Last Friday Lin Muyizere, husband of jailed opposition leader Victoire Ingabire, received a letter of the Dutch Immigration Service (IND). In this letter he was accused of genocide. The accusations are preposterous and without any proof. They seem to have a political background: further infamation of Rwandan opposition.
Jan Hofdijk, legal advisor, wouldn’t accept the letter from the Dutch immigrations service to Lin Muyizere. ”The IND believe the lies from Rwanda.’ He returned the letter yesterday with an additional letter of his own, summoning the IND to nullify the accustions. Nobody at the IND wanted to receive the letter officially, so Hofdijk left an envelope at the reception desk.
In the Netherlands there is a witch hunt going on: thirty or more Rwandans are accused of genocide. As a consequence their passports or permits are withdrawn and all their legal rights are taken from them. They have no right on work, housing, health care.
It’s mostly polical active Rwandans and Rwandans with estate in Rwanda who are targeted.
Rwanda has asked also for the extradition of two Rwandans. They are currently at a Dutch prison.
There are at least two Rwandans also in prison, waiting for eviction.
What happened June 2010?
It’s June 2010. Dutch ambassador Frans Makken sits behind his desk in Kigali, reading newspapers and his mail. While stroking his silver white hair, he reads with joy The New Times: the organization of the elections is going smoothly. As co-president of the European fund supporting the presidential elections, he’s glad. Nice that everything is going so well. Nice president Kagame has organized everything like clockwork.
Off course there are some people within the international community who criticize the recent developments in Rwanda. Three media are suspended and the Green Party of Frank Habaneza and the UDF of Victoire Ingabire are prevented to partake in the elections. They can’t hold the necessary meetings and their members are menaced and harassed. Ingabire can’t campaign and was arrested in April. Because of this arrest, her party can’t do anything legal.
A few weeks later, beginning of July, the vice president of The Green party is murdered. Almost at the same time a journalist is murdered. President Habineza flees shortly before the elections abroad; he’s scared to death.
The ambassador sits behind his desk, June 10th, 2010 and reads his mail. By Jove, a letter from the Foreign Office. Jolly. Request from the Dutch ministry of Foreign Affairs for an individual report. Who? Lin Muyizere. LIN MUYIZERE? But that’s …. that’s Ingabires husband.
I can imagine Makken picking up his phone and calling the Rwandan ministry of Justice. ‘Listen, do you know anything about research on Lin Muyizere, the husband of Ingabire?’ I can imagine the minister contacting the presidential office. A day or a few days later everything is clear and ambassador Makken selects a special researcher.
That special researcher has to be briefed carefully, because starting an investigation right now on the husband of Ingabire, could mean a lot of problems, certainly when it becomes known to the public.
I can’t imagine the special researcher starting his investigation right away, June 2010, while tension builds in the streets of Kigali, and grenades explode everywhere.
I can’t imagine either whom in heavens name can be so stupid to ask for an investigation in that period shortly before the elections. Unless off course you want to help the president to defame the opposition. But Dutch civil servants won’t ever do that, surely?
