W eeKly B ulletin - IN TURKEY-

ISSUE 91 DATE: 29 JUNE - 7 JULY 2020 ENGLISH

K agame inaugurates homes for most vulnerable as Rw anda celebrates Liberation Day

President on Saturday, July 4 launched a classrooms for 1,418 students and 25 rehabilitated series of transformational projects worth billions of secondary school classrooms for 903 students. francs in the Eastern Province as Rwanda marked the 26th liberation anniversary. The school is equipped with 2 smart classrooms featuring 50 computers with internet access in each Kagame inaugurated Gishuro Model Village, home to 64 one. families, an early childhood development centre, a school with smart classrooms, and a health centre. There are 3 rehabilitated classrooms designated for laboratories and a rehabilitated library with 30 The projects, which were unveiled in Tabagwe Sector in computers. Nyagatare District, were built by the Ministry of Defence and the (RDF). The liberation history tourism trail projected to cost Rwf4 billion was officially launched as a new tourism According to Lt Col Innocent Munyengango, the Ministry heritage product. of Defense Spokesperson, RDF undertakes both routine and annual Citizen Outreach Program activities that The project began in 2018 in collaboration with the RDF collectively contribute to national economic and the Ministry of Defence, according to Belize Kariza, transformation. the chief tourism officer at the Rwanda Development Board. 2019-2020 saw the construction of 14 model villages which benefitted 318 families, and 286 housing units for ?The preservation of the liberation tourism heritage Genocide survivors which benefitted 561 families. sites is a priority, not only for both domestic and international tourism but also as income-generating The RDF also built 20 bridges across 8 districts, 400 activities," Kariza noted. kilometres of roads across 15 districts, 11 medical facilities. A mobile application was launched, featuring liberation sites and liberation history content, as well as a virtual This is in addition to agriculture and livestock activities reality experience for Gikoba underground open-air that were carried out across all districts in the country. museum. The 14 model villages built between 2019-2020 house The 120-kilometre tourism trail comprises 33 tourism 832 families across all 5 provinces. sites across the country including battlefields, assembly or command points of the Rwanda Patriotic Army (RPA) Kagame also witnessed the launch of Groupe Scolaire during the 4-year war that began on October 1, 1990, Tabagwe, which features 22 rehabilitated primary school and culminated into the halting of the Genocide against classrooms for 1,418 students and 25 rehabilitated the on July 4, 1994. secondary school classrooms for 903 students. The RPA was a military wing of the Rwanda Patriotic Kagame also witnessed the launch of Groupe Scolaire Front (RPF-Inkotanyi) which rescued the nation from Tabagwe, which features 22 rehabilitated primary school the verge of extinction by the genocidal government.

1 SAYI 91 TAR?H: 29 HAZ?RAN - 7 TEMMUZ 2020 TÜRKÇE

Ruanda Kurtulu? Gününü kutlarken, Kagame yard?ma muhtaç kesimlerin evlerinin aç?l???n? yapt?

