Paul Kagame, the man of the season: by sentencing Ingabire Victoire to 28 years of jail, he is putting Mandela back to the cross.

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Kagame has broken the record in killings: More than 8 million Rwandans and Congolese have been murdered. Scared of democracy, he sends the main political opponent into jail. This is the most shameful wound of our time, and the complicated scar in our future.

For some time a certain circle of her supporters compares the imprisoned Rwandan woman politician Victoire Ingabire to the Thai political figure Aung San Suu. However, what is sure is that the sentence given by the Supreme Court in Kigali to that opposition leader might give her a status more close to Nelson Mandela than anybody else.

In fact, the judge presiding on the verdict explained that if it was not for the family of the accused living in The Netherlands she would have received 28 years of imprisonment instead of 15 years announced by the court.

It was on Friday December 13th, 2013. Probably if the verdict had been pronounced at a different time, its dimension could’ve been something else. The timing between the passing of Nelson Mandela and the sentencing of Victoire Ingabire can undoubtedly link the two personalities.

This is what Jean Bosco Mutarambirwa is saying on the two political figures:

“[…]the reporter tried to ask the right questions. Kagame mumbled throughout like a retard. The guy has nothing to say! Seriously! You can tell Kagame is ashamed of himself because he knows he stands against everything Mandela stood for.

… Why 15 years of jail? Simply because Ingabire wants justice for all Rwandans, tutsis and hutus alike. She’s the Madiba of Rwanda.

Ingabire Victoire (in pink) jailed to have reminded Paul Kagame that like killed Tutsis, killed Hutus must be commemorated.

Kagame is basically torturing and putting Mandela him back to the cross, while pretending that he’s mourning. Mandela must have been turning in his coffin when he saw Kagame in the room today.

Kagame is accusing Madame Ingabire of exactly the same crimes PW Botha was accusing Mandela when he robbed 27 years of his life, taking him away from his beautiful wife and young children. Kagame is doing exactly the same to Ingabire, a wife, and a young mother of three. If the world believed Mandela was really a criminal, then the world wouldn’t be mourning Mandela. But if the world stands with Mandela today, the world will stand up for Ingabire as well. Kagame is the ultimate loser which he doesn’t seem to realize.

– Mandela formed a coalition government with his jailers; Kagame is murdering, sending to refuge, and throwing in jail those who dare to speak against his evil actions.

– Mandela negotiated peace with his jailers for the sake of a reconciled nation; Kagame is too busy calling FDLR names such as terrorists, genocidaires, etc, and has categorically refused to talk to them despite their expressed interest in negotiating a peaceful repatriation.

– Mandela has lived a simple life; Kagame is too busy collecting expensive private jets, filling his offshore bank accounts, buying mansions overseas, etc, while the average Rwandan citizen is literally crippling in poverty.

– Mandela put South Africa to the path of democracy through free elections, and left power in time to preserve a legacy; Kagame is busy crashing his opposition and rigging elections every time he organizes one, and has no plans to leave power.

I can go on and on and you would get tired of reading the differences between Kagame and Madiba. Long story short, Kagame stands against everything Mandela stood for. If you agree to some extent that Mandela deserves to be named a saint, then you would agree to some extent that Kagame deserves to be called a devil.

If you want to learn more, all you need is search the web. There’s ample evidence online about Kagame’s crimes and have let to the loss of over 6 million lives of Rwanda’s and DRC’s people, close enough to breaking Hitler’s slaughtering record. For a more comprehensive summary, check out Newsweek at http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2013/01/13/the-case-against-rwanda-s-president-paul-kagame.html”

At the end of her sentencing on Friday 13/12/13, Victoire Ingabire had this to say: “Do not be afraid, we continue our struggle. Time and History are on our side (…) so do not get discouraged, the fight continues.”She addressed her supporters while leaving the court in handcuffs, greeting them with her thumbs up as usual.

Congolese historian and activist BK Kumbi expresses the African dimension of Victoire Ingabire case this way:

“When Kagame will fall and Victoire will be out, most of the people will come and say what a great woman she was. If we don’t understand that this woman is hope for Africa, if we don’t understand that we as a people, as Congolese, Rwandans, Ugandans, we should support this woman and ask this criminal to set her free, is that we don’t understand the essence of the heart of Africa that beats in that woman’s body. The day Victoire set a foot back in Rwanda she became a hero and we should celebrate our African heroes when they are still alive.”

