Media Review: Thursday 09 April 2020

Summary:

• Press Afrik reports that President Paul Kagame, with a small delegation, lit the flame of hope at the Kigali Memorial Centre and called Rwandans to meditate at home in his video message.

• AFP reports that the Presidency says France has remembered on Tuesday the victims of the Genocide against Tutsi at the start of the 26th commemoration although no demonstration is being organized due to coronavirus crisis.

• Irish Times reports that Ethiopia has postponed August elections due to the coronavirus pandemic but Burundi says it will go ahead with a vote scheduled for May 20th.

• Reuters reports that Vital Kamerhe, the chief of staff to the president of DRC, was arrested yesterday after testifying in an investigation into the alleged misappropriation of public funds.

• The Wall Street Journal reports that as most of the world goes into lockdown to halt the spread of coronavirus, Tanzania’s president is taking a different tack: encouraging people to go pray in churches and mosques to quell a “satanic” virus that can only be cured by divine intervention.

• Reuters reports that the rapidly-spreading coronavirus outbreak is expected to push sub-Saharan Africa into recession in 2020 for the first time in 25 years, accroding to the World Bank.

Local News

• African leaders have expressed solidarity with the World Health Organisation (WHO) after the global institution came under intense criticism over the coronavirus pandemic.

• The Ministry of Health announced yesterday that 5 new cases of COVID-19 were identified out of 772 samples tested in the last 24hrs. The new cases bring the total number of confirmed cases to 110 (of whom 7 have recovered).

=============================== Le Rwanda confiné commémore le génocide des Tutsis (Press Afrik - Wednesday 08 April 2020) --- Le président Paul Kagame s'est rendu, avec une petite délégation, au mémorial de Kigali ce mardi matin, où il a allumé la flamme de l'espoir. Il s'est également adressé au Rwandais via un message vidéo. Un message de soutien et de remerciement pour ces commémorations toutes particulières, pour lesquelles les Rwandais sont invités à se recueillir chez eux. Read more Rwanda’s lockdown upends commemoration of Tutsi genocide (The Africa Report - Wednesday 08 April 2020) --- The ceremonies commemorating the 26th anniversary of the genocide of the Tutsi ethnic group in Rwanda kicked off on Tuesday, 7 April. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, this time of national remembrance will for the first time be impacted by a number of organisational changes. Read more Coronavirus : au Rwanda, des commémorations du génocide sous le signe du confinement (Le Monde - Wednesday 08 April 2020) --- Le pays, qui dénombre 105 cas de Covid-19, a annulé les cérémonies collectives prévues cette année. Read more La France commémore le 26e anniversaire du génocide au Rwanda (AFP - Wednesday 08 April 2020) --- La France a salué mardi la mémoire des victimes du génocide au Rwanda, à l’occasion de la commémoration de son 26e anniversaire, mais sans qu’aucune manifestation ne soit organisée en raison de la crise du coronavirus, a annoncé la présidence de la République. Read more Rwanda, An 26 du génocide, Antonio Gueterres : « Nous ne devons plus jamais laisser une telle atrocité se produire » (Le Nouvel Afrik - Wednesday 08 April 2020) --- Antonio Gueterres , Secrétaire Général de l’Organisation des Nations Unies a plaidé pour la protection des civils afin qu’un tel évènement malheureux ne puisse plus se reproduire au Rwanda. Read more Rwanda : la Banque mondiale approuve un crédit de 14 millions $ pour soutenir le plan de riposte sanitaire au Covid-19 (Agence Ecofin - Wednesday 08 April 2020) --- La Banque mondiale a approuvé, mardi 07 avril 2020, un crédit d’un montant total de 14,25 millions $ en faveur du Rwanda, en vue de soutenir le plan national de riposte sanitaire dénommé « Rwanda COVID -19 Emergency Response Project ». Read more Ethiopia postpones elections as Burundi opts to continue with vote (Irish Times - Wednesday 08 April 2020) --- Ethiopia has postponed August elections due to the coronavirus pandemic but Burundi says it will go ahead with a vote scheduled for May 20th. Read more Congo president's chief of staff arrested amid graft probe (Reuters - Wednesday 08 April 2020) --- Vital Kamerhe, the chief of staff to the president of Democratic Republic of Congo, was arrested on Wednesday after testifying in an investigation into the alleged misappropriation of public funds, police said. Read more Kenya's Covid-19 toll rises to 179 as seven more test positive (The East African - Wednesday 08 April 2020) --- Kenya has recorded seven more cases of the coronavirus raising the country's official toll to 179. The number of patients is expected to shoot up drastically as mass testing of all employees in hospitals and quarantine centres starts. Read more Tanzania’s Leader Urges People to Worship in Throngs Against Coronavirus (The Wall Street Journal - Wednesday 08 April 2020) --- As most of the world goes into lockdown to halt the spread of coronavirus, Tanzania’s president is taking a different tack: encouraging people to go pray in churches and mosques to quell a “satanic” virus that can only be cured by divine intervention. Read more Sub-Saharan Africa to fall into recession in 2020, says World Bank (Reuters - Wednesday 08 April 2020) --- The rapidly-spreading coronavirus outbreak is expected to push sub-Saharan Africa into recession in 2020 for the first time in 25 years, the World Bank said in a new forecast on Thursday. Read more Local News Africa rallies behind WHO to wave off attacks on its leadership (The New Times - Thursday 09 April 2020) --- African leaders have expressed solidarity with the World Health Organisation (WHO) after the global institution came under intense criticism over the coronavirus pandemic. Read more COVID-19: 5 New Cases Identified In Rwanda, Total Now 110 (KT Press - Wednesday 08 April 2020) --- The Ministry of Health on Wednesday announced that 5 new cases of COVID-19 were identified out of 772 samples tested in the last 24hrs. The new cases bring the total number of confirmed cases to 110 (of whom 7 have recovered). Read more Kwibuka26: Rwandans in The Hague, diplomats commemorate (The New Times - Thursday 09 April 2020) --- Rwandans in the Netherlands were joined by the diplomatic community and friends of Rwanda this week for the 26th commemoration of the Genocide against the Tutsi. Read more Ibuka condemns destruction of Genocide survivors’ property (The New Times - Thursday 09 April 2020) --- Ibuka, the umbrella organization of Genocide survivors’ associations has condemned people targeting genocide survivors as the country marks the 26th commemoration of 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Read more

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