Category Archives: Rwanda

‘Hotel Rwanda’ hero Paul Rusesabagina returning home to San Antonio.

Paul Rusesabagina, who hid more than 1,000 potential victims of genocide in Rwanda in 1994, has come home to San Antonio. 

Kidnapped and imprisoned for 2½ years by a Rwandan regime lambasted by the European Union for its human rights abuses, Rusesabagina, 68, was released last weekend and landed Wednesday afternoon at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport. From there, he was to enter Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio.

“They have LANDED!” Kathleen Tobin Krueger, wife of the late Ambassador Robert Krueger and a close friend of the Rusesabagina family, said in a text message just before 4 p.m.

At BAMC, he’ll be cared for in a facility known for its treatment of former prisoners of war and hostages. Its patients have included three Americans held captive for five years by rebels in Colombia and WNBA star Brittney Griner, who was released in December from a Russian penal colony where she was held on drug charges.

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Paul Kagame : une menace majeure, et à très court terme, à la paix en Afrique

Comment la théorie de Paul Kagame d’user de son droit d’ intervenir partout où les “rwandophones” seraient menacés dans le monde, est non seulement absurde mais surtout dangereuse.

Rwandophones? Une mise au point sémantique

Ces derniers temps quand Paul Kagame parle de “rwandophones”, il veut en réalité parler de Tutsi et pas de tous les locuteurs du Kinyarwanda. Ceci pour tenter de se tirer de la contradiction que soulèverait son décret annonçant que les ethnies Hutu, Tutsi et Twa n’existeraient pas au Rwanda ni ailleurs, et en même temps continuer à dire qu’il est en croisade pour défendre les intérêts des Tutsi partout dans la région comme il le chantait depuis 1990-94 en conquérant le Rwanda. Ses conseillers lui ont donc convaincu de changer d’appellation et de parler de “rwandophones” en lieu et place des “Tutsi”. Mais, ce faisant, il rend cette mission qu’il s’est fixée, à savoir “défendre les rwandophones partout dans le monde”, plus ridicule et plus encore dangereux comme nous allons le voir.

Il faudra donc lire et entendre dans le vocable “rwandophones” venu de la bouche ou de la plume de Kagame , les “Tutsi”.

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Les FDLR et les interahamwe : un problème inter-rwandais

Il y a lieu de se demander où se situe la responsabilité de la RDC sur cette question. Il s’agit bel et bien d’une question rwandaise qui stipule une réponse appropriée du Gouvernement rwandais élude sa responsabilité depuis des décennies, la renvoyant paradoxalement au gouvernement de la RDC, avec la compréhension complaisante et la fuite en avant de la communauté internationale.

Faut-il rappeler, aussi douloureux que soit ce souvenir, que le génocide de 1994 au Rwanda, s’est passé entre Rwandais, sans aucune implication des Congolais.

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Congress to investigate Kagame’s spy actions against Americans with Pegasus

Last year, the world was shocked to learn that Rwandan President Paul Kagame was using Israeli spy software, Pegasus to spy on his perceived enemies. They include Americans. One American citizen he targeted is Carine Kanimba. She found out the security on her phone had been compromised when she was in Belgium advocating for her father’s release.

Kanimba said, “It was bad enough that they kidnapped my father, tortured him, and robbed him of his legal rights. Now we find out that they have listened to my conversations with the US State Department, Belgium Foreign Minister Sophie Wilmes, and our attorneys. This adds insult to injury.”

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Hotel Rwanda’ hero’s family file $400m suit against gov’t

Paul Rusesabagina is serving 25 years in prison in Rwanda on terrorism charges which his supporters say are a sham.

Published On 30 Apr 2022

The family of Paul Rusesabagina, whose heroism during the 1994 Rwandan genocide was depicted in the Hollywood film Hotel Rwanda, have filed a $400m lawsuit in the US over his alleged abduction and torture by the government in Kigali.

The lawsuit names the government of Rwanda, President Paul Kagame, and other senior officials including the former justice minister and intelligence chief.

