None of Commonwealth’s values are respected whatsoever by the Rwandan regime, led by President Paul Kagame!!!
Introduction
Since Rwandans’ childhood, we had been hearing about Commonwealth as a respectful organisation worldwide with strong values. We normally know that Commonwealth values are the respect of human rights, justice, democracy, equality and the rule of law.
However very recently, there is information which came up, that CHOGM (Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting) summit will be held in Rwanda next year in 2020, led by President Paul Kagame. As we are aware, President Kagame is a terrorist; he is known as the Hitler of nowadays! When we think about how we know President Kagame, and try to join his leadership with Commonwealth’s values, we can’t really believe our ears! As we know, Commonwealth’s values are human rights, democracy, justice, equality and the rule of law. It is beyond Rwandan’s understanding to hear that the Commonwealth summit is going to be held in Rwanda. We are not able to conciliate Commonwealth’s values, to Kagame’s regime, who exterminated Rwandan from both Tutsis and Hutus to the extent of being qualified as genocides by UN experts, including the 2010 UN Mapping report! We do not really understand!
So, we are asking ourselves the following questions: Does the Commonwealth still have those values? If yes, how can leaders of this world agree to sit together with a terrorist like Paul Kagame? How can high leaders of this world accept to be welcomed by a dictator like Kagame on a territory, where genocide, corruption and hidden poverty are the rule? How can high leaders like Her Majesty the Queen of UK accept to be welcomed by someone who killed millions of people in Rwanda and in the region? No Commonwealth’s value is respected whatsoever by the Rwandan regime, led by President Paul Kagame!!! So, why? Why would such a summit be hosted by the nowadays Hitler?
Let’s see who really Kagame is, in order to examine if he deserves to have such an honour, to welcome such a CHOGM summit, on a territory where no one is happy with Mr Kagame’s oppression.
Infringement of human rights is the aim of Kagame’s regime!
As we noticed, President Kagame has recently agreed to have killed his former interior Minister Mr Seth Sendashonga in Nairobi in the capital city of Kenya in 1998. Here, anyone should think twice about what really the Rwandan regime led by President Paul Kagame is. In addition, the same President (Mr Kagame) used to admit that he also killed his former intelligence chief Colonel Patrick Karegeya in South Africa in 2014! This has been very recently confirmed by one South African Court of justice in South Africa that President Kagame himself is behind the killing of this man. Furthermore, the same President Kagame used to threaten the former President of the Republic of Tanzania Mr Jakaya Kikwete (while he was still in power), that he would kill him because he advised him to negotiate with his opponents. So, has anyone heard of this kind of leader in the world? I do not think so!
All these issues bring us to ask our self the following question:“what is really the current regime led by Mr Paul Kagame?” The answer is that his regime is “a joint criminal enterprise.” This simply means “a band of terrorists”. So, how can a summit like the Commonwealth be held in a country hijacked by terrorists? How can strong leaders of this world accept to be hosted by such a terrorist like Paul Kagame? No one can understand this! Mr Kagame does not even deserve to be called a President. But, unfortunately he is the one in place!
Freedom of speech as one of the fundamental human rights, does not exist in Kagame’s Rwanda. No one is allowed to say anything criticizing the Rwandan Government in all its wrong doing! If anyone dares to make such criticism, Kagame’s soldiers just kill that person, despite that capital punishment does not exist anymore! Someone who gets a chance of not being killed in relation to this, has to stay in prison for many years without a sentence whatsoever, or the same person has to be condemned in an arbitrary manner. According to Kagame, Rwandans have to keep their mouths shut! They have to talk about the normal life, but not about the politics of their country. Freedom of speech and freedom of expression are far from being applied in Kagame’s Rwanda. So, why would such a summit be hosted by someone like Mr Kagame? How can such a dictator welcome the Queen of the UK? We (Rwandans) do not understand this at all.
Shooting people in broad day light has sadly become common in Rwanda. If anyone would think I am lying, just ask other people. President Kagame himself used to say that!!! Apart from shooting people in broad light, disappearances has also become a disease in Rwanda! The Government of Rwanda should answer this question, explaining where people who are disappearing are, without delay. Their families need to see them again.
There is no democracy in Rwanda
Democracy has been hijacked by President Kagame! This is true. He got in power in 1994 by coup d’Etat. He is the one who killed the former Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana; everyone knows that. The world should know that the reason Mr Kagame killed Habyarimana, was just because President Habyarimana did not want the genocide against Tutsis to take place. While to President Kagame, genocide was his only way to get into power, he wanted to take advantage of it to get in power, and this is what he did.