4 Temmuz Cumartesi günü Ruanda, kurtulu?unun 26. Okulda ayr?ca, laboratuvarlar için tasarlanm?? 3 adet y?ldönümünü kutlarken, Cumhurba?kan? Paul Kagame, rehabilite edilmi? s?n?f ve 30 adet bilgisayar bulunan Do?u Bölgesinde milyarca dolar frank de?erinde bir dizi dönü?üm projesi ba?latt?. rehabilite edilmi? bir kütüphane bulunmaktad?r. Kagame, içerisinde 64 aileye ev, erken çocukluk geli?im Kurtulu? Yolu merkezi, ak?ll? s?n?flardan olu?an bir okul ve sa?l?k 4 milyar Ruanda Frank?na mal olaca?? ön görülen merkezi bar?nd?ran Gishuro Model Köyün aç?l???n? yapt?. Kurtulu? tarihi turizm yolu program?n?n aç?l??? da yeni bir Nyagatare ?lçesindeki Tabagwe Bölgesinde ilk kez turizm miras? ürünü olarak gerçekle?ti. ba?lat?lan proje, Savunma Bakanl??? ve Ruanda Savunma Kuvvetleri (RDF) taraf?ndan in?a edildi. Ruanda Kalk?nma Kurulu turizm ?efi Belize Kariza'ya Savunma Bakanl??? Sözcüsü Yarbay Innocent göre, proje 2018 y?l?nda RDF ve Savunma Bakanl??? ile Munyengango?ya göre, RDF, ulusal ekonomik i?birli?i içinde ba?lad?. dönü?üme mü?terek katk?da bulunan, hem rutin hem de Kariza, ?Kurtulu? tarihi turizm miras? alanlar?n?n y?ll?k Vatanda? Destek Program? faaliyetlerini yürütmektedir. korunmas? yaln?zca ulusal ve uluslararas? turizm için de?il ayn? zamanda gelir getirici faaliyetler aç?s?ndan da 2019- 2020?de, 318 ailenin fayda sa?lad??? 14 model köy ve 561 ailenin fayda sa?lad???, soyk?r?mdan bir önceliktir,? dedi. kurtulanlar için yap?lan 286 konut birimi in?a edildi. Gikobo yeralt? aç?k hava müzesinde sanal gerçeklik RDF ayni zamanda 8 bölgeyi kapsayan 20 köprü, 15 deneyiminin yan? s?ra, kurtulu? mevzileri ve kurtulu? bölgeyi kapsayan 400 kilometre yol ve 11 sa?l?k tesisi tarihi içeriklerini de içeren bir mobil uygulaman?n da in?a etti. tan?t?m? yap?ld?. Bu proje, ülkenin tüm bölgelerinde gerçekle?tirilen tar?m 120 kilometrelik turizm yolu, 1 Ekim 1990 tarihinde ve hayvanc?l?k faaliyetlerine de ilave katk? sa?lamaktad?r. ba?layan ve 4 Temmuz 1994 tarihinde Tutsilere kar?? soyk?r?m?n durdurulmas?yla sona eren 4 y?ll?k sava? 5 bölge boyunca 832 aileye konut sa?layan 14 model köy 2019-2020 y?llar? aras?nda in?a edildi. esnas?nda, Ruanda Vatansever Ordusunun (RPA) toplant? ve kumanda noktalar?n? ve sava? meydanlar?n? Kagame ayr?ca, 1,418 ö?renci için iyile?tirme yap?lm?? da kapsayan ülke genelinde 33 turizm alan?n? içeriyor. 22 ilkö?retim s?n?f? ve 903 ö?renci için iyile?tirme yap?lm?? 25 ortaö?retim s?n?f?n? içeren Groupe Scolaire RPA, Ruanda Vatansever Cephesinin (RPF ? Tabagwe okulunu da yerinde gördü. Inkontanyi), ulusu soyk?r?m hükümeti taraf?ndan yok Okulda, her birinde internet eri?imi bulunan 50 edilmenin e?i?inden kurtaran askeri kanad?d?r. bilgisayarl? 2 ak?ll? s?n?f bulunuyor.

2 ISSUE 91 DATE: 29 JUNE - 7 JULY 2020 ENGLISH

French President pledges to advance Rw anda-France cooperation

The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, has ?The new dynamism that we have instilled in it is in the promised to invigorate development cooperation process of finding concrete translations, in the image of between Rwanda and his country through bringing all the revival of our development cooperation or even genocide fugitives to justice, jointly tackling Covid-19 works to enable the next opening of a Francophone pandemic and reestablishment of a Francophone cultural centre in ,? he said. cultural centre in Kigali. At the same time, he said, ?rest assured that we are Macron made the observations on July 4, in his continuing our efforts to ensure that all suspected message to his Rwandan counterpart President Paul Rwandan genocidaires are prosecuted, Kagame on the occasion of the 26th celebration of ?Following the decision to strengthen the means of the Liberation Day. French justice dealing with the procedures relating to ?On the occasion of the National Day of the Republic the genocide against the Tutsi [in 1994], the arrest, last of Rwanda, I am happy to extend to you and to the May, of Félicien Kabuga dedicated a new stage in this people of Rwanda my warmest congratulations and fight which we carry out at your sides against impunity.? best wishes,? Macron said. Macron said that he hoped that the move has brought Rwanda accuses France of supporting the regime comfort to the victims and survivors of the genocide that orchestrated the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi against the Tutsi, as well as to their descendants. which claimed lives of more than a million innocent Supporting efforts to deal with Covid-19 impact lives, according to estimates from the National Commission for the Fight against Genocide (CNLG). Meanwhile, Macron said that the celebration of Rwanda?s Liberation Day took place this year in a This situation has soured relations between the two particular context of the global health crisis ? the nations, especially given that there are some Covid-19 pandemic, which has put international genocide fugitives still roaming freely in France. solidarity to test, at a time when it was more than ever Over the past two years, Macron said, political necessary. dialogue between the two countries has strengthened ?I would like to assure you of France's support during considerably, something he welcomed. this difficult period, both bilaterally and multilaterally, to He indicated that he attached particular importance to back the Rwandan national response strategy for the continuation and deepening of this dialogue. responding to the pandemic,? he said.

