Photo: Rwandan President Paul Kagame. Source: foreignpolicy.com
The Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) remain a topic of much debate among those who research and spend time in the Great Lakes Region of Africa. There are a few schools of thought as to who this group is and what their motives are.
The first school of thought is the ‘official narrative’ provided by the Government of Rwanda which states that the FDLR planned out and committed genocide in 1994, fled into the DRC to live in refugee camps in order to escape persecution by the government that “stopped the genocide” and took power in Rwanda. Less than two years after the genocide the ruling party in Rwanda, the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF), invaded Eastern Congo in order to seek vengeance on these escaping ‘genocidaires’ and bring justice to them.
In contrast to the official report, Wikipedia states:
“The Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda is the primary remnant Rwandan Hutu rebel group in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is often referred to as simply the FDLR after its original French name: the Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda. It has been involved in fighting from its formation on 30 September 2000 throughout the last phase of the Second Congo War and the fighting which has continued since then. It is composed almost entirely of majority ethnic Hutus opposed to minority Tutsi rule and influence in the region. The FDLR was formed after negotiations between the Army for the Liberation of Rwanda and the remnant Hutu military command agreed that the ALiR be dissolved. Paul Rwarakabije was appointed commander in chief of the entire force, but ALiR had to accept the political leadership of the FDLR.”
On May 26th 2013, during the 21st African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the President of Tanzania, Kikwete, advised the President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, to negotiate with the FDLR in order to stop the 16 years of war that this situation has created. President Kagame did not respond himself rather his Minister of Foreign Affairs, Louise Mushikiwabo, stated “they would not negotiate with a terrorist group,” and demanded an apology from President Kikwete. A spokesperson for the government of Tanzania stated in reply to a request for an apology that, “President Kikwete will not apologise because his statement was based on facts. We ask Rwanda to take this advice. Our President cannot apologise for the truth.”
The FDLR published a press release in response to President Kikwete’s request and stated in part:
“The Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) are rejoicing and firmly support His Excellency Mr Jakaya Mrisho KIKWETE, Tanzanian President’s proposition of setting about global and pacific solutions of the conflicts which have been prevailing up to date within the African Great Lakes region in general and the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in particular; which proposition suggests a resolution by means and ways of organizing relevant dialogues between all the involved warring parties.”
The decision to seek peace seems to remain in the hands of President Kagame, yet he has emphatically stated that he will not negotiate with the FDLR under any circumstances. There has been a long war in Eastern DRC at the hands of Paul Kagame and his endless quest for “justice” against the FDLR. If there remain members of the FDLR who committed genocide in 1994 they would be a least 50 years of age now. It would appear that Kagame’s motives are out of vengeance rather than justice.
Ironically, in 1993 Paul Kagame and his rebel group, the RPA, were in the midst of negotiations with the then President of Rwanda Juvenal Habyarimana, in Arusha, Tanzania in order to reach and sign a joint power sharing agreement. Paul Kagame was leading a group of Tutsi refugees who were returning home to Rwanda. These negotiations were to provide a path for peaceful return. On April 6, 1994 President Habyarimana was returning home by plane after having just signed a power sharing agreement to incorporate the RPF into the government when his plane was shot out of the sky on the orders of Paul Kagame and his rebels triggering the 1994 genocide.
Sharing power with the previous government of Rwanda was not enough for Paul Kagame; he wanted total power which he seized in the weeks following the assassination of President Habyarimana.
For President Kagame to negotiate with the FDLR and come to an agreement then he would be giving up his strangle hold on Eastern DRC thereby giving up his unlimited access to the minerals and other geostrategic interests keeping his pockets lined and full. Peace in Eastern DRC means there is no need for Rwanda to be in Eastern DRC. Since the government of Rwanda has stated that “Peace in Eastern DRC is in the best interest of the region”, President Kagame should be willing to prove that by negotiating for that peace through talks with the FDLR.
Time will tell whether history will repeat itself in Rwanda or if the trajectory of this country will change resulting in peace in The Great Lakes Region of Africa.
UP against stiff competition from various countries around the world, #Resilience 2 Climate Change, a local Hip-hop group asks Rwandans and music lovers to vote for them in this year’s Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund.
The group emerged among the finalists for the 2013Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF), an annual competition organised by the U.S Department of State.
More than 681 proposals from 119 countries were submitted but only a few made it to the final stage. The winning projects will be announced in early July.
The only proposal that made it from Rwanda was by #Resilience 2 Climate Change, which is an awareness and action campaign that aims at building resilience to climate change by inspiring and educating youth, using Hip-hop music and creating a youth hub of change agents working in communities in Rwanda.
