Rwanda Government says Havugintwari Lambert in Police Custody
By Nkunda
Cry for Freedom in Rwanda
March 30, 2011
The police spokesperson, Theos Badege, yesterday revealed that Havugintwari Lambert, a lecturer at the National University of Rwanda, is in police custody after missing for close to two weeks. This was announced through a statement by the National Police released via the New Times.
According to the statement, Havugimana “is part of the racket,” presumably a reference to the four exiled Tutsi dissidents: Gerald Gahima, Theogene Rudasingwa, Gen. Kayumba Nyamwasa and Col. Patrick Karegeya.
The official version further claims that Havugimana was nabbed on February 9th and that his family was fully aware of this, a claim vehemently refuted by his wife, Ingabire Christine. In her open letter to President Paul Kagame, she complains of her husband’s disappearance requesting the latter’s help. This clearly implies that she had not seen her husband following his disappearance.
In the past, the government of Rwanda has linked grenade attacks to the FDLR rebel group.
Related Stories:
Rwanda National Police Statement
Disappearance of University Don in Rwanda
National University of Rwanda Professor Goes Missing: Police Blame Military
Nyuma yo kuburirwa irengero,Umwarimu wa Kaminuza y’u Rwanda,Havugintwari ari mu maboko y’inzego z’umutekano
Polisi yagaragaje umwarimu wo muri Kaminuza amaze kwemera gushinja ibinyoma Ingabire na Gen Kayumba
How to Spot a Rwandan Racist: Five signs of racism in Rwanda
By Claire Umurungi
The Proxy Lake
March 13, 2011
Photo: Ghost of Rwanda
If in Rwanda there are laws against divisionism, revisionism or genocide ideology, it is because there are people with divisionism out there. I have noticed signs of racism during my last visit home or from messages and discussions I have with my fellow country people online. Listen carefully, you will notice too.
One: Reasoning in terms of two camps
You will always spot a racist in Rwanda easily because they all use words like
“mwe” or
“mwebwe” versus
“twe” or
“twebwe” especially in every political discussion you engage with him or her.
The divisionist always reason in terms of two camps and tend compares one side from the other. It’s very hard to reason such individual in terms of unity of the people.
Early sign of racism is when you hear someone having trouble accepting differing opinion. Our racist takes no one else’s point of view. In fact, most of them think that having a different idea is an attack on their “camp”.
The racist always thinks the “other” side is bad, inferior, useless, lost or with bad intentions. Belittlement of members of other ethnic groups can be done without explicitly making mention of the ethnic group of the other person or persons. Racist will constantly criticize the opinions of others or even ridicule them.
Two: Denial of victimhood
Very often in Rwanda, when discussing issues of reconciliation and justice, conversation concerning victims of Rwandan tragedy comes at the centre. This is mainly because many Rwandan families lost their members in the past. We all want to honour all of our loved ones regardless of why, where and by who they died. We must refuse to select whom to morn and whom to forget.
Surprisingly, I hear people emphasizing their lost ones as the only victims of Rwandan conflict.
It is a sign of racism when someone shows lack of sympathy towards other lost ones.
Only in Rwanda you will hear people publicly
deny in front of the victims that lives of other family members were lost or giving reasons or justifications as to why innocent people had to die. History of genocide in Rwandan community is a result of extreme and institutionalised racism of some.
Another sign of worst racism is the attempt to counterbalance or to minimise the impact of the lost of lives in “other” communities. Universally, it is common for racists to have no insight into their own prejudice. This is because they believe their prejudice to be based upon objective grounds.
What racist people forget is that often families of the victims are well aware in full details of what happened to their own people.
Three: Collective blame
In Rwanda, racists don’t mind blaming someone for crimes that they know they never did. The blame is given because they are of same ethnic group with those who committed ethnic violence. Instead each individual involved should be accountable for his or her own actions.
Crimes begin and end with the criminals who commit them, not collectively with all members of same ethnic group. Unfortunately, racists tend to hold others of the same ethnicity “collectively” responsible for crimes that took place in Rwanda.
From collective blame springs presumed
thought crimes in Rwanda. This is when someone is charged with the crime of thinking like someone else. One can get suspected of having the same “imitekerereze” [thinking] with bad intent.
Four: Indifference
Pretending or staying indifferent to the plight of members of society who are of other ethnic group when they suffer injustices is also a sign of racism. You can easily sense when someone feels no sympathy whatsoever towards other people’s suffering, poverty, hardship, injustice or disadvantage. It is typical of the racist to see or seek pleasure in the “other” group’s suffering.
