Disadvantaged children in Rwanda take up the sport of fencing.

Fencing gaining popularity in Kigali, Rwanda

Rwanda began commemorating 100 days marking the 29th anniversary of the 1994 genocide, in which 800,000 people, most of them from the Tutsi ethnic group, were massacred by Hutu militia. France has announced the upcoming erection of a memorial dedicated to the victims of the genocide. The move has been welcomed by survivors. Here's a report from Kigali.

Kigali remembers 1994 genocide | World Of Africa

In pics: Kigali summit tests Commonwealth's clout as awkward issues loom

<p>I got a chance to cover the peacekeeping mission in Congo, and I was excited. But to reach Congo in one piece was a challenge.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Journalists often don&rsquo;t realise how privileged they are by being very close to the seat of power. I was part of the privileged lot when I got the opportunity to travel with former PM Manmohan Singh for the BRICS Summit to South Africa in 2013. It was a straight 10-hour flight from Delhi to Durban.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
But this time, the deal was different.</p>

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<h5>I could see my subcontinent all around mixing with different nationalities of Africa</h5>
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<p>This time, we had to stop at four different airports to reach DR Congo&rsquo;s neighbour, Kigali in Rwanda. Congo is still five hours away. But the journey was a revelation to me, especially the way it happened. Often such revelations don&rsquo;t hit you when you travel with a delegation. I could see Indians all around. Some were going to Zambia and some to adjoining region. The person who came to pick me up from Kigali airport belonged to Nagpur.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Himanshu Hoode came to Africa four years back to make money. When I asked him why Rwanda, which was war torn two decades back, he said, &ldquo;It is the safest place today and full of opportunities.&rdquo;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
I could see my subcontinent all around mixing with the different nationalities of Africa. They were not tourists or people resembling faces from TV channels. They were workers, businessmen, entrepreneurs and common people. Within this commonness, I felt extremely elevated. Lastly, Kigali is cold. I felt stupid thinking that I&rsquo;m about to hit equatorial humidity. It is pleasant and there is chill in the air. I already feel welcome.&nbsp;</p>


We had to stop at four different airports just to reach Congo’s neighbour, Kigali in Rwanda

I got a chance to cover the peacekeeping mission in Congo, and I was excited. But to reach Congo in one piece was a challenge. Journalists often don’t realise how privileged they are by being very close to the seat of power. I was part of the privileged lot when I got the opportunity to travel with former PM Manmohan Singh for the BRICS Summit to South Africa in 2013. It was a straight 10-hour flight from Delhi to Durban. But this time, the deal was different. I could see my subcontinent all around mixing with different nationalities of Africa × This time, we had to stop at four different airports to reach DR Congo’s neighbour, Kigali in Rwanda. Congo is still five hours away. But the journey was a revelation to me, especially the way it happened. Often such revelations don’t hit you when you travel with a delegation. I could see Indians all around. Some were going to Zambia and some to adjoining region. The person who came to pick me up from Kigali airport belonged to Nagpur. Himanshu Hoode came to Africa four years back to make money. When I asked him why Rwanda, which was war torn two decades back, he said, “It is the safest place today and full of opportunities.” I could see my subcontinent all around mixing with the different nationalities of Africa. They were not tourists or people resembling faces from TV channels. They were workers, businessmen, entrepreneurs and common people. Within this commonness, I felt extremely elevated. Lastly, Kigali is cold. I felt stupid thinking that I’m about to hit equatorial humidity. It is pleasant and there is chill in the air. I already feel welcome.

En route to Congo, a brief stopover at cold Kigali: A reporter's diary

African heads of state meeting in Kigali failed today to elect a new head of the African Union and will try again in January, an official said.<br />
<br />
Current AU Commission President Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma was due to stand down but leaders were unable to agree on a successor to lead the executive branch of the continental body during its 27th summit meeting, being held in the Rwandan capital.<br />
<br />
&quot;Black smoke billows from the 27th AU Summit as no winner emerges... Commission elections postponed till next summit,&quot; Dlamini-Zuma&#39;s spokesman, Jacob Enoh Eben, said on Twitter, referencing the smoke signal that precedes the naming of a new pope.<br />
<br />
None of the three candidates was able to muster the two-thirds majority required to win in the secret ballot.<br />
<br />
Ahead of the vote many states had expressed dismay at the &quot;lack of stature&quot; among the little known candidates from Botswana, Equatorial-Guinea and Uganda and, in the end, 28 of the 54 member states abstained from the final round of voting thus forcing a postponement of the election and an extension of Dlamini-Zuma&#39;s term.<br />
<br />
(AFP)

28 of the 54 member states abstained from the final round of voting thus forcing postponement of the election

African heads of state meeting in Kigali failed today to elect a new head of the African Union and will try again in January, an official said. Current AU Commission President Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma was due to stand down but leaders were unable to agree on a successor to lead the executive branch of the continental body during its 27th summit meeting, being held in the Rwandan capital. "Black smoke billows from the 27th AU Summit as no winner emerges... Commission elections postponed till next summit," Dlamini-Zuma's spokesman, Jacob Enoh Eben, said on Twitter, referencing the smoke signal that precedes the naming of a new pope. None of the three candidates was able to muster the two-thirds majority required to win in the secret ballot. Ahead of the vote many states had expressed dismay at the "lack of stature" among the little known candidates from Botswana, Equatorial-Guinea and Uganda and, in the end, 28 of the 54 member states abstained from the final round of voting thus forcing a postponement of the election and an extension of Dlamini-Zuma's term. (AFP)

African Union fails to elect new leader

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