The proposal was submitted by Landry Ndriko Mayigane, who is a U.S State Department Alumnus. He is also the founder and president of the Rwanda Youth Alliance for Climate Actions, (YACA), a new established network working to build resilience of youth and for the environment in Rwanda through capacity building and actions for climate change adaptation and socio-entrepreneurship with youth and amongst youth in Rwanda.
The choice of Hip-hop is strategic in a way that most youth in Rwanda and across the world identify easily with this type of music.
Mayigane said Hip-hop will be utilised as a valuable tool to channel the information amongst youth in Rwanda about climate change and to promote best practices for adaptation.
Many local artistes have been contacted to collaborate in the project and produce a quality song and video that will be broadcast nationwide and globally.
“We are encouraging local Hip-hop artistes to write a song and video on climate change. The video must highlight scenes of Rwandan youth demonstrating behaviors to conserve energy, protect the environment and mitigate climate change,”Mayigane told The New Times.
“The project includes educating Rwandan youth about the issue of climate change using Hip-hop music, establishing a network of Rwandan youth working on climate change and promoting a local Hip-hop group at the international level,” he added.
To vote for#Resilience 2 Climate Change, you must be a U.S State Department International Exchange Alumni and register with U.S Exchange Alumni website here:
Some of the FDLR combatants that have been captured on battle by joint international and regional military operations
Three men of Rwandan origin were on Tuesday (June 11) charged in Germany for belonging to Rwandan FDLR rebels who have cause mayhem in eastern DR Congo. However, since their arrest in December 2012, they have not been named. News of Rwanda is breaking the silence.
According to media reports from Berlin, German prosecutors have filed terrorism charges against three men whom they accuse of membership in the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, known by its French acronym FDLR. Germany prosecutors say the men are part of a criminal enterprise which is involved in mass killing Congolese civilians and inflicting on them other sorts of violent abuses.
However, due to legal restrictions, the names of the three men have not been released to the public by the media which are reporting about the court appearance today. The media are identifying the suspects as Bernard T., Felicien B. and Jean Bosco U. The names are mentioned in court, but they can only be named after conviction, as they are considered innocent until proven guilty.
News of Rwanda is however naming them. They are:
Jean Felicien Barabwiriza,
Jean Bosco Uwihanganye
and
Bernard Twagiramungu
The three FDLR men were arrested in December last year. Bernard Twagiramungu and Jean Felicien BARABWIRIZA were still in custody until today, whereas Jean Bosco Uwihanganye was released due to health grounds.
The charges against the three men stem from earlier arrests by Germany of FDLR leader Ignace Murwanashyaka and his deputy, Straton Musoni, back in 2009 and 2010 respectively. Murwanashyaka and Musoni are facing prosecution and the cases are still ongoing – as they remain in custody.
German prosecutors allege that the three men charged today took over the roles of Murwanashyaka and Musoni after their arrest. The three are accused of having written several press statements since May 2011. They are also charged with spreading FDLR politics of mass murder and extermination of Tutsis in Rwanda and wherever.
Related article:
Defence Minister Gen. James Kabarebe has strongly dismissed accusations that Government of Rwanda has not been able to dislodge FDLR rebels despite battling them for more than a decade – amid controversy over comments by Tanzania’s President Jakaya Kikwete. read more…
RwandAir CEO John Mirenge has told the press briefing at the International Air Transport Association (IATA general meeting on June 3 in Cape Town, South Africa that Rwanda intends to make air transport as a key driver of its economic growth.
“We (RwandAir) only started three years ago and we are slowly moving into a definite market of the short and regional flights before looking at long-haul destinations,” he said.
South African Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe told the IATA meeting that innovation in the aviation industry has catalytic opportunities for growth in Africa.
“Improvement of Africa’s aviation is amongst the most important drivers of Africa’s development through trade between Africa and the rest of the world, driven in the main by the trade in agricultural and perishable goods, with the bulk of its commodity trade being transported by sea.
“Consequently, it is hard to imagine that we can transform Africa’s structural growth without a concomitant improvement in Africa’s aviation industry,” he said.
In its global outlook released early June, IATA said African airlines continued to be fragile, with passenger loads below 70% and profits of just $100-million for 2012.
IATA said the region’s airlines continued to face high operating costs, especially for fuel, which is on average 21% more costly than in other parts of the world.
Rwanda’s positive outlook is refreshing in a tough economic climate for African airlines, said a journalist who attended the press briefing.
Focus on costs:
He explained that Rwanda was rebuilding its international airport in Kigali with the aim of making it a hub for regional African flights.
