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Ambassador Jonnie Carson, a United States Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, met President Paul Kagame to discuss regional security.

Carson was completing his two days official visit to Rwanda at president’s office Village Urugwiro where he said that they also talked the country’s peacekeeping role in the region, especially in the Darfur, Southern Sudan.

“I had the opportunity to talk about regional affairs, issues related to peacekeeping in Africa, some of the conflicts that continue to persist in the Horn of Africa and in the Eastern DR Congo,” Carson said.

Carson hailed Kagame for his persistent peacekeeping missions in Darfur and Haiti and progress in the country.

“It has given me an opportunity to renew an old friendship with the President and to see the enormous progress that has been made in this country since the tragic events of 1994. The government should be complimented and applauded on the work it has done in health, in agriculture, in providing IT services and in the work that it’s doing to improve the schools,” he said.

Carson noted that President Kagame has demonstrated commitment to doing the right thing, as evidenced by the good services provided to the citizens, adding, “US-Rwandan relations are very good and we are just trying to make it better.”

Earlier on amb. Carson visited Kibagabaga Hospital with health Minister Dr. Agnes Binagwaho where he commended Rwanda’s development in health sector.

Amb.Carson said that he was impressed with the improvement made in Rwanda’s health care system.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mary Baine, said that Ambassador Carson came to Rwanda to discuss US-Rwanda relations as well as issues in the region.

The file of four murder suspects that were arrested and detained recently at Nyagatare Police Post has been transferred to Nyagatare prosecution head office.

According to Alain Mukurarinda the spokesman of Rwanda Public Prosecution Authority (RPPA) after a thorough investigation the file intends to be transferred to RPPA head offices in Kigali.

“Such heavy crimes are not tried elsewhere but here at the RPPA head office which has the competence to try them,” Mukurarinda said.

Mukurarinda said that the file will be transferred after seven days.

Four men were arrested for allegedly beating up a 37-year-old man to death. The incident occurred on in Gitenguhe Cell, Tabagwe Sector of Nyagatare District.

Nyagatare police identified the deceased as Francois Nshimamugabe while the murder suspects were identified as as Eric Musengamana, Moses Mbarushimana, Richard Twagirumwami and Ernest Niyonsenga.

Before the deceased killed, the eye witness said he was accused of stealing a mattress from his ex-wife’s home.

“He was a notorious thief in the area. He raided his former wife’s home and stole a mattress. On his way, he met some people and tried to fight them but was overwhelmed,” one residents reportedly said.

Meanwhile, sources have said that investigations of whereabouts of Vianney Murasandonyi – now on run, another murder suspects in the same District still continues.
The suspect is reported to have murdered a 47-Year old man in Mimuli Sector, Nyagatare District over what is believed to be a longstanding land dispute.
According to Police, the deceased was murdered, using a machete.

“He disappeared immediately after committing the crime. We are still hunting him down but we assure residents he will be arrested and brought to justice,” a police officer at Nyagatare Police Post reportedly said.

In a highly waited ‘Alga plus-size fashion show,’ 30 heavy weight amateur models have registered to participate, the organizer Aline Gahongayire has said.

Speaking to igihe.com, Gahongayire said they had received 100 applicants of whom they only screened and selected only 30 models.

“We used experienced jury had to scrutinize and select people who can atleast express themselves so that they can also be nominated for public interest drives like health campaigns and the like,” Gahongayire said.

Gahongayire said the selected heavy weight models have between 80kgs and 167kgs.

This the first time such a fashion show happens in Rwanda contrary to slim slender girls that commonly attract people across the world.

According to Gahongayire, this fashion show is also aiming at giving value to large ladies who usually face discrimination in their respective communities.

She said it is a way of advocating for their rights saying; “these are also people who can contribute a lot to the society other than underrating them”
Gahongayire said that some of these models were abandoned by their husband when they turned heavy weight.

One woman who did not want to publicize her name confessed to igihe.com that she has been abandoned by her husband due to becoming over weight.

A survey by Transparency International (TI) has ranked Burundi as East Africa’s most corrupt country for the second year in a row, with the region’s police, revenue authorities and the judiciary rated as the worst offenders.

The survey puts Rwanda as least corrupt of member states in East African Community.

Burundi had a bribery prevalence rate of 37.9 %, from 36.7% in 2010, while Uganda had a rate of 33.9% from 33% last year. Tanzania’s bribery rate rose to 31.6%from 28.6% previously.

Kenya, whose anti-corruption body is investigating a number of high profile graft cases, recorded a bribery prevalence of 28.8%, down from 31.9%. Rwanda fell to 5.1% from 6.6% in 2010.

“The police, revenue authorities and the judiciary across the different countries were poorly rated in the regional aggregate index,” TI said.

Police in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Burundi appeared on the list of the ten most bribery-prone institutions in East Africa.

EAC bloc is jointly marketing the five member states to potential investors. Graft is among the main concerns that businesses cite as a hurdle when setting up shop.

The index examines five indicators: likelihood of encountering bribery, prevalence of bribery, its impact, the average bribe size and the total value of bribes paid to an institution out of the total paid to all organisations.

The World Bank says increased costs for businesses due to corruption, as well as poor infrastructure or insecurity, are “invisible costs” that can hit competitiveness with other regions in the world.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame has called upon Africa to seek lasting solutions to its own security needs not waiting for International Community.

Kagame has been speaking at the opening of a one week East African Community Command Post Exercise(EAC CPX) at Rwanda Military Academy-Nyakinama in Musanze District, Northern province.

“While partnering with international community is important, Africans have to find lasting solutions to our own problems of peace and security and take the rod that matters in our own hands,” Kagame said.

