Weekly review

Kagame receives Swedish delegation Towards the end of the week President Paul Kagame received a delegation from Sweden that included Members of Parliament and officials from the United Nations Association of Sweden at Urugwiro Village, the group was on a three day visit to assess and learn about the country’s development. The Government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a message of condolence to the government and people of Poland, followingr the tragic accident that claimed lives of the top leadership of the European country. This is in the wake of the April 10 plane crash that killed Polish President Lech Kaczynski, his wife, top military brass and scores of political figures, after their plane crashed in thick fog in western Russia. The Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI) was also reported to have disclosed intentions to set up storage facilities to cater for bumper harvests. Farmers have been incurring losses as a result of producing yields that exceed demand during the harvest season. This was disclosed this week in a meeting which brought together MINAGRI officials and partners to discuss the overall performance in the agricultural sector. Real estate firm, DN international, visited Gisozi Genocide Memorial Centre to pay tribute to victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi that claimed over one million lives. Over 30 employees of the company converged at the centre where over 250,000 remains are buried.DN International’s CEO, Nathan Loyd, said the visit was aimed at honouring the victims and understanding how the Genocide was planned. Gasabo District began the processes of carrying out a new evaluation exercise for residents whose property was damaged by stone mining activities. The new development comes a few days after the residents threatened to petition the Local Government Ministry over the issue. Also this week President Kagame, acknowledged and appreciated the role of the newly appointed Military leaders, Gen. James Kabarebe (Minister of Defense), Lt. Gen.Charles Kayonga, (Chief of Defence Staff), Lt.Gen. Caesar Kayizari (Chief of Staff Land Forces) and Lt.Gen. Charles Muhire. (Commander Reserve Force), in the Liberation and subsequent defence of the territorial intergrity of the country. The President, who was officiating at the swearing in ceremony of the new Minister of Defense and military chiefs of the Rwanda Defense Forces, said that he had no doubt the new appointees would fulfill their new responsibilities, given the various leadership roles they have previously had within the Forces. Early this week Opposition politicians who were killed during the Genocide were honoured at the Politician’s Memorial Grounds at Rebero Hill in Kicukiro District. The ceremony which also marked the end of the official commemoration week was presided over by the president of the Senate, Dr. Vincent Biruta, and was attended by diplomats, regional and international delegations. The Media High Council (MHC) handed two Kinyarwanda tabloids; Umuseso and Umuvugizi, a six-month suspension citing violation of the media law and inciting public disorder.The decision to suspend the two publications, according to the Executive Secretary of MHC, Patrice Mulama, came after realizing that various warnings to the two media houses were constantly falling on deaf ears. Speaking at a press conference, the chairman of the board of the Media High Council, Arthur Asiimwe, said that the decision was taken by the council after unearthing many professional mistakes not in conformity with media ethics in the country. Ends