“The complaint alleges that the Government of Rwanda and high-ranking Rwandan officials conspired to facilitate and execute an elaborate plot to lure Paul Rusesabagina from his home in Texas to Rwanda, where he would be tortured and illegally detained,” the family and his lawyers said in a statement on Saturday.

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Rwanda- Royaume Uni. Boris Johnson et Paul Kagame dans le business des demandeurs d’asile

Jeudi le 14 avril 2022, tous les principaux médias occidentaux ont diffusé la nouvelle faisant état de la signature entre le Royaume Uni et le Rwanda d’un accord selon lequel tous les demandeurs d’asile en Grande Bretagne qui auraient atteint ce pays illégalement seraient dorénavant expulsés et déportés au Rwanda.

Les réactions ont été nombreuses à travers le monde. Que ce soit au Royaume Uni-même où les partis d’opposition ont critiqué cet accord ou dans les ONG qui l’ont dénoncé aussi. Même le HCR, chargé de veiller sur la protection des réfugiés partout dans le monde, mandat qu’il tient en tant qu’organe des Nations Unies, l’a dénoncé.

Au-delà des considérations juridiques et humanitaires que relèvent ces instances, il y a lieu de souligner aussi et faire observer les dessous des cartes dans ce marché en ce qui concerne Paul Kagame et sa clique au pouvoir à Kigali mais aussi Boris Johnson et son gouvernement conservateur.  Tel est l’objet du présent article.

Partie émergée de l’iceberg

L’accord avec le Rwanda, qui sera financé par le Royaume Uni à hauteur 120 millions de livres (144 millions EUR), prévoit que les migrants – dont ni les nationalités ni les conditions d’arrivée ne sont pas précisées – soient « intégrés dans les communautés à travers le pays », selon le communiqué publié par Kigali.

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Rwanda: Wave of Free Speech Prosecutions

(Nairobi) – Judicial authorities in Rwanda are prosecuting opposition members, journalists, and commentators on the basis of their speech and opinions, Human Rights Watch said today. Throughout 2020 and 2021, Human Rights Watch monitored trials in which judicial authorities pursued politically motivated prosecutions and perpetuated a culture of intolerance of dissent.

Less than two years out from the 2024 presidential election campaign season, the Rwandan government should ensure an end to violations against civil society activists, journalists, and opposition figures. The government should also protect their right to freedom of expression – a precondition to creating a conducive environment for free and fair elections.

“Judicial authorities in Rwanda, lacking the independence to stand up and protect free speech in accordance with international law, have unjustly convicted and jailed people based on their protected speech and opinions,” said Lewis Mudge, Central Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “All those jailed unjustly should be immediately and unconditionally released, and the abusive legal framework that allowed their prosecution should be reviewed and brought in line with international free speech standards.”

Since the publication of a March 2021 report on the arrests of, and threats against, several Rwandans for posts on YouTube, Human Rights Watch has monitored trials and reviewed trial documents and verdicts to examine the evidence and arguments of prosecutorial authorities, and the basis for judges’ rulings.

Researchers also reviewed content published on various channels managed by journalists and commentators on trial and interviewed 11 opposition members and people who post on YouTube. The cases documented are not exhaustive – Human Rights Watch also received information about other similar cases.

On March 3, 2022, Human Rights Watch wrote a letter to Justice Minister Emmanuel Ugirashebuja to share information about the cases it has documented and to request information on the Rwandan authorities’ steps to address violations of the right to freedom of expression. The government has not responded.

Rwanda has very few opposition parties, and human rights organizations and independent media remain weak. Victoire Ingabire, who was the president of the unregistered opposition party FDU-Inkingi before founding Dalfa-Umurinzi in November 2019, was released from prison in 2018. Members of her party have repeatedly been harassed, threatened, and arrested, or have died or disappeared in suspicious circumstances. Since October 2021, at least eight members of her party have been arrested and charged with offenses, including spreading rumors and forming a criminal association, in relation to a book they acquired and an online training session they attended to learn strategies for peaceful dissent.

Journalists using YouTube as a platform have also been targeted for prosecution for not registering with the Rwanda Media Commission (RMC) or for publishing information that contradicts the government’s version of certain events, such as the suspicious death in custody of Kizito Mihigo, a gospel singer and activist, or disappearances of government opponents.

