The family of Rwandan prisoner Paul Rusesabagina has filed a US$400 million lawsuit against the government of Rwanda, for its alleged role in luring the humanitarian activist—known for saving lives during the 1994 genocide—back to Rwanda in 2020. Rusesabagina, whose story was portrayed in the award-winning film “Hotel Rwanda,” was…
United Nations Secretary General António Guterres honored on Monday the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide, with remarks that urged early intervention at the first warning signs of the threat. “Across the world, we are seeing an alarming surge in xenophobia, racism,…
Authorities in The Gambia filed a case with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to begin proceedings against Myanmar for alleged crimes against humanity and “genocidal acts” against the Rohingya people. The case, according to the ICJ, argues that Myanmar military and security forces systematically used mass murder, rape and…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
A Rwandan man living in the United States since 2014 has been sentenced to more than eight years in prison for his role in the 1994 genocide, which he failed to disclose to U.S. authorities when arriving in the country. Jean Leonard Teganya, 47, was a medical student at the National…
In Namibia, a replica of a despised monument to German rule and genocide has resurfaced at a restaurant in Swakopmund, a coastal city that still retains its German cultural influences in the core region where the 1904-1908 genocide happened. The Namibian Genocide Association is demanding that the replica be removed…
Adama Dieng of Senegal, the United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, called on world leaders across the political spectrum to avoid cultivating a culture that tolerates hate speech and violent extremism. “Big massacres start always with small actions and language,” said Dieng, who has served in his…
The human rights record of President Paul Kagame of Rwanda is under renewed scrutiny after he appeared at the weekend with Christian pastor Rick Warren, left, at his Saddleback Church to focus on reconciliation and the recovery of trauma. Kagame, who has a long relationship with Warren’s Baptist-affiliated megachurch in…
Rwandans on Sunday will begin a three-month observation to mark the 25th anniversary of the 1994 genocide that claimed the lives of more than 1 million people. Known as Kwibuka with its theme to “remember, unite, renew,” the observance will begin with President Paul Kagame lighting the Flame of Remembrance…
Burundi’s record on human rights came under scrutiny again at the weekend, as presidential advisor Willy Nyamitwe was met Saturday by a band of diasporan protesters during a visit to the United States. Nyamitwe, the top aide and highly visible spokesman for Pierre Nkurunziza, was visiting his family in Portland,…
As President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda hosts Omar Al-Bashir of Sudan for a state visit, human rights advocates have again called on an African head of state to arrest the Sudanese president and turn him over to the International Criminal Court (ICC). The International Justice Project noted Monday that this…
Roman Catholic priests surrounded by violence in the rapidly deteriorating Central African Republic have taken to social media to appeal for help, and in the process accused United Nations peacekeepers of abandoning them. “You were warned, but you deliberately decided to abandon this town,” wrote Father Jean-Alain Zembi a priest…
Confirmation of the deaths of six Red Cross volunteers in Central African Republic (CAR) last week comes with a warning about how dangerous CAR is becoming for humanitarian aid workers. The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (ICRC) said the six local volunteers were attending a crisis meeting at…
United Nations Secretary General António Guterres, along with religious leaders of the world, announced on Friday the launch of a new initiative to curb atrocities rooted in faith-based incitements to violence. The launch of the Fez Plan of Action, first drafted in Morocco in April 2015, marks two years of…
In Rwanda, three candidates seeking to stand for the presidential election on August 4 have been disqualified, the National Electoral Commission (NEC) said, as it announced the final list on Friday. That list of candidates includes incumbent President Paul Kagame, who is expected to win a third seven-year term after…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
Rwandans on Friday honor the memory of the 1994 genocide that claimed the lives of more than 1 million people. The “remember, unite, renew” theme of the Kwibuka observance begins with President Paul Kagame lighting the Flame of Remembrance, with daylong events planned at the Kigali Genocide Memorial Memorial –…