Mrs Kagame elected Vice President of African First Ladies anti-Aids body

Mrs Kagame and the First Lady of Ethiopia, Mrs Roman Tesfay before General Assembly elections.

The General Assembly of the Organisation of African First Ladies against HIV/Aids (OAFLA) yesterday elected the First Lady Jeannette Kagame as the organisation’s Vice President.

Mrs. Kagame will serve in this capacity for 2 years, alongside Mrs. Hinda Deby Itno, the First Lady of Chad, who was elected President.

In her acceptance speech, Mrs. Kagame thanked fellow First Ladies for the “confidence bestowed upon her to carry forward OAFLAs vision”.

She also highlighted that gains made in the fight against HIV/Aids, were a result of working together in a committed way; and that she saw OAFLA’s future centred on more innovative and 
African based solutions.

This year’s General Assembly was held on the sidelines of the 50th anniversary of the African Union in Ethiopia. Prior to the First Ladies meeting, Mrs. Kagame attended the opening session of the AU commemoration.

OAFLA was established in 2002 as a continental initiative to advocate and mobilise resources for those affected and infected by HIV/Aids in Africa and provide leadership at the regional and national level to fight HIV/Aids.

From 2004 and 2006, Mrs. Kagame was the President of OAFLA and she championed with success the “Treat every Child as Your Own” continental campaign.

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Kagame invited for Japan – Africa development meet

Amb. Kazuya inspects a guard of honour before presenting his credentials to President Kagame. He said Rwanda, as one of the fastest developing African countries has much to share at the summit.

President Paul Kagame has been invited to attend the fifth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) scheduled for June 1-3 in Yokohama, Japan.

TICAD aims to promote high-level policy dialogue between African leaders and their partners as well as to mobilise support for African-owned development initiatives.

Speaking to The New Times after presenting his credentials to President Kagame, last week, the Japanese Ambassador to Rwanda, Kazuya Ogawa said Rwanda, as one of the fastest developing African countries has much to share at the summit. 

 “President Kagame participated in the previous TICAD and he is again ready to attend TICAD V. TICAD is platform to talk about economic roles in Africa but also issues of women empowerment, peace and security. This meeting encompasses many aspects of the African continent,” said Amb. Kazuya.

The theme of the upcoming TICAD is, ‘Hand in Hand with a more dynamic Africa’

Amb. Kazuya pointed out that “Rwanda has registered a very impressive economic growth and this why President Kagame will play a leading role at the summit.” 

Rwanda’s economy grew by 7.7 per cent in 2012, despite aid cuts and a tough global economic environment.

In his assessment of the impact of TICAD to Africa’s economic growth, Rwanda’s Finance Minister, Amb. Claver Gatete, said that “TICAD summits have been very helpful to Africa’s socio-economic development and Rwanda has been a beneficiary of the strong support that the Government of Japan and its people have generously extended to our development.”

Gatete added that Japan’s development assistance to Rwanda annually is US$30 million channelled through various assistance schemes.

“We have seen strong support in energy, water and agriculture. The previous summits emphasised support to Africa development through the broader TICAD framework which entailed promoting Africa’s ownership and leadership over its development agenda which Rwanda has demonstrably achieved.”

Partnerships 

According to the Minister, as a result of the TICAD framework, Rwanda has partnered with the Japanese on several programmes, including the Project for Improvement of Substations and Distribution Network amounting to JPY 2,454 million ($32 million), food security project for underprivileged farmers amounting to JPY 190 million (approx. $2.5 million), and increasing the Capacity of Tumba College of Technology.

Other areas that have been impacted by resolutions of TICAD include Rwanda’s partnership with the Japanese government to improve water supply and sanitation in the southern part of the Eastern Province for about US$ 350.000 as well as technical assistance.

“The summits have been impactful and provided a platform to enhance bilateral development cooperation between Japan and African countries and in particular with Rwanda,” said Gatete.

Meanwhile, reports from the Japanese Times indicate that a draft declaration of African leaders and their development partners will pledge to achieve “quality growth” and address security and 
poverty issues on the continent, according to a draft declaration for the upcoming TICAD conference.

In the declaration to be adopted at the end of the conference, the participants will likely pledge to accelerate infrastructure development, expand agriculture and agribusiness and create 
an “inclusive” society for growth to combat a widening gap between the rich and poor.

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President Kagame, Kiir Lash At The ICC, Backing Kenyan Leaders