Kambale Musavuli, also Congolese activist and spokesperson of the Friends of the Congo raises a question and expresses his solidarity:

“It is still sad that the many organizations working in Africa, pushing for women leadership, are all silent on the unjust imprisonment of Victoire Ingabire. As a Congolese human rights activist, I stand in solidarity with her and the many Rwandans fighting to have a representative government in their country, despite US interference in supporting dictator Paul Kagame.”

Source: http://therisingcontinent.wordpress.com/2013/12/15/kagame-gave-ingabire-an-african-hero-status-unwillingly/

IKATIRWA RYA VICTOIRE INGABIRE UMUHOZA : Ifirimbi itangiza Revolisiyo idasesa amaraso !

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Nyuma yo kumenya igifungo cy’imyaka 15 Urukiko rw’Ikirenga, rwakatiye Nyakubahwa Madame Victoire INGABIRE UMUHOZA, ku byaha by’ibifitirano ku buryo buzwi na bose, numvise mbabaye cyane mu mutima wanjye kuko numvise bidasubirwaho ko gukomeza kwizera ko Perezida Paul Kagame yaba agifite agatimanama kagikora “kimuntu” ari ukwibeshya bikabije.

Muri make, iri katirwa rya Victoire Ingabire risobanura kimwe muri ibi bikurikira cyangwa byose hamwe :

Iki gihano cy’igifungo cyahawe Victoire Ingabire, si icyemezo gisanzwe cy’ubutabera ahubwo ni icyemezo cya poliki ishingiye ku ihame rya « Munyumvishirize ».

Paul Kagame asuzugura abenegihugu bo mu bwoko bw’Abahutu kandi akabanga urunuka ku buryo, kuri we , kubarenganya si ikibazo kuko ari nko kurenganya ibisimba bidafite akandi gaciro.

Paul Kagame arashaka gushotora Abanyarwanda kugira ngo ahari muri bo hagire abarakara maze bahaguruke buhumyi birohe mu nzira y’imidugararo isesa amaraso(violence) kubera amaburakindi bityo abone urwitwazo rwo kwigundiriza ku butegetsi , dore ko manda 2 gusa yemererwa n’itegekonshinga ryatowe n’abaturage mu mwaka w’2003 zamurangiriyeho adashize irari ryo gutegeka.

Paul Kagame arashaka kubwira abandi banyapolitiki barwanya ingoma ye y’iterabwoba ko nta mwanya bazigera bagira mu buyobozi bw’igihugu cyabo, kandi ko uzatinyuka wese kumuhangara azakatirwa urwa INGABIRE. Nyamara aribeshya cyane, kandi si ubwa mbere yibeshye.

Paul Kagame agamije kumvisha Abanyarwanda bose muri rusange ko U Rwanda ari we wenyine, n’umugore we n’abana be gusa abandi benegihugu bose bakaba ABAGARAGU n’Inkomamashyi ze, agaraguza agati uko abyishakiye!

Paul Kagame afite ubwoba ko iminsi ingoma ye y’igitugu n’AKARENGANE isigaje ibarirwa ku ntoki bityo akaba atinya ko Victoire Ingabire aramutse arekuwe yakwegera abaturage, akabaganiriza,bakamwumva bityo bakiyemeza kumujya inyuma muri gahunda yo kuzana impinduka nziza mu gihugu.

Kubera izo mpamvu :

1)Twamaganye twivuye inyuma icyemezo cy’Ubucamanza bwateshutse ku nshingano yo guha rubanda ubutabera nyabwo , ahubwo bukaba bwarahindutse igikoresho cy’inyungu z’umuntu ku giti cye ari we Paul Kagame.

2)Turasaba Abanyarwanda aho bari hose, mu buryo bashoboye bwose, kwitandukanya n’icyemezo cya« Politiki mbisha y’iterabwoba » Paul Kagame n’Agatsiko ke bahaye intebe mu Rwanda. Turabasaba kandi buri wese kunyura mu nzira zose ashoboye (mu ishuri, ku kazi, muri bus, mu rugo …) agashishikarira gusobanurira Abanyamahanga ubumara n’ubutindi buri mu cyemezo nk’iki kigamije gusenyagura nkana umubyeyi nka INGABIRE Victoire wagaragaje ubutwari budasanzwe bwo gushaka kugoboka Abanyarwanda bari mu kaga gakomeye baroshywemo n’umunyagitugu Paul Kagame.

3)Biragaragarira buri wese ko mukutarekura Victoire Ingabire ufunzwe arengana , Paul Kagame yibujije amahirwe ya nyuma yo kuba yakwigorora na rubanda . Nta mpamvu n’imwe isigaye yo kongera kumucira « akarurutega ».