Political space is a huge problem in Rwanda. In August 2017, the Government of Rwanda organised presidential elections in which the real opposition of President Kagame was not allowed to participate. While many of political opponents were behind bars, others were outside of Rwanda, where they have a refugee status. In the same year, Rwandans missed an opportunity for a peaceful change, while it was possible. This took place, when President Kagame prevented Father Thomas Nahimana from coming back to Rwanda, in order to represent himself as a presidential candidate! Father Thomas Nahimana is the President of the Government of the people of Rwanda in Exile, which is based in France.
The only reason why Mr Kagame denied Mr Thomas to come back to Rwanda to represent himself as a presidential candidate in 2017, was because Mr Kagame is aware of how popular Father Thomas is in Rwanda. In that same year of 2017, Rwandans were believing they have been given an opportunity for a peaceful change. The reason for this is because Father Thomas is a peaceful man. In addition, he is capable of unifying Hutus and Tutsis as Rwandans, while Mr Kagame is just playing the politics of divide and rule, since he got in power in 1994.
Justice does not exist in Kagame’s Rwanda.
It’s true, justice does not exist in Rwanda. All we have is just an arbitrary justice. An example in this matter, is that some people among both Hutus and Tutsis committed the 1994 genocide. However, only Hutus have been punished; while no one among Tutsis was punished. The reason for this is because President Kagame (a Tutsi) is also among those who committed the Tutsi genocide, and he doesn’t want to face justice. This was confirmed by what General Romeo Dallaire wrote in his book titled “Shake Hands With The Devil”. According to this Canadian General, who was the commander of the UNAMIR (United Nations Assistance Mission in Rwanda)in 1994, Mr Kagame refused to protect Tutsis who were in Rwanda in that year. When General Romeo Dallaire suggested that stopping war would contribute to help UNAMIR to protect those Tutsis, Mr Kagame didn’t want them to be protected. The reason for this is that the protection of Tutsis of Rwanda would have required stopping war, which would have resulted in negotiations between the RPF and the former regime. Thus, Mr Kagame did not want to negotiate, because that would not allow him to be the President of Rwanda. As stated by General Dallaire, Mr Kagame told him that he was not interested in protecting Tutsis, who were in Rwanda. According to General Dallaire, Mr Kagame approached him, looked into Dallaire’s eyes (arrogantly), and then said that he was only interested by repatriating Tutsis who were outside of Rwanda (refugees) at that particular time, not protecting those who were in Rwanda. The meaning of this is simple: Mr Kagame did not want to protect Tutsis who were being slaughtered by Interahamwe militia in Rwanda in 1994, while they believed that he was coming for their help! Thus, he sacrificed them, in order to get in power!!!
The principle of presumption of innocence does not exist in Mr Kagame’s justice system. Instead of presuming innocence, they presume guilty! We normally know that the meaning of that principle is that “everyone is innocent until proven guilty”. But in Kagame’s justice system, the situation is not like that, especially when you are Hutu. Every Hutu in Rwanda is presumed guilty of the crime of genocide. Whether they want it or not, Hutus must accept to have killed Tutsis, even if they did not kill them! This is how Kagame wants things to be in his justice system!
It is in this regard that Mr Kagame’s regime invented and criminalized what they call “the ideology of genocide”. This ideology has to be imposed on Hutus trying to say the truth about what really happened in Rwanda. Doing so is another way of hiding the truth of the Rwandan genocide. As we are aware, “genocide ideology” is not recognized as a crime under universal jurisdiction. It is just Mr Kagame’s invention, which is only recognized on the national scope, to keep Rwandans’ mouths shut! In other words, it does not exist anywhere else in the world.
Another fact of that particular regime is that, Tutsis are not allowed by Kagame’s ruling system to say the truth about what took place in Rwandan in 1994. Kagame’s regime accuses Tutsis of “misappropriation of public funds”, when they try to explain how many Hutus are innocent in the 1994 genocide. This has been the case, after they are aware of how Kagame sacrificed them, by ordering the shooting down of the plane of the former Hutu President in 1994, so that he could get into power. So, I do not think this is justice!
Rwandans are not equal under Kagame’s rule.
Apartheid is a system of institutionalized racial segregation under Kagame’s rule in Rwanda. This was done in a hidden manner! Nevertheless, anyone with a meticulous observation is able to see that.