3 SAYI 91 TAR?H: 29 HAZ?RAN - 7 TEMMUZ 2020 TÜRKÇE

Fransa Cumhurba?kan? Ruanda-Fransa ??birli?inin ?lerletilmesi Sözü Verdi

Fransa Cumhurba?kan? Emmanuel Macron, Covid-19 Getirdi?imiz yeni dinamizm; somut dönü?ümler bulma salg?n?yla birlikte mücadele ederek ve Kigali'deki bir a?amas?nda, geli?en i?birli?imizin canlanmas? Frankofon kültür merkezinin yeniden kurulmas?yla suretinde yer almaktad?r ve hatta Kigali'deki bir beraber, tüm soyk?r?m firarilerini adalete teslim ederek Francophone kültür merkezinin bir sonraki aç?l???n? Ruanda ve ülkesi aras?ndaki kalk?nma i?birli?ini sa?lamak için de çal??maktad?r,? dedi. canland?rma sözü verdi. Macron ?Ayn? zamanda, ?tüm ?üpheli Ruanda soyk?r?mc?lar?n?n kovu?turulmas?n? sa?lamak için Macron, görü?lerini Kurtulu? Gününün 4 Temmuz'daki çabalar?m?z? sürdürdü?ümüzden emin olabilirsiniz," diye 26. y?ldönümü münasebetiyle Ruandal? mevkida?? ekledi Cumhurba?kan? Paul Kagame'ye gönderdi?i mesaj?nda dile getirdi. ?[1994] Tutsi'lere kar?? soyk?r?mla ilgili prosedürlerle ilgilenen Frans?z adaletinin araçlar?n? güçlendirme ?Ruanda Cumhuriyeti Ulusal Günü vesilesiyle, size ve karar?n? takiben, geçen May?s ay?nda Félicien Ruanda halk?na en içten tebriklerimi ve en iyi Kabuga'n?n tutuklanmas?, cezas?z kalmaya kar?? dileklerimi iletmekten mutluluk duyorum,? dedi Macron. yan?n?zda yürüttü?ümüz bu mücadelede yeni bir a?amaya gelindi?ini göstermektedir." Ruanda Fransa'y?, Soyk?r?mla Mücadele Ulusal Komisyonu (CNLG) verilerine göre bir milyondan fazla Macron bu hareketin Tutsilere kar?? soyk?r?m?n masum insan?n ya?am?n? yitirdi?i 1994 Tutsilere kar?? kurbanlar?n?, kurtulanlar? ve onlar?n yak?nlar?n? Soyk?r?m? yürüten rejimi desteklemekle suçluyor. rahatlatt???n? umdu?unu dile getirdi. Bu durum, baz? soyk?r?m firarilerinin hala Fransa'da Bu arada Macron, Ruanda'n?n Kurtulu? Günü serbestçe dola?t?klar? gön önünde bulunduruldu?unda , kutlamalar?n?n bu y?l, her zamankinden daha çok iki ülke aras?ndaki ili?kilerin bozulmas?na neden oldu. uluslararas? dayan??maya ihtiyaç duyulan bir dönemde Covid-19 küresel sa?l?k krizi ?artlar?nda gerçekle?tii?ini Macron, geçti?imiz iki y?l içerisinde iki ülke aras?ndaki sözlerine ekledi. siyasi diyalo?un önemli ölçüde güçlendi?ini ve bunu memnuniyetle kar??lad???n? söyledi. ?Sizleri bu zor dönemde, Ruanda'n?n pandemiye kar?? yürüttü?ü ulusal stratejisinde, hem ikili hem de çok Macron ayr?ca bu diyalo?un devaml?l???na ve uluslu olarak Fransa'n?n deste?i konusunda temin derinle?mesine özel bir önem verdi?ine de i?aret etti. ederim," dedi Macron.

4 ISSUE 91 DATE: 29 JUNE - 7 JULY 2020 ENGLISH

President Kagame looks at a picture of the famous ?600 RPA soldiers?, who constituted RPA?s 3rd Battalion, during a briefing Kagame, then RPA Chairman of High Command, sees off the 600 troops that constituted the 3rd Battalion before their departure shortly before they were deployed to Kigali under the Arusha Peace deal. The agreement would later collapse when the then for Kigali at Mulindi (Gicumbi District) on December 28, 1993. government started the Genocide against the Tutsi. In this photo, the President was touring the Campaign Against Genocide Museum at the Parliamentary Buildings in Kimihurura which he inaugurated on the same day in December 2017.

