Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08KIGALI262
2008-04-10 13:14:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kigali
how-toVZCZCXYZ0034 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHLGB #0262/01 1011314 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 101314Z APR 08 ZDK FM AMEMBASSY KIGALI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5227 INFO RUEHJB/AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA 0280 RUEHDR/AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM 1094 RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 1863 RUEHKI/AMEMBASSY KINSHASA 0415 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0202 RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 1181 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0456 RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE 0168
C O N F I D E N T I A L KIGALI 000262
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/11/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV RW
SUBJECT: MONTHLY POLITICAL ROUNDUP
REF: A. KIGALI 179
B. KIGALI 166
C. 2007 KIGALI 935
Classified By: CDA Cheryl J. Sim, reason 1.4 (B/D)
C O N F I D E N T I A L KIGALI 000262
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/11/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV RW
SUBJECT: MONTHLY POLITICAL ROUNDUP
REF: A. KIGALI 179
B. KIGALI 166
C. 2007 KIGALI 935
Classified By: CDA Cheryl J. Sim, reason 1.4 (B/D)
1. (U) This edition of the monthly political roundup includes:
- High Council of the Press Releases Strategic Plan
- Annual Government of Rwanda (GOR) Retreat
- ICTR and GOR Sign Prisoner Accord
- Auditor General's Report Published
- 10th General Congress of Muslim Councils Meets
-------------- --------------
High Council of the Press Releases Strategic Plan
-------------- --------------
2. (U) The Rwandan High Council of the Press (HCP) released
its 2008-2012 Strategic Plan March 3 at a meeting with the
diplomatic corps and other stakeholders. The structure of
the HCP, consisting of a Board of Commissioners, an Executive
Secretariat, a Regulation, Research and Media Development
SIPDIS
unit charged with media monitoring, legal affairs, and
capacity building and an Administrative and Finance unit
handling accounting, procurement, and information management,
was outlined in the plan. The plan also listed four
priorities of the HCP: guaranteeing the freedom of the
press; installing a sustainable system of self-regulation;
strengthening institutional capacity of the HCP; and
strengthening the professionalism of the press.
3. (U) The Ambassador attended the release, and offered
several comments: he mentioned the inherent tension present
in the HCP's role as both monitor and advocate for the media,
and criticized the lack of judicial review of HCP actions; he
suggested the HCP assert itself in cases in which journalists
violate media standards and not leave action to the police.
Finally, he reiterated the need for the draft media law to
meet international standards.
4. (U) Participants in the meeting, including independent
journalists and the head of the National University of
Rwanda's journalism school, expressed the need for the free
flow of information in a democratic society as well as the
hope that the HCP be independent and a monitor of government
officials' public statements as well as the media.
5. (SBU) Comment: It is perhaps telling that the Strategic
Plan opens with a quotation from President Kagame attributing
a lack of foreign direct investment in Africa to negative
media stories, and calling for the media to "change the world
for the better." The HCP's goals of strengthening and
professionalizing the media are admirable, but its concurrent
role in monitoring and, in some cases, disciplining the press
remain troubling. End comment.
--------------
Annual GOR Retreat
--------------
6. (U) The GOR hosted its 5th annual government retreat at
Akagera National Park February 28. The retreat, which was
attended by the President, heads of Parliament, the Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court, Secretaries General, Rwandan
Ambassadors, governors, top army and police officials, the
Prosecutor General, the President of the High Court, and
members of the Private Sector Federation, featured
presentations on the economy, the role of the private sector,
agriculture, land use and management, education, health and
governance. A 6 percent growth in GDP in 2007 was
highlighted during the retreat, but the lack of agriculture's
contribution to that growth emerged as a primary concern.
Other resolutions included developing strategies to address
Other resolutions included developing strategies to address
the high cost of building materials, to make Rwanda an ICT
and financial hub, and to improve the education sector.
7. (C) Some participants were reportedly singled out for
sharp criticism by President Kagame, including recently
replaced Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (MFA)
Charles Murigande and of Public Service and Labor Prof.
Manasseh Nshuti. Among Murigande's apparent infractions were
the transmission of a diplomatic note of congratulations to
Kenyan president Mwai Kibaki with the election still in doubt
and without Kagame's approval, and the lack of coordination
and information sharing between the MFA and the Rwandan
National Security Service in Rwanda's embassies abroad.
Murigande and Nshuti, roommates at the retreat, supposedly
later apologized to Kagame for "complicating his job" by
their actions. The Secretary General of the ruling Rwandan
Patriotic Front (RPF) denied these specific accounts, but
told Pol/Econ Chief "everyone got criticized - that was what
the meeting was for."
8. (SBU) Comment: The annual government retreat continues to
serve as a forum to not only develop strategies but also for
President Kagame to personally take members of his government
to task. The recent cabinet reshuffle (ref A),coming so
soon after the retreat, can be viewed as an outgrowth of this
review process. End comment.