Five: Denial of ethnic group existence
A racist is someone who believes that mentioning names of our ethnic groups is a crime (In Rwanda it is punishable to 20 years in prison). On one hand, Hutu, Tutsi and Twa are an integral part of us, our culture, our identity, our tradition and history. For some reasons, today some people find it an offense for others to feel and express who they think they are.
On the other hand, a constant reference to someone’s ethnic background is also an unmistakable pattern of racism.
In Rwanda, many people find it extraordinary or a miracle that Hutu and Tutsi are living side by side in Rwanda today. But
peaceful cohabitation is not new in our country. Rwandans have lived together side by side, in same hills for centuries. They intermarried, shared farms, harvests, wells, schools and problems. So it is not an achievement of the any regime. Peaceful cohabitation was and is still enshrined in our culture.
In conclusion, we should “celebrate both our commonalities and differences, because if we had nothing in common we could not communicate, and if we had everything in common, we would have nothing to say.” as said Jonathan Sacks, Chief Rabbi
Not surprisingly, it is rare, today, for a person to admit to being a racist.
Related Posts:
President Kagame Fails to Sell His Development Style to Europeans.
Plan d’Elimination d’Ingabire Victoire par les Services Secrets Rwandais
No Two Acts of Genocide Are Dealt With the Same Way by the UN
U.N. Mapping Report: US Must Come Clean
DRC "Genocide" Report: U.N. Investigative Team Deputy Chief Testifies
Video: The Leaked UN Report in Images - The contradictions of Kagame
Rwanda: Who is the real boss of FDU-Inkingi ?
By Grégoire Karekezi
Jambonews
March 18th, 2011
Photo:
The Chairperson of the FDU-Inkingi, Ms. Victoire Ingabire
The political party FDU-INKINGI whose Chairperson Ms. Victoire Ingabire is imprisoned by General Paul Kagame’s regime of Rwanda is undergoing an internal crisis within its organization.
The incarceration of Ms. Victoire Ingabire has dealt a blow to the party FDU-INKINGI. Ms. Ingabire had managed to consolidate her leadership and to impose her style at the party head. Such a situation allowed Ms. Victoire Ingabire to gather around herself all of the party heavyweights. Upon her arrival in Rwanda in January 2010, she managed to organize the opposition in Rwanda, which began to emerge. She remains the figurehead of the Rwandan opposition even though she is still in prison.
The infighting that currently engages the heavyweights of the United Democratic Forces, FDU-INKINGI, all of which are currently living in Europe, has lasted for so long but the charisma and the sense of responsibility of Ms. Victoire Ingabire would permit each time to preserve the party unity and rally around her. Her return from exile in the Netherlands to Rwanda to participate in the Rwandan presidential election of August 2010 marked the beginning of a great crisis within the party leaders who stayed in Europe.
This crisis of the FDU-INKINGI’s heavyweights got in public following a press release signed on January 26, 2011 by Mr. Eugene Ndahayo, Chairperson of FDU-INKINGI Support Committee (SC). One may recall that the SC was established on April 4, 2010.
Chaired by Mr. Eugene Ndahayo, the SC consisted of a dozen members from both the Coordinating Committee (CC) and the former Executive Board members who were unable to accompany Ms. Victoire Ingabire to Rwanda, including Mr. Eugene Ndahayo himself. This organ coined by former FDU-INKINGI’s heavyweights was supposed to cram some of them who otherwise would have found themselves as ordinary party members after the departure of their Chairperson and the establishment of the Provisional Executive Committee of FDU-INKINGI in Rwanda.
Photo:
The Chairperson of the FDU-Inkingi (in the middle in pink dress), Ms. Victoire Ingabire.
This press release of January 26, 2011 excluded from FDU-INKINGI two other members of the same SC in particular Mr. Nkiko Nsengimana (Vice Chair of the SC and Chairman of the CC) and Mr. Sixbert Musangamfura (Head of External Relations within SC). The alleged reason for this exclusion was indiscipline upon signing, without authorization from the SC’s Chair, the statement concluding the negotiations aimed at setting up a political platform with the party RNC (Rwanda National Congress) of which General Faustin Kayumba Nyamwasa and Colonel Patrick Karegeya, refugees in Africa South, are founding members.
