For a nation only one tenth of the size of the UK, Rwanda gets a lot of column inches in the world media. Why? Because this is the nation we failed to protect. We must be vigilant so as not to fail again. Sixteen years after the genocide, President Paul Kagame is emerging from the shelter of international guilt to finally face damning criticisms of his government. His tightening grip on power is worrying and the international community must step forward to stop him undoing years of progress.
A UN report released last month put into doubt the notion that Kagame alone stopped Rwanda’s Hutu-led genocide. It accuses Kagame’s forces of vengeful massacres against the Hutu population in Eastern Congo in 1996. The report documented 617 of the worst human rights violations by Rwandan and Ugandan troops against those who had fled the genocide. “Many of the attacks were directed against civilians consisting primarily of women and children”.
Rwanda’s Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo called the report “an attempt to rewrite history”, as Kigali tried to paint this as an attempt to promote the double genocide theory. The government was so desperate to get the report quashed, it even threatened to pull out Rwandan troops from delicate U.N. peacekeeping operations in Sudan. However, the report’s sheer thoroughness makes any criticism hard to sustain. More than 1,200 individual witnesses were interviewed and over 1,500 documents were collected and analysed. This report is no matter of opinion, it’s a matter of fact.
Kagame’s government has enjoyed years as the global aid community’s darling in a troubled region for good reason. Average incomes have more than doubled from $242 in 1999 to $520 in 2010. Kagame as also been a champion for gender equality in the region and Rwanda now boasts the highest share of women in government in the world. Even Transparency International, a Berlin-based anti-corruption monitor, applauds its anti-corruption efforts and rates it as the cleanest country in east Africa. The compliments, however, end here.
Killings and arrests were but a few scandals which emerged in the lead up to August’s Presidential elections. Diplomats were dismayed. Why rig an election when you’re set to win? Firstly, years of struggle in the bush as leader of the RPF means Kagame sees himself as a national hero who would find defeat at the polls too humiliating to consider. Furthermore, weak institutions mean power is concentrated in the executive so all those in positions of power stand to lose if an opponent wins office. This means not only the President but the entire state relies on a Kagame victory, so democracy is undermined by everyone from everywhere.
Defenders of the current regime would argue that his recent slide towards dictatorship is necessary pragmatism. The government faces real constant threats from Hutu extremist groups in the Congo. Grenade attacks in Kigali earlier this year were seen as a sign that rebel forces were ready to attack. The recent arrest of FDLR leader Callixte Mbarushimana by the ICC proves that the groups are facing a crackdown by The Hague so the threat has diminished.
Kagame may also fear attacks from within, as the peace he has brokered among Rwanda’s warring tribes after the tragedy of 1994 remains fragile. His strategy for reconciliation involves eliminating tribal identities and replacing them with a new national identity. The government fears Hutu political opponents, such as Victoire Ingabire, could undermine this with inflammatory comments.
Kagame’s fears are more likely to be realized if he carries on oppressing freedom of speech. Violence may return if he maintains his crackdown on the press. Rebellion is probable unless he allows the prosecution of Tutsis as well as Hutus at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. The President needs to understand that however noble his aims may be, his methods are misguided.
Britain and America have the power to set things right. Kagame was trained at the US Army College at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas in 1990 and has remained loyal ever since. As Rwanda’s biggest donors, the US and UK provide around $220m of funding each year, which the government budget relies on. Rwanda has also recently joined the commonwealth and switched the country’s entire education system from French to English. Most telling is a recent decision to establish a cricket board. The past 16 years of Kagame’s rule can be seen as an appeasement of Anglo-American desires for the greater benefit of both parties. This year things must change.
Kagame is no longer respecting the ideals he set out to protect in 1994 and in so doing risks all his achievements in reconciling the nation after the genocide. Viable opponents must be found to enable a competitive election to decide Kagame’s successor. Not so many years ago, Mugabe walked down the path to disgrace. We must prevent Kagame from following in his footsteps.
