week review

Report on downing of Habyarimana’s plane released The week started with the release of the report on the downing of President Juvenal Habyarimana’s plane. It revealed Hutu extremists led by Colonel Theoneste Bagosora as responsible for the plot to shoot down the plane killing the former president and his Burundian counterpart. The report also demystifies circumstances surrounding the whole plot, among which is the revelation that Col. Bagosora was intimately familiar with the President’s travel schedule and made hasty changes towards the actual travel time. The report points out that Colonel Bagosora was using a military radio network to keep in direct contact with elements of the presidential guard, the Para-commando battalion and most importantly, the Anti-Aircraft Battalion (LAA) all of which were based in Kanombe Camp, near the Kanombe International Airport. Genocide suspect arrested on way from France It was also reported that Jean Rwabahizi a genocide suspect a genocide suspect who has been hiding in France for 3 years was discovered and arrested on his return from Europe. Rwabahizi, a former driver of the French Embassy in Kigali, was apprehended by Police shortly after he arrived in the country on the basis of an arrest warrant issued earlier for his participation in the 1994 Genocide. He had already sought citizenship in France. New law on genocide deniers in pipeline It was reported that a new law that seeks to punish Genocide deniers is in the pipeline. Dr Diogene Bideri, a senior Research Consultant at CNLG revealed that those bent on negating and denying the Genocide do so because there’s no right law to match their criminal acts, so this law will serve to restrict and penalize them. New Nyarugenge mayor elected It was also reported that Theophila Nyirahonora, 43 was elected as the new Mayor of Nyarugenge District replacing Origene Rutayisire who resigned in October last year citing personal reasons. Of the total votes cast, the former women councillor for Nyakabanda sector pooled 156 votes against 17 in favour of her closest rival, Valence Ntukanyagwe. A mother of three, Nyirahonora holds a Master’s degree in project development. She worked with the National Women Commission (CNF) as an official in charge of good governance before she moved to Intra-health Twubakane, a decentralization and health program that supports the government in addressing health care needs. NUR and FARG collide over admissions It emerged that officials at the National University of Rwanda (NUR) declined to admit some students sponsored by the Fund for Genocide Survivors (FARG) saying that they do not meet the institution’s admission criteria. Wife murders husband over infidelity It was reported that police in Gatsibo district arrested a 45-year-old woman for allegedly murdering her husband over infidelity. Speaking from Kabarore Police Post, Joyce Mukamurigo, a resident of Kanyangese cell in Rugarama sector admitted that she murdered Mathew Gatoso, her husband on Monday evening. She claimed that when her husband sold a family goat and used the money to buy clothes for the other woman, she couldn’t take it anymore. France to help in solving the FDLR problem It was reported that the government of France pledged to help Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo deal with their common threat; militia of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) operating in eastern DRC. This was pointed by Louis Mushikyiwabo the Minister for Foreighn affairs and government spokesperson, she said that the assurances came from French Foreign Affairs Minister, Bernard Kouchner, during high-level talks that took place in Kigali last week. The Student Financing Agency for Rwanda (SFAR) called upon former beneficiaries to cooperate with their employers if payments are to be made efficiently. This was said after the agency discovered that some employees forward higher repayment amounts than what their employers should pay. Ends