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Mrs. Kagame arrived in the Middle East country on Tuesday, October 29, 2024, to participate in the global conference commemorating the 30th anniversary of the International Year of the Family (IYF). She was accompanied by Ms. Uwimana Consolee, Rwanda’s Minister of Gender and Family Promotion.

The two-day high-level forum, organized by the Doha International Family Institute (DIFI), kicked off on Wednesday, October 30, 2024, with more than 2,000 participants, including policymakers, researchers, practitioners, youth leaders, and families, converging at the Qatar National Convention Center.

Rwanda’s First Lady Jeannette Kagame landed in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday, October 29 2024. She is scheduled to participate in a global family conference organised by the Doha International Family Institute (DIFI) on Thursday, October 31, 2024.

A statement issued by the Rwandan Embassy in Qatar revealed that Mrs. Kagame will participate in the session titled 'Breaking the Cycle: Overcoming the Poverty Trap' scheduled for Thursday.

The session will examine the relationship between family dynamics and the persistence of poverty, touching on critical topics such as poverty and child marriage, parental motivations for early marriages, and family-based social protection policies.

'This session forms part of the broader conference theme, 'Family and Contemporary Megatrends,' which will explore how global shifts such as technological change, demographic changes, migration, and climate change are impacting families,' the embassy stated.

IYF, first proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 1994, highlights the family as the fundamental unit of society and underscores the importance of supporting and empowering families worldwide.

The Rwandan First Lady expressed her anticipation for the event, emphasizing the importance of the conference’s goals.

'The theme of this commemorative conference resonates deeply with Rwanda’s own ambition for empowered communities through empowered families. I look forward to learning and engaging, for international collaboration is essential to the accomplishment of our shared aspirations, and specifically our Sustainable Development Goals,' she stated.

Mrs. Kagame is recognised globally for her dedication to vulnerable communities. She champions family well-being through her leadership at Imbuto Foundation and other organisations she patrons. Her initiatives focus on health, education, and social protection for marginalized groups.

'H.E. Mrs. Jeannette Kagame’s participation in the conference reaffirms the importance of family-centered policies in combating poverty and reinforces the shared commitment between Rwanda and Qatar to uplift families worldwide,' the embassy added.

The Rwandan Embassy in Qatar highlighted that the participation of the First Lady and the Minister of Gender and Family Promotion at the conference underscores the strong ties between Rwanda and Qatar. According to the embassy, the duo’s involvement reflects a shared commitment to social development and the promotion of family-centered policies on a global scale.

Meanwhile, Dr. Sherifa Noman Al-Emadi, Executive Director of the Doha International Family Institute, expressed appreciation for Ms. Kagame’s much-awaited contribution to the conference, noting the significance of her insights on poverty and family empowerment.

'H.E. Mrs. Jeannette Kagame’s insights in 'Breaking the Cycle: Overcoming the Poverty Trap’ bring essential perspectives to our shared mission, reinforcing our commitment to policies that empower families and foster resilience in the face of today’s global challenges,' she remarked.

The Rwandan First Lady expressed her anticipation for the event, emphasizing the importance of the conference’s goals.

Wycliffe Nyamasege

Welcomed by Ugandan Defense Minister Jacob Oboth-Oboth, Tshisekedi proceeded directly to the State House for a one-on-one discussion focused on security and stability in the border region shared by the two countries.

This meeting is part of the ongoing joint military operations between the DRC Armed Forces (FARDC) and the Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) against the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a group linked to ISIS and accused of deadly violence in the North Kivu and Ituri provinces.

Since the launch of these operations in November 2021, the two armies report progress, including the neutralization of 52 ADF combatants and the capture of 72 others from April to September 2024, according to the spokesperson for the joint FARDC-UPDF operations, Colonel Mak Hazukay.

The President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi, arrived in Kampala Wednesday, October 30, 2024.