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Dear Editor,
Thank you very much for this article, I have enjoyed it myself as Rwanda is my mother country.There are a lot of lies around the Rwanda Genocide and the war against Congo. The Western Countries mainly UK and USA tried all possible to undermine the truth about the rwanda genocide and continue to cover up the Kigali administration. General Paul Kagame and his western supporter new very well that if the plane carried the former president Juvenal Habyarimana is shout down, the killing was unevitable. They new the similar things happened in burundi when the Tutsi killed President Melichior Ndadaye what happened. USA and UK has pressured the International Tribunal Court for Rwanda based in Arusha in Tanzania not to investigate the shouting down of the plane and not to investigate either the killing committed by RPF the tutsi dominated army in rwanda. The UN and security Council has ignored the massacres of thousands people killed by RPF in kibeho erea in rwanda. I wish to get your telephone and I could contact you.
Dear Editor if you have a time please have a look on the following link:
http://www.survivorsnetworks.blogspot.com/2010/08/bill-clinton-behind-pre-conceived-plot.html
Kindest Regards
Mugabo Fidel
Thanks very much for your article but you need to know that those who committed genocide in Rwanda also lost state power and for them to find shelter form international law they have to recapture power, re-write history and erace all traces of their crimes. It is that group of perpetrators of genocide who are behind the DRC mapping reports and other damaging reports against Rwanda. Please beaware of the genocidaires at large in Western Europe and North America. They are as dangerous today as they were 16 years ago, only now they are even more sophisticated because of the internet revolution. They are busy once again poisoning minds against those who stopped genocide by demonising them and equating them to the perpetrators. lets not allow them to manipulate the world!
Karagire
Thanks for your article, but I don’t think honeymoon is over yet. This is because General Kagame has created friendship with some western people to protect him. He is still protected despite being involved in killings of innocent Rwandan and Congolese (evidence from UN mapping report). As a Rwandan I wish one day the whole truth over Rwanda genocide could establish and this can show the implication of Kagame himself.
I am Rwandan too.I love my country as much as another Rwandan would do. We can stop dance,re-write history but together remember those victims of 1994 genocide and recognise their trauma they went through and still suffer from. Kagame does not care about those victims of 1994 he uses genocide as his own tool to mantain power and to silence those who have thirsty of power. It is true Kagame should go to ICC for his crime against Humanity in both Rwanda and Congo but also FDLR must also be dealth with seriously for their crimes against humanity both in Congo and Rwanda.In one word no FPR NO FDLR because all these so called political parties are formed on basis of causing Terror among Rwandans and devision among Rwandans.Remember the victims of 1994 genocide against Tutsis and also recognise the crime against humanity in Congo.Kagame and his inner cycle be brought to justice and FDLR be cleaned up because Rwanda deserves peace and Deserves total peace and total reconciliation.
Iwase
There was no honey moon in Rwanda but instead, hard word by Rwandans was the cornestone to recover from effects of the 1994 Tutsi genocide. I feel so badly touched when i read an article with such malicious words intended to demobilise support of Rwanda from our international partners.
What is for sure is that in this world there is mutual relationship. Rwandans need devt partners and they also need Rwanda. One example Rwandans are helping to bring peace in Darfur and other areas and the devt partners offer the financial support to such peace missions.
Those think that the DRC mapping report has any impact on Rwanda are wrong. This is because that report was sponsored by the same people who spearheaded the 1994 Tutsi genocide in Rwanda. I dont need to enumerate them, this is public information.
Rwandans have debated the DRC mapping report and have recommended it to be dumped in dust bin because it is flawed and serves no purpose.
The anti Rwanda people tried the genocide and they failed to finish their agenda and since they have no other option left but to go propaganda. We shall defeat you either way.
