Mainstory: An eventful 2007 at glance

As 2007 comes to an end, many people look back at what it had to offer most especially at the national level. Like several other years, a number of significant events captured headlines through out the year. A number of these events have had a far reaching impact on the nation. East African Community Accession One of the most significant events was Rwanda’s joining the East Africa Community (EAC) bloc after having waited for ten years. The EAC is currently moving towards a political and economic union. The inclusion of Rwanda alongside its southern neighbor Burundi was endorsed at the heads of state summit of the EAC on July11. It was chaired by the Kenyan President, Mwai Kibaki. Originally, the block consisted of Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania but the new development increased the EAC population to over 120 million people. What is unique about Rwanda joining the community is that together with Burundi, the two countries will be the first French speaking EAC members. The expansion of the East African community to include Rwanda and Burundi will mean that, the large population size of the regional body will serve as a wide market that in turn can lead to a great interest in the regional along industrialized countries seeking markets for their products. Rwigara’s landslide This year also had another event that made front page news for a number of days. This was the arrest of two army Generals Frank Rusagara and former deputy Sam Kanyemera Kaka, after they allegedly blocked police from arresting prominent city businessman Assinapol Rwigara at a one funeral service. This was after police had been pursuing the city tycoon after an accident at his construction site on July 12th had claimed lives of three workers at his construction site in Kiyovu. Later on Rwigara presented himself to police and the Generals got acquitted after they had been charged with allegedly interfering with the arrest of the business tycoon.Kaka dramatized the event more when he chose to resign his position in Parliament shortly after the acquittal. Kibati refugees return 2007 also saw the dramatic return of around three thousand Rwandan refugees from Uganda. These returnees were composed of what had been commonly known as “the Kibati” group in Western Uganda. Upon arrival, the refugees were registered at a transit centre in Rukomo, about 20 kilometers away from the border, from where they would proceed to their respective districts. Most of these refugees had previously lived in Tanzania. The general mood of the refugees was celebratory as many of them had lived outside the country for as many as thirteen years. The return of the refugees was welcomed by the government of Rwanda as a positive development. “We are very happy for them to come back home,” said Dr Charles Murigande at the time of the return of the “Kibati” group. The return of the refugees once again underscored the importance of all Rwandans to return to their country and take part in the national development of their motherland. Glasgow University honors Kagame The University of Glasgow conferred an honorary degree on President Paul Kagame on November 6, 2007. President Kagame received a Doctor of Laws in recognition of the role he has played in the development of new Rwanda. At the same function, the Rwandan leader also delivered a lecture on education challenges facing Rwanda and the rest of Africa. Speaking at the principle of the University of Glasgow, Professor Peter Holmes said that Kagame is the central figure in the rebirth of Rwanda, and that he is one of the most impressive leaders in Africa. “I am delighted that he chose to speak at our university and has accepted our offer of an honorary degree.” Said Professor Peter Holmes. Peter Holmes is the chair of the University’s Center for International Development. Also lauded President Kagame’s leadership credentials, which he said are characterized by major reforms and a commitment to democracy, women rights, the ending of the death sentence, and development of close diplomatic relations with Britain and economic development. Peacekeeping This year, Rwanda’s Maj. Gen Karenzi Karake was appointed and took up his position as the deputy force commander of the United Nations African Union Mission to Darfur (UNAMID). This came after a lot of hullabaloo had been raised by some elements that stand accused of Genocide related crimes. This group represented by an organisation called UDF-Inkingi had wanted to bloc the appointment of General KARAKE. They had raised allegations against him, which were found redundant by the United Nations as his appointment was confirmed. Gen. Karake who is now in Darfur is charged with the responsibility of helping in the creation of the UN-AU hybrid force that will be composed of more than twenty thousand soldiers and police officers. Currently Rwanda has had some 2000 soldiers of the 7000 AU Troops in Darfur. Death penalty The year 2007 saw Rwanda abolish the death penalty from its law books. This move has earned Rwanda great accolades. This move coming a few years after the 1994 Genocide indicates Rwanda’s commitment towards national reconciliation. The abolition of capital punishment at the time was seen by experts as something that would enable countries that are holding Genocide suspects, but which object to capital punishment, to extradite them to Rwanda for trial. The scrapping of the death penalty followed wide-rage consultations among all the stakeholders in the country. About 96 per cent of the MPs voted to abolish the death penalty. Rwanda is slated to take over the trial of Genocide suspects including the high profile ones that have hitherto been tried by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in Arusha Tanzania. The International Court is expected to end its business next year. Under the new law, Rwandas 800 death-row prisoners will automatically have their sentences changed to life in