This mission takes place amidst a complex diplomatic climate, Although the DRC-Uganda military cooperation is considered crucial by Kinshasa to eradicate armed groups in the East, it is also criticized by some segments of Congolese civil society, which accuses Uganda of supporting M23 rebels.

However, President Tshisekedi confirmed the continued collaboration on October 12, following an operations review meeting in Kinshasa attended by the military leadership of both countries.

Despite diplomatic tensions, Kinshasa and Kampala appear determined to strengthen security ties to ensure stability in this troubled region. Tshisekedi and Museveni’s meeting comes only two weeks after a high-level meeting in Kinshasa to assess the effectiveness of their joint operations.

The Congolese Minister of Infrastructure, Alexis Gisaro, the FARDC Chief of General Staff, and other members of the Congolese delegation also participated in this mission, underscoring the importance the DRC places on this bilateral cooperation.

Sam K Nkurunziza

Justice Lydia Mugambe of the High Court of Uganda is reported to have been arraigned in court on August 7.

Reports of her prosecution surfaced earlier this week on Ugandan media outlets, a few days after Thames Valley Police confirmed on October 22, 2024, that a woman with the same name had been charged with three counts related to modern slavery.

The charges brought by the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service include one count of conspiring to facilitate the commission of a breach of UK immigration law by a non-UK national. The 49-year-old was also charged with one count of arranging or facilitating the travel of another person with intent to exploit, and one count of requiring a person to perform forced or compulsory labour.

In response to the media reports linking Mugambe to the incident, the Chief Justice of Uganda issued a statement late on Tuesday, October 29, 2024. The Chief Justice’s office noted that the Judiciary had reached out to UK authorities to ascertain the facts of the case and would release a detailed statement soon.

'The attention of the Chief Justice of Uganda has been drawn to media reports that Hon. Lady Justice Lydia Mugambe, of the High Court of Uganda, has been charged in a UK court,' stated Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo. 'The Hon. Chief Justice is engaging relevant government authorities regarding the matter, after which a formal communication will be issued.'

Mugambe’s trial is scheduled for February 10, 2025, and is expected to last for three weeks.

Family sources who spoke to the Daily Monitor suggested that Mugambe could be a victim of a scheme by a girl she helped travel to the UK.

According to the sources, the girl had intended to go elsewhere but was advised by her friends upon arrival in the UK to report that she was being held against her will to gain permanent residence and employment benefits.

'…That was her first stop when she arrived in the UK, and she got comfortable there. But she wasn’t supposed to stay. She was advised by other girls in the neighbourhood that she could obtain permanent papers and more opportunities if she claimed she was being held against her will, which wasn’t the case at all,' a source was quoted as saying.

Justice Lydia Mugambe of the High Court of Uganda is reported to have been arraigned in court on August 7.

Wycliffe Nyamasege

The agreement, between Rwanda National Police and Qatar Internal Security Force, was signed in Doha on Tuesday, October 30, 2024, during Milipol Qatar 2024, a global exhibition and conference focused on homeland security and safety.

Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGP) in charge of Operations, Vincent Sano, and Major General Hamad Hassan Al Sulait signed the MoU on behalf of the two institutions.

Rwanda’s Minister of Interior, Dr. Vincent Biruta, and Commander of Lekhwiya, Qatar’s Internal Security Force, H.E. Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, witnessed the signing.

In a statement, the Rwanda National Police noted that the agreement paves the way for the RNP and Lekhwiya to exchange expertise on operational procedures and training in internal security systems.

'The two parties committed to further provide mutual support and to explore the latest technologies,' the statement reads.

The agreement also opens additional channels for deeper cooperation and joint efforts to address emerging security challenges.

Officers from Rwanda’s security forces have recently benefited from the deepening ties between the two countries.

In August, 100 personnel from the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) Military Police completed a six-week intensive training program focused on counter-terrorism, VIP protection, and anti-riot tactics.