--------------
ICTR and GOR Sign Prisoner Accord
--------------
9. (U) On March 4, the GOR and the International Criminal
Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) signed an agreement allowing the
transfer to Rwandan prisons of individuals previously
convicted by the tribunal. ICTR Senior Legal Advisor
Mohammed Ayat told PolOff that many NGOs misunderstand the
distinction between the transfer of cases and the transfer of
convicted prisoners -- the agreement was similar to those
already in place in several other countries, and the transfer
of prisoners "was not difficult." According to Ayat, the new
Rwandan prison at Mpanga (built with Dutch funds) met minimum
international standards.
--------------
Auditor General's Report Published
--------------
10. (U) The Office of the Auditor General of State Finances
released its latest annual report March 3, concluding that
Rwf 5.3 billion of an overall budget of Rwf 404.7 billion had
been expended without proper documentation. The report
pointed to inadequate human resources, improper tendering
practices, mismanagement of public funds, and alleged
embezzlement as reasons for the unaccounted expenditures.
Members of Parliament were quick to respond to the report,
calling for intervention by the Office of the Prosecutor
General. An investigative team was established in that
office in 2007 to investigate the previous year's report, and
Prosecutor General Martin Ngoga said responsible public
officials would be held accountable for any impropriety.
11. (U) Comment: The amount of unaccounted funds is
relatively small, less than 1.5 percent of Rwanda's total
budget, and the official response has been swift and serious.
Rwanda is strongly committed to fiscal transparency (refs A,
C) but this report demonstrates how a lack of capacity and
trained oversight can hinder effective financial
accountability. End comment.
-------------- -
10th General Congress of Muslim Councils Meets
-------------- -
12. (U) The opening of the 10th General Congress of the
Union of Muslim Councils for East, Central and Southern
Africa (UMC) took place in Kigali on March 5, with the
themes, "Building Councils Together" and "Faiths for a Safer
themes, "Building Councils Together" and "Faiths for a Safer
Africa." The UMC meeting, created by Libyan President
Colonel Muammar Gadhafi, featured speeches by President
Kagame, Rwandan mufti and UMC Chairman Sheikh Saleh Habimana,
and Secretary General of the World Islamic Call Society Dr.
Muhammed Ahmed Sharif. In his remarks, Habimana described a
good Muslim as "a good citizen of his city," and praised the
Muslim contribution to the "rise of the sleeping giant,
Africa." Sharif opened his speech by erroneously bringing
"greetings to the people of Uganda," but then credited
Rwandan Muslims with helping the country to make great
strides after the 1994 genocide. President Kagame echoed
these sentiments, outlining the role faith-based networks
have in developing Rwanda's education, health, and
environmental sectors. He called on religious practitioners
to reject tendencies toward "bigotry and exclusivity" and
highlighted the importance of education as a means to combat
ignorance.
13. (U) Comment: It is generally acknowledged that most
Muslims in Rwanda refused to participate in the 1994
genocide, their minority religious status trumping ethnic
identities as Hutus, Tutsis or Twas. The Muslim community is,
then, a natural partner of the government in its ongoing
efforts at ethnic reconciliation and economic development.
End comment.
SIM
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/11/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV RW
SUBJECT: MONTHLY POLITICAL ROUNDUP
REF: A. KIGALI 179
B. KIGALI 166
C. 2007 KIGALI 935
Classified By: CDA Cheryl J. Sim, reason 1.4 (B/D)
1. (U) This edition of the monthly political roundup includes:
- High Council of the Press Releases Strategic Plan
- Annual Government of Rwanda (GOR) Retreat
- ICTR and GOR Sign Prisoner Accord
- Auditor General's Report Published
- 10th General Congress of Muslim Councils Meets
-------------- --------------
High Council of the Press Releases Strategic Plan
-------------- --------------
2. (U) The Rwandan High Council of the Press (HCP) released
its 2008-2012 Strategic Plan March 3 at a meeting with the
diplomatic corps and other stakeholders. The structure of
the HCP, consisting of a Board of Commissioners, an Executive
Secretariat, a Regulation, Research and Media Development
SIPDIS
unit charged with media monitoring, legal affairs, and
capacity building and an Administrative and Finance unit
handling accounting, procurement, and information management,
was outlined in the plan. The plan also listed four
priorities of the HCP: guaranteeing the freedom of the
press; installing a sustainable system of self-regulation;
strengthening institutional capacity of the HCP; and
strengthening the professionalism of the press.
3. (U) The Ambassador attended the release, and offered
several comments: he mentioned the inherent tension present
in the HCP's role as both monitor and advocate for the media,
and criticized the lack of judicial review of HCP actions; he
suggested the HCP assert itself in cases in which journalists
violate media standards and not leave action to the police.
Finally, he reiterated the need for the draft media law to
meet international standards.
4. (U) Participants in the meeting, including independent
journalists and the head of the National University of
Rwanda's journalism school, expressed the need for the free
flow of information in a democratic society as well as the
hope that the HCP be independent and a monitor of government
officials' public statements as well as the media.
5. (SBU) Comment: It is perhaps telling that the Strategic
Plan opens with a quotation from President Kagame attributing
a lack of foreign direct investment in Africa to negative
media stories, and calling for the media to "change the world
for the better." The HCP's goals of strengthening and
professionalizing the media are admirable, but its concurrent
role in monitoring and, in some cases, disciplining the press
remain troubling. End comment.