President Kagame has condemned the instrumentalisation of international justice for political interests which continues to undermine peace processes as well as the sovereignty of African nations.
Kagame made the remarks as Africa leaders gathered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia at the 21st Ordinary Session of the African Union following the jubilee celebrations of the organisation’s 50th anniversary.
“We cannot support an ICC that condemns crimes committed by some and not others or imposes itself on democratic processes or the will of sovereign people. Such a court cannot facilitate reconciliation which is a vital precursor to peace,” Kagame said.
Kagame’s comments also come days after South Sudan President Salva Kiir also made similar remarks condemning the international Justice body for incriminating African leaders as a way of humiliating Africans.
Kagame also urged African nations to build capacity to address criminal justice and called for a united African stance in favor of the ICC dropping cases against Kenyan leaders- President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto- who are currently facing charges of allegation of crimes against humanity at the ICC.
Kenyatta, Kenya’s fourth president since independence currently and William Ruto- faces ICC charges for alleged involvement in the country’s 2007 post-election violence, where an estimated 1000 people reportedly died.
“The ICC appears like it was meant for African leaders and that they have to be humiliated,” said the South Sudan leader. “We will never accept it [ICC],” Kiir stressed.
In the meantime, Kenyan leaders’ quest to end cases at The Hague has entered a crucial stage that could define the court’s future relationship with African states and bring into focus the continent’s ability to handle cases of crimes against humanity.
With the backing of the African Union, the African leaders have submitted a proposal that is geared at having the cases dropped and left to the African community to handle.
Permanent Secretary in Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, James Mugume said there is an overwhelming support from all African states that the Kenyan case should be terminated and the resolution has been agreed by the AU Executive Council and forwarded to the heads of state and government.
“We are saying that Kenya needs to be given a chance to build on the reforms that it has started,” he said.

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Minecofin, CoK honour former employees killed in the Genocide

Finance Minister Amb. Claver Gatete (2nd right) with other officials during the commemoration.

Staff at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MINECOFIN) Friday paid tribute to former employees who died during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

Several government officials attended the event which was held at the ministry headquarters in downtown Kigali.

The Finance Minister, Ambassador Claver Gatete, told participants that it was very important for the ministry to remember the victims because they regarded the institution as their family before they died.

“It’s very vital to pay tribute to our former workers by giving them dignity. They had families and MINECOFIN was their family, so we have to remember them for the good work they did for the country,” he said.

He commended senior members of the ruling Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF-Inkotanyi) for stopping the 1994 Genocide, which claimed the lives of more than a million Rwandans.

“We had lost our dignity but now we have it back due to good leadership. There is education for all without discrimination, health insurance, and development in the country,” the minister said, urging Rwandans to work hard to catch up on their economic development since they wasted a lot of time under a bad regime that led them to the genocide.

The Executive Secretary of the National Commission to Fight Genocide (CNLG), Jean de Dieu Mucyo, reiterated thanks to the RPF for stopping the genocide and highlighted that remembering the victims shall be an eternal obligation for all Rwandans.

He also pledged continued government support to the survivors of the genocide and he urged them to embrace government’s policy of unity and reconciliation among all Rwandans.

For Dancille Mukandori who worked with MINECOFIN from 1981 up to now, there is enormous testimony about the discrimination that Tutsis who were working at the ministry went through under the dictatorial and discriminatory regime of former president Juvenal Habyarimana.

She especially testified how they were denied freedom of expression at work, a kind of injustice that she hopes will never happen again as Rwandans work to transform their country.

“We came from far. We have to teach the young generation about the bad impacts of the genocide ideology by urging people to love one another because we are one and let’s strive for self-reliance while developing our country,” Mukandori advised.

The city’s staff also paid tribute the victims who were employed in the former Prefecture de la Ville de Kigali (PVK) that was made up of three communes of Kacyiru, Nyarugenge, and Kicukiro.

They also remembered victims of the then communes of Gikomero, Kabuga, and Masaka that were not then part of Kigali.

The commemoration ceremony started at the Gisozi Genocide Memorial where they first paid their respects by laying wreaths on the graves of the genocide victims. It was followed by a march from Nyamirambo police station to Nyamirambo regional stadium where other events took place.

“Every honest Rwandan should commemorate the genocide, if you are not a victim you can remember your neighbours, co-workers, classmates….we are now remembering our people who were in positions we occupy today and we are joining other Rwandans to commemorate stressing on telling the truth about the genocide,” said Fidele Ndayisaba, the Mayor of Kigali City.

Egide Gatari, representative of the genocide survivors’ body, Ibuka, , , saluted the genocide commemoration activities by Kigali City.

He noted that genocide survivors are still face various challenges such as their properties being held by other people, especially those who were taking care of genocide orphans, as well as survivors in their old age who need critical special care and assistance.

“We have 106 cases relating to old age and 121 survivors’ complaints about property,” he said.

Ndayisaba said that officials at Kigali City recognise the mentioned problems and are doing something to resolve them.

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Kagame Makes 2nd Government Reshuffle In 2013

President Paul Kagame yesterday made a mini-cabinet reshuffle that has seen some ministers dropped and new faces assuming bigger roles in the ministries of Justice, Infrastructure, and Cabinet affairs.

A communication from the Prime Minister’s Office on May 24, 2013, stated that Minister of Justice Tharcisse Karugarama is replaced by Busingye Johnson who has for long served in the justice sector and is currently a Principal Judge of the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) based in Arusha, Tanzania. His term expires this June 26.

In a similar way, another major change also saw Stella Ford Mugabo who has been in charge of the Public Sector Capacity Building Secretariat (PSCBC) replaces Protais Musoni as Minister for Cabinet affairs.

James Kimonyo, the former Rwandan ambassador to the US, will also assume the job of Director of Cabinet in Prime Minister’s office replacing Eugene Barikana who has also served for a long time in various government positions and was barely two years in his previous position at the Premiers’ office.