“We are in the heart of Africa and almost every other African country is between three and four hours’ flight time from Kigali,” he said.
This, Mirenge said, dictated the purchase of smaller, narrow-bodied aircraft that could operate efficiently, taking between 50 and 120 passengers a trip.
RwandAir operates seven aircraft, all various models of Canadian manufacturer Bombardier Aerospace — the third-largest manufacturer of passenger aircraft after Boeing in the US and Airbus in Europe.
Bombardier Aerospace vice-president for Africa and Middle East sales, Raphael Haddad, said his company expected Africa to be a market for about 1,000 commercial aircraft in the next 20 years.
“We are seeing great growth and there is a definite opportunity for expansion within Africa as trade among African countries grows,” he said,
“Our aircraft operate very well in very hot environments without lessening the performance.”
Haddad said many African passengers still had to connect to neighbouring countries by flying long-haul flights to connect via Europe rather than direct flights that would be cheaper.
“So there is a definite need and market for a number of regional jet and turboprop aircraft,” he said.
Mirenge has also chosen to expand his fleet with aircraft from Bombardier. Mirenge said emerging African airlines need to be extremely cost conscious even though air travel is important for economic growth.
“In today’s aviation environment, costs are everything and we wanted a cost-efficient product.”
Bombardier, which is increasing its foothold in Africa with aircraft carrying between 30 and 150 passengers, says it has a 20% lower fuel burn than its competitors and improved fuel efficiency.
Bombardier expects to double its fleet in Africa over the next three to five years. Currently, 60 operators fly about 200 Bombardier aircraft on the continent.
RwandAir, which flew to six African destinations in 2008, now serves 15 destinations, and will add another three destinations to its coterie by the end of this year, including Accra, in Ghana, and Abidjan, in Côte d’Ivoire.
“Rwanda is one of the fastest-growing economies in Africa, with double digits over the past few years. We see ourselves as a key player. We’re hoping to grow particularly through sharpening our connections between East and West Africa,”Mirenge is quoted to have said.
With nine men linked to the 1994 genocide in Rwanda still on the run, the Prosecutor who would help to try them is today urging Member States to cooperate with the United Nations war crimes tribunal and its successor body to track down and arrest the fugitives.
At a press conference at the UN Headquarters in New York, Justice Hassan Bubacar Jallow, Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) and the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunal reiterated the UN’s call on Member States “to live up to their obligations to cooperate with the [residual mechanism], and the tracking and the arrest of these fugitives.”
As for the fugitives, Mr. Jallow urged them to turn themselves in and stand trial in “very transparent and impartial” judicial processes.
“There is no time limit to the prosecution of these cases. Your hiding does not pay off. The mechanism will not relent,” Mr. Jallow said.
Based in Arusha, Tanzania, the ICTR was set up after the 1994 Rwandan genocide, when at least 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and politically moderate Hutus were killed during a span of three months beginning in April 1994.
The Security Council has urged both the ICTR and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) to conclude their work by the end of 2014.
It set up the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) in December 2010 and mandated it to take over and finish the remaining tasks of the two courts when they are closed after their mandates expire. The ICTR branch of the Residual Mechanism began its functions on 1 July 2012 in Arusha, while the branch for ICTY will start this coming July in The Hague.
Members of the Security Council had emphasized that establishing the Residual Mechanism was essential to ensure that the closure of ICTR and the ICTY “does not leave the door open to impunity for the remaining fugitives and for those whose appeals have not been completed.”
“The ICTR has concluded the trial phase of its work and is currently focused on management of appeals, and legacy and closing issues,” Mr. Jallow has said.
During its operations, it indicted some 93 people, all of whom were arrested with the exception of nine men. Augustin Bizimana, the Minister of Defence of the interim Government during the time of the atrocities; Félicien Kabuga, who is believed to have financed the genocide; Protais Mpiranya, who as Commander of the Presidential Guard Battalion in the Rwandan Army allegedly oversaw all the units in the battalion; as well as Fulgence Kayishema, Pheneas Munyarugarama, Charles Sikubwabo, Aloys Ndimbati, Ladislas Ntaganzwa and Charles Ryandikayo.
The Office of Global Criminal Justice – headed by Stephen J. Rapp, Ambassador-At-Large for War Crimes Issues in the Office of Global Criminal Justice who also attended the press conference – is offering up to a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction of any of the nine men.
“We are still very optimistic that we will track and find and bring them to justice,” Mr. Jallow said. “It is not an easy task to track.”
The Prosecutor noted that the men on the run make every effort to evade the trackers by changing their identities, relocating to different terrains and sometimes assisted by slow cooperation of Member States.
