KIGALI, June 3 (Xinhua) -- The remains of 1,240 victims of the 1994 Rwanda genocide against the Tutsi were buried on Saturday at the Mibirizi genocide memorial in western Rwanda.

The remains were recently discovered on church-owned land in Rusizi district during terrace cultivation.

During the burial ceremony, Jean-Damascene Bizimana, minister of national unity and civic engagement, expressed his condolences to the families of the victims, assuring them that the government stands in solidarity with them during this difficult time.

He also condemned the people who concealed information about the whereabouts of victims' remains, even after several decades have passed since the genocide.

"It is deeply troubling that individuals are still withholding information about the locations of mass graves containing the remains of the victims of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi," Bizimana said.

Bizimana also commended the remarkable progress made in fostering unity among Rwandans, which has now reached an impressive rate of 94.3 percent.

The achievement highlights the ongoing efforts to heal and reconcile the nation after the tragic events of the 1994 genocide.

The burial ceremony was attended by government officials and families of the victims.

Remains of the victims are still being discovered in many parts of Rwanda, 29 years after the genocide. Rwandans on April 7 started the commemoration activities to mark the 29th anniversary of the 1994 Genocide under the theme "Remember-Unite-Renew." The activities will continue until July 4 to mark the 100-day calamity, during which over one million people, mainly Tutsi and moderate Hutus were killed. - Xinhua

The ministry of Health in Tanzania has officially declared the end of the country's first documented outbreak of Marburg virus disease (MVD), which was initially declared in March.

The World Health Organization (WHO) shared a statement confirming that a total of eight cases of viral hemorrhagic fever were reported, all from the Bukoba district in the Kagera region.

During the outbreak, six deaths were reported, leading Uganda to reactivate screening at its main border points to prevent the spread of the disease.

The declaration of the end of the outbreak aligns with WHO recommendations, which state that an outbreak can be declared over 42 days after the last possible exposure to a confirmed case.  

The last confirmed case of MVD was reported on April 11, 2023, with the second negative PCR test sample collected on April 19, 2023. Although Tanzania has been declared disease-free, WHO urges authorities to maintain response activities for an additional three months. This is to ensure immediate detection in case of a re-emergence of the disease, prevent its spread, and save lives.

MVD is an epidemic-prone illness associated with high fatality rates, ranging from 30 to 90 per cent. It is caused by the same viral family, Filoviridae, as Ebola virus disease and exhibits similar clinical symptoms. Early diagnosis of MVD can be challenging as its clinical presentation overlaps with other febrile illnesses such as Ebola, malaria, and typhoid fever.

The outbreak of Marburg in Tanzania in March caused concern in Uganda, which had recently dealt with an Ebola emergency in January. By URN/ The Observer

Uganda has taken a harsh approach to LGBTQ rights. (Photo 155224152 © Ruletkka | Dreamstime.com)

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni this week signed into law his country's most aggressive assault yet on the rights of Uganda's LGBT community. The Anti-Homosexuality Bill dictates a life sentence for anyone caught having gay sex and the death penalty for anyone convicted of "aggravated homosexuality," a term that encompasses sex with minors or sex that results in the transfer of sexually transmitted infections, such as HIV. Furthermore, the law says anyone who "promotes homosexuality" be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison in a "vaguely worded" provision that puts activists and public health advocates at risk. 

One of the most severe anti-gay bills in the world, it marks the culmination of years of legislative efforts to set sentencing requirements for those convicted of same-sex relations. A similar bill passed in 2014 but was ruled unconstitutional by a Ugandan court on procedural grounds. 

Same-sex relations have been illegal in Uganda since British colonial times under sections in the penal code discussing "unnatural offenses" and "indecent practices," but now the Parliament has solidified harsh penalties. 

The law conveys Uganda's desire to protect the traditional family by "strengthening the nation's capacity to deal with emerging internal and external threats to the traditional, heterosexual family," mirroring rhetoric that portrays same-sex relations as unnatural and a threat to tradition.

Museveni painted homosexuality as a "deviation from normal" and told policy makers to not fall prey to "imperialist" pressure. One member of Parliament suggested that "if we don't stand our ground as a country… then we will completely have ceded our sovereignty." The Parliament speaker welcomed the provision, stating, "We have stood strong to defend the culture, values and aspirations of our people."

The bill was first passed in March, but Museveni returned it to Parliament to be amended to offer help, and not punishment, to "those who will have come out," a reform encouraged by the American religious and anti-LGBT group Family Watch International.

Before the 2014 bill (which had the same provision) was struck down, Ugandan police raided the offices of the U.S.-funded Makerere University Walter Reed Project, a project that offers AIDS services to gays. Police said the facility was "training youths in homosexuality."

For activists, the law's provisions put their life and work at risk. "[The Anti Homosexuality Act] poses a serious threat to the lives and wellbeing of LGBTQ individuals in Uganda by criminalizing their sexual orientation, exposing them to violence, discrimination, and stigma," says Steven Kabuye, a human rights activist in Uganda and co-founder of Truth LGBTQ. "The law also limits access to HIV prevention, care, and treatment services, resulting in adverse public health outcomes, including higher rates of HIV/AIDS among the LGBTQ community in Uganda."

Uganda has had success in countering HIV and AIDS in the past, with 89 percent of Ugandans living with HIV knowing their status and 92 percent of those people receiving antiretroviral therapy, according to a press release from UNAIDS. The group says the new law threatens that progress. "The stigma and discrimination associated with the passage of the Act has already led to reduced access to prevention as well as treatment services." 

The law has drawn bipartisan condemnation from the United States. President Joe Biden issued a statement calling it a "tragic violation of universal human rights," and Sen. Ted Cruz (R–Texas) declared it "grotesque & an abomination" on Twitter. Biden said the U.S. would consider sanctions on Ugandan officials and review Uganda's eligibility for the African Growth and Opportunity Act, which provides countries with "duty-free access to the U.S. market."

As the White House press release proclaims, "No one should have to live in constant fear for their life or being subjected to violence and discrimination." That includes people whose sexual identity and preferences you may disagree with. By William Rample, Reason

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has obtained orders prohibiting the sale of a Sh150 million piece of land in Mombasa County.

The commission went to court seeking to stop any sale of the land reserved for the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) claiming it was grabbed until a case they have filed is heard and determined. 

The matter is before Justice Nelly Matheka and will be heard on June 13, 2023.

EACC has sued Kensko Agro Produce company and its two directors Francis Waiganjo and Lucy Wanjiru as well as Silver Clouds Investment Limited company and former Lands Commissioner Wilson Gachanja. 

Gachanja has been sued personally on accounts of fraud, illegality and or acting beyond his powers and functions.

The commission faults Gachanja for alienating the piece of land reserved for the extension of KBC by disregarding an existing development plan

He has also been sued for allocating the land to individuals or a company despite publicly available land records and Illegally allocating Public land for private use. 

Gachanja is also facing the charge of trying to convert public land for ownership by private people and conniving to allocate the land without legal authority among other charges.

The commission's investigations show that the land was first transferred to Silver Clouds Investment Limited on May 9, 1994, before changing hands the same month to Kensko Agro Produce Limited.

The company then went ahead to subdivide the land into five parcels; selling three and retaining two which they have been using for commercial purposes. By Fred Kagonye, The Standard