The cases of Dieudonné Niyonsenga – alias Cyuma Hassan – and Théoneste Nsengimana, which Human Rights Watch documented, could further erode journalists’ legal protections and narrow the space for media and online speech. Niyonsenga, a high-profile YouTuber, was found guilty on appeal of forgery, impersonation, hindering public works, and “humiliation of national authorities and persons in charge of public service.” The last charge, which was added during the first appeal, is no longer a criminal offense in Rwanda. The prosecution authority announced it was lodging a “second appeal” to correct the error. Its verdict is expected on March 18. On March 9, Human Rights Watch received reports and confirmed that Ishema TV was no longer available on YouTube. At time of writing, it is unclear whether the channel was removed voluntarily.

Since 1994, speaking about crimes committed by the ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) in the aftermath of the genocide, or sometimes even simply commemorating Hutu who were killed during the genocide, is perceived as crossing a red line, with the government presenting it as a threat to Rwandan unity, or the country’s security as a whole.

“When you are pro-government, you don’t have any problems. When you talk about bad things, you become persecuted, you are a genocide denier,” one YouTuber told Human Rights Watch.

Another said, “They take one word, and they create a crime for you…. Here, the problem is talking the truth. If you do, they go after you.”

The Rwandan government may have legitimate grounds to seek to restrict the kind of dangerous, vitriolic speech that led to the deaths of over half a million people in 1994, but current laws and practices go far beyond this purpose – creating fear and effectively stifling opinions, debate, and criticism of the government.

As Rwanda approaches the 30-year mark since the genocide, and the government aims to ramp up efforts to combat genocide ideology, there is a need to ensure that Rwandans can peacefully express legitimate grievances related to the genocide and post-genocide periods, Human Rights Watch said.

Article 38 of the 2015 Constitution protects freedom of expression but limits that protection by permitting ill-defined restrictions based on “public order, good morals, the protection of the youth and children, the right of every citizen to honor and dignity and protection of personal and family privacy.” The government, with the support of the judiciary, has used this clawback clause to impose restrictions on freedom of expression in ways that are incompatible with Rwanda’s regional and international obligations.

As Rwanda prepares to host the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, scheduled to take place in June, the international community should take a stand and press the authorities to stop harassing, immediately release, and drop all charges against opposition members, YouTube commentators and journalists facing abusive prosecutions that violate freedom of expression. The authorities should also open credible, independent, and transparent investigations into suspicious deaths and disappearances of critics, opposition members, civil society actors, and journalists, and prosecute those responsible.

“The evidence provided by the prosecuting authorities, and what judges have chosen to rely on to justify their conclusions, clearly demonstrates that these cases violate African and international human rights law,” Mudge said. “Prosecuting those who challenge the government of incitement to insurrection or of attempting to tarnish the country’s image is an indication of how little dissent is tolerated in Rwanda.”

For details of the recent cases, please see below.


Cases Against the Political Opposition

In October 2021, at least eight members of Victoire Ingabire’s opposition party, Dalfa-Umurinzi, were arrested in the largest crackdown against the party in recent years. Sylvain Sibomana, Alexis Rucubanganya, Hamad Hagenimana, Jean-Claude Ndayishimiye, Alphonse Mutabazi, Marcel Nahimana, and Emmanuel Masengesho were all detained in the days leading up to and following “Ingabire day,” scheduled for October 14.

On that day, Ingabire was planning to speak about political repression in Rwanda, cases of suspicious deaths, killings, disappearances, and abusive prosecutions. Théoneste Nsengimana, a journalist who was planning to cover the event, was arrested on October 13 and is being tried with the group of seven.

Criminal charges of “spreading false information or harmful propaganda with intent to cause a hostile international opinion against Rwandan government” and “formation of or joining a criminal association” were brought against Sibomana, Rucubanganya, Hagenimana, Ndayishimiye, Mutabazi, Nahimana, and Masengesho. On November 9, during a pretrial hearing, the Kicukiro court said it is also considering evidence to support other, undetermined charges against them. The prosecution contended that the defendants were also responsible for inciting insurrection.