Ours is a country that rose from the ashes and has never look ed back since

Habyarimana?s oracles must have shown him that his grip over the The final touches were being put on the macabre plans. A trial run country was slipping when he saw the kind of reception Kigalians had been done the year before when mass killings of Tutsi took place gave his archenemy, the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF). in Habyarimana?s strongholds in the north as well as in in the east, particularly in Bugesera. Just as they suspected the international He saw the end of his regime when a battalion of 600 young people community hardly took notice so it gave the plotters the confidence to drove into Kigali in December 1993 from the north in the now vintage carry on the ?final solution?. The rest, as they say, is history. Onatracom buses to a tumults welcome. It was as if the whole of Kigali had come out to welcome the Inkotanyi. Many have wondered how, the RPF, an organisation of exiles, most of them from different parts of the world could come together with a From Nyabugogo, at, the entrance of Kigali, thousands were lined on sense of purpose. the streets, welcoming those who wore ?mukotanyi? uniform complete with suspenders, new gumboots and shiny AK 47 assault rifles. They To the majority, Rwanda was a myth that they encountered orally had come to protect RPF officials who were supposed to join the when the elderly reminisced of the ?good old days?, away from the interim government in a peace treaty that never was. misery that were refugee camps. It was a shock for a government that had spent millions in portraying Others who managed to get a foothold in the cities of Africa, Europe the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) as a foreign invading army from or the Americas, something always came up to remind them that Uganda, to see the kind of welcome the 600 received. The however successful they had become, they did not really belong- they government diverted the convoy from the original itinerary from were stateless. Kinamba, up Kacyiru where most of the ministries were located. For those who had managed to integrate into their host countries, Habyarimana?s government feared to bring government offices to a even adopting local names, mannerisms and behaviours, they always standstill as government workers were already crowded around their stood out like a sore thumb and were occasionally reminded that office windows. theirs was but a temporally ?citizenship? that could be stripped away at the snap of the fingers. The last thing the government wanted was seeing the government workers also showing support for the rebel force. The seat of the RPF?s forte was being able to harness all those contradictions among National Assembly, then known as Conseil National pour la the exiles and reach out to people inside Rwanda who were tired of Développement (CND), would serve as the headquarters of the RPF oppression and injustice. during the transition. The message was simple, if people wanted change, or to return to The government?s delicately woven myth to sway the population was their country, they had to take their destiny in their hands. slowly being undone by the mere presence of the RPF in Kigali. Early at the beginning of RPF?s incursions in northern Rwanda, Byumba, So when the RPF launched its offensive on October 1, 1990, recruits Umutara and Ruhengeri in particular, the peasants had been made to streamed in from all over the world. believe that the invaders were not human, had tails and could be It was a melting pot of different cultures that would later prove to be defeated by normal household tools such as hoes, machetes. the ideal weapon to fight against discrimination and nepotism. They were told not to run away from the ?Inyenzi? (cockroaches) as Three-and-a-half years later, the potpourri of fighters from diverse their guns fired ?amajeli? (green peas) which were abundant in the backgrounds had morphed into a formidable fighting force that grew region. stronger by the day. For a population that had been left in ignorance for many years, one Rwanda?s workforce, even in senior positions, is very young. Most can understand Habyarimana?s, total panic when he resorted to using were toddlers in 1994 but they had a chance their elders only unarmed villagers who had swallowed his fairy tales as human dreamed off; growing up in a society of equal opportunities, where shields. RPF?s triumphant entrance into Kigali without firing a shot merit conquers who-is-who or one?s origins. was the straw that broke Habyarimana?s back. Something had to be done, urgently. It is a generation that is building on a well-laid down foundation that seeped the blood of countless youth their age or even younger. Within two months, Habyarimana managed to overturn the political Today?s youth should always go about their duties with one thing in tables in Rwanda?s fragile political parties. He had managed to split mind; they are in debt to the youth who died for this country. the main opposition parties; some through cohesive tactics others through outright buying them. It was the birth of power factions The only way to repay it is by making sure the country is stronger and in both PL and PSD, the main opposition groups. more prosperous. Is that really too much to ask? 5 ISSUE 91 DATE: 29 JUNE - 7 JULY 2020 ENGLISH

RDB Chief Tourism Officer, Belise Kariza Rw anda launches digital app to bolster liberation history tourism

