New law establishes national police force

Parliament on Friday adopted a law allowing the merger of the gendarmerie, communal police and judicial police into a single police force, such as Rwanda has never had, in order to improve the general organisation and competency of civil security operations. The move was intended to assure clear policy-making, management of human and capital resources, a proper mechanism for fighting crime and respect for the rights of Rwandans, a parliamentary statement released to Rwandan radio stated.

Parliament calls Rwigema to account

Rwandan parliamentarians have started a process by which they hope to summon Prime Minister Pierre Celestin Rwigema and other cabinet members to clarify the failure to resolve the situation of old case-load refugees and the programme of the government during the additional four-year transitional period. The Minister of Education, Emmanuel Mudidi, has also been summoned to explain the mismanagement of a World Bank project to reconstruct and rehabilitate schools, RNA reported.

Court considers legality of bishop's detention on genocide charges

The trial of Bishop Augustin Misago, Gikongoro Diocese, on genocide-related charges was on Friday deferred to Wednesday, 25 August, for the court to rule on legal argument between the prosecution and defence as to whether the defendant's arrest and detention had been legal.

Misago earlier complained of not having been given sufficient time to read and understand his 300-page case file, and requested a two-week delay. The 56-year-old cleric was charged before a court packed with church and civilian observers on five counts, including genocide, crimes against humanity, violation of human rights, conspiracy to commit genocide and complicity in genocide, Rwandan radio reported.