Government ridicules UN report

Early in the week, the government strongly ridiculed the UN experts’ report that alleges that Rwanda supports the National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP), a rebel movement operating in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo). Speaking at a press conference held on Monday, the Minister of Information in the Prime Minister’s office, Louise Mushikiwabo, said that the DR Congo government and the international community have failed to resolve the conflict despite the numerous bilateral, regional and international initiatives in the last fourteen years. UN on Genocide suspects It was also reported in the week that the United Nations Security Council has tasked the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda to (ICTR) to “finalise and ease the process of transferring genocide suspects to Rwanda for trial.” The resolution was reached after presentations to the council by both the ICTR and Rwanda represented by Justice Minister Tharcisse Karuagarama. Kagame seeks to end aid dependency President Paul Kagame addressed a press conference on Wednesday at Urugwiro Village, and said that the time has come for Rwandans to think differently on the aid they get from developed countries. He urged Rwandans to work hard and put an end to reliance on foreign aid. The President was reacting to the recent decision by the Dutch government, to withdraw its aid to Rwanda basing on a widely contested UN report released last week. The report alleges that Rwanda is helping CNDP, a Congolese rebel group led by renegade General Laurent Nkunda. Kagame, at the same press conference, expressed optimism on the ongoing bilateral talks between Rwandan officials and those from the DR Congo, saying that the talks have a chance to succeed because of Congo’s evident understanding of the root causes of the conflict. The rag tag Forces for the Democratic Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a militia outfit currently holed up in DR Congo jungles is known to be the root cause of the DR Congo conflict. It is comprised of perpetrators of the Genocide against Tutsis with its leaders having played a great role in the terrible 1994 Genocide against Tutsis. 6th national dialogue held The sixth national dialogue was held last week at the parliamentary buildings in Kimihurura, chaired by President Paul Kagame. At the opening of the national dialogue, the President called upon Rwandans and their leaders to focus on how to fast track the country’s development. The national dialogue which is provided for by the constitution, according to Local Government Minister Protais Musoni, seeks to asses the state of affairs of the nation, and find strategies “to overcome any challenges that might deter the country’s rapid development.” He was quoted as saying, “…the whole nation takes it (dialogue) very seriously and implements it (outcomes).” ICTR sentences genocidaires 1994 Genocide against Tutsis mastermind, Colonel Theoneste Bagosora, was on Friday sentenced to life imprisonment by the Arusha based International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). He was sentenced together with Lt. Colonel Anatole Nsengiyumva who worked as the commander of the military operation sector of Gisenyi. Also convicted was Major Aloys Ntabakuze, former commander of the elite Para-commando battalion. Bagosora, the main architect of the Genocide was convicted of killing then Prime Minister Agathe Uwilingiyimana, Joseph Kavaruganda, Frederic Nzamurambaho, Landold Ndasingwa and Faustin Nzamurambaho, all opposition figures and slated at the time to become ministers in the transition government that had been agreed upon in the Arusha talks. He was also found guilty of killing ten Belgian peacekeepers that were killed by soldiers at Camp Kigali. However, the court found General Gratien Kabiligi, former head of military operations not guilty of all charges brought against him. The General had been accused of distributing weapons to killers, holding meetings to plan the Genocide and several other cases. This ruling met condemnation from the government of Rwanda. The international court also sentenced Protais Zigiranyirazo, to twenty years in jail on two counts of Genocide and extermination. Zigiranyirazo, a brother-in-law of the late Juvenal Habyarimana, had been charged with five counts that included; conspiracy to commit Genocide, Genocide, complicity in Genocide, extermination as a crime against humanity and murder as a crime against humanity. Ends