Weekly Review

Spanish parliament moves to curtail Judge’s PowersIt was reported this week that the Spanish Parliament has moved a motion to check the powers of their judges. This follows years of controversies that arose out of the Judges decisions to indict foreign governments’ officials. The justice Minister Tharcisse Karugarama, was quoted saying that 90 percent of the 350-member Spanish parliament are in support of changing the legislation. Last year a Spanish judge Fernando Andreu Merelles indicted 40 Rwandan officials over allegations that the officers, former members of the Rwandese Patriotic Army (RPA), committed war crimes in the course of the 1990-94 struggle for the liberation of Rwanda. Kagame talks environment President Paul Kagame was reported this week saying that there is an urgent need for Africa to change its mindset and get actively involved in environmental management issues. The President was speaking at the opening of the third edition of African Ministers Conference on Financing for Development in Kigali. The two-day conference was attended by African Finance and Environment Ministers and several high level representatives of national, regional and international organizations. Korea telecom opens office in Rwanda Top ranking officials of South Korea’s telecom giant Korea Telecom (KT) paid a courtesy call on President Paul Kagame at Urugwiro Village this week, and pledged to establish a reliable national backbone to advance the country’s ICT aspirations. Soo-Ho Maeng, the Executive Vice President and head of Global Business of the telecom company, is reported to have pledged the company’s readiness to establish a quality and efficient Fibre-optic network to support the current and future connectivity demands of the country. The Korean firm officially opened its offices in Rwanda this week. It has been contracted by the Rwandan government to construct a national backbone project worth US $40m. Gahonzire promoted It was reported that cabinet promoted and confirmed 954 senior and junior officers of police including the acting commissioner general of police Mary Gahonzire. She has been promoted to the rank of Deputy Commissioner General of Police (DCGP). Others promoted include senior officers Steven Balinda and Cyprien Gatete who were promoted to the rank of Commissioner of Police (CP). Vianney Nshimiyimana, Joseph Zikama Mugisha, Emmanuel Butera, Bruce Munyambo, Joel Ndahiro, Sam Karemera, Jeannot Ruhunga and Felix Namuhoranye were promoted to the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP). Canada passes guilty verdict in its 1st genocide trialAfter a two-year trial, Quebec Superior Court Justice, Andre Denis, found Genocide suspect Desire Munyaneza guilty of all the seven counts he was accused of, according to press reports. Munyaneza, 42, who was arrested in Canada in 2005, was found guilty of having participated in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. He becomes the first person to be tried under the seven-year old Canadian War Crimes Act. Munyaneza’s case heard testimonies from 66 witnesses, most of them survivors, who were paraded by the prosecution. He is reported to have worked hand in hand with former Minister Pauline Nyiramasuhuko in executing their Genocide agenda. Kagame sends media bill back to parliament It was reported this week that President Paul Kagame has sent back the media bill back to parliament with proposed amendments according to media reports. This development comes after parliament passed the Media Bill and forwarded it to the president for signing it into law. Information Minister Louise Mushikiwabo re-tabled the bill before the house and outlined Kagame’s concerns on some of the articles in the bill and their amendment proposals. Ends