Dear Michael Ngabo,
I would like to comment to your message.You have to rembember that all FDLR are not INTERAHAMWE( Hutu militia and few tutsi who killed Tutsi during 1994).If you look careful, you can see that most of FDLR are young people who are 25 years old.If you take 25- 16 years = 9 years.so the most number of the FDLR have born in Congo or had left Rwanda when there were 9 years old or less.But try to get me careful, I am not denying that some interahamwe are still in FDLR and that they need to be punished by the wrong doing. Every time, FDLR call Kigali to seat to gether and negociate as it has happened in Congo but Kigali regime always deny this. He alwas think that the problem will be solved by the guns.
Dear Michael,no one need to rewrite the history and erase the traces of the crimes. The international justice and Rwanda justice are completely fake. When the RPF invade Rwanda, they start killing innocent people mostly HUTU.RPF refused the power sharing based on the Arusha accord. The RPF shut down the plane of Juvenal Habyarimana which is element declanched the Genocide.
There are many report documented on the killing of the RPF in rwanda during 1994 but the report has been buried by Kagame western supporter. I can send you a copy if you like.
Kagame ordered the Kibeho Killing and around 4,000 people has been died and without justice. Any one in Rwanda who dare to say that the hutu have been killed, he or she is called the genocide denier, this only to silent him or her. That is why Victoire ingabire the president of FDU portical party is in prison and many more.
Imagine a country where only the orphans and widows of one tribe are supported.The Kigali Regime only help the Tutsi but completely refuse to support the hutu widows or orphans and is the main government who killed their parents.
There is no memorial of the hutu killed during 1994, during kibeho killing or killed in Congo and any one raised his/her voice is called Genocide denier.
General Kagame is the hitler of our time but he is more protected by USA and UK and their allies.
Dear Michael, Who is genocidaire and who is not? The hutu have been killed and tutsi have been killed. what you should support is the fair justice for all.
Dear it is shame to say that General Kagame has stopped the genocide while is him who trigered the genocide. I wish they should be fair justice both in Rwanda and International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in Arusha. Just remember that Michael Hurrigan has been sacked by trying to investigation the shut down of the Juvenal Habyirimana plane and Del Carl Ponte has been sacked because he wanted to investigate the RPF killing.
You can say whatever you want, Bill Clinton, Rick Waren, Tony Blaire (kagame personal adviser)and other more.
The Rwandan we need fair justice and the reconcialiation will come itself.
Kindest Regards
Mugabo Fidel.
I am glad that i read this article.What is interesting to me is the comments that people posted about their point of views about what happened before 1994,in 1994 and after.I am interested in dialogue between tutsi and hutu,an intellectual dialogue that is based on facts no emotions.I think that every young rwandan who is curious and care about his country has the capacity to access to informations that will help him/her for an informed opinion that can influence our political decision in Rwanda.I am rwandan and i experienced the Genocide,lost family members and close and dear friends,there is not a single day that i don’t remember them but also i walked 4000 miles through the congolese jungle trying to save my life from the war caused by Kagame.I was 16 and i witnessed mothers,kids and elders being killed or dying of fatigue,diseases or swallowed by the jungle.It is a shame that we are still blinded by ethnicity by supporting our own even though we know well that we are in the wrong. Faith without knowledge is fanaticism and fanaticism can only lead to terrorism.As rwandan intellectuals let committee our life to search for facts and act on them even thought they may go against what we believed in because that is what being smart means.
I love Rwanda with all my heart but i will not stand for murder and violence even it may benefit me,so let all do the same.
Peace,
First of all I am not really sure if this article is from the same oxford university that we all know. If it does i will be very happy that the truth regarding our Rwanda has finally started circulating in such high and reputable institutions of research and intellectuality. I will be happy if even a single professor from the same institution reads it and analyse the contents.
Personally, I never agree that Rwanda post genocide has been better as it is labeled by the media and politicians. It is not the so called development that we see in kigali that determines our well being. Journalists and analysts need to go deeper into the majority’s lives before drawing up conclusion about the attributes of the current regime.
