Hirondelle News Agency (Lausanne)
3 June 2008
Posted to the web 5 June 2008
Brussels
Belgium has confirmed that it was investigating Emmanuel Bagambiki, former Governor of Cyangugu during the 1994 genocide, who was acquitted by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) and who is sought t by Rwanda, reports Hirondelle Agency .
"The federal prosecutor is looking at the [Bagambiki's] extradition request and that there is an arrest warrant issued against him [by Rwanda]','said Lieve Pellens spokesperson of the prosecutor.
However, he hinted that Belgium and Rwanda, for the time being, do not have an extradition agreement, but affirmed that Investigations were underway against the former Rwandan official, who is living in Belgium with his family.
Following his final acquittal by the ICTR appeals court, on 8 February 2006, for crimes of genocide and crimes against humanity, Rwanda decided to prosecute the former Governor for rape, for which he was not tried by the UN tribunal.
On 10 October 2007, the Court of First Instance of Rusizi, his native region, sentenced Bagambiki in absentia to life in prison for rape and incitement to commit rape.
A source told Hirondelle that the federal prosecutor, Phillippe Meire, had recently travelled to Rwanda to follow up on the judgement.
If extradition was rejected, Belgium could decide to prosecute Bagambiki itself if there was any convincing evidence.
The lawyer for Bagambiki, Vincent Lurquin, reached in Arusha [where he is defending another defendant before the ICTR] stated Tuesday that his client had never been informed of the rape charges and Rwanda has never communicated the judgement issued against Bagambaki in absentia, although it has requested for it on several occasions.
He, moreover, clarified that if his client had not been tried for rape it was because he had not been charged by the office of the prosecutor of the ICTR. His acquittal is "a true acquittal", he stated, reminding that the judges unanimously recognized his client's innocence.
After lengthy procedures, notably to the Council of State, the highest jurisdiction of the country, Bagambiki obtained in July 2007, the right to join in Belgium his wife and children under the entitlement of family reunion.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Munyakazi odds for a home trial ebb
Chances of genocide suspect and former Rwandan Interhamwe militia leader Yussuf Munyakazi of being tried on home ground were diminished on Wednesday when the United Nations war crimes tribunal rebuffed opposition application to hold the trial in the small east African state.
Mr Munyakazi is facing charges of the 1994 Rwanda genocide in which UN estimates show that over 800,000 people, mostly ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus were allegedly murdered by his armed forces between April and July.
The 73 year-old former farmer and businessman was arrested in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in 2004, prior to being brought before the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR).
He allegedly masterminded and in some instances, actually participated in the killing of the Tutsis who had sought sanctuary in numerous churches in Rwanda’s Bugarame commune.
The prosecution’s application was denied on the basis that Rwanda’s abolishment of the death penalty last year for life imprisonment in isolation, completely flouts the international human rights standards.
The court was also wary of the autonomy of the judiciary in the capital Kigali, hence was skeptical that the accused would get a fair trial there.
It is however reported that the tribunal has taken into account positive measures taken by Rwanda to facilitate referral, read the decision, which added that if the country proceeded to maintain the same standard, it would refer future cases to the country’s judiciary.
Reports by Hirondelle Agency indicated that the Rwandan Prosecutor General, Martin Ngoga said, "…we are deeply disappointed by that decision and we are consulting with the Prosecutor what next steps to be taken".
The defence counsel spearheaded by Professor Jwani Mwaikusa was reportedly against the prosecutor’s motion from the very start, citing among others, incompetence of the Rwandan judiciary as the basis of its contention.
Prof Mwaikusa was quoted saying, "I was opposed outrightly to the application, and my concern has always been that it is delaying the start of my client's trial."
According to observers the landmark decision will impact on other four similar applications of transfer of cases to Rwanda, which are yet to be heard.
The other four targeted suspects are: former Commander of Ngoma Camp, Lieutenant Ildephonse Hategekimana, businessman Gaspard Kanyarukiga, former Mayor Jean Baptist Gatete and former Inspector of Judicial Police, Fulgence Kaysihema who has since vanished.
The ICTR Prosecutor stressed that Rwanda legal framework grants fair trial, adding that this was demonstrated by the latest decision of the French Chamberry Court of Appeal on 2 April, which approved extradition of former Rwandan businessman Claver Kamanya to Kigali. The prosecution's motion requesting Munyakazi's transfer was filed on 7 September 2007.
The Human Rights Watch representative, Aisling Reidy, had told the Court that they have evidence of intimidation and harassment of legal officers and witnesses in Rwanda, adding that the defence had difficulties in securing witnesses. To date, the ICTR has delivered 30 convictions and five acquittals.
