Gen Kayumba assassin suspect denied bail

By Robert Mugabe

The lead suspect in the assassination attempt on exiled Rwandan Gen. Kayumba Nyamwasa offered some US$1million to South African police officers as bribe to release him clandestinely just after he had been arrested in mid July, a Johannesburg court heard Thursday.

Prosecutors produced in court sworn affidavits from two police officers who narrated that Pascal Kanyandekwe, 29, promised to give them that amount of money in cash if they let him go. The suspect was in court amid very tight security.

The officers attached to a maximum security police detention facility in Johannesburg, said in their affidavits they immediately sensed what the suspect was planning – including possibly leaving the country.

Based on the evidence availed, the Judge ruled to deny bail to Kanyandekwe - the only Rwandan among the five people currently in custody over the failed murder attempt on dissident Gen Nyamwasa on June 29.

The Judge said if Kanyandekwe tried to avoid arrest, he may have intent to flee South Africa.

The magistrate said he would not speculate on whether the murder attempt was backed by the Rwandan government.

It is easy to begin a rebel group than a business in DRC

UN boss arrives in Kigali in amid leaked controversial report law

By Robert Mugabe

Kigali-U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived on Tuesday in Rwanda, the United Nations said, following a dispute with the African nation over a leaked U.N. report saying its troops may have committed genocide.

U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq said Ban flew into the Rwandan capital Kigali on the unannounced visit. He would meet later on Tuesday with Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo and would see President Paul Kagame on Wednesday, Haq said.

During the swearing in of President Kagame, were more than a dozen African Heads of states were in Kigali, Kagame shunned foreign agencies who want to give lessons on Rwandese about Human rights.
“We are tired of the people who criticize what we do, and give us what we did not do,” Kagame said
Mushikiwabo received Ban Ki-moon on air port to night where it’s said he will meet Kagame afternoon after the meeting with Rwanda’s foreign affairs minister.

Mushikiwabo said last week Rwanda is considering pulling out all its troops from U.N. peacekeeping missions, starting with Darfur in Sudan, because of its anger over the draft report.

The report, whose publication the United Nations has delayed until Oct. 1, said in the leaked draft that Rwandan troops may have committed genocide in the 1990s against Rwandan Hutus who had been driven into neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Rwanda has described that charge as malicious and ridiculous.

Rwanda threatens to pull out Peace keepers from Sudan

By Robert Mugabe

Kigali-Rwanda stepped up its threats on Tuesday to withdraw thousands of peacekeepers from Sudan if the United Nations published a report that accused Rwandan forces of massacring civilians and possibly committing genocide in the Democratic Republic of Congo years ago.

The UN controversial draft report which linked to the media, Rwanda defence forces are accused of committing crimes in Easter DRC which the report say may be called Genocide
Rwandas’ foreign minister, Louse Mushikiwabo was quoted as saying that the whole contingent serving under UN have been briefed on stand bye to pull out of Sudan, If, UN goes ahead to publish the report which is said that former UN boss Kofi Anan is brain behind the report.

“We are waiting to see what the United Nations does with this report, but we are very seriously considering pulling out our troops,” Mushikiwabo said.

As early as 1997, the United Nations began investigations into reports of possible crimes against humanity involving extermination of Hutu populations by the Congolese rebel forces and their Rwandan backers, but Laurent Kabila, as president, refused access to areas where atrocities were believed to have been committed, and the investigation was abandoned

The 545-page report on 600 of the country’s most serious reported atrocities raises the question of whether Rwanda could be found guilty of genocide against Hutu during the war in neighbouring Congo, but says international courts would need to rule on individual cases.

Rwanda has 3,300 peacekeepers in Darfur, and a Rwandan general is in charge of the entire 21,800-strong United Nations-African Union peacekeeping mission there.
The Rwandan government responded angrily to the report, calling it “outrageous.” The topic is extremely delicate for the government, which has built its legitimacy on its history of combating the genocide in Rwanda.

Pascal Kambale, a prominent long time Congolese human rights lawyer who was consulted by the United Nations investigators, said: “The ex-F.A.R. fighters were said to be hiding behind the refugee populations, but the truth is that the attackers were targeting both the Rwandan Hutus and the Congolese Hutus,”

Referring to the Hutu-led Rwandan militia, F.A.R. in its French initials. “Entire families were killed, whole villages were burned, and in my view this remains the most heinous crime that happened during these 10 years.”

Six people died following grenade attack in Rwanda capital Kigali

By Robert Mugabe

Kigali: At least 6 people are reported dead from the large blast that rocked a busy area of Kigali center Wednesday evening – which is going to change the lives of many people who were seriously injured.

Police arrested 3 people on the scene, and spokesman Eric Kayiranga said Thursday that no new details were available as yet, as investigations continue.