Umwanzuro

1)Gukatira Victoire Ingabire nibifatwe nk’AKARUMBETI karangurura cyane katumenyesha ko isaha yo gutangira Revolisiyo idasesa amaraso igeze .

2)Turasaba Abakunzi ba Madame Victoire Ingabire kudacika intege no kutiheba ahubwo bakarushaho kwisuganya no kuba Abarwanashyaka baharanira ukuri n’ ubutabera ku buryo bwisumbuyeho.

3) Mboneyeho akanya ko kumenyesha Abataripfana bose bo mu Ishyaka Ishema ko igihe kigeze cyo guhaguruka natwe tukajya ku itabaro : MU RWANDA. Intwari ibonekera mu irasaniro. Ndabasaba gushyira ku murongo w’ibyigwa iki kibazo, kuzagisuzumana ubushishozi no kuzagifataho umwanzuro ukwiye muri Kongere yo muri Mutarama 2014.

4)Ikatirwa rya Victoire Ingabire nirifatwe nanone nk’IKIMENYETSO cyohererejwe Abanyapolitiki bose batavuga rumwe n’ « ubutegetsi butunzwe » bwa Paul Kagame n’agatsiko ke, kibamenyesha ko bakwiye gukora ibishoboka byose bagahura mu maguru mashya, bakungurana ibitekerezo, bakagira igikorwa biyemeza : Ko Ingoma yacyuye igihe kera, harabura iki ngo haramvurwe indi ?

Harakabaho u Rwanda rutera ISHEMA abana barwo bose, nta vangura.

Harakabaho ubutabera bubereye Abanyarwanda.

Padiri Thomas Nahimana,

Umuyobozi wa ISHEMA PARTY

The Rwanda National Congress (RNC): history, justice and the acceptance of its leaders

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Rwandan political and judicial recent news lead us to attempt a better understanding of the political situation of the political opposition group RNC, headed by former senior officials of the RPF (Rwandan Patriotic Front).

Leadership and its past in the RPF

The RNC core leaders include former high officials of the current regime in Kigali; some of them are prosecuted for crimes allegedly committed under their responsibility. This is the case of General Nyamwasa, who is under the scope of arrest warrants of three countries (chronologically France, Spain and Rwanda).

Nyamwasa is prosecuted in France for the April 1994 plane crash that killed two Heads of State, Burundian and Rwandan, their fellows and the French crew. He is one of the nine personalities of the Rwandan regime against whomFrench justice issued arrest warrants in 2006. He also appears on the list of forty Rwandan officers suspected by Spain over the deaths of Spanish nationals.Similarly, Dr. Théogène Rudasingwa (former Secretary General of the RPF, former Paul Kagame’s Chief of staff Paul Kagame and currently Coordinator of the RNC), used to be the most popular general in the army of the Rwandan Patriotic Front. Both generals claim to have information concerning President Paul Kagame’s involvement in the attack that killed his predecessor and say they are ‘ready’ to transmit it to justice.

Barriers to justice: the Nyamwasa and South Africa case

General Kayumba Nyamwasa, former Defense Chief of Staff has been since the day of his exile in South Africa an element of diplomatic discord, legal or national security since the Rwanda would attempt on his life in 2010 in the middle atmosphere of the Football World Cup.

As RFI revealed on Friday, October 18, for a year and a half, French authorities unsuccessfully asks South Africa to extradite the General forhis alleged participation in the attack against former Rwandan President’s plane. Mr. Meilhac, Habyarimana family’s lawyer, told Jambonews that “the procedure is being hindered by several kinds of barriers. According to him there are at least three arrest warrants against him; secondly, we cannot consider him as a simple witness for the judges to go in the South Africa to hear him because he is personally accused. Finally, there are also political and diplomatic issues that can explained the willingness of the South Africa to remain “neutral” in its relations with the applicant countries and their respective interests. In addition to these specific difficulties, we have to remember that even among countries that have a traditionally cooperation in judicial matters, extradition requests take long procedural time. Mr Meilhac pointed out.

Mr.Meilhac questions their reliability, the credit to be given to the testimonies of these former RPF’s leaders.Nyamwasain particular regarding the attack that triggered the 1994 genocide. He would have been himself at the heart of this crime and would have interest to blacken some truths.

Still according to Habyarimana family’s lawyer, regarding the possible arrival in France of Nyamwasa, is now question of relations between two States where judges do not have much room for maneuver.