--------------
Annual GOR Retreat
--------------
6. (U) The GOR hosted its 5th annual government retreat at
Akagera National Park February 28. The retreat, which was
attended by the President, heads of Parliament, the Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court, Secretaries General, Rwandan
Ambassadors, governors, top army and police officials, the
Prosecutor General, the President of the High Court, and
members of the Private Sector Federation, featured
presentations on the economy, the role of the private sector,
agriculture, land use and management, education, health and
governance. A 6 percent growth in GDP in 2007 was
highlighted during the retreat, but the lack of agriculture's
contribution to that growth emerged as a primary concern.
Other resolutions included developing strategies to address
Other resolutions included developing strategies to address
the high cost of building materials, to make Rwanda an ICT
and financial hub, and to improve the education sector.
7. (C) Some participants were reportedly singled out for
sharp criticism by President Kagame, including recently
replaced Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (MFA)
Charles Murigande and of Public Service and Labor Prof.
Manasseh Nshuti. Among Murigande's apparent infractions were
the transmission of a diplomatic note of congratulations to
Kenyan president Mwai Kibaki with the election still in doubt
and without Kagame's approval, and the lack of coordination
and information sharing between the MFA and the Rwandan
National Security Service in Rwanda's embassies abroad.
Murigande and Nshuti, roommates at the retreat, supposedly
later apologized to Kagame for "complicating his job" by
their actions. The Secretary General of the ruling Rwandan
Patriotic Front (RPF) denied these specific accounts, but
told Pol/Econ Chief "everyone got criticized - that was what
the meeting was for."
8. (SBU) Comment: The annual government retreat continues to
serve as a forum to not only develop strategies but also for
President Kagame to personally take members of his government
to task. The recent cabinet reshuffle (ref A),coming so
soon after the retreat, can be viewed as an outgrowth of this
review process. End comment.
--------------
ICTR and GOR Sign Prisoner Accord
--------------
9. (U) On March 4, the GOR and the International Criminal
Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) signed an agreement allowing the
transfer to Rwandan prisons of individuals previously
convicted by the tribunal. ICTR Senior Legal Advisor
Mohammed Ayat told PolOff that many NGOs misunderstand the
distinction between the transfer of cases and the transfer of
convicted prisoners -- the agreement was similar to those
already in place in several other countries, and the transfer
of prisoners "was not difficult." According to Ayat, the new
Rwandan prison at Mpanga (built with Dutch funds) met minimum
international standards.
--------------
Auditor General's Report Published
--------------
10. (U) The Office of the Auditor General of State Finances
released its latest annual report March 3, concluding that
Rwf 5.3 billion of an overall budget of Rwf 404.7 billion had
been expended without proper documentation. The report
pointed to inadequate human resources, improper tendering
practices, mismanagement of public funds, and alleged
embezzlement as reasons for the unaccounted expenditures.
Members of Parliament were quick to respond to the report,
calling for intervention by the Office of the Prosecutor
General. An investigative team was established in that
office in 2007 to investigate the previous year's report, and
Prosecutor General Martin Ngoga said responsible public
officials would be held accountable for any impropriety.
11. (U) Comment: The amount of unaccounted funds is
relatively small, less than 1.5 percent of Rwanda's total
budget, and the official response has been swift and serious.
Rwanda is strongly committed to fiscal transparency (refs A,
C) but this report demonstrates how a lack of capacity and
trained oversight can hinder effective financial
accountability. End comment.
-------------- -
10th General Congress of Muslim Councils Meets
-------------- -
12. (U) The opening of the 10th General Congress of the
Union of Muslim Councils for East, Central and Southern
Africa (UMC) took place in Kigali on March 5, with the
themes, "Building Councils Together" and "Faiths for a Safer
themes, "Building Councils Together" and "Faiths for a Safer
Africa." The UMC meeting, created by Libyan President
Colonel Muammar Gadhafi, featured speeches by President
Kagame, Rwandan mufti and UMC Chairman Sheikh Saleh Habimana,
and Secretary General of the World Islamic Call Society Dr.
Muhammed Ahmed Sharif. In his remarks, Habimana described a
good Muslim as "a good citizen of his city," and praised the
Muslim contribution to the "rise of the sleeping giant,
Africa." Sharif opened his speech by erroneously bringing
"greetings to the people of Uganda," but then credited
Rwandan Muslims with helping the country to make great
strides after the 1994 genocide. President Kagame echoed
these sentiments, outlining the role faith-based networks
have in developing Rwanda's education, health, and
environmental sectors. He called on religious practitioners
to reject tendencies toward "bigotry and exclusivity" and
highlighted the importance of education as a means to combat
ignorance.
13. (U) Comment: It is generally acknowledged that most
Muslims in Rwanda refused to participate in the 1994
genocide, their minority religious status trumping ethnic
identities as Hutus, Tutsis or Twas. The Muslim community is,
then, a natural partner of the government in its ongoing
efforts at ethnic reconciliation and economic development.
End comment.
SIM