However, this exclusion raises several questions: Frankly why were these two members suspended? Why the other two members of the SC namely Mr. Mberabahizi and Ndereyehe who were accompanying Nkiko Nsengimana and Sixbert Musangamfura during the negotiations with RNC were not also suspended? Did the SC Chair have the power to unilaterally suspend the other members of the SC? Why a few days later did the Chair and some members of the SC issue a statement signed on behalf of two former parties (ADR and FRD) that gave birth to FDU-INKINGI? These two parties indeed merged with RDR to form the single party FDU-INKINGI.
The answer to the last question occurred in the statement released by the same members of the SC on February 14, 2011 in which they announced to resume the party leadership at the expense of the Provisional Executive Committee of FDU-INKINGI in Kigali which they reduced into the Executive Body of a Local Political Council.
It is important to ask ourselves what power did members of the SC have to take over the party leadership at the expense of the Provisional Executive Committee established on March 13, 2010 and chaired by Ms. Victoire Ingabire, since their the role was logically supposed to be confined only in facilitating and supporting the activities of the party that is active in Rwanda. Is this anything, but a coup?
It is in this climate of confusion that the Coordination Committee (CC) set up on January 9, 2010 convened a meeting of FDU-INKINGI to explain to party members the crisis facing their party.
This CC whose attributions are to coordinate activities between the party members within Rwanda and those abroad was formed shortly before the departure of Ms. Victoire Ingabire according to the decision of the Political Council adopted on September 26, 2009 as shown by the Minutes of that meeting which Jambonews team is in possession.
All of the supporters of FDU-INKINGI, Rwandan citizens and observers who had based their hope in FDU-INKINGI as an emerging force and alternative to the dictatorial regime in Kigali are now worried. Indeed there are risks that the Kigali regime may take advantage of this crisis to destroy the party.
The history of peaceful political movements or armed struggle reminds us that such crises are part of a mandatory process for strength and sustainability of the movement as long as the party emerged unscathed. What is reassuring in this story is that FDU-INKINGI have already found in Ms. Victoire Ingabire, a leader in which not only supporters but also many people inside Rwanda, in diaspora and in exile, found themselves.
By her strength, Ms. Victoire Ingabire has given hope to an oppressed people. By her courage, she restored the energy to fight against the tyranny that is more repressive than ever before and just for that reason, she remains the only boss of FDU-INKINGI despite her continued incarceration.
The pitiful battle between the FDU-INKINGI heavyweights through conflicting press releases on the internet will not change anything.
Translated by Amani Tuyishime
Original French version by Grégoire Karekezi
JamboNews.net
Rwanda: Rights abuses a “non-issue” for donors
By Léandre Karangwa and Olivier Niyibizi
Jambonews
March 17th, 2011
Human rights abuses are definitely tolerable when it comes to Rwanda. Indeed, despite the publication of a damning UN report accusing Rwanda of atrocities committed in eastern DRC and the fact that the Kigali regime is increasingly becoming repressive, donors’ money continues to flow almost unconditionally into Rwanda.
For instance, last month the World Bank approved a financial aid stimulus of $104.4 million to the government of Rwanda, in support of its Economic Development Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS). Early this month, the United Kingdom committed £330 million to Rwanda as financial support for the next four years. The Netherlands have now drafted Rwanda on a shortened list of countries that will continue to receive development aid on grounds of much needed help in fulfilling the UN Millennium Development Goals. In contradiction to this stance, the Netherlands cancelled their direct budget support to Rwanda last December, in response to increasing criticisms from their parliament.
According to Elizabeth Carriere, Head of the British Department for International Development (DfID), “Providing general and sector budget support is a vote of confidence to Rwanda to be able to use the money effectively, efficiently and accountably”. In general, donors hold Rwanda in high regard for its ability to show results when it comes to implementing Western backed development programs and minimizing corruption. This also is evident in the fact that foreign aid accounts for more than half the national budget, at more than $500 million every year. As the increasingly authoritarian and despotic nature of President Paul Kagame’s regime continues to go unchecked, it is becoming obvious that Rwanda is an exception to the generally accepted notion that democracy goes hand in hand with progress.
