the only American who chose to remain in the country after the genocide began.

During the Rwandan Genocide against Tutsi in 1994 he sent his wife and three children with an American convoy toBurundi (US officials were afraid to use Kigali airport, so they evacuated their citizens by cars) and stayed in his home in Kigali with several friends.

The first three weeks were spent in his house, but when there was a possibility to go out and do anything to people, who were slaughtered every day, sometimes just meters away, he gave his all to help them. It was Wilkens who saved about 400 people from Gisimba Orphanage.

One day, when Carl arrived at Gisimba, he saw more than 50 armed militiamen who were, it was quite obvious, waiting for an occasion to kill everyone inside the orphanage, but his presence there apparently stopped them. So Wilkens decided to sleep that night with the kids.

He stayed there until, using all his connections, he found four grenades to guard the people inside and then jumped into his car to find the governor, who could help him to save the orphans.

When he was in his office, the prime minister Jean Kambanda, was there and someone told Wilkens to ask him for help.

Wilkens, who was afraid of another militiamen attempt to kill people inside Gisimba, decided to move survivors to a safe haven Saint Michel Cathedral.

Again he used his connections and in few days, he organized two buses and a military escort, which was to help them to get through the most dangerous roadblocks. Wilkens negotiated with armed men on the way to the cathedral.

In the end, everyone on the buses was transported to Saint Michel alive and unharmed.

When Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) took over Kigali on July 4, 1994, it was not still the end of service for Wilkens. When he finally ended his mission, he went back to USA for a while.

In 1995 he, his wife Teresa and 3 children came back to Rwanda and for next 18 months Wilkens was working for the Adventist Church in reconstruction activities. Since 1996 he has been living in the USA.

He became an Adventist pastor and is working in Milo Adventist Academy in Days Creek, Oregon.

Police arrested two people, including a contractor and the owner of a building which collapsed this Tuesday afternoon in Kigali, killing one person and injuring several others construction workers who where trapped under the building.

The Police spokesperson Theos Badege told repoters yesterday that investigations of those arrested for the incident is still an ongoing investigation.

“We are currently interrogating them to find out if they had the permission to demolish the building,” he said,

The search and rescue operation ended yesterday at around 10:00pm local time.

Meanwhile, Kigali City Mayor, Fidele Ndayisaba, has blamed the owners of the building, saying they demolished the facility without permission from city authorities.

“Renovation, demolition and construction of a building requires clearance from city authorities. The owners illegally demolished the structure,” he noted.

Ndayisaba called upon the public to always seek proper guidance from the authorities before setting up or demolishing any structures.

France will soon extradite Claude Muhayimana a Rwandan Genocide fugitive. Muhayimana is accused of genocide and crimes against humanity.

The Board of Education of the Court of Appeal of Rouen in France found that the Rwandan courts are able to provide the fundamental guarantees of procedure and protection of rights of defense in accordance with the French conception of international public policy.

It also argues that the legal requirements for extradition have been met. And also found that the allegations have no political character and are criminal in nature and that the prescription cannot be acquired.

The Ambassador of Rwanda to France said, “It should be remembered that this judgment is consistent with previous decisions by both the European Court of Human Rights dated27 October 2011 by the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda dated 16 December 2011 . It enshrines the concept of rule of law of the Republic of Rwanda.”

The Ambassador of Rwanda in France welcomes this progress of French jurisprudence on extradition of genocide suspects and remains convinced that other extradition requests are sure to be welcomed.

He noted that Rwandan people can achieve true reconciliation only if the alleged perpetrators and executors of the genocide of Tutsi in 1994 were tried, they are in Rwanda or in the courts of the country where they reside.

Malawi Vice President Joyce Banda (pictured Above) will step in as Malawi’s head of state after attempts to resuscitate President Bingu wa Mutharika seem not yielding.

Cabinet source revealed to IGIHE that Mutharika is being resuscitated at Garden Center Clinic in South Africa but he remains unconscious. He was airlifted to South Africa at 7Pm local time.

President Mutharika collapsed at statehouse Thursday morning following a cardiac arrest and was immediately admitted to Kamuzu central Hospital in the Morning after.

Doctors are said to have attempted to resuscitate him but the condition remained critical.

