The last covers of Umuseso and Umuvugizi, before April ban.

Kigali – Mr. Jean Bosco Gasasira, the exiled editor of the suspended Rwandan newspaper UMUVUGIZI has announced that he has started publishing the tabloid on the Internet, at www.umuvugizi.com.

UMUVUGIZI and UMUSESO have been suspended in April by the High Media Council. The reasons given to force these tabloids off the streets were that they were insulting President Kagame, causing panic within the population, provoking insubordination in the army and scaring existing and potential foreign investors.

The papers have petitioned court to reverse the six-month suspension, arguing the Media Council was acting illegally but in the meantime, the Media Council has asked the court to definitely ban them.

Mr Gasasira, the UMUVUGIZI editor, has left the country fearing for his life. He has not officially revealed his whereabouts yet. In an interview to the BBC Kinyarwanda, Mr Gasasira has confirmed that his newspaper has started publishing online, insisting that the current suspension doesn�t apply to publications he can make in exile from outside Rwanda.

The Founding President of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda, Mr Frank Habineza, has addressed a letter to the Mayor of Gasabo District on May 18th, requesting permission to hold founding Congress.
He writes:

18th May, 2010

The Mayor of Gasabo District

Kigali, Rwanda

Dear Sir,

RE : Requesting Permission to Hold Founding Congress for Democratic Green Party of Rwanda.

We humbly request you to allow us hold the founding congress of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda on 4th June 2010.

After several correspondences between the District of Gasabo and National Police, we requested the Ministry of Local Government to intervene in our situation, we held one meeting with them and they showed their interest in our holding a peaceful congress. We informed them of our new strategy to sign party documents in the Public Notary�s Office, without holding a congress but they clarified that a congress was mandatory.

It�s in that regard that we would like to once again request for your permission to hold the Party�s founding Congress on 4th June 2010 at CASABONITA Hall, Kimironko Sector, Gasabo District, Kigali City. We would also like to take on this opportunity to request the presence of the District Public Notary who will witness the signing ceremony.

We recently re-organized our party and nominated new committee members, we don�t have any internal problems. The Police had written to us, assuring its commitment to protect us in case we got the permission from the District, we are hopeful that we shall not have any security problem. Since it�s in Government�s roles and obligations to ensure security for all Rwandans, including ourselves, we are hopeful to have a peaceful and successful congress.

We are looking forward to getting your quick response.

Yours Faithfully

Frank HABINEZA
Founding President,
Democratic Green Party of Rwanda

C.C :

- Minister of Local Government
- Mayor of Kigali City

The Democratic Green Party of Rwanda has already officially announced that their leader Frank Habineza will be the party’s flag-bearer during the upcoming presidential elections.

Frank Habineza - Chair of Democratic Green Party of Rwanda

Mr Frank Habineza will be the flag bearer of the yet-to-be registered Democratic Green Party of Rwanda for the August upcoming presidential elections. The party has been announced this in a declaration signed on 17 May by the 8 members of the Green Party’s National Executive Committee.
The announcement reads as follows:

DECLARATION : INTENTIONS TO FIELD A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE

After a lot of inquiries and speculation from different media houses both in Rwanda and outside Rwanda, the Executive Committee of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda declares its intentions to field an opposition Presidential Candidate in the upcoming August 2010 elections.

Our participation in the upcoming presidential elections is on condition of the Party Registration before the end of June 2010. The Party Flag bearer will be Mr. Frank HABINEZA, the founding President of the Party.

More about Green Party
- Democratic Green Party of Rwanda committed to Non-violence
- Rwanda Green Party Leader Frank Habineza Elected President of African Greens Federation

The Democratic Green Party of Rwanda will submit once again a request to Gasabo District to allow it hold its party founding congress on 4th June 2010 and allow us participate in the World Environmental Day cerebrations, which will be held on International Level in Rwanda. We hope that once the Congress is successful, we will immediately submit our complete dossier requesting for registration to the Ministry of Local Government, which normally doesn�t delay in dealing with such matters, is expected to register the party before the deadline of submitting nominations of Presidential Candidates between 24th June – 2nd July 2010.

We hope the District will give us a quick and positive response. We recently re-organized our party and got new Executive Committee members, we don�t have any internal problem. The Police had written to us, assuring its commitment to protect us in case we got the permission from the District, we are hopeful that we shall not have any security problem. Since it�s in Government�s roles and obligations to ensure security for all Rwandans, including ourselves, we are hopeful to have a peaceful and successful congress.

We call upon the Rwandan Government to open up political space and allow opposition parties to participate in the upcoming presidential elections.