“There is nonetheless intense activity ongoing,” he added.
Given that there is no time limit to be prosecuted, the residual mechanism can be activated at any time to try the men. In addition, precautions have been taken to secure evidence against the accused and preserve testimony, if witnesses are no longer available to participate in person at future trials.
University of Pittsburgh Students. Photo: Alan Vangpat/The Tartan
Unease has been expressed concerning a scheduled visit of Rwandan president Paul Kagame to the Säid Business School, in light of numerous allegations accusing him of human rights violations.
Mr Kagame is due to arrive in Oxford on Friday 18th May, when he will deliver a keynote address in the Oxford Africa Business Conference as well as being awarded the inaugural Distinction of Honour for African Growth Award.
The decision to give Mr Kagame this award in light the recent allegations has been questioned by a number of academics and students, who have started a campaign calling for the Säid Business School to cancel their engagement with him.
The Oxford Africa Business Conference is a student led organization and the decision to award Kagame the honour was taken by students of the Business School.
Salvator Cusimano, an M.Sc candidate in Refugee studies and leader of the campaign against Mr Kagame’s visit, commented: “As it stands, the University will appear to condone Mr. Kagame’s actions at a time when even the governments of the United States and the UK – Rwanda’s staunchest allies – have distanced themselves from Mr. Kagame and his government.
“As members of the Oxford community, we have a responsibility to use our influence to reverse the Business School’s serious error of judgment.
“We have a unique opportunity to promote human rights and defend our University’s reputation, and we must act. “
The campaign has sent a letter to the Dean of the Business School, the Vice-Chancellor of the University as well as the head of the African Studies Centre detailing why the visit should be cancelled, and has started an e-petition which has received over 260 signatures in its first 24 hours.
The Säid Business School has commented “We prize open discussion and in line with the University’s Freedom of Speech policy the students have invited President Kagame to speak and there will be the opportunity for those present to challenge him as appropriate.
“We are aware that President Kagame is a controversial figure and his presence here implies no endorsement of his views or actions. We have taken the view that it’s appropriate to ask him to address any issues that are put to him from a platform in Oxford.”
The controversy surrounding Kagame stems from the accusation that he has silenced opposition politicians and journalists support for rebels in DMC including the paramilitary M23 movement, and illegal exploitation of Congolese resources.
Dominic Burridge, a DPhil Candidate from Oriel College, commented: “The proposal from the Säid Business School to give a Distinction of Honor for African Growth Award to Paul Kagame cannot fall under the criticism of endorsing human rights violations per se because it is making an economic assessment only.
“In this way, the decision errs on the side of a greater tragedy. It is a categorical statement that, in Africa, economics should matter more than society and ethics, and that those who have been accused of brutalising regions through natural resource greed should be decorated as economic leaders.”
The conference website has ignored the controversies surrounding Kagame, and instead focused on some of the successes of his presidency, including the reconciliation after the Rwandan genocide and relatively strong growth in GDP.
As a result they have feted that Kagame’s presidency has “set Rwanda on its current course towards reconciliation, nation building and socioeconomic development.”
A letter delivered to the Säid Business School the campaign has argued: “Mr. Kagame’s Rwanda bears several disturbing similarities to Rwanda under the genocidal government.
“Reconciliation appears superficial: despite a law prohibiting speech with ethnic content – known as genocide ideology – the ethnic tensions that fuelled genocide in 1994 seem alive beneath the surface.”
Amongst the supporters of the campaign are a number of academics and students. One academic said that is “concerning” that the conference organisers have invited Kagame to the Säid Business School given the ongoing dispute concerning his human rights record in the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide.
Mr. Kagame took office in 2000, after spending six years as Vice President in the years immediately after the Rwandan genocide, before winning democratic elections for the presidency in 2003 and 2010.
Good afternoon everyone. The Ambassador didn’t want to say it the way it is: he first said that you are Imfura (decent and dignified), then said Intore but let me say it: you are truly Imfura.
Please take your seats. Thank you.
Fellow Rwandans, friends of Rwanda,
We have many friends of Rwanda here with us today; almost the same number as Rwandans here present. We thank you all and you too are Imfura! I am very pleased to be here with you today, at another Rwanda Day.
Rwanda Day is now known as a day of gathering, sharing and discussing new ideas of how we can make our country a better place and continue our development journey. I thank everyone present for making the time for this event where we will share ideas on how to build a Rwanda we deserve. I thank those who came from very far and all of you for your patience.