Claudine Uwimana, a party member who was arrested on December 14 in Rutsiro, is being tried separately. She is charged with spreading false information, publishing rumors, forming a criminal association, and inciting insurrection, and has been denied bail.

The arrests send a clear message to those who may wish to mobilize, organize, or campaign on a political platform in the lead-up to the elections that efforts to peacefully change the power structures in place can be considered a criminal offense, Human Rights Watch said.

In both cases, the prosecution based its accusations on the group’s decision to acquire “Blueprint for Revolution,” a book written by Srdja Popovic, and to follow a training organized by the author’s organization, Canvas – the Center for Applied Non-Violent Actions and Strategies. Both the book and the training focus on peaceful strategies to resist authoritarianism, such as nonviolent protest, noncooperation, boycott, and mobilization. The prosecution used as evidence the contents of the book and training, the use of Jitsi – an encrypted online communication platform – and the use of pseudonyms during the training.

The prosecution also accused the group of planning activities such as mobilizing, among others, street vendors and others who are routinely rounded up and subjected to abuse, and a commemoration of political activists and critics who have died, disappeared, or been jailed, on “Ingabire Day,” based on the strategies proposed during the training.

Social protest and mobilization offer people the opportunity to peacefully communicate legitimate complaints and grievances. Governments have a responsibility to create a safe and enabling environment for individuals and groups to exercise their rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, of expression, and of association.

Journalists Under Threat

Dieudonné Niyonsenga

Dieudonné Niyonsenga, also known as “Cyuma Hassan,” runs Ishema TV, a popular YouTube channel on which he has published his sensitive and critical reports. Ishema TV has millions of views, and Niyonsenga is one of the most popular YouTube contributors in Rwanda.

In April 2020, police arrested Niyonsenga and his driver, Fidèle Komezusenge, as they were reporting on the impact of the Covid-19 guidelines on vulnerable populations in a poor neighborhood of Kigali. Niyonsenga and Komezusenge were accused of forgery, impersonating journalists, and hindering public works for being outside during lockdown without a valid RMC-issued press card. Both spent almost a year in detention, but then were acquitted on March 12, 2021. After his release, Niyonsenga gave several interviews on YouTube describing his treatment in detention. In one, he said:

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France – Rwanda : un criminel de guerre reçu par l’état-major français !

Ces derniers temps la France est en train de perdre son influence dans ce que l’on a appelé son « pré carré africain » à savoir les anciennes colonies françaises. Pour garder la face, elle a décidé de recourir au régime rwandais connu pour être une dictature sanguinaire sous la gouvernance du Front Patriotique Rwandais (le FPR) dirigé par Paul Kagame. Ce dernier est aidé par des oligarques composé majoritairement des hauts gradés de l’armée rwandaise. C’est dans cet optique que chef d’état-major français des armées le général Thierry Burkhard reçoit en ce moment une délégation composée des Officers rwandais à sa tête le chef d’Etat major de l’armée rwandaise Jean Bosco Kazura. La visite a commencé le 14 et terminera le 17 mars 2022.

Le passé criminel de Jean Bosco Kazura

Si l’on en croit sa page Wikipédia[1] Kazura a rejoint l’armée patriotique rwandaise en 1992 et a occupé les fonctions de général de brigade et de division entre 1998 et 2003, les années durant lesquelles l’Armée Patriotique Rwandaise a décimé des milliers de civils hutus au Nord du Rwanda dans la guerre dit des infiltrés (Abacangezi) et en République Démocratique du Congo. Wikipedia citant le journal Foreign Policy paru en en décembre 2013 nous apprend que Jean Bosco Kazura : « Est l’auteur de crimes de guerre durant la phase finale du conflit [génocide et guerre civile au Rwanda], agissant comme commandant d’escadrons de la mort, sous le commandement de Patrick Nyamvumba, en compagnie de John Birasa et d’Emmanuel Butera. Le « bataillon Oscar », avec Kazura à sa tête, est chargé de ratisser les campagnes des préfectures de Byumba et Kibungo. Selon certains témoignages, Kazura a organisé et assisté en juin-juillet 1994 à des tueries de civils hutus à Nasho, Rutonde, Rwanteru, ainsi qu’à des opérations d’épuration de l’administration en 1995 et 1996les accusations portant même sur une implication personnelle dans l’assassinat et l’incinération des corps ».