One hundred personnel from the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) Military Police, on Wednesday, August 14, 2024, completed a six-week intensive training program focused on counter-terrorism, VIP protection, and anti-riots.

The training, held at the Rwanda Military Academy Gako, was part of a partnership between the RDF and Qatar Armed Forces.

Rwanda’s Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGP) in charge of Operations, Vincent Sano, and Major General Hamad Hassan Al Sulait of the Qatar Internal Security Force signed the MoU on behalf of the two institutions.

Wycliffe Nyamasege

A total of 38 students from EAC Partner States graduated with a Master’s Degree in Health Supply Chain Management, bringing the total number of graduates to 135 since the program was launched in 2017. The ceremony was presided over by Prime Minister Édouard Ngirente.

The Master’s in Health Supply Chain Management (MHSCM) program is delivered through a blended learning approach, combining face-to-face instruction, online learning, and field placements over four semesters. According to EAC RCE, this structure ensures optimal knowledge transfer while minimizing disruptions to participants’ work commitments in their home countries.

The graduation ceremony was presided over by Rwanda’s Prime Minister Édouard Ngirente.

The EAC Vaccines Centre lauds the graduates’ efforts throughout the two years of study, highlighting their zeal to engage in comprehensive course works, hands-on projects, and collaborative research which equipped them with essential skills to improve health supply chain systems in the region.

The training coordinator at the Centre underscored the significance of the program to the region’s health development goals.

The graduation ceremony was held at the Huye Campus.

“The Master’s in Health Supply Chain Management programme was designed to address the critical challenges facing health supply chain systems in the East African Community. With this milestone, we are confident that these graduates now possess the skills and knowledge necessary to make meaningful contributions to our healthcare systems in the region', noted Dr. Jean Baptiste Nyandwi.

A total of 38 students from EAC Partner States graduated with a Master’s Degree in Health Supply Chain Management

The Centre is steadily growing, having started a Master of Science program in Pharmaceutical Analysis and Quality Assurance in November 2023. It is also set to launch two other programs soon, namely the Master of Science in Vaccinology and the Master of Science in Medical Products Regulatory Affairs.

With funding from the German Development Cooperation and the German Development Bank through various grants since inception, the EAC RCE-VIHCM has been able to advance its talent development efforts in creating a conducive environment for vaccine manufacturing in the EAC region and beyond. It is thanks to this support that the Centre can equitably award full scholarships worth €15,000 to each deserving public servant from the EAC.

The EAC Vaccines Centre lauds the graduates’ efforts throughout the two years of study.

Established in 2014, the UR/EAC RCE-VIHSCM aims to address challenges in health supply chain management within the EAC region through research and training initiatives.

The University of Rwanda’s East African Community Regional Centre of Excellence for Vaccines, Immunization, and Health Supply Chain Management, celebrated the graduation of its fourth cohort of Master’s students in Health Supply Chain Management during the institution’s 10th graduation ceremony held at the Huye Campus on October 25, 2024.

Wycliffe Nyamasege

Yiming’s net worth rose to $49.3 billion—a 43% increase from 2023—making him the wealthiest individual on the Hurun China Rich List.

The 41-year-old’s fortune has grown largely due to TikTok’s rising influence, fueling ByteDance’s financial growth, with global revenue reaching $110 billion in 2023.

TikTok continues to expand despite U.S. concerns over its Chinese ties. The U.S. has indicated plans to ban TikTok by January 2025 unless ByteDance sells it.

Yiming founded ByteDance in 2014, launching TikTok two years later. Now available in over 150 countries, TikTok has offices in cities like Beijing, Los Angeles, and Tokyo.

While Yiming stepped down as CEO of ByteDance in 2021, he retains a 20% stake in the company.

In the latest rankings, Yiming surpassed Zhong Shanshan of Nongfu Spring, whose wealth has declined to $47.9 billion.

Tech conglomerate Tencent founder Pony Ma ranks third with a net worth of $44.4 billion, as the gaming firm saw rising revenues.

