Anyone who follows my Facebook wall closely would probably know that Olivier Nduhungirehe has been all over my posts, accusing me of once associating myself with Kagame’s criminal regime through my membership to some political committee. By doing this, he hopes to achieve some type of character assassination. Olivier is referring to me being treasurer of a Rwandan diaspora community in the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, for several months during 2012/2013, if I remember the timing correctly.
Maybe it took that step in order for me to realize how malicious and manipulative these RPF operatives can be.
Olivier’s master, Richard Gasana, would seat across the table during a voting meeting and beg me to become treasurer of the committee. And – to address my reluctance and that of many other community members – the meeting organizers would swear that the mission of the organization and its committee has nothing to do with politics (read the statutes). Really? No politics? Well, look how Olivier is nowadays using my membership to this committee against me and you can make your own conclusions.
Rwandan Mission to the UN then would let the organization’s meetings take place inside the Mission’s conference rooms—free of charge, and Olivier Gasana would attend most of the organization meetings – maybe to keep an eye on things?
I noticed that – despite all the talk about social events which rarely materializes – the committee would only organize picnic events around September/October, when the entire criminal gang is in New York City to attend the UN General Assembly activities. Organizers do not mention anything about government officials presence till last minute. Then the Mushikiwabos and the Kimonyos would just show up unannounced and start making political speeches, and taking photographs with the group members.
One day – without my prior knowledge as a committee member – the committee chair started circulating a petition condemning president Jakaya Kikwete for having suggested Kagame’s talks with FDLR, and despite their swearing to never become a political organization. If that’s not politics, I don’t know what is.
Soon after, “Ndi Umunyarwanda” was launched. This program – believe it or not – was the turning point for me. Many of the members and committee members would agree with me, verbally, that it is an ill conceived program with evil intents. But when I started engaging them to condemn it publicly, they claimed that I was getting into politics, which is against the community’s statutes. Oh really? Does anyone see the double standard? Did they really expect to brainwash me like they did Olivier? No way!
I remember the other day when Gasana and Kimonyo were present at one of the sessions, and I asked some very aggressive questions about Kagame being a mediocre leader who does not lead by example and a man of double standards… he embezzles state funds to purchase private jets that he also leases to the same state, and then he turns around and accuses fellows like Rudasingwa and others of being corrupt, thieves. Just as an example. That’s right after the infamous “Rwanda Briefing” report had come out, authored by the then recent dissidents Gahima, his brother, Kayumba and late Karegeya. That is only one example of the tough questions I dared to ask, the answer to which was some nonsense rumbling statements by Kimonyo who was seating at the head of the table. At that time I was not on the committee just yet. But what I discovered afterward is that my tough questions made me a target. They thought I was going rogue and started trying to make me one of theirs so I can hopefully keep quiet. As I was warming up to the awkward relationship, then came Ndi Umunyarwanda asking me, a hutu, to apologize for sins I did not commit, and asking hutu teens to apologize for sins committed by known adult individuals before the teens were even born. Just so that we can constantly feel guilty and never dare to claim our basic civil rights as citizens of Rwanda.
That is how they lost my cooperation. You can pet these RPF guys like puppies, but they will turn around and bite you in return. Many of those who are inside RPF are really dangerous people. Some of them kill humans for a living. However, some of them do get out message of reconciliation, and – once they leave – they never go back. They realize how dangerous it is to be part of that criminal organization. Many of them are hungry for justice. Many of us can’t wait to build a new Rwanda, a Rwanda where everyone will feel included. A Rwanda where nobody feels cheated like I did before I joined the other side. It is a terrible feeling to notice you are hobnobbing with criminals, but it is a great feeling to find yourself contributing to transforming Rwanda of tomorrow, for the better.
That is my story in short. It’s never too late to denounce evil. And – as Martin Luther King put it once – “the time is always right to do what is right.”
Bosco Mutarambirwa
