WE NEED STRONG DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS IN RWANDA NOT A STRONG MAN – HOW THIS CAN BE ACHIEVED?
FDLR leaders who were silenced when they raised their voices for the voiceless especially those who are being hunted daily in the eastern DRC forests (Rwandan hutu refugees). They were wrongly convicted in one of German courts and are now in jail. Left is Mr Straton Musoni and right Dr Ignace Murwanashyaka (the current FDLR president).
The current regime in Kigali is characterised by terror and use of force to control Rwandan population. This has become necessary as the leaders are not trusted by their people. RPF-Inkotanyi grabbed unshared power in 1994 using force. This happened after refusing to honour the Arusha accord that was preparing the transitional government to be followed by general elections, and triggering the 1994 Rwandan massacres. Through its western allies, RPF managed to convince the world that its members were saviours of Rwandans who were being killed by the so called “bad guys”. But in reality it is the say that the mighty is right. Here the killers have become the victims. I would not be exaggerating if I say that Rwanda has become a police state (a totalitarian state controlled by a political police force that secretly supervises the citizens ’activities).
DASSO, RPF militia to collect National Health Insurance contribution, is using force when an ordinary Rwandan fails to pay the fee in time.
Figure 2 A group of RPF militia known as INKERAGUTABARA has recently killed a 27 year old lady Uwamahoro Theodosie who was doing an informal business to feed her family. She was beaten to death of doing this business in an unauthorised location, Nyabugogo in Kigali.
Our politicians inside Rwanda and in exile should think differently and avoid another unreliable approach where a small group of individuals makes a deal with some international corporations to grab power. This route might not make the difference even if the strong man can be replaced. The ordinary people can only hold accountable their leaders if their votes count and this gives guarantee of not observing another mafia terrorising the whole country. There is a say in Rwanda called “TORA AHA” that translates “VOTE HERE”. This shows that the elections that take place in Rwanda is a formality to mislead the international community about the total oppression that is taking place. I hear many times our politicians, especially RPF dissidents, crying to see the president Paul Kagame being removed from power. It is ok, one would think that there might be a relief to slaughter that is going on. But, if really we want a genuine democracy there is a need of a complete change to put in place strong democratic institutions. In this case we do not need a strong man. And if the selected leaders do not deliver services ordinary people should be able to hold them accountable without fear and imposed “TORA AHA”.
To bring strong institutions in Rwanda, we need to shift our thinking towards a shared power through negotiations. I would encourage our politicians to work hard day and night to bring RPF-Inkotanyi down to its knees so that it can accept a frank and inclusive inter-Rwandan dialogue that can solve our problems and bring a lasting solution to peace and stability in the region. This might not be easy but it is a way forward for a lasting solution. A reasonable work can be done in diplomacy, but do not go the route of signing hidden deals like the ones that brought hell to Rwanda in 1994. There might be other avenues to exploit to make a point. I would encourage our politicians to do it without losing the goal of liberating the country, please avoid the damn competition with manifesto in your heads. You cannot participate in elections where “TORA AHA” is still in use, seek first the lacking political space.
FDLR has been there for many years with a lot of difficulties where RPF and its allies have intensified attacks on Hutu refugees in the eastern DRC, these refugees have been abandoned by the UNHCR since 1996. Our RPF dissident politicians should act in a respective manner as some of them were part of RPF-Inkotanyi when DRC hutu refugee camps were being destroyed in 1996-7. Some of them still think that the survivors of these massacres should not stand up and talk for themselves and do it for the rest of Rwandans who are voiceless.
FDLR was born in 2000 when refugees in DRC saw that RPF and its western allies were determined to wipe out all Rwandan refugees from the Congolese territory. It was necessary to have a military wing, “Forces Combatantes Abacunguzi” (FDLR FOCA). Recently they deposited their weapons demanding the RPF regime to come to the negotiating table instead of hunting refugees and killing them where they are. It is clear that killing your own people cannot solve any problem. RPF together with its western allies rejected any call for negotiations and chose instead of using some so called experts from Enough Project (American organisation,
http://www.enoughproject.org/blogs/new-report-how-dismantle-deadly-militia) to destroy FDLR. This wrong idea of killing instead of having a dialogue has become a second nature for some imperialists. Some westerners are still believing what RPF tells them about FDLR. There will not be any good thing from Kigali regime about FDLR. But, what they cannot take away, many Rwandans continue to consider FDLR as “Freedom Fighters”. They might not see it because of the fear they had instilled in oppressed people, but deep down in their hearts FDLR are their freedom fighters.
The Interim president of FDLR Maj Gen Victor Byiringiro standing in front of freedom fighters.
It is equally heard from some RPF dissident politicians when they dare to say that FDLR should change its name so that the imperialists can understand their cause. In my view this name is simple and relevant to what most of Rwandans need to see happening. Forces Democratiques de Liberation du Rwanda, forces are democratic and the mission is to liberate Rwanda (that has become a police state). I do not see any other naming that can be better than this one. I would advise these RPF dissident politicians to accept that the suffering of Rwandans came from somewhere, it did not happen overnight. By now we know how the presidential jet was shot down, how 1994 Rwandan massacres took place, how refugees continue to be killed and how the international justice has been partial (where killers have become victims) (http://intabaza.com/?p=759&lang=en). It is time to work together and drop some ideas which are not constructive. Darling words to the hardened heart people might not change anything, we need to come together and liberate our country if we dream a better Rwanda with strong democratic institutions we can leave behind for our future generations.
In any country liberation, it is not unusual to see different parties with slightly different methods working together towards the same goal. It is indeed a point to be made clear especially to some politicians who want to advance their agenda undermining what others are achieving. The culture of having a negative competition (capitalism of this world) should be discouraged. In any case all work done is towards the same goal, liberating the country.
Conclusion
We need strong democratic institutions not a strong man in Rwanda. Ordinary people should be empowered to hold accountable their leaders through ballot.
Rwandan opposition politicians should understand that RPF and its allies are working day and night to make sure Rwandans cannot take charge of their country. Even if RPF allies or other western corporations would like to change the team it is very important to know that this move will not bring the strong democratic institutions we are looking for. It would likely create another junta number 2.
FDLR has been there for some time, it is there to stay. Those who dare to bring divisions will fail badly. And if these divisions are tried by our opposition politicians, it is another case where Rwandans fight against themselves like it happened before 1994 when some weak mind politicians were against FAR, Rwandan regular army in 1994, which was preventing RPF-Inkotanyi from grabbing power using force. You should have learnt a lesson looking at what RPF did when it took power by force. It was not only RPF-Inkotanyi, many western powers were behind. Is it really possible to justify the loss of millions of people in our region? These are Africans that were/are slaughtering their brothers and sisters to make happy some people many miles away from our continent. You can remember when you were on the side of RPF, you enjoyed the support of Tony Blair, Bill Clinton, Rick Warren and Howard Buffet; and when you were chased away by the created Junta these RPF allies have continued to support the same junta till now. Please do not take the same route in our struggle, there is a room to do better.
David Rudatinya