Other Chinese billionaires who have appeared in previous lists, including the 2024 Forbes list, are Colin Huang ($38.9 billion), William Ding ($33.5 billion), Ma Huateng ($30.2 billion), He Xiangjian ($25.1 billion), Jack Ma ($24.5 billion), Eric Li ($16.8 billion), Qin Yinglin ($15.5).

Zhang Yiming’s net worth rose to $49.3 billion—a 43% increase from 2023—making him the wealthiest individual on the Hurun China Rich List.

Wycliffe Nyamasege

'We are Banyarwanda not Bavandimwe as being mooted by Mr. Frank Gashumba and some State Agents. We have suspended him (Gashumba) from our affairs and also petitioned the president over this matter,' Simon Kaiyitana Chairman-Umubano Task Force & Member of Buganda Lukiiko told the press on October 29, 2024.

He revealed that Gashumba has been suspended with immediate effect and request to stop peddling his personal interests using Abavandimwe disguising as Banyarwanda.

according to plan, there are scheduled meetings between Banyarwanda and the leaderships of all Kingdoms and cultural institutions in the country during the ongoing countrywide consultations expected to end on December 01, 2024.

The cultural institutions to be consulted include Buganda Kingdom, Tooro Kingdom, Bunyoro Kingdom, Busoga Kingdom, Rwenzururu Kingdom, Rwoti Cultural Institution and others to solicit views and support for a proposed amendment bill regarding right to citizenship, identification and certification of Ugandans.

Kayitana also said that his group will meet the European Union Representative in Uganda, the British and United Nations and United States Ambassadors, and other members of the donor community over the same matter.

Hon. Dr. Fred Mukasa Mbidde, the Legal Advisor to UMUBANO Task Force said that the Uganda Government and President of the Republic of Uganda has been put to notice that over six million Kinyarwanda-speaking people in Uganda are now stateless because of the wrongful constitutional provision under Article 10.

He explained that the proposed law seeks an amendment of the first section of the article to delete and replace the year 1926 with 1962 as well as introduce the 'Jus soli' principle of international Law on citizenship by birth for all persons born in Uganda while maintaining the Jus Snguinis principle already applied under the law.

Other amendments include introduction of freedom of access to citizenship rights through proper management, certification, identification, recognition and equal opportunities for both roving and borderline ethnic groups as well as amendment of the immigration law 'mutatis mutandis'.

Banyarwanda have on several occasions conducted campaigns to advocate for their rights in Uganda.

Mbidde highlighted that the above process has been reduced into a fully-fledged memorandum that shall be handed over to Government for ultimate consideration.

After engaging all Banyarwanda across the country, the task formed will hold a major public hearing at Kololo Independence Grounds on the final day of the consultations.

Kinyarwanda-speaking people in Uganda are now stateless because of the wrongful constitutional provision under Article 10.

Sam K Nkurunziza

At the heart of this historic trial, Eugène Rwamucyo, a 63-year-old Rwandan doctor, faces charges of genocide, complicity, involvement in a conspiracy to commit genocide, and crimes against humanity.

André Martin Karongozi, a lawyer for the civil parties, made an impassioned plea to the jury: “Do not let Mr. Rwamucyo perpetuate the genocide committed against the Tutsi through his denial; do not let Mr. Rwamucyo falsify history.”

He added emphatically: “When you retire to deliberate, the hundred thousand souls of the victims killed in Butare will join you on the steps of this palace: a hundred thousand victims far exceed the capacity of the Stade de France, which is 80,000 people.”

For the families of the victims, the stakes go beyond just Rwamucyo’s trial. According to Karongozi, it is about “preventing other enemies of freedom” and affirming that “never again is not an illusion.”

In the courtroom, the weight of words resonated. Richard Gisagara, also a lawyer for the civil parties and a fervent defender of the victims’ memory, spoke of the doctor’s association with what he described as a “death enterprise.”