Photo:
Dutch minister Ben Knapen and Rwandan président Paul Kagame
Apparently, donors are mostly interested in preserving diplomatic ties with strategic partners regardless whether this may mean ignoring their poor records on fundamental human and political rights and freedoms. During a working visit to the DRC and Rwanda last month, Dutch Minister for European Affairs and International Cooperation, Ben Knapen, praised President Paul Kagame for his country’s economic and development achievements. Although the minister discussed “security and stability at the borders in the region and strengthening the rule of law” with the president, nothing was mentioned about the UN Mapping Exercise Report, released in October last year. Even though, the report blames Rwanda for violating human rights and international humanitarian law in eastern DRC, it did not draw much attention during Knapen’s official visit to the war torn region of Central Africa. However, it is important to mention that Mr. Knapen brought forward the Netherlands’ concern about a “fair and transparent” trial for the imprisoned Ms. Victoire Ingabire and the political situation in Rwanda.
In its annual report published in January this year, Human Rights Watch (HRW) criticizes the increasing use of soft measures by western democracies towards repressive regimes. According to HRW Executive Director, Kenneth Roth, “‘Dialogue’ and ‘cooperation’ with repressive governments is too often an excuse for doing nothing about human rights”. The international community is neglecting the need for necessary democratic reforms in the small Central African state, partly because of a general feeling of guilt and responsibility for not having prevented or intervened to stop the 1994 Genocide. However, donors may also feel reluctant to scrutinize the African country that is showing to the world how intensive development aid coupled with a capable government may achieve the economic turnaround any devastated country needs.
The UN Mapping Exercise Report speaks loud that the world is aware of the still ongoing war crimes and crimes against humanity in eastern DRC and Rwanda’s role herein. It is quite astonishing, however, to see how countries such as the Netherlands and the UK, considered as guarantors of the respect for human rights, continue to turn a consensual blind eye to despicable war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by their allies in the Great Lakes Region of Africa.
Such a deafening silence becomes even more alarming when one of these donor countries is home to internationally recognized institutions against impunity such as the International Criminal Court (ICC), the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY – TPIY) and is a former host of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR).
Related Materrials:
DR Congo: UN Report Exposes Grave Crimes
Rights body warns UK on repressive tendencies in Rwanda
World Bank Approves US$104.4 Million in Poverty Reduction Support Financing for Rwanda
UK commits £330m financial support to Rwanda
Knapen meets Kagame
DRC: Mapping human rights violations 1993-2003
Case Victoire Ingabire: The prosecutor’s evidence was fake
Rwanda: Violence and Political Oppression Escalating in Months before August Elections
Rights group says democracies ignore abuses
Rwanda – RNC: The concerns of Kigali
By Grégoire Karekezi
Jambonews
March 16th, 2011
Photo:
Mr. Theogene Rudasingwa, a founding member of RNC.
Theogene Rudasingwa, Kagame’s former chief of staff, together with his friends, all of which are members of the opposition party, Rwanda National Congress (RNC), continue to worry Rwanda of Paul Kagame.
Indeed, the Kigali regime, which is known to stigmatize and treat its opponents with great contempt, seems to take seriously the threat posed by dissident members of the RNC.
There are reliable signs showing that the Rwandan government which usually expresses its agenda, ideology and attacks against its opponents through the daily newspaper “The New Times” is also disclosing these concerns through the same newspaper.
Indeed, this newspaper last week published an article written by the spokesperson of the Rwandan army, Lt. Col. Jill Rutaremara.
In his article, the spokesperson of the Rwandan army expressed regret about having been a schoolmate of Major Theogene Rudasingwa in the 80s. “Some of us have had the misfortune to study and live together with Major Rudasingwa at Makerere University in Uganda,” he declared. The question one should ask is why these spokesperson’s regrets only occur now given that Major Rudasingwa held several senior positions in Rwanda, including Paul Kagame’s chief of staff until 2004. Why the spokesperson of the army did not express his displeasure long before Rudasingwa and his friends found a political party, the RNC, which is opposed to the current regime in Kigali? The arguments advanced by the spokesperson to discredit his former comrade are primarily based on Rudasingwa’s private life rather than his professional career in the army, the civilian life or as a diplomat or Kagame’s chief of staff.
The day after the publication of Rutaremara’s article it was the turn of the former member of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) high command, Major General Jerome Ngendahimana. The General surrendered and returned to Rwanda in 2003. Before surrendering, Major General Jerome Ngendahimana, as a leader of the FDLR, had been automatically accused of genocide by the Kigali regime. In his interview with the same newspaper, “The News Times”, the former member of the FDLR high command gave lessons of patriotism to General Nyamwasa and Colonel Karegeya and accused them of collaborating with the FDLR.
