President Kagame continues to woo investors

President Kagame appears tireless in his efforts to woo investors. This week the president has been in Singapore where he told the Chamber of Commerce of Rwanda’s efforts to improve the business climate and encourage businesses to take advantage of opportunities both Rwanda and East Africa offer. Kagame likened Rwanda to Singapore when it gained independence, noting that “beating the odds is a challenge [both countries] share.” Like Rwanda, Singapore is without significant natural resources and stands as proof that investment in human capital can spur economic development. Kagame’s trip to Singapore follows similar visits to Germany, Britain and the United States. The president has since headed to Vietnam. Finally, signs of justice Most wanted Genocide suspect, Colonel Faustin Sebuhura was brought back to Rwanda. The deputy head of the Gendamerie in then Gikongoro is thought to have been one of the main instigators of the killings. Sebuhura was brought from eastern DRC in a UN ambulance. He is thought to be in a critical condition but it is not known what he is suffering from. Another Genocide suspect, Michel Bagarabaza, was handed back to the International Criminal Tribunal by Dutch authorities. A member of former president Juvénal Habyarimana’s inner circle and former manager of OCIR-THE, Bagarabaza is charged with four crimes of Genocide and crimes against humanity. Yet another Genocide fugitive, Felicien Kabuga, accused of financing the killings, has hit the headlines. The accused is said to want to talk with the Government about the possibility of standing trial in Rwanda and not at the UN tribunal in Arusha. The Government stresses that there are no lines of communication between them and Kabuga and that, in Prosecutor General Martin Ngoga’s words, they “will not hold any talks regarding this particular suspect.” The challenges of press freedom Ngoga also warned that reports stating that Kabuga is willing to talk with the Government ought to be handled with care. The news came from the online media source African Press International and its authenticity is questionable. “You never know, [reports] could be efforts to distract the progress in apprehending him,” cautioned Ngoga. This was not the only time that press integrity came into question this week. The Minister of Information, Louise Mushikiwabo, dismissed Charles Kabonero’s, editor of Umuseso, claims that the Rwandan Government is prejudice against journalists. Speaking to the BBC the minister attributed the misconception to careless and unprofessional journalists. “They claim harassment yet it is lack of professionalism that beats them at their own game,” Mushikiwabo explained. Talking about beating people at their own game, three experts have revealed gross defects in the indictment against senior government officials by French and Spanish judges. The international legal specialists pointed out a number of procedural and legal shortcomings in both cases: the judges relied on hearsay and clean forgot to do any field investigation. What a relief and now that they’ve confirmed what we all already knew, perhaps we can put the whole thing to bed. Ends