He emphasized the methodical and systematic violence of this destruction project, which, in his view, “aimed to erase a part of the Rwandan population, even the memory of their victims.”

For Gisagara, this trial is an opportunity for France to show its refusal to become “a safe haven for genocide perpetrators.”

To support his remarks, Gisagara reminded the jury of European tragedies, drawing a parallel with the Holocaust: “What happened in Rwanda is akin to what took place a little over 80 years ago when France and Europe witnessed the horror of the Holocaust and Nazi crimes.”

In this appeal, the lawyer wants the same dignity and recognition be accorded to Rwandan victims: “May the view you take of these facts, and of the victims, be the same as you would take for a victim of the Holocaust or Nazi crimes.”

For the civil parties, this legal battle is also a fight for truth. The context of this trial dates back to 2009, when Rwamucyo was sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment by a Gacaca court in Rwanda.

The charges against him are severe: he is alleged to have formed extermination groups, incited the population to perpetrate Genocide, provided weapons, and participated in the abduction of Tutsi women and girls. In France, his trial began in October 2024 after several years of legal proceedings and controversy.

Emmanuel Daoud, representing the organizations LDH and FIDH, emphasizes the importance of holding this trial in France, asserting that Dr. Rwamucyo “publicly supported the regime responsible for the genocide.”

Despite this, Philippe Meilhac, the defense lawyer, continues to deny his client’s involvement, arguing that these accusations are unfounded.

As deliberations continue, attention turns to the verdict. For the families, survivors, and the Rwandan community in France, Dr. Rwamucyo’s trial is more than a simple judgment; it is an act of remembrance and a message of hope that justice can prevail, even thirty years after the events.

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Master André Martin Karongozi, lawyer for the civil parties in the trial of Eugène Rwamucyo.

Master Richard Gisagara, lawyer for the civil parties and a fervent defender of the victims’ memory.

Karirima. A. Ngarambe

Antony Blinken, the U.S. Secretary of State, announced a new visa restriction policy targeted at Ghanaian leaders on Monday, October 28, 2024.

'This policy will take effect in advance of Ghana’s presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled to take place on December 7, 2024,' Blinken stated.

Blinken clarified that the visa restriction policy would apply only to specific individuals who undermine democracy and is not directed at the Ghanaian people or the Government of Ghana.

'Ghana has achieved three decades of democratic elections and the peaceful transfer of power between parties — a record to be proud of and a model to cherish. The United States’ readiness to impose visa restrictions if circumstances warrant is an example of our support for the aspirations of all Ghanaians for a peaceful, transparent, and credible electoral process that reflects the will of the people,' he added.

According to Blinken, the policy aims to punish individuals believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, undermining democracy in Ghana. This includes actions such as manipulating or rigging the electoral process, using violence to intimidate, coerce, or prevent people from exercising their rights to freedom of association and peaceful assembly, and intimidating political party representatives, voters, civil society members, or the media. Certain family members of such individuals may also be subject to these restrictions.

'Persons who undermine democracy in Ghana — including in the lead-up to, during, and following Ghana’s 2024 elections — may be found ineligible for visas under this policy,' he added.

Ghana has held peaceful, free, fair, and transparent elections for nearly two decades. However, with just two months to the polls, Ghana’s biggest opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has alleged a plot to rig the elections.

Last month, the opposition held nationwide protests demanding an audit of the voter roll, alleging thousands of unauthorized transfers and deletions of voter names.

Former President John Dramani Mahama, who lost in the 2016 and 2020 elections, is running on the opposition party ticket to succeed President Akufo-Addo, who is stepping down this year after his second and final four-year term. Mahama will face off against Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia of the ruling New Patriotic Party in this year’s polls.

Antony Blinken, the U.S. Secretary of State, announced a new visa restriction policy targeted at Ghanaian leaders on Monday, October 28, 2024.

Wycliffe Nyamasege