As it was said earlier, Rwanda Day is an opportunity for Rwandans living abroad to connect with Rwanda in a special way. We have gathered in many different places and every time Rwandans have participated in big numbers. It has become evident that when given an opportunity, Rwandans can achieve a lot. Rwanda Day is not a day only, it is the spirit that brings us together, looking for the common good of the country and working together to achieve this.
Everything has a purpose…. There is a reason I called you Imfura (noble), I don’t want to dwell on for long and you know why.
Let me use recent events as an example, as we normally meet to discuss matters pertaining to our development and you know we get to tangible results.
But you get to really know people when there is a problem.
It’s in difficult times that you know how resilient a person is, to what extent he is a noble person. Even in bad conditions, in times of trial, a decent person remains upright. You know in 2012, our country went through a difficult time due to external problems. Our country was made to carry problems that are not ours; people put their problems on our shoulders. The problems that they wanted us to carry too heavy to them, to those whose problems they are and to those who are supposed to be helping them find solutions.
We, the people of Rwanda, our country has its own problems that we can’t attribute to others but for which we need to find solutions.
However, we will not carry other people’s problems. We will never accept this. Every person, every country has its life to live. We can only determine the kind of life we want to live.
You can’t live your life and at the end of the day say you will live life for others as well. If you are supposed to live, say sixty or seventy years, you cannot add seventy more years that you are going to live for me. It’s not possible. What I want to say is that if you have a way of living your life then who are you to determine how I should live mine?
This is not a problem for Rwanda alone; we share these types of difficulties with our fellow Africans. But as Rwandans we have gone through a different history, which has shaped us in such a way that we see things differently. We believe everyone should be given the opportunity to live their own life. Everyone has to be self reliant and should decide and choose what suits them. We don’t share this with all Africans as a problem, but it’s something we can share with them as a solution.
In a nutshell, last year the whole world turned against us. I know you people follow closely what’s going on through the media; be it journalists, some Heads of States, heads of international organizations plotted against Rwanda.
Usually, what you perceive to be true is usually what is going on. I used to see Rwanda as a small country but it turned out that I was wrong as everyone wants a share of this small country.
The reason why Rwanda is not as small as some of us believed, is because of its people, you people, Rwandans who make it happen…It’s not about its size.
Some people encounter problems and decide to solve them and not blame them on others like some do. When you encounter a problem and you decide to take ownership, you obviously solve it.
The problems we had in Rwanda, we owned them as Rwandans. Our history left us some problems and we are the ones who are supposed to find solutions. Solutions that come with dignity we deserve, you always hear people saying Agaciro (dignity), no one else can give you dignity, if you respect yourself and respect others they will also respect you in return.
If you choose to do wrong, you are washing away your dignity. We receive support from donors yes, but no one can give you Agaciro (dignity), you have to seek for it yourself. This is where the idea of “Agaciro Fund” came from. Rwandans in the country and outside Rwanda, including most of you here, and friends of Rwanda came together during this hard time and decided to find a solution. We said, we are faced with financial challenges because some donors stopped their aid contributions so let’s set up Agaciro Fund. Rwandans were the first to act.
Have you seen any place where you tell people, let’s set up a fund? Recently as I was attending some meeting in the USA, an American there told the audience; ‘let me tell you something interesting about Rwanda. The Rwandan government asked Rwandans to contribute money so that it could be used to solve some problems ahead.’
Then he said, ‘nowhere in this world can you tell people to give you money and then think of how to spend it later, and the person you’re asking immediately pulls money out of their own pocket.’
He said people are giving because they trust. It means Rwandans trust their leaders
This faith Rwandans have allows them to face their challenges.
Did you know that within two months people had raised over $37 million?
Right away! Those who brought the little they had, those who could afford more, they all put the money together. At this point we have around $44 million. Rwandans asked no questions about their money because they have faith!
A peasant from one village gave his harvest and people asked him: “How will you live since this is all you owned?” He answered, ‘By the dignity I’ve given myself.’ And this is true. He gave but his life has not become worse than it was, on the contrary he is better off.
That is Rwanda’s spirit. This is what I mean by ubupfura (decency and dignity)…never betraying yourself or others. When you have that there is no reason why you cannot prosper as this is the necessary foundation.
We will continue to develop because we are on the right track. Between 2006 and 2011, we lifted one million people out of poverty. One million Rwandans! Let me tell you, this is not just news, it is reality and the people who were lifted out of poverty can tell you personally where they are coming from, where they are, and show you they are no longer poor because of that dignity that we, Rwandans, give ourselves.
