By David Himbara
Two of Scotland’s wealthiest men – Sir Tom Hunter and Sir Ian Wood – have been urged to cut ties with the Rwandan dictator, Paul Kagame. This, after yet again another UK-based Rwandan, Noble Marara, was warned by Scotland Yard that he was at risk of being assassinated by Rwanda’s death squads. TheTimes in London is reporting the Kagame terror in UK as follows:
“Sir Tom Hunter and Sir Ian Wood have forged relationships with President Kagame of Rwanda while carrying out philanthropic work in the African state. Yesterday The Times revealed that opponents of Mr Kagame were warned by British police at the weekend of an “imminent threat” to their lives…Sir Tom, 56, who made his fortune in retail with the Sports Division chain, is a supporter of Mr Kagame and serves on his presidential advisory council. Sir Ian, 75, a billionaire who is estimated to have given £142 million to philanthropic schemes, was hosted by Mr Kagame when he visited Rwanda in 2016.
Click here for the full story in the Times.
The Times adds that Ian Birrell, the British journalist who has exposed the repressive nature of Kagame’s regime, called on Sir Tom and Sir Ian to cut ties with the Rwandan dictator:
“These naive business people are providing a tattered fig leaf of credibility to a ruler who kills, kidnaps and jails those opposing him, while aiding a regime responsible for atrocities and human right abuses. They should step aside instantly.” Mr Birrell suggested Rwanda deserved to be condemned as much as Russia.”
Kagame’s supporters often rush to deny or lessen the importance of his death threats. But not Kagame – he famously stated that “you can’t betray Rwanda and not get punished for it. Anyone, even those still alive, will reap the consequences.”
