Genocide suspect arrested in DRC

Bernard Munyagishari, one of the most wanted suspects of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, was on Wednesday arrested in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal of Rwanda (ICTR), Hassan Boubacar Jallow, announced the arrest of the fugitive, saying it was a "defining moment” after many years of intensive search.

He was arrested in an operation mounted by the Congolese armed forces, in collaboration with the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) Tracking Unit in Kichanga; North Kivu.

Munyagishari is currently detained in Goma, pending transfer to the ICTR, where he is wanted on charges of Genocide and Crimes against Humanity, including rape. Born in 1959 in Rubavu commune in Gisenyi prefecture, Bernard Munyagishari was indicted for genocide, crimes against humanity, and other serious violations of international humanitarian law.

Rwanda Day to attract over 3,000

President Paul Kagame will be the guest of honour at the Rwanda Day, a Diaspora convention bringing together Rwandans living in the United States and Canada.

According to organizers of the two-day event to be held June 10-11, in Chicago, in addition to members of the Rwandan Diaspora, East Africans, and Friends of Rwanda from the various parts of the world have been invited.

In an interview with The New Times, Cathy Rwivanga, the event coordinator, said over 3, 000 participants are expected. Rwivanga noted that most members of the Diaspora are organizing themselves, through word of mouth, social networks, and of course, the Rwanda Day website. The theme of the day will be "Agaciro: Our pride, Our Heritage, Our future” and according to Rwivanga, it is a "special theme” as the Rwandan Diaspora looks forward to be part of the development process. President Paul Kagame will be the guest of honour and will address those attending the event and there will be a Q&A session where Rwandans will be free to ask anything they wish.

ICTR gets new President

Judge Khalida Rachid Khan has been elected President of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda for a period of two years. Khan, whose term of office begins May 27, 2011, replaces Judge Dennis Byron who has been at the helm of the tribunal since 2007. Judge Khan was recently appointed one of the four permanent judges of the trial chambers of the tribunal to the Appeals Chamber.

She has been a judge at the ICTR since August 2003. Prior to joining the tribunal, she served as a Senior Puisine Judge on the High Court of Peshawar, the first Pakistan woman to be appointed to that position. Khan began her career as a civil judge in 1974 and later became Solicitor to the Government of the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan. She was also the first woman to be appointed as Sessions Judge in the Indian subcontinent.

EA lawmakers join conservation drive

In a move to conserve and enable the region to promote a sustainable environment, the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) will plant 50,000 trees in the partner states over the next one year. The regional law makers made the pledge on Wednesday during a tree planting ceremony held at Nadosoito Primary School, in Terrat ward, South- east of Arusha.

The ceremony was part of the EALA 10th anniversary celebrations. EALA Speaker, Abdirahin H. Abdi, said that in so doing, EALA was committed to enabling the region realise a sustainable environment in accordance with goal number seven of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

He pledged that the Assembly would go an extra mile to legislate relevant pieces of law that protect and conserve the environment. So far, only the United Republic of Tanzania is yet to ratify the Protocol. The tree planting ceremony took place against the backdrop of the International Biodiversity Day which was commemorated globally on May 21, 2011.

Kagame meets regional police chiefs

Heads of Africa Regional Police Chiefs’ Organisations, on Thursday paid a courtesy call on President Paul Kagame at Village Urugwiro.The police officers, are drawn from the Eastern Africa Police Chiefs Cooperation Organization (EAPCCO), CAPCCO, Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Co-operation Organization (SARPCCO), West African Police Chiefs Committee (WAPCCO) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).They are in the country to attend a meeting organized by the Regional Centre on Small Arms in the Great Lakes Region, the Horn of Africa and Bordering States (RECSA).

The meeting aims at working out mechanisms to fight the accumulation and trafficking of illicit firearms in Africa. Speaking shortly after meeting the President, Inspector General of Police, Emmanuel Gasana said the chiefs lauded the President for taking an upper hand in ensuring the security and development of the country.

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