KIGALI - The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has praised Rwanda’s capital city, Kigali, for its cleanliness. Ban was on a three-day official visit to Rwanda, from Monday to Wednesday.

Amid a big applause, Ban said that Kigali streets were one of the cleanest in the world.

"I have travelled to many cities … Kigali is very clean," he said.

He made the remarks while talking to staff of UN agencies as he wound his visit.

Ban said that his priority this year will be Africa to drag it out of the vicious circles of poverty and conflicts and pool resources for national development.

Ban said that the ultimate objective was to achieve the Millenium Development Goals (MDG) in the next 15 years.

"My priority will be the African continent to develop," he told the staff.

Praising Rwanda for the rapid post genocide economic gains, he said Kigali under President Paul Kagame’s leadership has shown tremendous improvement but said the country must not rest there.

"We must increase the pace," he stressed.

He urged UN staff to continue their roles of peace keeping missions worldwide, adding that they were doing a remarkable job for the global harmony and progress.

The UN boss wanted the staff to uphold high ethical standards in their duty stations, and said that superiors should set an example to their subordinates.

The global body, he said, also needed to use modern facilities for efficiency and speedy delivery.

"We need to change some of our soft wares which are very old," Ban said, assuring that he would do all his best to improve the working environment and increase professionalism.

He also laid flowers at the Rwanda Genocide Memorial Centre, and wrote in the visitor’s book: "Genocide never again!"

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