jail. ORTPN scores Rwanda Office of Tourism and National Parks (ORTPN) started the year 2007 on a high note. From March 10 to 15th, Rwanda had the opportunity to showcase what it has achieved in this field of tourism. It also served as a reminder to all that with good governance, peace and stability, any country can rise from its past and shine on an international level. This was at the 41st Berlin Internationale Tourism Board (ITB) in German that ran at Berlin Exhibition Grounds. Rwanda’s extraordinary performance was attributed to its eye-catching stand, amazing creativity, determined dancers as well as the unity and services by the exhibitors at the Rwanda stand. The traditional basket (Agaseke) handmade by Rwandan women attracted show-goers in Berlin, according to ORTPN. Rwanda was able to beat the famous and traditional Africa tourism destinations like South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, Tanzania, Gambia, Morocco, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Mauritius, Kenya, Seychelles, Namibia, and Tunisia. The ITB-Berlin expo is the world’s leading trade show for the travel industry. It was the 7th time Rwanda was participating in the expo. It emerged 2nd best exhibitor among African countries in 2006. The import of this expo to Rwanda was that the country got an opportunity to showcase a range of their tourist attractions and also create new business contacts. At the exhibition, ORTPN which carried the Rwandan flag at the expo managed to close impressive business deals and matchless exposure to a record number of 10,923 exhibiting tours and travel companies from 184 countries worldwide. Bird watching That was not all in 2007 for ORTPN. Bird watching also gained a foothold in Rwanda as the fastest growing aspect of tourism, and the bird watchers are often reputed to be the richest and most philanthropic tourists. In 2007, ORTPN decided it was time for Rwanda to tap into the goldmine, which is bird watching tourism. The importance of bird watching as a tourist attraction was illustrated in the words of Vincent Karega, Minister of state for Commerce and Tourism, while speaking at the official launch of bird watching in Rwanda on September 19 at Akagera Game Lodge. He said Rwanda has to share in this high end tourism market that so far has been enjoyed mostly by our neighboring countries. Research has also established that 15 per cent of the world’s bird species are found in the Eastern African region, Rwanda alone boasts of 650 bird species, 44 of which can only be found in Rwanda. This is a significant boast to Rwanda’s tourism sector. A number of rare birds like the Shoe Bill, the Purple-breasted Sunbird, the Rwenzori Turaco, the Red-faced Barbet, the Little Bee Eater, the Rockefeller’s Sunbird, Collared Apalis, and Fraser’s Eagle Owl are some of the most sought after birds that are readily available to the eye of anyone visiting any of Rwanda’s national parks; Akagera, Volcanoes and Nyungwe forests. Tourism is the third foreign exchange earner in Rwanda, and with such innovations, its successes can only become better. And the success with which ORTPN has marketed the gorilla world wide is an indicator that bird watching might be the next big tourism success. Gorilla naming The annual gorilla naming ceremony took place in July this year. The function attracted a number of high profile international guests including Jack Hanna, the renowned American animal conservationist at the function presided over by President Paul Kagame. The annual gorilla naming ceremony that was initiated by Rwanda some two years ago has already spread to the neighboring countries of DR Congo and Uganda. The gorilla naming ceremony dubbed “Kwita Izina” has now become a major gorilla related event in the country and internationally, thanks to the pioneering role of Rwanda. The national gorilla naming ceremony was started in Rwanda in 2005, with 30 baby gorillas named at the inaugural event. Last year, another 13 gorillas got named. Chantal Rugamba, the Director General of ORTPN was quoted by the media at the time saying the name “Kwita Izina” traces its roots from the Rwandan tradition of giving a name to the newborn baby in the family. “Every birth is a confirmation of a successful conservation and protection program,” the ORTPN DG is quoted telling the media at the time. She went on to say according to media reports that, this would one day achieve the objective of erasing the name of the mountain gorilla on the list of endangered species. Kigali turned 100 years old This year Kigali city celebrated 100 years of existence. Several functions were held in and around the city to mark its centenary celebrations. Among these was the unveiling of a leisure park at Kimihurura by the city mayor Dr Kirabo Kacyira and the Defence Minister Gen. Marcel Gasintzi. The celebrations were also marked by the naming of city roads and a city mayors conference held in Kigali city. The festivities also had the first ever Miss Kigali Beauty pageant which was won by Cynthia Akazuba, a secondary school student. At the celebrations held at Amahoro stadium, the city dwellers were treated to entertainment by several musicians including South Africa’s Yvone Chaka Chaka. In its 100 years of existence, 1994 was the worst period when from April to July 1994 the country experienced the bloody 1994 Rwanda Genocide. Kagame and ICT Good work is rewarded. President Paul Kagame was awarded the Africa ICT industry development award by ForgeAhead, a South African ICT firm as the year came to a close. In the same respect, RwandaTRACnet, a bilingual dynamic information technology system that uses cell phones, text messages and sophisticated database to collect, store, analyze and disseminate critical program information, drug distribution and patient information related to the care and treatment of HIV/AIDS was announced the winner of the 2007 African ICT Achievers Award on November 17, at the Sandton Convention Centre, in