Weekly review

AU ready to work with China The chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), Dr Jean Ping, commended China for its development assistance to Africa and support in international affairs, and expressed the hope that the AU and China will continue to work together to expand cooperation. Despite a decrease of 30.5 percent in trade between China and Africa in the first quarter of 2009 due to the global recession, Africa has become China’s 3rd biggest commercial partner, with annual trade of US$37.7 billion. Rwf 300m for Nyagatare juvenile rehab centre Stakeholders have set aside Rwf314.5m for the construction of a rehabilitation centre for juveniles in Nyagatare District, Eastern Province. This was revealed on Thursday in a meeting between the National Prisons Service (NPS), DIDE (Dignité en Détention), a Geneva-based NGO that supports minors in various programmes, and other stakeholders. “The centre will provide psychological support and education for minors who are found on the wrong side of the law,” Mary Gahonzire, the Commissioner General of the National Prison Services, noted. WB official commends Rwanda The Vice president of the World Bank’s Africa Region, Obiageli Ezekwesili, hailed Rwanda for its efforts to improve business regulations and creating a conducive environment for investors. In the past year, Rwanda made processing construction permits easier by passing new building regulations and implementing new time limits for the issuance of various permits. Subsequently, the country moved up 12 places to 58 out of 183 economies in the Doing Business Index. The World Bank official was in the country where she participated in the several forums, among them; an agri-business investment forum and the Development Partners’ Meeting. Kanyarukiga gets 30 years for Genocide The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) on Monday sentenced Gaspard Kanyarukiga, a former businessman in the former Commune Kivumu (Western province), to 30 years in prison for Genocide crimes. The trial chamber two presided over by judge Taghrid Hikmet found the former businessman guilty of Genocide and extermination as a crime against humanity. Rwanda and Burundi meet over porous borders Officials of eastern Rwanda and their Burundian counterpart from Muyiga and Kirundo provinces on Wednesday met at Nemba border post in Bugesera District to discuss ways of securing their common border. The meeting came days after officials of eastern Rwanda noted that the porous borders were causing insecurity. RRA to handle driving permit registration Police has changed its driving tests’ registration system from District Police Units (DPU’s) to Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) branches in districts to ease the registration process. The traffic police chief, CSP Vincent Sano, said that any person paying for the theory or additional categories in RRA now automatically qualify for the test. Mbarushimana to stand trial at ICC A French court on Wednesday finally approved the transfer of Callixte Mbarushimana the Executive Secretary of the Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDRL), from France to the International Criminal Tribunal (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands. Mbarushimana was arrested last month by French authority in response to an arrest warrant issued by the ICC in September on 11 accounts of crimes against humanity and war crimes. Ends