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“Tous les pays membres de l’ONU ont une dette morale envers les peuples de la région des Grands Lacs d’Afrique”- Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza

La Journée des droits de l’homme est célébrée chaque année le 10 décembre, jour anniversaire de l’adoption en 1948 par l’Assemblée générale des Nations Unies de la Déclaration universelle des droits de l’homme. Ce 10 décembre 2021, les habitants de la région des Grands Lacs, dont je fais partie, et tous ceux qui s’intéressent à la situation politique de cette région, sont en droit de se demander si ce jour a la même signification que celle qu’il avait le 10 décembre 1948.

"Tous les pays membres de l'ONU ont une dette morale envers les peuples de la région des Grands Lacs d'Afrique"
Enfant au lac Kivu © Getty

En effet, la région des Grands Lacs connaît des conflits interminables depuis plus de deux décennies qui, d’après certaines publications, ont causé la mort de plus de cinq millions de personnes, surtout à l’est de la République démocratique du Congo, sans oublier des conflits ouverts qui coutent beaucoup de vies humaines dans cette partie du monde.

Les conflits dans la région des Grands Lacs découlent fondamentalement de l’absence totale d’un État de droit et des effets qui en dérivent. On peut citer notamment l’absence de démocratie pluraliste. Dans les pays de la région des grands lacs, on y trouve plutôt une démocratie de de façade caractérisée par la culture de l’impunité, le non-respect des droits de l’homme et des libertés des citoyens, la mauvaise gouvernance et la mauvaise gestion des ressources économiques.

En décembre 2020 le Conseil de Sécurité a pour la nième fois adopté la stratégie pour la consolidation de la paix et la prévention et le règlement des conflits dans la région des Grands Lacs. Une stratégie qui s’articule autour des trois piliers, à savoir : a) la paix, la sécurité et la justice; b) le développement durable et la prospérité partagée; c) la résilience face aux problèmes anciens et nouveaux[1].

Ces stratégies que le Conseil de Sécurité ne cesse de rappeler n’ont jamais été mises en application et n’amènent donc pas la tranquillité au simple citoyen des pays de la région des Grands Lacs d’Afrique car dans le monde globalisé d’aujourd’hui les intérêts économiques priment sur les droits fondamentaux de l’homme.

Ainsi par exemple, en 2010, l’ONU a publié un rapport cartographié documentant les violations les plus graves des droits de l’homme et du droit international humanitaire commises sur le territoire de la RDC entre mars 1993 et ??juin 2003[2].

Dans ce rapport, l’Alliance des forces démocratiques pour la libération du Congo (AFDL) appuyée par le Rwanda a été identifiée comme l’auteur de plusieurs crimes. Face à ces accusations, les hauts fonctionnaires du Rwanda ont consacré du temps, de l’énergie et des efforts à se défendre auprès de la communauté internationale contre les allégations d’implication dans le conflit en RDC. Malgré ces efforts de défense, la réputation du Rwanda en tant qu’instigateur du conflit et exploitant illicitement des minerais dans l’est de la RDC restera toujours la source de méfiance, surtout entre le peuple congolais et le peuple rwandais mais aussi au niveau des relations entre le Rwanda et la RDC jusqu’à ce que ces accusations ne soient éclaircies une fois pour toutes.

A part ces conflits ouverts en RDC, il y a aussi des conflits latents entre le Rwanda et ses autres voisins. En 2015, les relations entre le Rwanda et le Burundi se sont également détériorées. Le Burundi a accusé le Rwanda d’avoir orchestré un coup d’état manqué; tandis que les autorités rwandaises accusent son voisin du sud d’abriter les rebelles qui veulent renverser son pouvoir. La frontière entre le Rwanda et le Burundi a été fermée pendant longtemps.