The Ministry of Infrastructure also got a new Permanent Secretary, Christian Rwankunda, who replaces James Kamanzi. Rwankunda has been in charge of policy and planning in the same ministry.

In the same reshuffle announcement, Rwanda’s envoys to Burundi, Sweden and Switzerland have been recalled.

the envoys are: Augustin Habimana – Burundi, Venantie Sebudandi – Sweden and Solina Nyirahabimana – Switzerland.

The announcement didn’t indicate what and where the dropped officials will be doing next, but President Paul Kagame has on several occasions been quoted as saying that changes are way of making his team stronger, and effective and whoever is assigned can be reassigned depending on where the team needs them most.

This is the second cabinet reshuffle made by Kagame in 2013. The previous one was in February 2013 in which he (Kagame) reshuffled his Cabinet bringing on new entrants on his team (in the ministry of Finance and Infrastructure), as well as creating new portfolios in health, education and natural resources ministries.

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Peaceful Congo is in Rwanda’s best interest, lawmakers tell UK

One fundamental issue that people do not seem to understand is that Rwanda will be happiest when its neighbour to the west, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), is stable and peaceful, lawmakers told their British counterparts on Friday. 

This was during a meeting with a visiting UK Parliamentary delegation of four that arrived in the country on Thursday night for a two-day visit aimed at examining the ongoing regional conflict resolution process and efforts for increased regional cooperation, among others

“If the DRC is peaceful, the first beneficiary is Rwanda and other immediate neighbours, not the UN or other far away countries,” Ignatienne Nyirarukundo, deputy chairperson of the parliament’s committee on social affairs said. 

“We are not just neighbours, we are brothers and sisters”.

The leader of the UK delegation, Jack McConnell of the Labour Party, told the meeting that his team’s interests included the raging eastern DRC conflict, democracy and governance in Rwanda, and the UK government’s recent aid freeze.

“We have three interests for a report that we will write for our colleagues in London. The first, of course is the continuing conflict in eastern DRC, its implications for the whole region, the instability there and the impact, and the solutions that involve the region,” McConnell said.

MP Gideon Kayinamura, chairperson of the standing committee on foreign affairs and security, told the visitors that Parliament has taken interest in the DRC conflict and conducted its own research, gathering facts dating as far back as during the time of King Leopold II of Belgium.

Their findings, he said, are a means to saving the world from “superficial reports” by outsiders, on the DRC. 

On Rwanda’s relationship with DRC since 1994, Kayinamura stressed that it was unfortunate that the former has allowed its territory to remain a safe haven for perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

McConnell’s delegation also comprises Mark Pritchard of the Conservative Party, member of the select committee of international development, Ian Lucas of the Labour Party, shadow minister for Africa and member of the standards and privileges committee, and Heather Wheeler of the Conservative Party.

The delegation will head to Kinshasa on a similar mission on Sunday morning.

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Kagame attends AU anniversary

President Kagame with other Heads of State during the summit in Addis Ababa yesterday.

President Kagame and First Lady Jeannette Kagame yesterday joined over 70 Heads of States and Government for the 50th Anniversary of the African Union themed: ‘Pan – Africanism and African Renaissance.’

Leaders from both member states and non-member states gathered in Addis Ababa to celebrate Africa’s achievements, elaborate solutions to common challenges and renew their commitment to the founding values of the African Union.

Foreign Affairs minister, Louise Mushikiwabo, stressed the importance of acknowledging the progress of the past decades while finding common solutions to challenges that remain ahead.

“At the 50-year line, we do not just celebrate, we reflect on the road travelled and the long way still ahead. This African Day is about us leaders pledging to expedite the well being of our citizens and increase dialogue with our global partners in order to have a truly dignified and liberated Africa,” she said.

Yesterday’s ceremony began with an interactive debate on Panafricanism and African Renaissance during which academics and heads of states looked back on the 50 year journey of the African Union and reiterated the need to accelerate continental integration and fulfill the vision of a united and prosperous Africa set out fifty years ago.

Concluding the session, Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, emphasized the need for African leaders to sustain the socio-economic transformation taking place throughout the continent:

“We need to claim the narrative of our future. We have turned a corner, it is up to us to capitalize on this.”

The 50th Anniversary of the AU/OAU was followed by the 21st Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union during which heads of states will adopt the Proclamation on the 50th Anniversary of the OAU/AU. This unique proclamation will set objectives for the next fifty years for the African Union.

Other notable highlights included an address by newly elected President of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta and presentation of reports by the Peace and Security Council on the State of Peace and Security in Africa, a report on alternatives sources of funding for the African Union presented by former Nigerian President Olesegun Obasanjo and a report of the Commission on the Post 2015 development Agenda.

The summit will also provided an opportunity to the United Nations Secretary General and the eleven countries signatories to the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the DRC to evaluate progress achieved in the implementation of a regional solution.

The Organization of the African First Ladies Against HIV/AIDS will also hold their annual general assembly during which they will elect a successor to the current president of OFLA and First Lady of Namibia, Penehupifo Pohamba.

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