On Monday, March 14, 2011, Professor Manasseh Nshuti, often blamed by articles from the newspaper “Umuvugizi” (a tabloid banned from publication in Rwanda since last year) for complicity in embezzlement with President Kagame, published an article on Kayumba and Rudasingwa, still in “The New Times”. In his article, Professor Manasseh tries to demonstrate that the RNC by signing a compact of collaboration with the FDU-INKINGI, it de facto works with the FDLR because according to him, Ms. Victoire Ingabire, the Chairperson of FDU-INKINGI, is associated with the FDLR. It is important to recall that according to many observers, the Kigali regime has been trying by all means to associate Ms. Victoire Ingabire with the FDLR in order to justify her continued incarceration.
The media campaigns waged by Rwandan officials against their former comrades clearly show that the regime is deeply concerned about the existence of RNC, a political party mainly composed of former high ranking officials of the Kigali regime.
Translated by Amani Tuyishime
Original french version by Grégoire Karekezi
JamboNews.net
Related Materials:
Kayumba Nyamwasa fails to absolve himself from Links with FDLR
Theogene Rudasingwa’s credibility problem
Rwanda: Lessons for Kayumba And Co.
Rwanda: Renegades - the Real Kayumba And Rudasingwa
RWANDA: JUDGE AND PROSECUTOR MEDIA COMMENTS ON INGABIRE'S TRIAL ARE NOT FAIR
By Boniface Twagirimana
FDU-INKINGI
Interim Vice President.
The pro-governmental mouthpiece, the New Times of March 17th, 2011 (issue 14567) again blasted Ms. Victoire INGABIRE, the incarcerated opposition leader and Chair of FDU-INKINGI,
for not going blindly to the politically stage-managed judicial butchery.
“We have communicated to her in writing several times. We gave her the charge sheet and all files from prosecution containing evidence. We asked her to file her defence in February but it hasn’t happened to date,” said Justice Johnston Busingye, the High Court President and Vice president of the Rwanda Supreme Court.
“We served her with a reminder but nothing happened. We have given her the right to defend herself and we will wait until she responds. She can as well tell us that she doesn’t want and we can proceed and set the date without her defence.”, he continued.
Until proven wrong, we can't believe that such a high position judge has deliberately told untruth to the public using a partisan media outlet when he knows that the 2080 page file submitted in a rush by the Prosecution on December 27th, 2010 to justify the illegal detention of Ms. Victoire Ingabire is still under investigation, according to the Justice Minister.
The access to the Court file has been very difficult, restrictive and unprofessional. The file is an amalgam of different languages and it's the responsibility of the Court to avail the whole file in an official language understood by the accused's defence counsel.
Rwanda is a member state of the Commonwealth of Nations and English is since sometime its official language. Two members of the defence counsel are British citizens and have never been facilitated with official English translations. Does Justice Johnston Busingye care whether the defence understands the case or not? It's known that his job is not a political position though he was a member of the ruling party, and was a long term serving member of the ruling executive machinery.
Many times, the Military Intelligence and CID members denied the defendant the right to quality and private discussions with the Rwandan Lawyer until the Chief Prosecutor intervened at least three times. Many times, legally accredited foreign lawyers were denied access to the client. One British lawyer had no other alternative but to postpone his flight because his visits to the Kigali prison were denied for two consecutive days.
The same tabloid has quoted the General Prosecutor, Mr, Martin Ngoga, saying:
“Prosecution was ready for this trial from the day we filed the substantive case with the High Court. We indicated in the past that we had made several requests for judicial cooperation from a number of European countries, we got very little and slow cooperation from them. We, however, were able to obtain evidence enough to prove our case in the opinion of the Prosecution”.
Curiously Justice Minister, Hon. Mr. Tharcisse Karugarama stated in Geneva on March 8th 2011 that more time was needed for the prosecution:
“In my quality as Minister of Justice, considering the independence of the judicial in Rwanda, I have no comment on Ingabire case because it's still under investigation. Rwanda has requested rogatory letters from Belgium, The Netherlands and the USA. The Rwandan judicial is still waiting for the results of those foreign investigations in order to substantiate the charges. It will certainly take time. Considering the importance of this trial for the Rwandan justice and the international community, Rwandan authorities will never take the risk to open the trial until the prosecution is in possession of all the pieces",said the Minister.
In an exclusive interview with Monitor Managing Editor Daniel Kalinaki (online since May22nd, 2010), President Kagame stated:
“We have evidence, which has been brought to her attention and about 10 things she has been denying. Now she’s saying that seven of them are actually true and this has come as a result of the overwhelming evidence that was put in front of her.”