Before, they would talk about youth, jobs, and ways of getting money to do business in order to live a full life. This is possible starting with that dignity. Besides that dignity, I want to correct a small misunderstanding although I think Grace has already done so. Young people, do your best, study hard. While you study, think about how to create your own jobs rather than waiting for someone to create a position for you. This is how you should all be thinking.
It doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t look for a job. No, this is not what I’m saying. While looking for a job, also think of ways to create jobs in your own right, which will eventually be great.
Before job creation can happen though, you need to start with cultivating ideas – ideas followed by capacity, knowledge and other things will follow. Regarding how to get funds that will help people who have those ideas to create jobs; at the end of the day we are always looking for funds, that is what I was saying about Agaciro Development Fund – it’s money.
However, money is not an issue. You must start with an idea that you build on to use to get money, and then it has to be a sustainable system of seeking funding to support those who have great ideas and projects so they can achieve many things.
In addition, when job creators increase in number and achieve a lot, it helps the country to reach where it wants to go. So, to the youth, remember that education is discipline that gives birth to ideas. Discipline allows people to go out and seek solutions for themselves without waiting for the government or God to give them what they need.
The begging we are used to….nobody owes you anything in this world. It terrifies me that most of us are convinced that we are owed something. Nobody owes you anything, so stop begging. Sometimes we get overwhelmed with problems that at some point you really don’t know what to do.
Remember what I said about last year when they stopped or delayed aid to Rwanda. Rwandans and all of us, the President included, would say we are angry because they stopped and delayed aid but let’s face it, where does that goodness come from?
Will countries always take money from the taxes paid by their citizens and give it to Rwanda and other African countries, and when that money is not made available we complain that we did not receive our aid?
What did you do to deserve it? Why does a citizen from another country have to support Rwandans? Why? When will we change that mentality and realise that nobody owes you that support? Then you need to do what it takes to support yourself. This is not a crime.
I talked about strange things from our side. Let me now talk about strange things from the other side. When I tell the people supporting us to proceed in a way that would facilitate my growth they wonder what I am talking about.
So what do you think they are hiding? Someone tells you he is grateful for your support but can now relieve you of the burden of carrying them, he says, ‘I no longer need to be a weight on your shoulders’. Instead of being glad, they say: ‘No, no, it’s ok, you can keep being a weight for me; no problem.’
What does “keep on being a weight for me” really mean? What is the hidden reason behind? A person who does not want… it’s like certain life events…. There is what is called weaning. When a mother gives birth to a child, she breastfeeds the baby, but there comes a moment when the baby is all grown up and then the parent has to stop breastfeeding him or her.
If a mother still wants to breastfeed her child even though the baby has grown up, there must be a problem.
There is a problem on both sides actually. There is a problem on the side of the parent who thinks she should keep breastfeeding that child and there is also a problem on the side of the child who still wants to be carried and breastfed though he or she is all grown up.
People cannot live that way, Rwanda cannot be that way and Rwandans cannot live that way. Africans cannot live like that. We are as smart as the next person, we have arms like everybody else and we have more resources than the rest but because of what we lack, everything I mentioned earlier such as bad governance, our resources are enriching others and it is those same people who come back and support us. Sometimes they force that support on you.
Or the other way around, they take care of you so they can beat you up every so often.
I think that you’ve heard of anger management, where you use a punching bag to release anger. There are people who are serving as punching bags, they are punched every time some people are angry. We have now become like those punching bags.
If someone just had a bad day arguing with somebody else or if she/he is angry for reasons that we probably don’t even understand he comes and…
So what is the end of this dear Africans, Rwandans who are here, eh?
Where I was this morning, I was at Oxford I was there to give a speech. While going I found there were Africans there… first of all there is a problem. Those fellows when you look at them, first of all what brought them, what brought them to the street is to demonstrate against me or Rwanda.
First of all, they are there with eggs they wanted to throw at me, but they need them to …. [To feed themselves]
You know, those fellows are starving, if you were to ask them, how did you come here or where do you work? It is difficult for them to explain to you anything tangible.
Second, they are asking me about Congo’s problems. Now let me tell you, even if I might know them and am able to answer them, why do they ask me those questions here. Why don’t they ask me those questions from the Congo? Those fellows should be going to resolve their problems in their countries.
They don’t resolve their problems by throwing around eggs they need to eat. That shows a whole chain of ideological bankruptcy from them and up to some other place. But Africa will never resolve their problems by this kind of behavior and mentality, they can never solve [them].
But some people told them a lie that that way of behavior is democracy, is freedom is… freedom of being nothing.
Freedom of ideological bankruptcy, emptiness… Those who tell you those lies, that behaving like that is a good way of life; they live a better life than that one.