By staff writer
© afrol News
Mr Munyakazi is facing charges of the 1994 Rwanda genocide in which UN estimates show that over 800,000 people, mostly ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus were allegedly murdered by his armed forces between April and July.
The 73 year-old former farmer and businessman was arrested in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in 2004, prior to being brought before the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR).
He allegedly masterminded and in some instances, actually participated in the killing of the Tutsis who had sought sanctuary in numerous churches in Rwanda’s Bugarame commune.
The prosecution’s application was denied on the basis that Rwanda’s abolishment of the death penalty last year for life imprisonment in isolation, completely flouts the international human rights standards.
The court was also wary of the autonomy of the judiciary in the capital Kigali, hence was skeptical that the accused would get a fair trial there.
It is however reported that the tribunal has taken into account positive measures taken by Rwanda to facilitate referral, read the decision, which added that if the country proceeded to maintain the same standard, it would refer future cases to the country’s judiciary.
Reports by Hirondelle Agency indicated that the Rwandan Prosecutor General, Martin Ngoga said, "…we are deeply disappointed by that decision and we are consulting with the Prosecutor what next steps to be taken".
The defence counsel spearheaded by Professor Jwani Mwaikusa was reportedly against the prosecutor’s motion from the very start, citing among others, incompetence of the Rwandan judiciary as the basis of its contention.
Prof Mwaikusa was quoted saying, "I was opposed outrightly to the application, and my concern has always been that it is delaying the start of my client's trial."
According to observers the landmark decision will impact on other four similar applications of transfer of cases to Rwanda, which are yet to be heard.
The other four targeted suspects are: former Commander of Ngoma Camp, Lieutenant Ildephonse Hategekimana, businessman Gaspard Kanyarukiga, former Mayor Jean Baptist Gatete and former Inspector of Judicial Police, Fulgence Kaysihema who has since vanished.
The ICTR Prosecutor stressed that Rwanda legal framework grants fair trial, adding that this was demonstrated by the latest decision of the French Chamberry Court of Appeal on 2 April, which approved extradition of former Rwandan businessman Claver Kamanya to Kigali. The prosecution's motion requesting Munyakazi's transfer was filed on 7 September 2007.
The Human Rights Watch representative, Aisling Reidy, had told the Court that they have evidence of intimidation and harassment of legal officers and witnesses in Rwanda, adding that the defence had difficulties in securing witnesses. To date, the ICTR has delivered 30 convictions and five acquittals.
By staff writer
© afrol News
CALENDAR FOR LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS/LOWER CHAMBER (2008)
| | ACTIVITIES | DUE DATE | |
| 1 | Approbation of provisional calendar for elections | August 2007 | |
| 2 | Define, approve and seek the budget | March 2007- August 2008 | |
| 3 | Elaboration and approval of instructions regarding elections | March - September 2008 | |
| 4 | Preparation of voters’ list | July 2007 - August 2008 | |
| 5 | Distribution of voter cards | July - August 2008 | |
| 6 | Hiring and Training of electoral agents at Provincial, Kigali Ville and District levels | March - May 2008 | |
| 7 | Elaboration and voters’civic education training on electoral process | January - September 2008 | |
| 8 | Define and prepare sites and polling stations | August - September 2008 | |
| 9 | Looking for electoral materials | May - August 2008 | |
| 10 | Organizing consultative meetings with electoral stakeholders | January - September 2008 | |
| 11 | Accreditation of electoral observers | July - August 2008 | |
| 12 | Registration, Examination and approval of candidates list allowed to campaign | 12.1 Reception of candidacies | 12 - 21/08/2008 |
| 12.2 Examination of candidacies | 22/08/2008 | ||
| 12.3 Publication of final list of candidates | 24//08/2008 | ||
| 13 | Electoral campaigns | 25/08 - 13/09/2008 | |
| 14 | Legislative elections | 15/09/2008 | |
| 15 | Elections of women representatives in parliament at provincial and | 16/09/2008 | |
| 16 | Elections of youth representatives in parliament | 17/09/2008 | |
| 17 | Elections of a disabled representative in parliament | 18/09/2008 | |
| 18 | Publication of provisional results of elections | 22/09/2008 | |
| 19 | PUBLICATION OF FINAL RESULTS OF ELECTIONS | 25/09/2008 | |
Kagame calls for more efficiency in regional trade at Arusha summit
| hursday, 5th June 2008 |
| ||||
 President Paul Kagame and Ambassador Andrew Young, one of the organizers of the Sullivan Summit taking place in Arusha, Tanzania. (File photo). | |||||
BY GEORGE KAGAME IN ARUSHA | |||||
