Rwanda receives Green Globe Award

Rwanda on Tuesday received the Green Globe Award in recognition of its efforts to restore the Rugezi-Bulera-Ruhondo wetland. The award was announced by the World Wetland Network during a ceremony held in Nagoya, Japan on October 26, 2010.Dr. Rose Mukankomeje, the head of Rwanda’s Environmental Management Agency (REMA), said that the award recognizes the efforts of the government and the commitment to environmental conservation.

The World Wetland Network (WWN) is an international group of wetland NGOs formed at the Ramsar COP10 in South Korea, in 2008.

Bagaragaza transferred to Sweden

The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) has transferred the former head of the Rwandan Tea Authority (OCIR-Thé), Michel Bagaragaza, to Sweden. The tribunal last year sentenced the close ally to former President Juvenal Habyarimana to eight years in prison after he pleaded guilty of one count of Complicity in Genocide and given due consideration for the time he had spent in detention since his arrest in 2005.

Parliament debates on Military Varsity

Members of Parliament this Thursday engaged in a heated debate on whether the proposed Military University should be established by a Presidential Decree or by the law governing higher institutions of learning. The debate came up during the review of an amendment to the law establishing the Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF).

The Minister of Defence, Gen. James Kabarebe, who was in parliament to defend the bill, explained to the lawmakers the concept of the university, pointing out that its main objective will be offering studies on security strategy.

EU donates €0.5m for illicit arms control

The European Union (EU) has provided €500,000 to help in the prevention, control and reduction of illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) in the region. The funds to the Regional Centre on Small Arms (RECSA) are in addition to €3.3 million provided early this year for the first Pan-African Project.

RECSA is an intergovernmental organization charged with the responsibility of coordinating regional efforts and programmes to combat the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the Great Lakes Region, the Horn of Africa and neighboring states.

Mirenge new CEO of RwandaAir

A Cabinet meeting on Wednesday appointed John Mirenge as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of RwandAir.Mirenge takes over from Rene Janata who was appointed CEO of the national carrier in May this year. Mirenge is not new at the airline as he has been the board chairman and was the acting CEO for 3 months before the appointment of Janata who took over from Amb. Gerald Zirimwabagabo.

Local leaders sensitized on the role of the media
The Media High Council (MHC) this Thursday sensitized local government officials on the role of the media. The one-day forum focused mainly on the rights and obligations of the media as well as the rights of the public in the media. Speaking at the meeting, Patrice Mulama, the Executive Secretary of MHC, said that it is vital for the local administration, especially where public service delivery has been sort of decentralized, to acquaint them with the issues of access to information.

The meeting brought together members from local government, police, the army, media, National Security Service, public relations and the MHC.

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