So fellow Rwandans and friends of Rwanda, we Rwandans, if I may speak for many of them, we are determined. We know our problems. We want to own those problems even through hardships we will resolve them.
We will try and keep trying and work hard, for not doing so the alternative is many times worse for you and for the kind of life we want to build.
So Rwandans, I think you are all aware of the Rwandan proverb of Ak’imuhana kaza imvura ihise (the help from outside comes when the rain has stopped). So let’s not wait for the help from outside.
I thank all of you for what has already been achieved, what has been built so far. Where we want to go is still far but it is also clear that we have put considerable effort, a lot has been done considering where we are coming from. And that effort will lead us where we want to go.
I am also here, to thank you, to encourage you to keep moving fast as we develop. Living with ourselves and with friends at peace, let’s work harder, and strive for our dignity, and attain prosperity like everybody. Others have gone ahead of us, they have reached far. There is no reason to stay behind; there is no reason to stay tied to problems dating back 50 to 60 years from now.
Today the world is running fast in technology, development, innovation, creativity, the rest – finance and other means – they can always be found. They will always be available. If there is the correct attitude, if there is a correct ideology, if there is hard work and discipline, if there is understanding and owning up to problems; there is no way we can fail.
Well, but, some people choose to fail. I just want to say that Rwandans should not choose to fail.
As I wrap up, we will continue our discussion through questions and ideas you will share. But, I would like to thank you again, and thank very much the friends of Rwanda who are here and the countries that continue to partner with Rwanda.
And, particularly, thank you to all of you Rwandans for making this possible and refusing to associate with divisionism and anything that could harm our nation, working hand in hand with us.
I used to tell people that those who live in areas widely affected by hurricanes, tornadoes, heavy rains and storms; those natural disasters pass by and destroy everything on their path. When you live in such areas, you tend to storm proof everything you build and become resilient by nature. And when the storm comes, you take cover, and the storm passes. And in the aftermath, you rebuild and life goes on.
In the past, we had these storms and other calamities, but Rwandans did not accept to remain victims and the storm passed. In fact, every year that passes and every problem we go through should leave us a lesson, right?
After the global WSIS Forum 2013 prize in Media Category, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has also recognized Rwanda efforts in implementing WSIS (World Summit on Information Society) in ICT for Development action plan.
Both prizes have been given to Rwanda in the WSIS Forum 2013 hosted by ITU that took place in Geneva, Switzerland. This forum is focusing on post-2015 development agenda.
The first prize in media category was awarded to Rwanda after submitting the Africa Media Academy project. The academy runs under WDA in collaboration with the USA-based Pixel Corps and hosted by the e-ICT center. This prize is awarded to a project that illustrates the implementation of WSIS objectives of promoting ICT for Development using digital media.
The Minister of Youth and ICT, Jean Philbert Nsengimana, received the second award on behalf of the government. “The prize was awarded for Rwanda’s excellence in implementing WSIS plan of action,” he noted. “Rwanda was the first country to have submitted a comprehensive implementation report of the 11 points agenda of the WSIS action plan, a commitment that all ITU member countries have made.”
Houlin Zhao, the deputy secretary-general of ITU, congratulated Rwanda for being the first country to have responded using the WSIS templates for national self-evaluation, reporting on the implementation of the WSIS outcomes, and also the first country to have submitted its report on the WSIS+10 Review through the online system.
“Rwanda’s national plan for ICT development is ambitious but achievable, aiming to further leverage the power of ICTs in important areas such as health, education and the empowerment of women,” he said.
Zhao also noted that by marking the seventh anniversary of ITU Connect Africa, President Kagame has convened the Transform Africa Summit in Kigali at the end of October.
“I am sure that investment opportunities will be high on the agenda at ‘Transform Africa,’ given President Kagame’s firm commitment and unshakeable belief in the power of leveraging ICTs to deliver sustainable social and economic benefits across Rwanda and across Africa,” the deputy secretary-general remarked.
The WSIS Project Prizes is an international contest developed in response to requests of the WSIS Stakeholders that requested for an effective mechanism to evaluate and recognize individuals; governments; civil society; local, regional and international agencies; research institutions; and private sector companies for outstanding success in implementing development-oriented strategies that leverage the power of ICTs.
Since the adoption of the ICT for Development (ICT4D) in Rwanda, there has been significant progress towards becoming a knowledge-based economy. The ICT4D roadmap that was adopted to implement policies and plans that would address Rwanda’s developmental challenges in the information and technology age.
A defense witness in the trial against Victoire Umuhoza Ingabire on Thursday told the Supreme Court that accusations against Ingabire were fabricated long before she came back to Rwanda. The prosecution, however, challenges her honesty.
