By David Himbara
In 2019, General Paul Kagame threatened to kill Rwandan social media critics outside Rwanda in the following terms: “Bariya mwirirwa mwumva bavugira kuri internet, baba muri America, South Afurika, cyangwa mu Bufaransa, bibwirako bari kure, ariko koko bari kure kuko bategereye umuriro. Umunsi begereye umuriro uzabotsa. Ibyo bari bakwiriye kuba babizi, bo n’ababashyigikiye.”
This translates into English as follows: “Those you repeatedly hear on the internet, in America, South Africa, or France, think they are far away, and indeed they are far away from the fire. The day they get closer to the fire they will burn. They and their supporters ought to know this.”
Fast forward to March 16, 2022. The Kagame regime says that in order to normalize the Rwanda-Uganda relations, Uganda must silence, “hateful media propaganda produced by Uganda-based individuals.” The regime concludes that “we patiently await action by Ugandan authorities on this unfinished business.”
How will this end?
Stay tuned.