The opposition movement and rehabilitation in the same opposition

Men, once pillars of the RPF system, including a former Chief of Staff and former intelligence chief, a former General Secretary, a former attorney general and a former chief of foreign intelligence ended their collaboration with General Paul Kagame and were “forced” to exile. Finding a political disorder and the absence of a strong political opposition in the Rwandan diaspora, they took advantage of their personalities and the positions they occupied to impose themselves as leaders who can be the alternative to Paul Kagame. However, they struggle to be accepted as trusted leaders in terms of their long history within the RPF organization, which they do not question practices, preferring to put its wrong doings on the account of one man without ever raising substantive issues regarding the collective movement aims, manners and many crimes committed when they were still in high responsibilities. These crimes include killing of civilians in areas occupied by the RPF during the 1990-1994 war, those of Kibeho in 1995, massacres of refugees in the Cathedral of Byumba, those of Rwandese refugees in the DRC or those committed in the Northern Rwanda in 1997-98 against civilians taken hostage in the crossfire.

The influence of the past on the present

If RNC’s top head is experiencing difficulties to emerge as popular leaders, this is also the case for most people who have been involved in Rwandan politics in the past. This also explains the absence of an experienced political class that would be an alternative to the RPF. Indeed, nearly all senior Rwandan politicians were involved, to some extend / or due political parties to which they were affiliated, in the descent into hell of Rwanda.

On September the 30th, 2013 Dr Rudasingwa complained at a conference held in Brussels that, on the one hand, the opposition audience constantly ask RNC leaders accounts of their past in the RPF – although they are denouncing crimes that RPF has done and apologized for their responsibilities in that. On the other hand, however, he observed that to former officials in the reigns of Juvenal Habyarimana ‘s MRND and Kayibanda’s MDR, public do not do the same. At the same time, do note that leaders of those regimes are no longer interested in politics wanting to lead the opposition. This is explained by the fact that most of those who had political responsibilities in the 94 genocide are brought to justice or have been convicted, others took their pensions. For those who are still active in political parties, most of them are also still facing their political past.

Promised revelations only in front of judges

These former Rwandan strong man’s fellows say they know a lot about the crimes of a person, Paul Kagame, and promise to deliver content only to justice. Yet, the citizens for whom they spend their time explaining that they have to resist the dictatorship needs to know the truth about their past in the RPF. Why then give priority to the judges to find facts, which, if proven true, would highly be historical?

Although Théogène Rudasingwa now seems to want a different path in order to know the truth about the 1994 attack, namely to be submitted with Paul Kagame to a lie detector (polygraph) under international supervision, it rather seems to be an impractical approach.

The stake: the choice between the opposition and the RPF

The real dilemma for RNC leaders is the one consisting to choose for their side between RPF and the opposition. On one side there is the RPF that they have built and served with dedication, on the other side there is the opposition denouncing the RPF regime and its crimes, not only those of one man. This is also the reason why the public has trouble trusting people who want to lead them but do not say or think quite the same thing as them. For most of opposition voices in fact, the RPF is a criminal organization while for RNC leaders, Kagame hijacked the RPF,diverted its good intentions and its well doing ways. It is therefore to this question that these officials should clearly answer: their relationship with the RPF and the perception they have of it.

Habimana Pacific

Jambonews.net

Victoire Ingabire vs Kagame apartheid like Rwandan system

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Understandably there can only be one Mandela and one only, particularly if one considers the 27 years he spent in prison. No cloning of his experience appears possible. The closer the Rwandan political prisoner, Victoire Ingabire, can get to the real Mandela is only in terms of similarities of segregation system she is up against.

The Rwandan apartheid led by extremist Tutsi elites around its president Paul Kagame seems to be worse than the South African one. The difference between them is mainly that the former does not say what it is on the tin. It is subtly covered up under oiled tuned schemes that its millions of hutu victims experience harshly every day since 1994. It is more real than the South African one in the sense that it kills in millions, it imprisons in tens of thousands. It rapes in hundreds of thousands of Congolese women and girls to occupy and plunder Eastern Congo mineral resources. It excludes every hutu it despises. It persistently kidnaps every young male and adult hutu and forces them into military training to defend its political and economic interests nationally and regionally.

However, like the South African one of the recent past, it has its neo-liberal sponsors in US, Britain, Israel and other western countries. They are all interested in material wealth. Lives of Africans are the least of their preoccupations, as long as they are able to access the mineral resources especially of the Democratic Republic of Congo they envy and pursue now for more than a century. No matter how many millions of Africans they want killed, nothing seems to ever stop them in their obsessive pursuit.

