DR Congo-Rwanda Heads of state summit recommended

The week begun with news that the bilateral ‘Four plus Four’ meeting between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) held in Kinshasa last weekend  recommended a Heads of State Summit between President Paul Kagame and Joseph Kabila of DR Congo.

The summit was recommended on the grounds that, it is necessary for purposes of consolidating the achievements of the ongoing bilateral talks between the two countries.

The two countries also agreed on modalities to work on the possible transfer of Laurent Nkunda to the DR Congo.

The two countries Justice Ministers are expected to meet to work out the legal modalities for the transfer of the former National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP) chief.

Genocide survivors killed

It emerged earlier this week that two Genocide survivors had been killed last month and their bodies dumped in the river Nyabarongo.

The president of the genocide survivors association, IBUKA, Theodore Simburudari told journalists that the two, Francois Gasirabo and Jeannette Nyirabaganwa were murdered in the Southern Province district of Huye.

Simburudari was quoted in the press, saying that the two were killed after possibly exposing people who participated in the Genocide against the Tutsi before the Gacaca courts or their relatives. The news about the killings comes as the country prepares to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the Genocide.

Rwanda celebrates tourism trophy

Earlier this week, Kagame received the prestigious award won by Rwanda as the best Africa exhibitor at the annual International Tourism Trade Fair (ITB). This is the third time in a row Rwanda is winning the award.

Speaking at the fete held at the Kigali Serena Hotel, Kagame advised that the East African Community should have a joint stall at the next exhibition. He also according to media reports called for the marketing of East Africa as a single tourism destination.

Book on Genocide launched

A book on the justice, reconstruction and reconciliation fifteen years after the 1994 Genocide against Tutsis was launched this week in Kigali. 

The book edited by Dr. Phil Clark and Zachary Kaufman has a preface written by President Kagame. Speaking at the symposium to launch the book, Dr. Clark a researcher on transitional justice, was quoted saying that the Gacaca courts have had a greater impact than the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) based in Arusha Tanzania.

MTN shuffles its CEOs

Also this week, the multinational mobile telecommunications company MTN carried out a reshuffle of its top managers. The company appointed the first Rwandan to the post of Chief Executive Officer.

Anthony Masozera was appointed and posted as CEO to Guinea Bissau. He has hitherto served as the Chief Finance Officer of MTN Rwanda.

In the same reshuffle, the MTN Rwanda boss Themba Khumalo is set to go to Uganda as CEO. Before coming to Rwanda, Khumalo was the MTN CEO in Swaziland.

MTN remains the major mobile telecommunications service provider in Rwanda. Khumalo is credited for expanding the market share of the company in the country.

On the international scene the Group of 20, a collection of what is arguably the most industrialised countries of the world held a summit in London this week.

The summit also coincided with President Obama’s first trip to Europe as President of the United States. The summit committed $ 1 trillion to the global economy.

Ends