The female sounding witness, who was in a separate room and codenamed AA to protect her full identity, told the court it was in 2009 that the plans to charge Ingabire with conspiracy with some former FDLR combatants were made up.
She said that three persons came to meet one of Ingabire’s four co-accused, a former FDLR combatant who is now ranked major, and tasked him to partner with them in accusing Ingabire of collaborating with FDLR. Vital Uwumuremyi is the one ranked major.
AA told the court that she was sharing the same five-room house with Uwumuremyi and that she was able to follow the full conversation.
“They showed him a picture of a woman on a newspaper. They told him that the woman was about to return and requested him to testify that she had been collaborating with FDLR,” she said.
The witness told the court that the woman on the picture was identified as Ingabire, although she said that she did not know her at the time. She added that Uwumuremyi too could not identify Ingabire when they first showed him the picture.
The witness said that Uwumuremyi accepted to partner and in turn he was given a new rank of major and a check of Frw 300,000.
After giving her testimony, both prosecution and lawyers of the co-accused interrogated the witness who responded verbally or by writing.
Asked by the prosecution whether she took the initiative herself to testify, AA responded that she was asked to do so by Gatera Gashabana, one of Ingabire’s lawyers; she added that he contacted her in 2010, although she was not sure of the exact month, saying that it might be in March.
AA also said that she recently met Ian Edwards, another defense lawyer, who also encouraged her to come and give the testimony in court. When the prosecution asked her what she exactly discussed with Edwards, she did not give any details.
All this led the prosecution to question AA’s honesty. “This is something indicating that the witness is not credible; she can’t remember what she discussed recently while she is able to remember all details of what she heard in 2009 when she was not even concerned,” prosecutor Bonaventure Ruberwa told the court.
AA had already sent her written testimony to the high court in April last year, but after Ingabire decided not to participate in the trial anymore, the witness did not present it in person to the court.
The High Court last year sentenced Ingabire to eight years in prison after finding her guilty of charges of genocide denial, and conspiracy and planning to cause state insecurity.
Both the defense and the prosecution have appealed.
If someone were looking for simple and effective means to prevent the genocide in Rwanda, wrote the US-American journalistPhilip Gourevitch, the radio station “Radio Télévision Libre des Milles Collines” (RTLM) would have been a good place to start.
Photo: gogo power
In the months of April, May and June 1994, an estimated 800,000 to 1,000,000 of its Tutsi minority and thousands of moderate Hutus were killed in only 100 days. The tools used to humiliate and kill people of all ages and genders were simple: machetes, sticks, and a few guns. Indeed, the most powerful instrument of the genocide was the “Radio-Télévision Libre des Mille Collines” (RTLM).
With unspeakable cynicism, the staff of the popular station had been preparing the genocide like an election campaign for months. The program consisted of pop music, riveting sports coverage, political communiqués, and remarkably hateful calls to murder. The newest Congolese music and the most aggressive racial analyses were combined into a dreary few square meter laboratory of racist ideology.
HATE RADIO is a project launched by the International Institute of Political Murder (IIPM). In its artistic reenactments, the IIPM pays utmost attention to factual accuracy of an RTLM show. Extensive archival research and interviews with witnesses and survivors provide the foundation upon which the institute develops its projects. Run by its hosts : Three Hutu extremists and the white Italian-Belgian Georges Ruggiu, HATE RADIO returns RTLM to the airways in a reconstructed backdrop that remains faithful to the original survivors of the genocide are standing on stage.
With this approach the project shows how racism functions, how human beings are “talked out of” their humanity an instillation reconstructed from documents and witness statements provides the answers to these questions so that people can feel and experience these happenings for themselves.
An extensive volume of material, and various events accompanying the exhibit, help to expand HATE RADIO into a broad, interdisciplinary intervention examining the current forms and manifestations of racist violence in Europe and Africa, as well as the ability to represent racist violence as a work of art.
The International Institute of Political Murder was founded at the end of 2007 by writer and director Milo Rau, to strengthen exchange between theater, the fine arts, film and research about reenactment – the reproduction of historical events – as well as to reflect upon the theoretical aspects of this exchange.
The previous productions of IIPM, which were shown at numerous theaters in Germany, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Africa, Austria, the USA and Romania, met international response and represent a new, documentary and aesthetic compressed form of political art.
The IIPM has its Headquarters in Switzerland and Germany.
For more information about the institute like project, lectures etc., please visit the site:
Photo: Rwandan President Paul Kagame. Source: foreignpolicy.com