While we know that Hutus are 85%, Tutsis 14% and Twas 1%, Kagame’s rule is dominated politically, socially and economically by Tutsis (the minority), especially those who came from the neighbouring country Uganda. President Kagame (a Tutsi) and his small click of no more than 300 people (out of 12 millions), appropriated themselves of almost 90% of the Rwandan economy! The reason being that Kagame is also a Tutsi who came from Uganda, when he invaded Rwanda in 1990 with his RPF (Rwandan Patriotic Front). He has built an unacceptable nepotism.
While Tutsis (the minority) are dominating the high command of the Rwandan army, the policy, the judiciary, banks, doctors at hospitals and other important positions, Hutus (the majority) are only seen in low sectors. Hutus are in prison, others are dominating sectors like loading or unloading luggage from national and international transport, motorcycle taxi known as “Bodaboda”, and those small businessmen and businesswomen known as “abazunguzayi”. These people are always persecuted by Kagame’s police, preventing them to feed their children.
With Kagame’s rule, Hutus have become second category citizens in their own country, while they are normally known as people who are not lazy. How can anyone imagine how Rwandan Hutus become rich in countries like Malawi, Zambia and Mozambique, when this is impossible in their own country Rwanda? This is the truth, the economy of these mentioned countries is dominated by Rwandan Hutus who are refugees there! This is the reason why Kagame has increased cooperation between Rwanda and those countries, so as to prevent those Hutus from shining, by attributing them the crime of genocide. He does this, so that they can be deported to Rwanda and unfairly trialled by Kagame’s unfair justice. Apart from that, Kagame has also increased cooperation with those countries, because he has difficulties explaining to the international community how Hutu refugees from Rwanda are becoming rich in other countries, while they are extremely poor in their Rwanda! This contrast is obviously difficult for Mr Kagame to explain.
In schools and universities, racial segregation has also dominated the education sector. Only children of Tutsis who came from Uganda, are those who are properly studying in good schools. After they finish high schools, they go to universities outside Rwanda, especially in USA, UK, Canada, Belgium, France, China, India and Australia. While this is the case for Tutsis’ children who came from Uganda, Hutu and Tutsis’ children who were in Rwanda before 1994 go to university in Rwanda, but they are not even able to write a letter, in order to ask for job!
Hutu’s children seem to study, but their teachers lack motivation. Their teachers are so poor to the point of not being able to buy shoes for themselves. Their salaries are far from being useful to them and their families. The reason being that each one of them earns around the equivalent of 66 US Dollars per month (in 2019), while each one of them had been earning 195 US Dollars per month, during late President Habyarimana’s regime (before and in 1994). Apart from such a fake education, Hutu’s children cannot benefit from any other education! Despite all this poverty, Mr Kagame’s propaganda lied the world that Rwanda is African Singapore (which is untrue).
To Mr Kagame, Tutsis who came from Uganda are those who deserve everything in terms of the economy of Rwanda. Hutus and Tutsis (who were in Rwanda before 1994), have to be poor, whether they want it or not. To Mr Kagame, Tutsis who were in Rwanda before 1994 have become Hutus, because they accepted to live in harmony with Hutus, before Kagame and RPF invaded in Rwanda in 1990. Hence, Tutsis who were living in Rwanda before Kagame’s invasion, have to be killed as well as Hutus have been killed ever since. An example of Tutsis who are being killed by Mr Kagame’s men is late Assinapol Rwagara, who was a prominent businessman. This man was killed by Kagame’s men, while he had financially supported Mr Kagame and his RPF to get in power in 1994. We need to remember that Mr Kagame did not want to protect Tutsis in 1994!
The rule of law is a problem in Rwanda!
The Constitution of the Republic of Rwanda as well as other laws are very well written in books. However, they are not followed as they are supposed to be followed. The Government of Rwanda does this willingly; because of a hidden agenda that Kagame’s regime has on Rwandans, especially on Hutus. An example of this is a policy that President Kagame’s regime called “Ndumunyarwanda”. According to this policy, all Hutus have to wrongfully be made guilty of having committed the 1994 genocide against Tutsis. As stated in “Ndumunyarwanda program”, Hutus’ children and grandchildren must plead guilty of the crime of genocide! In other words, they must admit to have committed the 1994 Tutsi genocide, and therefore, they will have to be apologizing foreverfor crimes committed by some of Hutus! Just imagine how Hutu children who were born after 1994 will have to be apologizing for what they really do not even know!