This reveals once again troubling contradictions and government interferences in this case. Clearly some of those key authorities, either the President of the High Court and Deputy President of the Supreme Court; either the Prosecutor General, either the Minister of Justice and Attorney General or President Paul Kagame are voluntarily fooling the public, for a hidden agenda.
Those contradictions and lies erode the little public confidence in the Rwandan judicial.
Related Stories:
Ingabire delaying her case- Court
RWANDA: NO INDEPENDENCE, NO JUSTICE
RWANDA : A MOLOTOV COCKTAIL HURLED OVER MS. INGABIRE RESIDENCE
By Boniface Twagirimana
FDU-INKINGI
Interim Vice president
March 16, 2011
Today at around 7:50pm, a Molotov cocktail was hurled inside the residence of the jailed FDU-Inkingi chairperson, Ms. Victoire INGABIRE, in Kigali, by unknown assailants. None was injured in the night attack.
The police was immediately informed. First the Gasabo district DPC visited the scene and ordered an overnight police patrol. Later on other police officers came, to find out what happened. After a cosmetic fact finding exercise, one of the officers ironically suggested that the cocktail might have been thrown by the house residents, in order to draw the attention of the media.
According to the watchman, a few minutes before the attack a suspect scouted first the area around the compound and was spotted glimpsing a sight over the compound. A female local journalist who interviewed the watchman got into a short argument with another police officer who wanted to smooth and preview her report before the broadcast.
The leadership of FDU-Inkingi condemns this coward attack and calls for a thorough investigation, in order to bring to book the culprits. Every government is duty - bound to ensure security for its citizens, irrespective of their political orientation.
Related Stories:
Molotov cocktail thrown at Ingabire’s home
Victoire Ingabire's Former Residence Attacked with Molotov Cocktail
Rwanda – Canada : Grand Opening of the Prize Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza
By Ruhumuza Mbonyumutwa
Jambonews
March 15th, 2011
Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza Prize for Democracy and Peace.
On the occasion of the hundredth anniversary of the International Women’s Day, a prize named “Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza for Democracy and Peace” was inaugurated on Saturday, March 12, 2011 in Montreal , Canada by the International Network of Women for Democracy and Peace (IWNDP, aslo known by its French acronym, RifDP).
The trophy was presented at an evening “family function” especially organized for the occasion by the Canada branch of the network which brought together around ninety people, Canadians but also and mostly members of the Rwandan communities in Montreal and Ottawa , all generations included.
Upon introductory merry entertaining board games for children and adults, participants were invited to participate in a “match-making” which consists of inviting strangers to come together in pairs in order to get acquainted.
Following such moments of fun, the coordinator of the Canada section of IWNDP, Madame Perpetua Muramutse, came to the point of the gathering: “we’re gathering around our struggle for democracy and peace” and added that in this context “it is unthinkable to forget Victoire Ingabire who returned to Rwanda to lead this struggle and now is imprisoned there.”
One after another, six women presented an overview of Victoire Ingabire’s achievements.
It was a real warm tribute to which the public assisted with two words in shading of each intervention: the courage of Victoire Ingabire and her sense of leadership.
Mrs Philomène Nishyirembere and Mrs Perpétue Muramutse respectively secretary et coordinator of the canadian section of IWNDP.
Ms. Muramutse concluded this vibrant tribute: “it is with regard to these strong achievements that we felt that Victoire Ingabire deserved an award in her honor” she said, before revealing the trophy with loud applause from the public.
“From now on, this award will honor each year everyone who will thrive as part of the struggle for democracy and peace in Africa” she said, before announcing the imminent setting up of a jury.
The gathering continued with the theme “Women in Quebec and leadership” with the speeches from two women, one who is entrepreneur, and another one who is responsible for an organization that specializes in integration of migrants. The two women shared their experiences at the meeting.
It is in the emotion that the day ended with the theme “Tribute to Women of the challenges of our community.”
Many women, mostly widows from the atrocities committed in the African Great Lakes Region, received public praise from their children.
Indeed, that was the centenary celebration of the International Women’s day that nobody is ought to forget.
Transalated by Amani Tuyishime
Original french version by Ruhumuza Mbonyumutwa
JamboNews.net
Click
here for the interview of Victoire Ingabire’s daughter with Jambonews TV (JNTV).