Rwanda Development Board (RDB) on Saturday, July 4, Kariza added that: "This app aims to connect Rwanda?s launched a digital application that will enable end users heritage and cultural attractions with existing diverse to view the course of the liberation struggle and tourism products and experiences." therefore boost both domestic and international tourism. The app can is currently available on Android Dubbed Liberation History Tourism Trail, the application (download link) at the moment. has information on the history and significance of all 44 liberation sites located in six districts across the country. Measures in place to revive the tourism sector Being one of the country?s top foreign exchange It also has additional features such as accessibility, surrounding amenities and booking information. earners, tourism is currently one of the worst-hit sectors by Covid-19 pandemic and its recovery is expected to Spearheaded by the Rwanda Patriotic Army (RPA), the take longer than the rest of the economy. Liberation struggle began in October 1990 through July 4, 1994. On this note, many measures being put in place for the meantime target to boost domestic tourism and regional The study of this app, according to RDB, was done in tourism before prioritizing international tourism that is collaboration with the Ministry of Defense and Rwanda expected to gain momentum post-Covid-19. Defense Force, and will boost both domestic and international tourism. Of the Government?s economic recovery fund estimated at over $200 million (approximately Rwf186 billion) Commenting on the new mobile application, the RDB aimed at supporting local businesses that are hardest Chief Tourism Officer, Belise Kariza said that its hit by the coronavirus pandemic, some $50 million has significance lies in both boosting tourism and benefiting been earmarked for restructuring loans to the tourism communities. sector, mainly hotels. ?The preservation of liberation heritage sites is a national priority not only for the growth of both domestic In addition to this, the recent green light given to and international tourism but also as income-generating chartered flights and the resumption of passenger activities for the communities that supported the troops flights expected in August this year are also expected during the Liberation struggle," she said. to revive this sector.

6 ISSUE 91 DATE: 29 JUNE - 7 JULY 2020 ENGLISH Covid-19: Rw anda travelers w elcome to EU nex t month

Rwanda is among four African countries whose citizens will be allowed into the Schengen area from July 11 once countries there start opening their borders, reports say. According to reports from Europe, a list drawn up on the basis of countries with a similar epidemiological situation with Europe excludes the African continent with the exception of four countries: Rwanda, Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia. The Schengen area includes; Germany, Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. This comes as, across Europe, governments started to open their borders after weeks of closure during the The national carrier RwandAir operated flights to Brussels, the European capital until they were temporarily coronavirus pandemic. suspended due to the pandemic. In the UK, reports indicated that blanket restrictions on In the past few weeks, the border situation in the non-essential overseas travel will be relaxed from July 6. 27-member bloc remained a mixed picture. The EU is reportedly considering reopening borders to visitors Every country had its own rules and timetable for from more than 10 countries outside the bloc including Japan, re-opening. Commercial flights resumed in Albania on South Korea and Canada from July 1, after months of travel June 15. restrictions over the coronavirus outbreak. But on Saturday, June 27, the EU appeared to have The European Commission, the bloc's executive body, earlier agreed how it will assess which countries meet health recommended the reopening of external borders from July 1. standards - one of the criteria for entry. Commercial flights to resume in A ugust

The Ministry of Infrastructure (Mininfra) on Saturday, July 4 announced that Rwanda will reopen airport operations for scheduled commercial flights on August 1. The move follows months of restricted passenger flights since May 18, as a means to contain the Covid-19 pandemic. According to a statement from Mininfra, several measures shall be adhered to safeguard the health of passengers, crew and staff. ?Rwanda?s airports will reopen for scheduled commercial flight operations on August 1, 2020. To ensure the safety and health of passengers, crews and staff, airport operations will adhere to guidelines developed by the Ministry of Health and recommendations of the ICAO Council on Aviation Recovery Task Force,? reads part of the statement. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) recently The Task Force aims at identifying and recommending issued a series of recommendations which they say could help strategic priorities and policies for States and industry the aviation sector as it plans to re-start passenger flights amid operators in regards to responding to the serious impact the COVID-19 crisis. being felt across the international civil aviation sector as a result of Covid-19. The roadmap aimed to provide the confidence that Mininfra also noted that: ?All passengers, including those governments will need to enable the re-opening of borders to in transit, will be required to show proof of a Covid-19 PCR passenger travel, and the confidence that travellers will need negative test from a certified laboratory, taken within 72 to return to flying. hours of arriving in Rwanda.? IATA among others stressed the essence of observing For passengers entering Rwanda, the statement adds, a preventive measures against the spread of this pandemic, second PCR test will be conducted upon arrival, with from temperature screening at entry points, maintaining results delivered within 24 hours. According to the Ministry, physical distancing, sanitization of touch objects, and avail during the 24 hours of waiting for test results, passengers hygiene products onboard and at airports. will remain in designated hotels at their own cost. Additionally, IATA advised that health declarations and robust Recently, Rwanda also gave a green light to chartered flights in a bid to ensure recovery of the tourism sector that contact tracing may be undertaken by governments to reduce is among the worst hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. the risk of imported chains of transmission.

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