ARUSHA - President Paul Kagame has repeated his call for more efficient regional blocks as an effective measure for Africa to increase domestic investment and spur economic growth and development on the continent. The President first called for cross border reforms in customs operations in a speech he presented to the Commonwealth Heads of State’s meeting in Kampala in November 2007. Speaking to a packed hall Wednesday at the ongoing 8th edition of the Leon H. Sullivan summit in Arusha’s International Conference Centre (AICC), Kagame emphasized that only more investment and efficiency of regional integration will ensure Africa’s escape from poverty. He said that the absence of regional economic infrastructure is a major hindrance to Africa’s growth and social economic transformation. Kagame lamented the unnecessary administrative bureaucracy which makes doing business in Africa very difficult. He added that researchers had discovered that African investors spend a lot of time filing paper work rather than carrying out actual commercial transactions. He said the delays reduce the volume of trade on the continent and is counter-productive in the fight against poverty on the continent. “Each additional day an export transaction is held up in a country, that country distances itself from its trading partners by 1 percent,” emphasised Kagame. He also questioned the wisdom of transporting a container of goods from Mombasa to Kigali at a cost of $5600, yet the cost from Mombasa to Antwerp in Belgium costs only $1200. He added that the delay in carrying out commercial transactions was not only due to poor infrastructure in Sub Saharan Africa alone, “but also the result of regional bureaucratic obstacles such as cumbersome trans-border customs procedures, clearing, cargo inspections and corruption.” Kagame pointed out that the above challenges are even worse for landlocked countries including Rwanda, “whose products need to comply with different requirements at every border post.” He gave an example of one African country where preparations for exporting involved filing 11 documents, 17 visits to different offices, 29 signatures and 60 days to move goods from the factory to the shop. He said that such practices have made doing business in Africa very expensive, “and our competition dismal.” Rwanda and Tanzania are set to build a railway line linking Rwanda and the seaport of Dar es Salaam to ease regional infrastructure problems. Ambassador Andrew Young, a representative of the US government and one of the organisers of the summit, sang to the tune of Bob Marley’s famous song ‘One Love’ and emphasised African unity as one of the sparks to African growth investment. James Patterson, former Prime Minister of Jamaica, extensively quoted Pan-African intellectual Marcus Garvey as he appealed for Africans on the continent and in the Diaspora to unite and develop each other. He said that Africans would one day be able to defeat poverty as they had defeated colonialism. Leon H. Sullivan was an African-American cleric and international humanitarian. He preached positively, encouraging commitment of resources of the African Diaspora and friends of Africa to promote positive change in the world. He also championed self-help, social responsibility, economic empowerment, and human rights. It aims at advancing physical and economic infrastructure, especially power, transport and information technology through regional economic community discussions. T he Sullivan Summits are a bridge between America and Africa, serving as a forum for economic and cultural cooperation. They bring together the world’s political and business leaders, delegates representing international organisations and academic institutions. Kigali will host the next Leon H. Sullivan summit in 2010. | |||||
Obama and crowd rise to occasion
By Kevin Connolly
BBC News, St Paul, Minnesota
BBC News, St Paul, Minnesota
 The crowd in St Paul seemed to inspire Barack Obama |
For the Obama faithful it was never going to be just another night of celebration.
They sensed that victory was theirs more than they calculated it from the returns in Montana and South Dakota - or from the steady trickle of reports that more and more super-delegates were declaring for their candidate.
And as they began trooping into the hall five hours before he was due to speak, it was clear they felt they had a role in helping the senator from Illinois set his seal on this pivotal moment in America where one election process ends, and another begins.
The primaries were over, the general election campaign was beginning.
Victory was his to declare, but the mood of the crowd as he outlined his vision would help to define this moment in the minds of the millions of Americans watching at home on television.
They did not let him down.
Making history
Many of Mr Obama's victory rallies have had a shattering intensity about them - he stirs the crowd's energy, but he feeds on it too, and in St Paul they seemed to inspire him.
 |  Tonight we mark the end of one historic journey with the beginning of another - a journey that will bring a new and better day to America  Barack Obama  |
Not for the first time, Mr Obama's campaign managers picked an indoor sports stadium as the venue for their rally - this time an ice-hockey hall in which four tiers of seating towered far above the stage.
The next time it stages a professional hockey game, it is going to seem a little sedate.
Mr Obama performed in the middle of a force-field of noise which mingled the joy and relief and hope he has kindled in his followers.
Some of his older black supporters will tell you candidly that there is a bit of disbelief in there too - they never expected in their lifetimes to be able to support an African-American candidate with a real chance of winning the White House.
Political campaigning is about mapping strategies, booking halls, buying advertising and beating rivals.
But every so often, in private, Mr Obama and his closest advisers must surely lift their eyes to history's horizon and reflect on the powerful symbolism of his candidacy in a country which still lives with the legacy of racial division.
