NORTHERN PROVINCE

GAKENKE —The Governor of Northern Province, Boniface Rucagu, has criticised local leaders in Gakenke for allowing acts of ethnic divisions to continue rocking the district, saying they were driving residents in the wrong direction.

Rucagu made the remarks while meeting local leaders from across the district yesterday.

In a prolonged speech punctuated with philosophical words, Rucagu asked the local leaders to lead the residents in the ‘right path’ instead of that ‘which may lead to blood shed.’

"You should sing unity, as shepherds and an engine of the society. The responsibility lies squarely on you if the country plunges into another blood shed, after falling short of the duties entrusted upon you,’’ Rucagu warned.

Gakenke district has been embroiled in cases of genocide ideology, manifested in different forms. In one incident, unknown residents uprooted coffee trees in three sectors, including a big farm belonging to one Mukamutesi, a Genocide survivor in Muhondo sector. In another incident residents rolled down the national flag at a school and closed the offices of the cell. Another time unknown people wrote a letter asking the director of Nemba Hospital, to leave the place because he was"not one of their own."

Coffee from Gakenke was voted as the best coffee on the world market towards the end of last year, and the district was awarded a medal on the international level.

However, targeting the coffee plant has been viewed as measures intended to sabotage developmental programmes by some extremists.

Also speaking during the meeting, Brig. Gen Eric Mulokore, the area RDF brigade commander, implored the local authorities to reflect upon the past history of the district, and stick on their role as leaders.

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