En 2018, des problèmes sont survenus entre le Rwanda et l’Ouganda. Le Rwanda se plaignait que l’Ouganda arrêtait des Rwandais vivant en Ouganda et que ces Rwandais sont torturés ou subissent des traitements cruels, inhumains et dégradants. Les autorités rwandaises accusent aussi l’Ouganda de soutenir les groupes rebelles qui tentent de renverser le pouvoir en place au Rwanda. La frontière entre le Rwanda et l’Ouganda ont également été fermés pendant plusieurs mois.

La fermeture des frontières prive ainsi les simples citoyens de ces pays leur liberté de mouvement ce qui viole l’article 13 de déclaration universelle des droits de l’homme.

A cette date où nous célébrons la journée des droits de l’homme instaurée par l’ONU, des foyers d’instabilité et de violence, des accrochages transfrontaliers, la méfiance et les tensions persistent entre les pays de la région des Grands Lacs d’Afrique.

Ainsi, j’invite la communauté internationale, surtout le groupe international de contact des pays de la région des Grands Lacs d’Afrique à assister les pays de cette partie du monde à trouver une solution adéquate et inclusive.

Il est déplorable de constater que la stratégie de l’ONU citée précédemment, certains acteurs clé rwandais n’ont pas été consulté pourtant le Rwanda est dans le centre de toutes ces tensions.

Les violations des droits de l’homme commises au Rwanda sont décrites en détail depuis plus de dix ans dans les rapports annuels de l’Union européenne sur les droits de l’homme et la démocratie, publiés sur le site du Service européen pour l’action extérieure[3]. De plus, lors de la 37ème session de l’Examen Périodique Universel sur les droits de l’homme au Rwanda, qui s’est tenue à Genève en janvier 2021, des représentants de divers Etats membres des Nations Unies ont fait part aux délégués de notre gouvernement de leurs préoccupations concernant les violations des droits de l’homme au Rwanda[4].

Toutes ces violations poussent certains rwandais à quitter le pays et beaucoup d’entre eux à se regrouper dans différentes organisations armées ou non armées, ce qui constitue à moyen ou à long terme une menace de sécurité du Rwanda.

J’ai toujours soutenu que sans résoudre le problème politique du Rwanda, il sera impossible d’apporter la stabilité dans cette région.

Je reste convaincue que les difficultés politiques, sociales et économiques auxquelles mon pays est confronté ne peuvent être surmontées que si notre gouvernement est contraint de faire les réformes de gouvernance nécessaires aujourd’hui. Ces réformes peuvent être réalisées à travers un dialogue entre toutes les composantes de la société rwandaise[5].

Sans ces réformes, il sera difficile de promouvoir le respect des droits de l’homme au Rwanda et par conséquent d’éviter et/ou d’arrêter le bain de sang qui coule dans la région des pays de Grands Lacs d’Afrique depuis plus de trois décennies.

A cette journée de droits de l’homme, je vous invite à écouter les cris de ces femmes violées, abandonnées à leur sort ; mais aussi à être attentifs aux pleurs de ces enfants qui sont privés de toute vie décente, qui vivent dans la pauvreté sans précédent.

Travaillons ensemble pour mettre fin au trafic de minerais de sang dans toute la région et privilégions la paix, la stabilité et le développement de tous.

Tous les pays membres de l’ONU ont une dette morale envers les peuples des pays de la région des Grands Lacs d’Afrique car en signant la charte des peuples des Nations Unies, ils se sont engagés à assurer le respect universel et effectif des droits de l’homme et des libertés fondamentales dans le monde entier. J’en appelle à leur conscience pour que le sang cesse de couler dans les pays de la région des Grands Lacs d’Afrique.

Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza,présidente de DALFA UMURINZI

Source: Levif

[1] https://ungreatlakes.unmissions.org/sites/default/files/s_2020_1168_f.pdf

[2] https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/CD/DRC_MAPPING_REPORT_FINAL_EN.pdf

[3] 4 https://eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-homepage/82/about-european-external-action-service-eeas_en

[4] https://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/UPR/Pages/RWIndex.aspx

[5] https://www.levif.be/actualite/international/pour-un-nouveau-dialogue-inter-rwandais-carte-blanche/article-opinion-14811

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is urged to block the appointment of Rwanda’s top diplomat in London over the kidnap and detention of the country’s most famous human rights activist

  • Liz Truss is being urged by MPs to block the appointment of Johnston Busingye
  • They are calling for sanctions to stop him being Rwanda’s high commissioner
  • Mr Busingye was demoted in September by Rwandan President Paul Kagame
  • He said government chartered a flight that led to Paul Rusesabagina’s seizure

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is being urged to block the appointment of Rwanda’s top diplomat in London over his central role in the kidnap and detention of the country’s most famous human rights activist.