Within Mr Obama's lifetime, white racist groups in the Deep South tried to intimidate black voters out of registering to take part in elections.
Now he has a real chance of becoming president.
Reaching out
This was probably Mr Obama's most important speech of the year so far - the first time as candidate for the Democratic Party that he has spoken to Americans not just about why he wants to lead them, but where he wants to lead them.
Senator Obama was lavish in his praise of Hillary Clinton
From the faithful in St Paul, he was always going to get adoration at the very least.
But he has to reach out beyond them now - to people who voted for Hillary, people who might back Republican John McCain and people who might not vote at all.
His essential message of course, is of hope and change - but no candidate in history has ever campaigned for despair and the status quo.
He will need a lot more flesh on the bones when the campaign against the Senator McCain builds to a climax in the autumn.
He was lavish in his praise of Mrs Clinton, speaking of her "unyielding desire to improve the lives of ordinary Americans" and of how he expected to find her at his side in the Democratic battle for the White House.
He said he was a better candidate for having had to run against her.
At previous Obama rallies, I have heard loud booing break out when shots of President Bill Clinton appeared on the giant video screens.
Nothing like that in St Paul - there was cheering when Senator Clinton was praised just as there had been cheering a few hours earlier when Mrs Clinton took the stage in New York and spoke warmly of Mr Obama's campaign and his supporters.
Running mate?
It will take more than a couple of set-piece speeches delivered at a moment of high emotion to repair the wounds left by this most divisive of primary seasons.
But at least this all showed that the party's leaders know what has to be done.
In the end, Mr Obama did his job, reaching high-flown pinnacles of rhetoric.
But while he claimed victory in a spine-tingling moment, Mrs Clinton did not of course, quite concede defeat, leaving the impression in the air that she might be angling rather openly for the vice-presidential slot.
Many of his supporters felt they were looking over their shoulders wondering what their defeated rival might do next.
At the very least she made sure that the story of the night was about her as well as about Mr Obama, even in the moment that the hand of history descended on his shoulder.
The night belonged to him all right, just as it should have done,
But somehow in the midst of all the noise and energy in St Paul, she could not quite be forgotten.Clinton will quit and back Obama
Hillary Clinton will withdraw from the race to become the Democratic candidate for the US presidency, and back her rival Barack Obama, her campaign says. On Tuesday, Mr Obama gained enough delegates to win the nomination, after the final votes of the primary season.
Mrs Clinton has still not admitted in public that she lost the contest, but on Saturday she will do so "and express her support for Senator Obama".
Mr Obama has already announced a team to help select his running mate.
Reports that Mrs Clinton was ready to concede came after she made a conference call to senior Democrats in Congress.
At a Democratic Party event in Washington, Mrs Clinton will also "express her support... for party unity", her communications director Howard Wolfson said.
Earlier, it had been announced that the event would be held on Friday, but Mr Wolfson said it had been delayed a day "to accommodate more of Senator Clinton’s supporters who want to attend".
The BBC’s Jane O’Brien in Washington says that as Mr Obama was claiming victory, Hillary Clinton stunned even her own supporters with a speech that offered no indication that she was giving up.
There is speculation that the delay in conceding was an attempt to position herself as a possible vice-president, our correspondent adds.
Clinton ’open’
Mr Obama’s three-member panel to look for a presidential running mate comprises Caroline Kennedy, daughter of President John Kennedy, former deputy Attorney General Eric Holder and Jim Johnson.
Mr Johnson performed the same selection task for John Kerry in 2004.
"Senator Obama is pleased to have three talented and dedicated individuals managing this rigorous process," said Bill Burton, a spokesman for the Illinois senator.
"He will work closely with them in the coming weeks but ultimately this will be his decision and his alone."
Barack Obama addressing Aipac, 4 June, 2008 Mr Obama could be the first black candidate from a major political party
Earlier, Mr Obama had paid tribute to Mrs Clinton and hinted that she would play a role in any future Obama administration.
Mrs Clinton has said she would be "open" to the idea of being Mr Obama’s vice-presidential running-mate.
Referring to a brief conversation he had held with his defeated rival, the Illinois senator said: "I’m very confident of how we’re going to be able to bring the party together."
The Republican party’s candidate, John McCain has challenged Mr Obama to take part in debates in 10 town hall meetings before August’s Democratic convention, and the Obama team is said to be considering the invitation.
The final primaries of the season were held on Tuesday - with Mr Obama winning Montana and Mrs Clinton winning South Dakota.
A candidate needs 2,118 delegates to secure the nomination and Mr Obama now has the support of 2,154 delegates. Mrs Clinton has 1,919.
BBC
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