This Friday 13/12/13, many South Africans and other people around the world are still mourning the passing of Nelson Mandela. Victoire Ingabire, another African hero for millions of Rwandans is faced with an apartheid like system, which oppresses the hutu majority [85% of the population] in an unprecedented way hard to understand if you are not one of them. Whatever the verdict that the High Court in Kigali will give today on her case [she has been imprisoned since October 14th, 2010] might only be a minor event in that Rwandan apartheid of tutsi rulers against oppressed, exploited and excluded hutu. As I finalized this note, I learnt that she was given 15 years of imprisonment.

As people continue keeping alive the memory of Mandela, they should not forget also that Rwandan and African woman prisoner who left everything, her family and her professional comfort and devoted her life to fight the Rwandan apartheid institutionalized by Paul Kagame as a system of government against the majority hutu population.

Source: http://therisingcontinent.wordpress.com/2013/12/13/victoire-ingabire-vs-kagame-apartheid-like-rwandan-system/

How western powers profit from genocide?

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“Keith Harmon Snow is an independent journalist and former genocide investigator for UNICEF… He has worked tirelessly to change the mainstream narrative about the notion [of genocide].”

Keith Harmon Snow:

“We have to be careful by what we mean by the word genocide. I mean Norman G. Finkelstein has published this book called – The Holocaust Industry -, which makes it clear that there is an industry that profits from the holocaust versus the real holocaust against the Jewish people that occurred. We have the same thing in Rwanda today. We have the Rwandan genocide industry which is an industry international global industry which benefits from the calling claiming and labeling genocide in Rwanda a specific kind of genocide, meaning what we have been told there was a genocide against the tutsi people committed by the hutu people.

The standard propaganda line is that there is 800,000 people to 1,500,000 tutsi were killed in 100 days in 1994. There is nothing about that story that is true. The true story is that the hutu people had been suffering a genocide. The United States government, the British government and the Israeli government backed the invasion of Rwanda in 1990; the war concluded in August 1994 when the US side won.

And then we blame the other side, the losers, meaning the former [French supported] government, who at this point had been decapitated anyway because we assassinated the two presidents of Rwanda and Burundi in April 1994. So anyway we blame them, the losers, with genocide. And that became the biggest propaganda line. The truth is US, Britain and Israel invaded, overthrew the government of Rwanda and concluded that war. And we have been in power, controlling Paul Kagame since….”

Source: http://therisingcontinent.wordpress.com

US supports regional dialogue to uproot causes of conflicts in Great Lakes region of Africa.

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Media Note

Office of the Spokesperson

Washington, DC

December 3, 201

Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region of Africa and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (D.R.C.) Russell D. Feingold will travel to Kigali and Paris to meet with government representatives and Great Lakes heads of state this week. He intends to discuss next steps in the implementation of the Peace, Security, and Cooperation Framework, including the possibility of a regional mediated dialogue aimed at resolving the root causes of conflict in the region. The United States stands ready to support the region in launching such a dialogue and advancing the Framework peace process.

PRN: 2013/1515

Source: US Department of State

Full list of Heads of State attending Mandela funeral: Kagame was not invited!!!!

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The South African Government can confirm that the following Heads of State and Government and their representatives, as well as royalty, are travelling to South Africa to join the people of South Africa in bidding a final farewell to the late Former President Nelson Mandela:

Afghanistan, His Excellency Hamid Karzai, President	Mozambique, President of Mozambique, HE Armando Emilio Guebuza
Algeria, His Excellency Mr Abdelkader Bensalah, Speaker of the Council of the Nation (Senate) – rank above the Prime Minister	Namibia, His Excellency Hifikepunye Pohamba, President
Angola, His Excellency Mr Manuel Vicente, Vice President	Niger, His Excellency Issoufou Mahamdou, President
Argentina, Mr Amado Boudou, Acting President of Argentina	New Zealand, Right Hon John Key, Prime Minister
Australia, His Excellency Mr Tony Abbott, MP, Prime Minister	Nigeria, His Excellency Goodluck Jonathan, President
Bahamas, Right Honourable Perry Christie, Prime Minister	Niger, His Excellency Mahamadou, President of Niger
Bangladesh, His Excellency Mr Md. Abdul Hamid MD ABDUL, President	Norway, His Royal Highness Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway
Belgium, His Royal Highness King Philippe	Pakistan, His Excellency Mr Mamnoon Hussain, President
Benin, His Excellency Boni Yayi, President	Palestinian State, His Excellency Mahmoud Abbas, President
Botswana, His Excellency Lt Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama, President	Portugal, His Excellency, Anibal Cavaco Silva, President
Brazil, Her Excellency Dilma Rousseff, President	Saudi Arabia, His Royal Highness Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Crown Prince
Burundi, His Excellency Pierre Nkurunziza, President	Saharawi Republic, His Excellency Mr Mohamed Abdelaziz, President
Canada, His Excellency Stephen Harper, Prime Minister	Senegal, His Excellency Macky Sall, President

