Rwandans To Celebrate Heroes Day Despite Lockdown

 

KIGALI - On Monday February 1, Rwandans will wake up to observe a national Heroes Day despite this taking place at a time all 30 districts are detached from each other while the Capital Kigali is frozen into a Lockdown.

Heroes Day allows Rwandans to reflect on the country’s heroes classified into three categories named in Kinyarwanda as Imanzi, Imena, and Ingenzi.

Celebrations are scheduled to take place at village level across the country to pay tribute to the heroes that have shaped the future of the country.

Imanzi:
This is the highest order that is bestowed upon people that pushed to limits and even sacrificed their own lives in the interest of Rwanda.

For example, Major-General Fred Rwigema that led exiled Rwandan refugees to forcefuly return home by use of arms. He died in action on the battle front during first days of the liberation war.

“Unknown Soldier” represents all soldiers who lost their lives in the liberation.

Imena:

This is a category reserved for people with proven track record such as King Mutara III Rudahigwa, Agathe Uwilingiyimana and Nyange Secondary School students who were killed by militias after refusing to divide themselves along ethnic lines.

Ingenzi:
This is a category reserved for living heroes – However, the list is yet to be made public.

 

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Regional military chiefs meet in Kigali

Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) member states are meeting in Kigali to among other tasks draft a concept on countering security threats that have regional and international dimensions.

The 28th Ordinary Policy Organs Meetings, which started earlier this week with a meeting of experts, has attracted defence chiefs and later convene the Council of Ministers of Defence and Security.

Opening the session of Chiefs of Defence and Security, on Wednesday, December 16, Lt Gen Jean Jacques Mupenzi, the Chief of Staff of Rwanda Defence Force (RDF), admitted that the region continues to face challenges of conflict that impact peace and stability in some of our member states.

Acts of violence, terrorism, and violent extremism, especially in the horn of Africa region and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, he said, continue impacting the region and call for concerted effort.

"The EASF had made several achievements during the last thirteen years, including attaining full operational capability and contributing to capacity building of our forces in terms of training. It is important that these achievements are maintained and consolidated," Mupenzi said.

 The EASF is a regional organisation whose mandate is to enhance peace and security in the Eastern Africa region. It comprises 10 active member states:  Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda.

All partner states are represented at the meeting apart from Burundi and Seychelles.

"It is therefore in our interest that we move forward speedily but in a pragmatic and professional manner in order to reinforce the larger efforts of our continental organisation, the AU," Mupenzi said.

In the spirit of shared responsibility and in recognition of the fact that the security of one state is inextricably linked to that of the other, Mupenzi said, "we must spare no effort to collectively address the problems" related to peace and security.

The regional Standby Force is one of the five regional multidimensional forces of the African Standby Force (ASF) comprising military, police and civilian components. The components stay on standby for rapid deployment at appropriate notice as provided for in the peace support operations scenarios of the ASF.

 In an August 2014 pledging conference, held in Kigali, countries committed to raise a military fighting force of 5,000 troops.

 EASF declared full operational capability in December 2014 with an equipped multidimensional and multinational force of 5,200 personnel - military, police and civilian components.

 Wednesday's session was the start of the CDFs' policy organ meeting.

 Ministers will meet on Friday.

 

Financial constraints

 According to Brig Gen Fayisa Getachew, the EASF Director said they have been able to achieve several objectives including maintaining force readiness for deployment, but "the financial status of the organisation is currently poor."

 

Each member state is required to contribute an annual assessed contribution. Lately, Rwanda’s assessed contribution is 9.3 percent of the total annual assessed contribution by all countries.

"Only two member states have so far submitted their annual assessed contributions for 2020. However, I am glad to have received information that the Republic of Rwanda has dispatched their contribution and is expected in our accounts soon," Getachew said.

"We understand the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on our economies. However, as we allocate the little resources we have, I kindly request that we also consider EASF."

 According to the EASF's 2019 annual report, the approved budget for the financial year 2019 was $7.4 million.

But member states' actual remittances for the same financial year totalled $4.5 million.

On September 25, military, police and civilian personnel from seven member states completed a two-week training course that integrated mission planning at the Rwanda Peace Academy in Musanze District.

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Stigma and silence are the real killers in HIV and sexually transmitted infections – Rwandan President

ICASA— Stigma and silence are the real killers when it comes to sexually transmitted infections, said Rwandan President Paul Kagame at the opening of the 20th International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa (ICASA).

“Shame discourages people living with HIV from learning and accepting their status and accessing the healthcare needed to live a full life,” he said.

It is vital to continue raising the level of support for initiatives, and governments in Africa must prioritize domestic financing for health care, he said. “Good politics and governance have everything to do with health. There is no substitute for building an inclusive and caring society.”

Close to 8,000 delegates have gathered for ICASA in Kigali, Rwanda from 2-7 December to renew their commitment to scaling up and accelerating the HIV and AIDS response, and to learn from best practices.

AIDS-related deaths on the decline

Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi commended Rwanda’s progress in the fight against HIV and AIDS, and said he aimed to draw lessons from other countries and learn from their good practices to fight the HIV epidemic.

Meanwhile, steady progress in the reduction of AIDS-related deaths has been witnessed in the past year, yet efforts are off track to reach the 2020 targets for reduction in new HIV infections, said ICASA President Prof. John Idoko. “We are here to discuss remaining gaps, and [to] see what it takes to walk the last mile together as Africans,” he said.

Rwanda’s Minister of Health, Dr. Diane Gashumba, said that the integration of HIV treatment into maternal and child services has led to more equitable access to prevention and treatment.

“In Rwanda, our fight against the HIV and AIDS epidemic is grounded in the principle that those affected should be at the centre of the response. We must continue to collaborate closely, and not rest until we have a generation without AIDS in Africa.”

The opening was attended by Rwanda’s First Lady, Jeannette Kagame, the First Lady of Congo Brazzaville, Antoinette Sassou N’guesso, the First Lady of Chad, Hinda Deby Itno, the First Lady of Niger, Aïssata Issoufou Mahamadou, the First Lady of Ghana Rebecca Akufo-Addo, and the First Lady of Botswana, Neo Jane

Representing UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem at ICASA was Dr. Shabaneh Luay, the Regional Director of UNFPA Arab States. Also present at the opening was Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Organized by the Society for AIDS in Africa in collaboration with the Government of Rwanda, this year’s theme is "AIDS-free Africa – Innovation, Community and Political Leadership”. ICASA aims to promote community, scientific, and technological innovations for ending AIDS. It also seeks advocacy for financing sustainable national health responses, political leadership and accountability.

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