His Excellency Barack Obama
President of the United States
The White House
Washington DC
USA
Your Excellency,
On behalf of Rwanda National Congress and FDU-Inkingi, it is our honor to re-iterate that we are greatly encouraged by the stand you have taken on the crisis in the Great Lakes region.
You have been quoted as telling President Kagame “the importance of permanently ending all support to armed groups in the DRC, abiding by the recent commitments he made… and reaching a transparent and credible political agreement that includes an end to impunity for M23 commanders and others” who committed rights abuses, it said. Furthermore, you “underscored that any support to the rebel group M23 is inconsistent with Rwanda’s desire for stability and peace.”
It is absolutely important that the United States has taken this important and crucial step in seeking to bring President Paul Kagame to account for his actions in the Democratic Republic of Congo. First, because failure to do so promotes impunity whose consequences include the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, and the war crimes and crimes against humanity that have taken place in Rwanda and DRC since then. Second, because keeping silent in the face of evil is inconsistent with the values on which your great nation stands for, and the peace and stability it seeks for itself and for others all over the world. In this regard, your voice and effort to bring Rwandan leaders of the M23 rebellion to account will be instrumental in stopping and reversing the carnage in DRC.
It is even more important to link President Kagame’s actions in DRC with his actions in Rwanda, for it is the latter that drive him to the former. The crisis of governance in Rwanda, where basic political, civic and fundamental human freedoms are denied to Rwandan citizens, is turning into a regional crisis, with great potential to turn into another bloodbath.
This is not inevitable. To prevent it, Rwandans, Africans and the rest of the international community will count on your leadership and partnership in the next four years.
Please accept, Mr President, the assurance of my highest regard and consideration.
Sincerely,
Dr. Theogene Rudasingwa
Co-ordinator
Rwanda National Congress
Washington DC
USA
Dr. Nkiko Nsengimana,
Co-ordinator
FDU-Inkingi
Lausanne
Switzerland