Rwandans need justice. We need peace in our hearts. We need equality before government institutions. There shouldn’t be humans and subhumans as this ideology it is strangely promoted and promulgated under the banner of genocide against the tutsi. Who didn’t loose someone in Rwanda? Maybe the cohorts on power because most of them were either in the bush fighting or working in international firms and organizations. I am sure that many tutsi who were directly affected by the genocide are prepared to forgive and start a new chapter. Many hutu who committed the acts of genocide against tutsi are also prepared to ask for forgiveness. The obstacle is our regime that keeps on denying its organized and coordinated killings even if it is openly visible.
I am glad that many Rwandans have stated to denounce the atrocities of our so called liberators regardless of our ethnicity because i am convinced that the problem in Rwanda is no longer hutu and tutsi but a minority of hardliners who wish to cling on power in order to protect themselves against fair justice.
It may not be today but the world is quickly discovering the lies that Rwandan authorities have been feeding us and for me and many peace loving Rwandans there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
thank you once again and continue to be our ambassador of peace.
www
It is pitty that people thought of enlighting others are instead inclined at propagating misleading writings. This very example from Oxford says it all. I hope that scholars and objective thinkers from this respected institution do not take this article wholesale.
I was in Rwanda last month of October and could not believe it is the same country I left sixteen thirteen years ago. It is clean, safe and the country is enjoying economic growth. Bad wishers like the writer of this articles continue to make negative assumptions but Rwandans are really moving ahead. I wonder which foreign partner would like to associate with a looser! Leave Rwanda alone and look for another country to play with.
President Kagame is a smart leader and he knows where he is taking his people. The last sixteen years is a clear test. As for the so called UN Mapping report, I refer the reader to the observations and analysis of what engineered this report on http://www.afrol.com/articles/36868. You will clearly understand how unfair the UN can be (and has actually been) towards Rwanda. What else do we expect from it apart from living people in the hands of genocidaires?
“America and UK must…. ” why America and UK not Rwandais and Rwandaise, this is what i don’t understand, solution for Rwanda must be found by Rwandans, let see Countries within which America and UK tried to find the solutions and the aftermath look at Somalia, look at Iraq look at Afghanistan…. and in Rwanda during the genocide you sat in front of your TV and probably sipping some tea and you just said ohhh how awful!!!!! but Rwandans took their destiny in their own hands and stopped the whole mess and prevented further mess by going into Congo and liberate millions of people who were held hostages in the refugee camps ……and now when we are starting to lift ourselves out of poverty , you said it yourself the income per capita is doubling …..this is when you step in and say ohhh “UK must…” “America must…”
let me guess your Arms industry is going down taking along with it the whole Humanitarian NGO’s ….so You must re-ignite our region so you can put people back to work ? my friend today is not yesterday, today we know for sure what is best for us and no matter how many reports you will write , no matter how many kamikazees you will send to us …it will all doom to fail because we went through fire my friend and after that we said “NEVER AGAIN”
P.S:
another question i want to ask, since Kagame went to Congo with the help of US and UK how come in your report you don’t accuse UK or USA of a genocide? do you really love our regions or your own interests?
Kagame has a mind of a rebel leader:either you listen to him or you die. His way or the highway. This is why many of his war comrades are being killed or jailed. This is why so many have left his government for exile in Europe and North America.
Also he understands well that he is no longer popular in West after discovered that he is stealing from the people and buying businesses& luxury jets;and after the UN mapping report exposed his crimes.
His current strategy is to build a strong relationship with China, which can fund his government and protect him in case the UN decides to punish those who committed crimes in Congo.
Smart politician, but this will not erase his crimes. Time is not on his side.