CHAD, His Excellency Mr Idriss Deby Itno, President	Serbia, His Excellency Tomislav Nikolic, President
China, His Excellency Li Yuanchao, Vice President,	Seychelles, His Excellency Mr James Alix MICHEL
COMORES, His Excellency Dr Ikiliou Dhoinine, President	Spain, His Royal Highness Felipe de Borbon, The Prince of Asturias
Congo (Republic of the Congo ), His Excellency Mr Denis Sassou-Nguesso, President	Sri Lanka, His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa, President
	Sudan, His Excellency Bakri Hassan Salih, Vice President
Congo (Democratic Republic of Congo), His Excellency Joseph Kabila, President	Suriname, His Excellency Desire Delano Bouterse, President
Cote d Ivoire, His Excellency President Allassane Ouattara, President	Slovenia, His Excellency Pahor, President
Croatia, His Excellency Josipovic Ivo, President	South Sudan, His Excellency General Salva Kir Mayardit, President
Cuba, His Excellency Raul Castro Ruz, President	Sweden, His Excellency Fredrik Reinfeldt, Prime Minister and Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Victoria.
Denmark, His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Federick	Switzerland, His Excellency Mr Ulrich Maurer, President
Djibouti, His Excellency Ismail Omar Guelleh, President	Swaziland, His Excellency Dr Sibusiso Dlamini, Prime Minister
Ethiopia, His Excellency Ato Hailemariam Dessalegn, Prime Minister	Suriname, His Excellency Desire Delano Bouterse, President
Equatorial Guinea, His Excellency Mr Obiang Mbasogo, President	Tanzania, His Excellency Dr Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, President
France, His Excellency, Francois Hollande, President	Timor-Leste, His Excellency Kay Rala Xanana, Prime Minister
Finland, His Excellency Sauli Niinisto, President	Tunisia, His Excellency Mohamed Moncef Marzouki, President
Gabon, His Excellency Ali Bongo Ondimba, President	Trinidad and Tobago, His Excellency Mrs Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Prime Minister

The Gambia, His Excellency Prof Alhaji Dr Yahya AJJ Jammeh, President Sheikh	Uganda, His Excellency Yoweri Kagota Museveni, President
Ghana, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, President	United Arab Emirates, His Excellency Sheikh Nayahan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture – Special Envoy of the Emir
Germany, His Excellency Joachim Gauck, President	United Kingdom, His Royal Highness Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Prime Minister David Cameron
	United States of America, His Excellency Barack Obama, President
Guyana, His Excellency Donald Ramotar, President	Venezuela, His Excellency Nicolas Maduro Moros, President
Guinea, His Excellency Prof Alpha Conde, President	Zimbabwe, His Excellency Robert Gabriel Mugabe, President
India, His Excellency Pranab Mukherjee, President	Zambia His Excellency Michael Sata, President
Ireland, His Excellency Michael D Higgins, President	Arab States League, His Excellency Amb Samir Hosny, Minister
Italy, His Excellency Enrico Letta, Prime Minister	African Union Commission, Her Excellency Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Chairperson
Japan, His Imperial Highness, Crown Prince Naruhito	Commonwealth, His Excellency, Mr Kamalesh Sharma
Jamaica, Her Excellency, Portia Simpson Miller, Prime Minister	European Council, His Excellency Mr Herman van Rompuy, President
Jordan, Her Royal Highness, Queen Rania Al Abdullah and His Excellency Prime Minister Dr Abdullah Ensour	Mexico, His Excellency Enrique Pena Nieto President of Mexico
Kenya, His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta, President	Mauritius, His Excellency Dr the Honourable Navinchandra, Prime Minister
Korea (South), His Excellency Hongwon Chung, Prime Minister	Mauritania, His Excellency Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, President
Lebanon, His Excellency Mr Najib Mikati, Prime Minister	Malawi, Her Excellency Joyce Banda, President
Lesotho, His Excellency, T Thabane, Prime Minister	Grand Duchy of LUXEMBOURG, His Royal Highness Henry of Luxembourg, The Grand Duke
Liberia, Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President

Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said: “Former President Mandela was an international icon and a symbol of hope for the oppressed and marginalised people across the globe. He will always be remembered worldwide for his values and dedication to the service of humanity in the fields of conflict resolution, reconciliation, the promotion and protection of the rights of children, gender equality and the uplifting of the poor.”

