Text of report in English by Rwandan radio on 1 September
The Voice of America, VOA this Thursday [31 August] signed an agreement to the government of Rwanda which gives it licence to broadcast on FM frequencies on the Rwandan territory and renewed its cooperation agreement with ORINFOR [Rwandan Information, the media regulation authority]. After this signing ceremony, the VOA director, David Jackson told Radio Rwanda that the Voice of America is ready to keep its part of agreement by abiding by the Rwandan media laws and providing unbiased and reliable reports.
The minister of information in the prime minister’s office charged with information, Laurent Nkusi said that the law demands that all foreign radio stations operating in Rwanda must sign an agreement with the government which are renewed after five years.
Other officials who attended the signing ceremony included the minister for foreign affairs and cooperation, Dr Charles Murigande; the American ambassador to Rwanda, Michael Arietti; the executive secretary of the National Commission for Unity and Reconciliation, Dr [name indistinct]; and the director-general of ORINFOR, Joseph Bideri, who signed the cooperation agreement between ORINFOR and the Voice of America.
(Source: Radio Rwanda, Kigali, in English 0515 gmt 1 Sep 06 via BBC Monitoring)