Johannesburg, South Africa. President Kagame was awarded with a Lifetime Achievers Award for his dedication to the proliferation of the ICT industry in Rwanda and across the continent, as well as promotion of the use of technology within governments for better service delivery to citizens. The competition was organized by the ForgeAhead and the South African department of Communications under the theme: Making the African Century a Reality, The 9th Africa ICT Achievers Award was contested by 300 participants of whom 43 were selected from 20 African countries. According to the director general of Treatment and Research AIDS Center, (TRAC) Anita Asiimwe, on the occasion of the 9th annual Africa ICT Achievers Award, TRACnet system was awarded as one of the top seven public sectors embracing ICT in Africa in 2007 and TRAC as an institution was awarded with the overall winner of the top ICT organization Award. TRACnet was developed by Voxiva in 2003 to speed up service delivery to the people living with HIV/AIDS. The system was funded by the US. Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) being used by 400 health care professionals in all 155 health centers that offer Anti-retroviral therapy to more than 44,000 Rwandans. 2007 Africa Gender Award President Kagame received yet another award in form of the 2007 African Gender Award, crediting him for the gains made in advancing the cause of Rwandan women. He received the biennial award in Dakar, Senegal and the selection was done by the Women Africa Solidarity (FAS) and the Committee of the African Women for Peace and Development (AWCPD). The award was handed to the Rwandan leader by the Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade in the Senegalese capital Dakar. Since the 1994 Genocide, Rwanda has been making significant steps in the integration of women in the reconstruction process and its fight against gender-based violence. Rwanda also is the only country in the world that can count 48% of women MPs in their national Parliament. The award is given at the government level to recognize African leaders who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in encouraging gender parity in politics. The Rwandan President was chosen from three African presidents for the award, others being Festus Gontebanye Mogae of Botswana and Liberias Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, the first African woman president. HIV/Aids implementers’ conference On June 19 2007 the HIV/AIDS implementer’s conference concluded in Kigali with the Rwandan first lady Jeannette Kagame, giving the welcome and reflections on the final day of the four day conference. The 2007 Aids implementers’ conference drew more than 1,500 delegates from around the world. The conference financed jointly by the Rwandan government and American President Bush’s Emergency Plan for AIDS relief, UNICEF, The Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis among others. ACP-EU joint parliamentary assembly On November 19, Rwanda hosted the ACP-EU joint parliamentary assembly at the Kigali Serena Hotel. The assembly was created out of a desire to bring together parliamentarians of the EU together with those from Africa, Caribbean and Pacific countries that are signatories to the Cotonou declaration. The aim of the joint parliamentary assembly that is to bring about closer interdependence between the countries of the north and South was reflected on the agenda of the Assembly that was held in Kigali. Discussions ranged from WTO to HIV and AIDS. Genocide ideology Towards the end of 2007, a parliamentary probe report on Genocide ideology in schools caused uproar in the House. It was perhaps the hottest and shocking news in the Parliament. On December 11, a probe report by six Mps revealed an alarming rate of cases of Genocide ideology in several secondary schools around the country, some scoring as high as 97 percent. Appearing before legislators, Education minister Jean d’Arc Mujawamariya denied ever harboring Genocide ideology. “I can not even associate or even touch people who condone such a vice” said the Education minister as she appeared before the highly charged house. In some schools like Association pour la Culture, l’Education et le Developpement Integre (ACEDI) de Mataba, authorities introduced uniforms for Genocide survivor students, which were different from other students’. The parliamentary inquiry came up with a list of eleven schools, which are leading in cases of Genocide ideology countrywide. Some anonymous hate letters (tracts) were circulated in ACEDI de Mataba, with some carrying such writings as ‘Abatutsi ni inzoka, baraturambiye kandi tuzabica’, loosely translated to mean ‘Tutsis are snakes, we are fed up with them and we will kill them.’ ACEDI de Mataba and Ecole Secondaire de Gaseke in Gicumbi District, Northern Province, are the schools with most Genocide ideology cases, tying at 97 percent cases, according to the report. The report went on to indicate that the MPs found an anonymous letter at the school inciting hatred and death, quite reminiscent of the infamous Radio Mille Collines utterances. Some writings carried hate messages against Tutsi and Genocide survivor students. For instance, in another school, Ecole Secondaire de Gaseke in Gicumbi District, Northern Province, several anonymous hate letters were found. Several MPs were visibly perturbed to discover and be informed that children aged between ten and twenty could get involved in such subversive activities. Two schools ACEDI de Mataba and Ecole Secondaire de Gaseke, had a rating of 97 percent in Genocide ideology cases, the other nine schools were rated as follows: Groupe Scolaire de Shyogwe (95%), Ecole Secondaire de Mudasomwa (93%), EAV Rushashi (93%), Ecole Secondaire de Taba (92%), Groupe Scolaire de Kigeme (92%), Groupe Scolaire de Muhura (88%), College Marie Reine de la Paix (88%), IPK Kirinda (85%), while Ecole Secondaire de Tumba, registered 80 percent. Ends