Malawi cabinet met for an emergency meeting when the president was taken ill to Kamuzu Central Hospital Thursday morning.

However, The Malawi Democrat has reported as breaking news that ‘Bingu Wa Mutharika is Dead”.

“The president has died”, the Malawi Democrat quoted a top government official who declined to be named.

It’s also reported that President Mutharika was flown to South Africa Dead for further Postmortem and Preparation for Burial.

According to Malawi constitution, section 83(4) whenever there is a vacancy in the office of President, the first Vice president shall assume that office for the remainder of the term and shall appoint another person to serve as first Vice-President of the remainder of the term.

Mutharika came to power in a 2004 election and was re-elected with a large majority five years later.

President Mutharika is a former World Bank Economist.

A source in Lilongwe city in Malawi told IGIHE that citizens are in suspense without any details about their president.

Kerry Mabaso told IGIHE, “what I heard from the radio is that he had a heart attack and was rushed to hospital. Others said that he passed away but we aren’t entirely sure about it. We are now left in suspense, waiting to hear about the whole issue.”

Prime Minister Dr. Pierre Damien Habumuremyi has stated that the Government of Rwanda will always maintain strength for the National Commission for the Fight against Genocide.

“The government will always support the commission to fight against genocide and its prevention. This will be done in taking care of the genocide survivors in order to rebuild the country,” Dr. Habumuremyi stated.

The prime Minister made the remarks while officially opening the ongoing International Conference held at Serena Hotel under the theme “18 years after the Genocide against Tutsi: Testimonies and Reflections”.

The two-day conference 5th -6 April was organised by the National Commission for the Fight against Genocide .

The President of the commission, John Rutayisire says the main purpose of the conference is to reflect the past and prepare for a bright future mainly for the new generation not to get misled by the wrong history of their country.

Since 1994, the genocide against the Tutsi has been the subject of academic and research publications. The social impact at the individual and family level have however, not been analysed sufficiently.

With limited knowledge on the antecedents of atrocities endured, there are limits to understanding Rwanda’s current society.

There has also been limited assessment of judicial processes at a national and international level aimed at prosecuting and punishing genocidaires. This has further been compounded by the continued denial of the genocide against the Tutsi.

Addressing this will require according more prominence to the voice of genocide survivors and victims’ in all writings if an accurate memory of the genocide is to be preserved.

The objective of the 2012 colloquium in seeking to restore the victims, will delve into existing literature, legal sources and connect threads between structural violence against the Tusti in the pre-genocide era to the genocide committed in 1994 all aimed at aimed at strengthening the literature and seeking ways to handle and utilize existing legal sources.

This conference joins different boards including Ministers, Local government and church leaders with other international organizations together with analysts who will provide different presentations of the history of Genocide like;
-Dehumanisation process and the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi
-Victims in the aftermath of Genocide
-Assessing the legacy of national and international judicial processes
-Preserving memory of the Genocide in the face of negationism.

Youths from different families including youths from genocide convicts, are ready to give out their testimonies meant to testify exactly what took place during the 1994 Genocide against Tutsis.

This was announced by Nzamukwereka Albert, executive director of NEVER GAIN, noting that once Genocide survivors know what really happened to their killed relatives, they will be relieved.

“However, these youths are frowned on by their parents,’’ Says,Nzamukuwereka.

Youths will privately give out their testimonies, accompanied by counselors specialized in traumatic experiences, and finally be given out publicly at the 18th commemoration of the Genocide against the Tutsi.

Some of the youths who haven’t had the chance of completing their education, are gathered in groups ‘’NEVER AGAIN’ intended to fight against genocide ideology and other prejudices.

About 200 households at Rusumo Border have been connected to electricity. Rusumo border connects Rwanda and Tanzania.

Previously residents in the area used solar power and diesel powered generators.

This was carried out by a Tunisian electricity and gas company STEG in partnership with EWASA.

Ngizwenayo Dieudonne in charge of the water and electrification project in the country said that 5300 households have been connected and they are planning to extend to the western province where 50000 households will be supplied.

Rwanda revenue authority has applauded the project fulfillment, saying that they were burdened by expenses on the fuel previously used as power sources, which hampered many activities due to lack of electricity.

Murayire Protais, The Mayor of Kirehe District said that lack of electricity had been a major obstacle to development in the District.