At the initiative of South African Government and the Nelson Mandela Foundation, the United Nations General Assembly, in 2010, proclaimed18 July, the birthday of Former President Mandela, as “Nelson Mandela International Day”, to be observed each year.

Since 2010, millions of people from around the world have annually celebrated Madiba’s birthday by dedicating their time in community service – their actions inspired by the work of this iconic South African leader.

ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONSAND COOPERATION

OR Tambo Building

460 Soutpansberg Road

Rietondale

Pretoria

‘Kikwete: Lets honour Mandela via forgiveness’

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The president of the United Republic of Tanzania, Dr. Jakaya Kikwete has advised Tanzanians to develop the spirit of forgiveness as a sign of remembering the first President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela.

Dr Kikwete said it today when he was addressing the public at Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam during the 52 years celebrations of Tanzania Mainland Independence.

He said that people thought Mandela would have revenged against his political rivals after his imprisonment, but the situation was vice versa, he forgave them.

“Mandela declared forgiveness to all the people who involved in one way or another is isolating the Black South Africans and he formed a special commission for negotiation between the white minority and the black Africans so as to build unity among them,” Said Dr Kikwete and added,

“What Mandela has done shows his political maturity which Tanzanian leaders and other leaders in the world have to honour him for developing the spirit of tolerance and forgiveness.”

He said that since the era of TANU, Tanzania has been working closely with liberation political parties in Africa including the African National Congress (ANC) which was led by the late Nelson Mandela, so he urged Tanzanians to develop this good relationship with other countries.

The final hours of a revered man

Mzee Nelson Rolihlahla Dalibunga Mandela spent his last moments surrounded by close family members, including his wife, Graça Machel, former wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, daughter Makaziwe and grandson Mandla.

This is contrary to some earlier reports that Winnie wasn’t around when South Africa’s first black president died.

According to details from close family members, the last hours of Madiba were very critical to the family members as they watched the global icon fighting his final moment after the life-support machine was switched off.

According to the details gathered by The Citizen, which is the only newspaper in Tanzania to have reported last week that the anti-apartheid hero was on his deathbed, Mandela was not on a life-support machine and had been breathing on his own when he died.

Mandla, his heir, had been urgently summoned from Mvezo in the Eastern Cape to his grandfather’s bedside early on Thursday morning.

One of the last people to see Mandela alive was South Africa’s United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa.

Mr Holomisa, who was very close to Mzee Mandela for many years, said he arrived at the Houghton, Johannesburg, home on Thursday at about 5.30pm after he received a call that the former statesman “was not well”.

“I went straight to see him in his room. I was sad to see that his situation, from the last time I saw him, had deteriorated very badly,” Mr Holomisa said.

He spent more than an hour with Madiba and left the house just after 7pm. “Little did I know it would be the last time I would see him alive,” Holomisa was quoted by South Africa’s Sunday Times newspaper

Madiba died at 8.50pm.

Earlier last week, there were hints that something was up, first with Mandela’s eldest daughter Makaziwe’s unusual comment that her father was putting up a courageous fight from his “deathbed” where “he is teaching us lessons; lessons in patience, in love, lessons of tolerance”.

On Tuesday night, last week, President Zuma learned of Mandela’s deteriorating condition and that his death was imminent.

On Wednesday, word came from his house in Houghton that his already critical condition had worsened. He was fading fast.

Mandela had not spoken a single word for months and on Thursday night, he was entering the final moments of his life. His former wife, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, was there and preparing to stay overnight. Those in the house speak of an overwhelming sadness that engulfed it.

Family members were allowed into his room in pairs or in threes and allowed private moments with him.

Mandela’s two youngest daughters, Zindzi and Zenani, were in London at the royal premiere of Long Walk to Freedom when they received the news of their father’s death. They immediately left the cinema.

After President Jacob Zuma was informed of Mandela’s death – as required by protocol – close family friends gathered at the house.