If I were him, I would free opposition politicians, I would free those in jail for the past 16 years without charge. I would make these 7 year term, a peaceful one and seek guarantees from prosecution after office. I would pursue a UN job away from Rwanda after the 7 years term.
it is good to see that people are seeing things differently. those who are saying that Kagame is not a criminal go and ask how he killed people in Byumba, DRC in Tingi Tingi and in Ruhengeri and Gisenyi. Kagame should face hague it might take years or decades but his place is like Mobutus place he will definitely end his rule in dilema and Rwandans will discipline themselves once again whereby those who have been oppressed all these years on top of 400 years that our grandfathers were subjected to slavery will come again and take what duly belong to them
The most obvious thing about the article is the number of broad statements of opinion. The writer does not identify him/herself or explain how s/he is in a position to credibly make such comments, whether the writer has visited Rwanda, studied it for long or what? The word Oxford is supposed to lend credibilty I guess but this is trash.
This rubbish of unfair election, killings of oposition and lack of polical speace are nothing but the continuation of putting African countries down. These same misinformation are the same but use difference terms. The government of Rwanda has put in the open documents regarding the so called opposition involvement on terrorism against Rwanda eg. Ingabire and Rusesabagina support of FDLR which is a terrorist group, a person responsible for killing one journalist has been apprehended etc. But to the true colors of people who want nothing but turnish the image of the country have been busy changing their names but writting the same old lies. Rwanda will move forward regardless. Free education, freedom of press, democratic path which fits Rwandan people. People must be used to such a good story of Rwanda coming from Africa.
I am a young rwandan and i for one would very much like to see an end to all this pain and suffering. We did not ask for this, we deserve happiness like everyone else. Was I doomed to be born rwandan? to face this constant fear that once again my loved ones, my fellow rwandans will perish yet again? Am i not to know the meaning of peace all my life? Why?? all because of all this selfish leaders. I pity the people who are willing to give their lives for this leaders, it’s should be the other way round. They are not gods u know so stop treating them as such. End of impunity give justice and peace a chance. I agree that one’s every Rwandan can be guaranteed freedom and justice, reconcialiation will come. Let’s look at the bigger picture people, let all Rwandans enjoy their rightful land with all that it has to offer. And if there is a leader who stands in the way of this we remove them. And let’s vow not to erect a military man ever again for a start. Then let’s stop our selfishness of looking after our own interests, think our lives are of more worth our fellow countrymen/women. It’s all well and good the country in developing but as long as there is still even a minority of people that feel shut down/oppressed, then there is no point. It was not right then it is not right now. To all Peace loving Rwandans,Peace.
I think the American and the British should stop bothering Kagame. After all, the American have now a good friend in this part of Africa, and if it is true that he is a son of the bitch, it is their son of the bitch, not the son of the bitch of somebody else. As for the British, let’s hope that they will give us a break with their democratic crusade. The mere fact that Kagame switched to English has been a moment of intense rejoicing as it was massaging their ego in their never ending bitterness against the French. As I write, Britain and America are providing a huge help to make sure that the French language is eradicated, and not doubt they will succeed (Kagame’s act speak more than his words on the subject). Besides, Kagame’s personality did not change overnight. In fact, it never changed. He has been a general, waged a war, won it, proceeded with an ethnic cleaning of his own (with little massacres) showed the middle finger to France who is a permanent member of the UNSC, again to the delight of the US and the UK. So why all this fuss about him now? His country is now a member of Commonwealth, no less respectable than the Nigeria of Sharia, Zimbabwe, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Pakistan of Taliban, and other “democracies” which the pseudo-democrats seem to forget. Do you think that Rwanda will be suspended from Commonwealth a mere two years after joining on account of Human Rights Performance? Wake up, we are not living is not the dreamworld of liberty, equality and fraternity. Leave that to the French. We are a pragmatic people, even if we know how to don the robe of Oxonian language and monarchic decorum ; we won’t go against our interests. We are not half as stupid as the French. If you do think otherwise you are delusional. And why should Rwanda bother what we say or be annoyed by the Commonwealth since he is expanding the realm of English and has adopted cricket?
You don’t have to be old in America to say of a world you lived in: That world is gone.