Related:

- Democratic Green Party of Rwanda is not an RPF Wing Party
- Rwanda: Is Green Party becoming an RPF satellite party?
- Greens and EU Parliament Human Rights Chair Demand Protection of Rwandan Opposition Politicians

UN Deputy Secretary-General - Asha-Rose Migiro

Kigali – Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro�s remarks to the International Forum on the Role of Leadership in Promoting Gender Equality in Kigali, 17 May:

I am honoured to take part in this important and timely forum.
I salute you, Mr. President, and the leadership of Rwanda for bringing gender equality to the centre of political, economic and social processes.
Your achievements show the remarkable progress that can be made with clear vision and dedication, in a relatively short period of time.

But your story also reveals an impressive demonstration of women�s resilience, courage and extraordinary ability to rebuild a country devastated by conflict and genocide. �You have made tremendous progress in advancing the role of women in the political life of the country and in legislative reform.

And you have clearly demonstrated to the world that achieving the highest global representation of women in parliament is possible despite past and present challenges.� The lesson drawn from your experience is simple:� we must keep going in spite of the trials we may encounter in our journey to gender equality and the full empowerment of women.

Gender equality is a key goal in itself.� But it is more than that.� Women�s empowerment is an essential means to achieving sustainable development, economic growth, and peace and security.� We must spread this message and translate it into concrete action at all levels.

Now is the time.� 2010 is an important year for gender equality.� This year marked the fifteenth anniversary of the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which remains at the heart of the international normative and policy framework on gender equality.

In September, a high-level event of the General Assembly will assess progress in meeting the Millennium Development Goals and to forge a concrete action plan for achieving them by the agreed target year of 2015.

In October, we will mark the tenth anniversary of the ground-breaking Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security, and reaffirm that sustainable peace is possible, only with women�s full participation.

These milestones, including this Forum, provide excellent opportunities to assess how well countries, regions and international organizations have done in the promotion of gender equality � and to identify strategies and partnerships that can accelerate progress.

We have much to build on.� Across the globe, there are now institutional mechanisms on gender equality, as well as gender studies programmes.� The mainstreaming strategy has emerged as a key tool for systematically bringing gender perspectives into all policy and programming processes.

Globally, the number of women in paid employment has increased, and women�s participation in the labour force has reached a new high.� Over the past decade, States have devoted greater attention and focus to overcoming occupational segregation and addressing the unequal distribution of unpaid domestic and care work.

Governments have introduced a variety of measures in support of women�s equal access to and control over economic resources, including credit and land rights.� Access to education has increased for girls at all levels, particularly in primary education.

Increasingly, States are establishing comprehensive legal, policy, and institutional frameworks to end violence against women and girls, and support services are increasingly available to survivors.

During the past decade, a better understanding has been gained on women’s participation in peace processes, the elimination of sexual violence in armed conflict, and ensuring the consideration of gender perspectives in the context of armed conflict, peacebuilding and reconstruction.

More and more leaders from all walks of life � women and men � are taking a public stance on ending violence against women, including sexual violence, trafficking and female genital mutilation.

And there is a growing recognition among Governments and in the private sector that investing in women and girls has a powerful multiplier effect � on productivity, efficiency and economic growth.

So there are many good practices from which to learn.� The challenge ahead is to expand and apply such practices more systematically, particularly in areas where more needs to be done.

The costs of inequality � for women and girls, for their communities, for economies at large � are too high.� To cite just one example, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific estimates that that region is losing as much as $47 billion of output each year from a lack of female participation in labour markets.

The global economic and financial crisis has generated a new sense of urgency for committed and accelerated action to address gender-based discrimination, violations of women�s human rights and violence against women.� This requires leadership � leadership at every level and in many forms.

It means greater participation by women in political decision-making, and in corporate boardrooms.� It means transparent and fair selection and promotion processes within political parties and other political and economic bodies.� But it also means implementing effective mitigating measures to respond to structural imbalances affecting women in society.

Numerous studies have found that companies with a more balanced representation of women and men in their top management teams considerably outperform those where such representation is low.

Quotas and other temporary special measures have been applied in electoral systems and in corporate and civil service recruitment processes.� They have played a significant role in increasing the number of women in public life � which, in turn, has provided an incentive and model for younger women.

Much of this progress would not have been possible without the determined leadership of women�s groups and networks at global, regional and national levels.� Indeed, women�s organizations play a key role in holding Governments accountable.

Leadership also requires partnerships, and action by individuals � women and men alike. �After all, the promotion of gender equality is not solely a women�s issue. �Men at all levels, particularly in leadership positions, have a special responsibility.� All people stand to benefit.� So all leaders � male and female � must do their part to keep these issues at the top of the international agenda.