Kagame said that in conducting such joint exercises, member states are signaling resolved and addressed jointly the security face that affect people and threaten to delay national and regional development.

He said that will contribute to reaching at valuable lessons will learnt in the search for solutions to the security needs n the region.

In addition to the principle of national defense and security, Kagame said armed forces provide confidence, courage and hope for the EAC citizens.

“Our countries agreed on defense and security collaboration in the areas of military training, technical cooperation, reciprocal visits and information exchange for mutual benefits,” Kagame said.

“This is the kind of cooperation that gives a meaning to our community as it illustrates unity of purpose and reflects the aspirations of the people of EA to come together and respond to constantly revolving circumstances,” He said.

Kagame noted that the exercise Ushilikiano Imara fits very well in EAC integration process.

Earlier on delegations from the five EAC Partner States kicked off with the Final Planning in preparation for the EAC Command Post Exercise codenamed ‘Ushirikiano Imara’ finalize logistic and administrative preparations, consolidating the exercise papers and document the exercise players nominated by the respective Partner States.

The EAC CPX will be aimed at practicing the military of the EAC Partner States in responding effectively to complex security challenges that may erupt in the region. Such security challenges include conflict, terrorism, piracy and disasters.

The is expected to be followed by a Field Training Exercise in June next year to be conducted at the Rwanda Military Academy Gako in Eastern Pronvince.

More than 300 officers from the EAC Partner States Defense Forces converged in the joint command post exercise Ushirikiano Imara is expected to foster cooperation among the EAC Partner States and to enhance collaboration between the civil authorities in the Community and international organizations.

The EAC Partner States’ Defense Forces regularly conduct joint military exercises aimed at deepening cooperation in defense amongst the bloc’s member states, with similar exercises previously held in Kenya, Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania.

These exercises are underpinned by a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Defense which lays down four areas of cooperation that include military training, joint operations, technical assistance, and reciprocal visits that include sporting exchanges and range competitions as well as visits by the Chiefs of Defense forces and exchange of information.

The MoU was signed in 1998 and revised in 2001.

Today marks another historic achivement for Rwanda hosting a high level Military training of Crème de la crème army officials.

More than 300 officers from the EAC Partner States Defense Forces are now at the Military Academy- Nyakinama in Musanze in a joint command post exercise kicking off today 21 October 2011.

The exercise codenamed ‘Ushirikiano Imara’ (loosely translated as Firm Cooperation) will be conducted at the Rwanda Military Academy at Nyakinama, Musanze District from 21-27 October and will involve civilians and military personnel.

9:00am arrival of all invited guests.

11: 40 am, The president of the republic of Rwanda Paul Kagame arrives at the accademy.

11:42 am, President Kagame recieved by Lt. Gen Charles Kayonga and other high profiled army officials.

11:44 am, President Kagame greeting EAC senior Army Officals and other governmnet officials.

11:45 am, EAC Anthem.

11: 47 am, Introduction of high profile invited guests

11: 53 am, Chief of Defense Staff Lt. Gen. Chrales Kayonga addresses the guests saying several exercises like this have been going since 2005. including Ungoza Njyiya in Tanzania 2005.

11: 59 am, EAC secretary General Dr. Ambassador Richard Sezibera gives a speech saying such joint military training exercises are important in the EAC integration.

12:10 midday, Minister of Defense Gen. James Kabarebe address the the guests and welcoming the president to give his opening remarks.

12: 16 pm, President Paul Kagame gives his speech where he said this a very crucial event to have a joint military opeartion to be able to safeguard regional security even responding to disasters jointly.

12:29 pm, President Paul Kagame given EAC flag to be also given to Brig. Jack Musemakweri.

12: 31 pm, Jack Musemakweri given the flag and military parade begins matching

12: 44 pm, President Kagame led to the academy office to be shown the whole activities to tackle in the EAC on a map.

Libya’s new leaders have promised that the 69-year-old Moammar Gadhafi will be buried this Friday in an Islamic traditions in a Sirte cemetery, denying reports that he would be buried in a secret grave, National Transitional Council member, Mohamed Sayeh reported.

The Information Minister Mahmoud Shammam also confirmed this. “He will be buried Friday according to Islamic custom.”

The reports from Libya say Gadhafi was shot to death in his hometown of Sirte, where revolutionary fighters overwhelmed the last of his loyalist supporters Thursday after weeks of heavy battles.

Bloody images of Gadhafi’s last moments raised questions over how exactly he died after he was captured wounded, but alive. Video on Arab television stations showed a crowd of fighters shoving and pulling the goateed, balding Gadhafi, with blood splattered on his face and soaking his shirt.

Gadhafi struggled against them, stumbling and shouting as the fighters pushed him onto the hood of a pickup truck. One fighter held him down, pressing on his thigh with a pair of shoes in a show of contempt.

Later footage showed fighters rolling Gadhafi’s lifeless body over on the pavement, stripped to the waist and a pool of blood under his head. His body was then paraded on a car through Misrata, a nearby city that suffered a brutal siege by regime forces during the eight-month civil war that eventually ousted Gadhafi, as crowds in the streets cheered.

Also killed in Sirte was one of Gadhafi’s feared sons, Muatassim, while another son — one-time heir apparent Seif al-Islam — was wounded and captured. An AP reporter saw cigarette burns on Muatassim’s body.

The governing National Transitional Council said interim leader Mustafa Abdul-Jalil will formally declare liberation on Saturday in the eastern city of Benghazi, where the revolution against Gadhafi’s rule began in mid-February.

The NTC has always said it will form a new interim government within a month of liberation and will hold elections within eight months.

Reports also say that the President Barack Obama told the Libyan people after the fall of Gadhafi; “You have won your revolution.”