While we know that the criminal responsibility is personal, things are not like that in Kagame’s Rwanda. According to Kagame’s ruling system, every Hutu is guilty of having committed genocide, whether this was confirmed by any court of laws or not! So, what kind of justice is this? What Rwandans know though, is that Mr Kagame have been looking for scapegoats, after he sacrificed Tutsis in 1994! He did this, when he ordered the shooting down of the former Hutu Rwandan President Juvénal Habyarimana, which triggered the 1994 Tutsi genocide. Looking for scapegoats is Mr Kagame’s way of escaping the responsibility of having sacrificed Tutsis in 1994. The whole world needs to know that Kagame ordered that shooting down of that plane, knowing that it would trigger genocide. Mr Kagame did this, because it was his only way to get into power. I don’t even see why Mr Kagame can’t be prosecuted for this genocide even though he is a seating president! If President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, as a seating President went to clear his name in the ICC in the Hague (Netherlands), why can’t president Kagame go there as well to clear his name? The international law should change in this regard, because it lacks “equity” and “equality”.
Some people say that the international community as well as the Commonwealth organisation are aware of all these, but because of geopolitical reasons, the Commonwealth would be agreeing to hold a summit in Rwanda, in order to maintain a good cooperation with Kagame’s regime. If this is true, it would be so ridiculous, shameful and unthinkable to see such an important organisation in the world, committing such a political error! That would not be a good idea at all. Rwanda has almost twelve millions of people, and I am sure that the Commonwealth can find someone else amongst Rwandans to work with, apart from Paul Kagame. The Commonwealth should look for another person to work with, instead of a terrorist like Kagame. Rather, than cooperating with a terrorist (Kagame), the Commonwealth should overthrow Kagame from power, if it really wants to hold such an important summit in Rwanda. The Commonwealth should see how to do that, because this is one of its liberal views, and this is very convenient. I do not see why the Commonwealth would not help Rwandan’s to overthrow such a terrorist from power.as their liberal views allow them to do that!
So, it is not good for the organisation such as the Commonwealth to be hosted by a criminal, a dictator and a terrorist like Paul Kagame. How can Her Majesty the Queen accept to be hosted by such a dictator, whose hands have blood in plenty? How can She agree to be hosted by such a dictator, who sacrificed his own people (Tutsis), during the genocide, instead of protecting them? This is not understandable! How is it possible that people of a high status like Queen Elizabeth of The United of Kingdom can soil their hands by shaking hands dripping of innocent people’s blood, such as president Kagame’s?!!! It doesn’t make sense! President Kagame is known as the nowadays African Hitler. No one of such a high status should accept to cooperate with such a criminal. Unless the Commonwealth’s values have changed, and I am sure they have not.
I do not even see how Her Majesty the Queen can accept to be hosted by someone like Kagame who just impoverished his own people! Rwandans are not ready to welcome such a summit in their country, devasted by Kagame’s man made hunger. I am sure, that would tarnish Her good image in the world, and that should not take place! Holding such a summit currently in Rwanda, would be praising Kagame in Rwandans’ blood, and it is against the Commonwealth values. That would be the same as what the brave Canadian journalist Mrs Judi Rever said in her famous book “In praise of blood”. In addition, being hosted by President Kagame for the Commonwealth summit in 2020 would be a humiliation to Rwandans, not a respect to them. Furthermore, being hosted by Kagame for people of high status such as the Commonwealth would be a humiliation to those who really know what human rights means.
Conclusion
This essay has briefly analysed the current situation of Rwanda, and has not found any kind of value similar to the Commonwealth’s, unless the Commonwealth’s values have changed. But according to the information we have, Commonwealth’s values have not changed. They are still the respect of human rights, the respect of democracy, justice, equality and the rule of law. So, as everyone can see, Mr Kagame’s regime has no Commonwealth’s value whatsoever. Therefore, there is no point in praising him to the extent of holding such an important summit in Rwanda.
Frankly speaking, we Rwandans are not ready to welcome such a summit in our country, because we are not happy with Kagame’s dictatorship, which seems to stay for longer than it should. Rwandans will be happy to welcome the Commonwealth summit on their territory, when Mr Kagame will no longer be in power. Therefore, if there is anything the CHOGM should help Rwandans to achieve, is to get rid of President Kagame. We know the Commonwealth is capable of doing that. So, please, help us Rwandans to have peace in our country! We used to have it before Mr Kagame got in power in 1994, and we know how delicious it is! We miss it a lot! So, help us to do that please, so that CHOGM can be held in Rwanda! May Almighty God bless the Commonwealth.
It would be so ridiculous and unthinkable, if the Commonwealth summit takes place in Rwanda, as we are sure that terrorism which is prevailing there has never been and will never be a Commonwealth value!
Niyomugaba Jean de la Paix
Kigali – Rwanda.