Senior MPs from both main parties are calling on Ms Truss to impose urgent sanctions on Johnston Busingye, Rwanda’s former justice secretary, to prevent his instalment as the central African regime’s next high commissioner.

Mr Busingye was demoted by Rwandan President Paul Kagame after admitting that their government chartered a flight that led to the seizure of Paul Rusesabagina, the real-life hero of the film Hotel Rwanda who saved more than 1,200 lives in the 1994 genocide.

Mr Rusesabagina – a critic of the dictatorship – was duped into flying to Rwanda after boarding a private jet in Dubai he thought was flying to a neighbouring country. The 67-year-old was jailed for ‘terrorism’ in September.

Senior MPs are calling on Liz Truss to impose sanctions on Johnston Busingye (pictured), Rwanda's ex-justice secretary, to stop his instalment as the country's next high commissioner+2

Senior MPs are calling on Liz Truss to impose sanctions on Johnston Busingye (pictured), Rwanda’s ex-justice secretary, to stop his instalment as the country’s next high commissioner

Last week, Mr Busingye was named in Parliament by former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith alongside Chinese Communist bosses involved in crimes against humanity, Iranian torturers and Sudanese militia leaders in a debate on sanctions.

Mr Duncan Smith queried why Mr Kagame was proposing to send ‘that abusive individual’ to represent his nation. ‘Do they think the UK is a soft touch?’ he asked.

‘This man should be sanctioned, not sent as their bloody ambassador,’ he told The Mail on Sunday. 

‘It is a disgrace that the Government has not yet made it clear we will reject his credentials. We must make a very strong statement.’

Labour’s Chris Bryant said it was ‘inconceivable’ that Ministers might accept the appointment. ‘Instead of sending a coach to take him to Buckingham Palace to meet the Queen, they should bar him from entering the country.’

The MPs are co-chairmen of the All-Party Group on Magnitsky Sanctions, which aims to target those responsible for corruption or human rights violations.

Bill Browder, the financier who pushed for such laws around the world after his lawyer Sergei Magnitsky was murdered in Russia, said Rusesabagina was a hero, adding: ‘His only real crime was to be critical of Kagame.’

Mr Rusesabagina was manager of Hotel des Mille Collines in Kigali when he saved the lives of 1,268 people who sought sanctuary there amid the horrors of the genocide.

Fearing for his safety, he later fled to the US where he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. 

A fierce critic of Mr Kagame, he co-founded the Rwandan Movement for Democratic Change, a coalition of opposition groups.

The Rwandan regime, which has a history of smearing its enemies, accused him of being ‘the founder, leader, sponsor and member of violent, armed, extremist terror outfits’. 

He denied all charges.

Human rights groups condemned his unlawful seizure and criticised the trial as a charade. Rusesabagina was sentenced in September to 25 years in prison.

Mr Busingye’s admission of his government’s role came after a video was inadvertently sent to al-Jazeera. It showed him being coached for an interview with the broadcaster by Chelgate, a London specialist in ‘reputation management’. 

In the footage, he admitted prison authorities intercepted confidential correspondence between Mr Rusesabagina and his lawyers, which he denied in the interview.

In a second interview, he confirmed the regime paid for the plane that took Mr Rusesabagina to Kigali and for the individual who tricked him on to the plane.

‘This man oversaw the kidnapping and torture of my father,’ said his daughter Carine Kanimba. 

‘He should be disqualified from a role that requires the holder to be a person of integrity.’

The Foreign Office, which can veto ambassadors and high commissioners, declined to comment, and the Rwandan government did not respond to a request for comment last night.

Source: Daily Mail