As Mandela’s body left his home – in a casket draped in the South African flag – Mandla continued to sing his praises with the words “Aah Dalibunga” and was joined by family members and the political leadership who were present.

The former president’s body was still lying in his room on the upper floor of the house.

At about midnight, the military arrived with a casket to collect Mandela’s body so it could be taken to 1 Military Hospital in Pretoria.

“The family was very strong, but the mood was sombre. The toughest moment came when the military arrived to collect Madiba’s body around midnight. When they came from his room upstairs with his lifeless body followed by Mandla, it started to sink in that Madiba was gone. We all stood up to observe the moment and joined in when Mandla sang his praises … Aah Dalibunga,” said someone who was present.

The former president has, over the past few years, become increasingly frail and was hospitalised numerous times. His last stay in hospital lasted 86 days after he was admitted to a Pretoria hospital on June 8.

Mandela’s funeral on Sunday, this week, is expected to be one of the biggest global gatherings in history as world leaders prepare to converge in unprecedented numbers on South Africa.

US President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, will travel to South Africa with former first couple George W and Laura Bush.

The Bushes will be making the trip with the Obamas on Air Force One at the first couple’s request.

Former president Bill Clinton, who was in office when Mandela came to power, also said that he would be making the trip to attend the funeral, with his family.

“I wouldn’t miss this,” said Clinton. “He was a genuine friend to me, and he was a really fine partner as president. So my whole family will be there and we’re looking forward to having the chance to say goodbye one last time.”

Other heads of state who will attend include French President François Hollande, Chad President Idriss Déby, New Zealand Prime Minister John Key and representatives from China, Iran, Cuba, Israel and the Palestinian territories.

The British delegation is expected to include senior royals, presumably Prince Charles and possibly Prince William, as well as Prime Minister David Cameron.

The prince and princess of Monaco announced on the palace’s official website that they would attend Mandela’s funeral.

Prince Albert and Princess Charlene said Mandela was “an example, a symbol of reconciliation, a great man who, through his courage, selflessness and generosity, was able to change the course of history and make his life a fight for justice and respect for human dignity”.

There will be a memorial service for Mandela at the FNB Stadium in Soweto on Tuesday.

His body will lie in state at the Union Buildings in Pretoria from Wednesday to Friday. It will be transported to the Union Buildings each day from the mortuary at 1 Military Hospital. Government communications chief director Neo Momodu said the public would be allowed to line the route as the motorcade carrying Madiba’s coffin parade through the capital’s streets.

Access to Mandela’s lying in state will be strictly controlled and no photographs or video recordings will be allowed.

Minister in the Presidency Collins Chabane said yesterday that it was not certain “at the moment” whether Mandela’s casket would be open or closed. Chabane said all venues – the Mandela house, FNB Stadium and the Union Buildings – would be cordoned off and that access would be controlled.

On Saturday, Mandela’s remains will arrive in Qunu, where he grew up and where he will be buried alongside his children Makgatho, Thembekile and Makaziwe on Sunday.

Security was tightened outside Mandela’s home in Qunu yesterday with a heavy military presence.

Police on horseback were also patrolling the streets in the village.

Today, Zuma will attend a service at the Bryanston Methodist Church in Johannesburg to mark the national day of prayer and reflection called to remember Mandela.

Zuma reiterated the call to all South Africans to go to stadiums, halls, churches, temples or synagogues today to celebrate the life of Madiba.

“As South Africans, we sing when we are happy and we also sing when we are sad to make ourselves feel better. Let us celebrate Madiba in this way, which we know best. Let us sing for Madiba,” said Zuma.

By The Cizen reporters and agencies

L’OCDE plus optimiste pour la France

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Les perspectives de croissance s’améliorent dans la plupart des grandes économies indique aujourd’hui l‘OCDE. L’indicateur pour la France progresse de 0,2 point, à 100,2, signalant une inflexion positive, tout comme dans la plupart des pays de la zone euro.

L’indicateur pour l’Allemagne signale une consolidation de la croissance, à 100,7, en hausse de 0,2 point. La tendance au renforcement de la croissance est également signalée au Royaume-Uni (+0,2 point, à 101,4) et en l’Italie, (+0,2 point, à 101,1).

Les Etats-Unis restent proches de leur tendance (stable, à 100,8) et le Japon est au-dessus (+0,2 point, à 101,3). La Chine pourrait connaître une amélioration (+0,2 point, à 99,4), comme l’Inde (stable, à 97,6) et la Russie (stable, à 99,7).

Source: Le Figaro