At about 20minutes to 19:00hours, a large explosion went off as people hurried to go home during the rush hour, according to witnesses working at the Rubangura area. The bomb exploded at the exact spot where taxis headed for Nyamirambo Park.

Compared to a similar explosion earlier this year, witnesses say the Wednesday blast was larger, louder and more destructive. No building was affected, but several taxis were damaged. A motorcycle could be seen completely destroyed.

Two young men were in the intensive care unit undergoing surgery, says our reporter.

Another victim named Mbyabarumwanzi Eduard (40) said he only remembers seeing what he described as a “blue Toyota” vehicle passing by him. The next thing I woke up hospital, narrated Mbyabarumwanzi

An unidentified woman lost her eye in the explosion.

Doctors at the Kigali hospital say all the injured will fully recover, but that they need a lot of counseling from the trauma of the explosion.

All of Thursday, business had returned to normal at the blast area, but what is noticeable is the tightened security. Soldiers and police officers can be seen at every corner of the area, and in increased presence from the pre-election period.

Police have not been providing as much detail on the casualties – which some sources say are much higher than known. Some are reported to be getting treatment in other health centers around Kigali.

Vote counting ends in Rwanda as Paul Kagame takes it all by 93.8%

By Robert Mugabe

This is the third day of vote counting as the Monday’s preliminary count from 11 districts predicts that the ruling party RPF-Inkotanyi has got 92.9% and 96% from Diaspora as the second party PSD has only 4.5%

The reliable sources in the electoral commission say that RPF’s strong man Paul Kagame have won on high percentage of 93.8% meaning he has to remain in office for another seven years

Kagame's supporters say he has brought both stability and steady economic growth since the country's genocide in 1994; however, his critics accuse him of suppressing opposition and undermining democracy
On Monday, voting began promptly at 0600 local time (0400 GMT) and the polls closed at 1500 (1300 GMT).

During the campaign Mr Kagame held massive election rallies attended by tens of thousands of supporters.

His supporters say he has strengthened agricultural output, rebuilt the country's institutions, tackled corruption effectively and promoted women's rights and an environmentally friendly agenda.

The reliable sources in the Rwanda electoral commission has told this blog that current results in Rwanda's presidential elections are likely as follows:
Paul Kagame (RPF) 93.08%, Prosper Higiro (Liberal Party) 1.37%, Dr. Jean Damascene Ntawukuliryayo (PSD) 5.15% and Dr Alvera Mukabaramba (PPC) 0.40%

The previews elections in 2003, Kagame won with 95% of the vote.

Contestants congratulates Kagame

In a statement sent to media houses yesterday, Ntawukuriryayo and his family congratulated Paul Kagame for the confidence Rwandans have put in him once again to lead them for the next seven year term as president.

“I congratulate him and his family, and the whole Rwandan population and friends of Rwanda and wish them all the best,” reads part of the statement.
Yesterday night, the liberal party flag bearer, Prosper Higiro said that, he would accept the out come of the election

RPF supporters begun celebrating the victory ahead of official NEC declaration and to day they are taking celebrations at the villages lavel

South Africa recalls its Ambassador to Kigali

By Robert Mugabe

South Africa has recalled its ambassador to Kigali following a diplomatic row over the shooting of an exiled Rwandan army general in Johannesburg, the foreign ministry said Thursday.

The director general in the S.Africa foreign ministry, Ayanda Ntsaluba was quoted by Paris based news agency AFP as saying that his country have called their ambassador for consultation but not breaking the relations with Kigali

"We have recalled our ambassador to Rwanda for consultations. Let me be categorical. We have not broken diplomatic relations with Rwanda," foreign ministry director general Ayanda Ntsaluba told the media.

The move is traditionally the strongest demonstration of official disapproval short of severing diplomatic relations, but Ntsaluba said Pretoria was in discussions with the Rwandan government.
"All of us are just trying to understand how we can work on our relations," he said.
Dissident Rwandan general Faustin Kayumba Nyamwasa was shot and wounded on June 19. His wife has called the shooting an assassination attempt sparked by Nyamwasa's criticisms of President Paul Kagame.

Five men have been charged over the murder, but South African prosecutors have not revealed their nationalities, saying only that they were investigating if the men were in the country legally.

"The presence of some Rwandese people in South Africa has had an impact on those relations," Ntsaluba said of Pretoria's recent ties with Rwanda.

"We are not making any connection by recalling our ambassador between the government of Rwanda and the specific incident involving general Nyamwasa," he said. However he added: "Clearly the presence of the individuals here has raised the temperature."

The Rwandan foreign ministry summoned South Africa's ambassador Gladstone Dumisani Gwadiso last month to express its concern over the probe into the shooting of Nyamwasa. Rwanda has denied any role in the shooting.

South Africa has suggested foreign agents might have been involved in the shooting but did not say which country they were from.