This is why, back at the United Nations, Secretary-General Ban and I are working closely with Member States to advance the intergovernmental negotiation process for the establishment of a new gender entity. �The new entity will strengthen the capacity of the United Nations to support Member States� own efforts to achieve gender equality, in line with their national priorities and with nationally-agreed norms and policies.

I thank all of you for everything you are doing to advance these objectives.� The Secretary-General and I stand by your side in the pursuit of our noble cause.� Thank you for your leadership, creativity and support.

As we march forth from Kigali, you have my best wishes, and my commitment as we work together to expand opportunities for women and communities everywhere.

I commend once again the Rwandese Government for their leadership in convening this conference and I look forward to fruitful deliberations.

Kigali � Rwanda has just hosted a two day (17-18 May) International Conference on the �Role of Leadership in Promoting Gender Equality and Women�s Empowerment.
The opening ceremony was attended by many dignitaries, including:
- Dr. Asha-Rose Migiro, Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations;
- Susan D. Page, the United States Deputy Secretary of State, African Affairs;
- Diana Ofwona, the regional Programme Director, UNIFEM Central Africa;and
- Fatou Bensouda, the deputy Prosecutor General for the International Criminal Court (ICC).
While opening the conference, President Paul Kagame has praised Rwandan women for their role in the development of the country, adding that empowering women and ensuring gender equality were yardsticks for development.

�Empowering women and ensuring gender equality ultimately enriches communities and entire nations. Both historically, during our liberation struggle and even more recently, in reconstructing our country, women have contributed greatly and have been at the forefront of political, economic and reconciliation initiatives,� Kagame said.

He challenged world leaders to exploit the potential of the youth as a means towards new and innovative ways to sustain and accelerate progress towards gender equality and women�s empowerment around the world.

�I want to challenge us all – as leaders and people of influence – to find new and innovative ways to sustain and accelerate progress towards gender equality and women�s empowerment around the world. In doing this, we should harness the potential of our young people, who are not constrained by gender biases, of new technologies for social education and of partnerships across governments, civil society and the private sector,� he said.

Kagame also asked the leaders to recognize the efforts of hardworking women who, most of the time, have to go through challenges to record any achievements.

�We should also recognize and appreciate the hardworking women who juggle many important responsibilities, at the same time in many cases, as professionals, entrepreneurs, wives, mothers and much more, often in challenging circumstances,� he said

Kagame urged the conference participants to refrain from dwelling on a few victories in the area of gender equality and women empowerment.

�The struggle to achieve gender equality does not cease when we experience a few victories. On the contrary, the stakes are raised even higher and we as leaders are challenged to keep on running, to run even faster, and think ahead of our times,� he said
Kagame also emphasized the importance of accountability among leaders and their constituencies.

�Another point I would like to make relates to accountability. Leadership and accountability are two sides of the same coin � one cannot exist without the other. Leaders must be held accountable by their peers and constituencies, but must also ensure accountability among those that they lead,� he said

The Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, Dr. Asha-Rose Migiro, took the opportunity to congratulate the President upon Rwanda�s achievements in the field of gender equality.

Kagame was later hosted to a dinner by the Women leaders, where he received the Lifetime Leadership Award for development and equality.

One mother gorilla and three infants are reported to have died because of extreme weather conditions, the Rwanda Development Board has announced.

The dead mountain gorillas were discovered during routine monitoring by the RDB trackers between May 16th and 17th 2010.

The dead gorillas have been identified as Intwali and her 1.5 year old baby- Mutesi (named last year), a baby belonging to Mahane and Imvune�s two-week old baby discovered Monday morning.

Efforts by veterinary doctors to save the babies were futile.

Though the doctors are now conducting a necropsy, it is suspected that the cause of death is attributed to the extreme cold in the last few days.

The dead gorillas belonged to Pablo and Ugenda group which are settled in the Karisimbi area and is currently extremely very cold and at high altitude.

�While it is not unusual to witness death of infant gorillas during the first three months, the sudden death of all the four, is not only very shocking, but also is such a great loss to Rwanda and the entire conservation team,� said Rica Rwigamba, the RDB Head of Tourism and Conservation said.

�Every gorilla death is a major setback to conservation efforts to remove the mountain gorillas off the critically endangered species list�.

However, she confirmed that tourism activities have not been affected, since the deaths recorded were in a research group – that are only reserved for research purposes and are closely monitored by researchers.

Rwigamba also noted that the final preparations of the Kwita Izina, the gorilla naming ceremony, are proceeding well

Of an approximately 380-400 gorillas living in the Virunga massif ranging between Rwanda, DRC and Uganda, Rwanda is home to at least 265 which are regularly monitored.

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