(ThyBlackMan.com) INTRODUCTION.
Twenty-two (22) years ago,
France assisted the former Rwandan genocidal government in killing innocent TUTSI civilians in what became-the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.
They provided the INTERAHAMWE with machetes.
They trained the Rwandan army.
They fought alongside the Rwandan army whilst knowing that Rwanda’s problems were a concern of Rwandans only.
They defended the genocidal Rwandan government in perpetrating mass killings against its own people.
Their hatred of the Rwandan Patriotic Front(RPF) was so unjustified that more than once-they sheltered known *GENOCIDAIRES*and assisted most of them as they were fled from Rwanda after losing the war dismally and as such-evade Rwandan justice.
Even up to-date,
France remains a sanctuary of Rwandan genocide suspects like AGATHE HABYARIMANA-Former Rwandan first lady who led “AKUZU”-a clique of extremists who organized and implemented the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi at a higher level.
Overpowered by a world superpower at the time and more importantly-faced with a post-genocide society to govern,
The RPF government ignored most French attempts to overthrow the Rwandan unitary government from DR Congo where the Ex-FAR had regrouped and maintained diplomatic relations with the aforesaid even in the face of aggression.
It is to be noted that France had been former Rwandan President HABYARIMANA’s major political supporter and at the time,
France’s foreign policy was to deter the ascension of the RPF government to power at all cost-given that the RPF was considered to be inclined to English values, politically, that meant that France was to lose the grip on its influence onFRANCOPHONE Africa should the Rwandan genocidal government fail.
Over a million lives (mostly TUTSI ones) were lost without cause as the French watched-they were the only influential western nation present in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide against the TUTSI.
But again,
How could they have stopped a crisis they had helped create?
1. FRANCE SAYS RWANDA IS NOT A DEMOCRACY-WHAT DO RWANDANS THINK?
When did Rwanda become a French province?
Rwanda is an autonomous nation with her own governance style.
It does not take the French to decide what Rwanda is or is not for that is the preserve of the Rwandan people.
As far as democracy is concerned,
Each jurisdiction possesses its own definition of the aforesaid term.
Its applicability must reflect a particular nation’s realities.
In Rwanda’s case,
“No matter how generic it may be to some segment,
No opinion can be considered binding on the Rwandan people unless it effectively reflects Rwanda’s cultural 
values-that is, until and unless it operates within the Rwandan legal system to the satisfaction of existing municipal and other relevant legislation/laws enacted by the Rwandan parliament legitimately elected by the Rwandan people.
Thus,
In all forms of criticism (positive and otherwise),
Rwandan statutory laws and customary ones must be strictly adhered to by any critic(s) and any opinion against the spirit of the Rwandan Constitution and other pertinent/critical relevant laws,
Although emanating from so-called moral directors from the western worldmust not fly in the teeth of the laws as stated.
Propositions/suggestions through genuine political criticism from anyone are highly/most welcome so long as they do not conflict with universally accepted standards and limitations set to regulate the right to free speech and the freedom of the press concurrently.
Anything beyond the aforesaid is “vexatious” and the Rwandan people take exception to the malice and insidious consequences it may breed.
Hence, the subsequent law reforms over the years (initiated by the general citizenry) to ensure that the sanctity and dignity of the *RWANDAN HUMAN BEING* is not once again overlooked as it were two (2) decades ago during the genocide against the Tutsi-a failure of humanity as a whole to a shameful extent which was partly promoted by French biased foreign policy towards Rwanda at the time.
Deterrence in the case in casu has become the most viable option left to the Rwandan government given her tragic past.
And in all honesty,
When did “democracy” mean killing innocent civilians because they belong to a different ethnic group?”
There is a difference between demagoguery popular politics and democracy-in this vein, people need to understand that the fact that the HUTU are the majority does not mean that a HUTU President has to be in power for a democratic process to be said to have being adhered to.
Actually,
The protection of minority rights is a crucial tenet of any democratic state.
Democracy sees no ethnicity and it is an inclusive process reflecting the will of the people-that is why BARACK OBAMA-a Kenyan became the US President,
Other than being a black man (a minority group in the USA),
He was African by origin and that did not stop the American people from voting for him as the Leader of the Free World.
May be,
It is high time that France learnt from progressive American politics.
As a matter of fact,
The current Rwandan President PAUL KAGAME did not want to usurp power through forceful means.
He respected the ARUSHA AGREEMENT,
And from 1994-2000,
It was a HUTU,
PASTEUR BIZIMUNGU who was Rwanda’s President during the government of unity.
It was not until the Rwandan people through the parliament asked of him (His Excellency PAUL KAGAME that is) to lead them that he did so although reluctantly.
He won the first Rwandan free and fair (democratic) elections in 2003 and since then,
He has been the people’s champions-a true reflection of what a Rwandan leader ought to be;
A unifying leader to be exact.
2. RWANDA’S DEMOCRACY: “A WORKING FORMULA.”
As questionable as it may sound to closed-minded Rwandan critics,
The undisputed truth of the matter is that in Rwanda,
The President is not a special human being (a god of some sort).
Every Rwandan citizen can schedule a meeting with him provided that they do so in the right manner and by adhering to the right protocol.
Otherwise,
There is no bureaucracy when one wants to meet President PAUL KAGAME.
Political cadres are non-existent in Rwanda.
Actually,
Rwandan legislation has set some form of punishment to those who act on behalf of the President illegally-it be Senior RPFOfficials,
No one has the right to decide who the President may or may not meet (except in cases where his security is at stake and in this instance-that is the task of the Rwandan National Secret Service (RNSS)).
It must be noted that there is also *ONE DAY IN EACH MONTH* dedicated to the ordinary Rwandan people-on this particular day,
The Rwandan President meets “ABATURAGE” in all Rwandan Provinces in Public Stadiums and answer all their queries-by providing direct/tangible/concrete solutions to their various plights where necessary or advising the complainants on the right forum to take where there is need to do so.
On many occasions,
Erring senior government’s officials have lost their jobs after being accused of irregularities by ordinary citizens-the Rwandan people file complaints against everyone regardless of the position they hold-it be a state minister or a town mayor or the President himself and the Rwandan President does not care if one is a senior officer or not,
Once accused,
They are given an opportunity to exonerate themselves publicly-failure to which the people will decide their fates.
As in his case,
He apologizes where he has failed the people and demands some time in order for him to rectify the shortcoming spotted and redeem himself.
Others see him as the “Fountain of Justice” but he is not.
His role is to merely ease the hearts of the general citizenry by listening to the problems on the ground.
As the “First Citizen”,
“MZEE WACU” as he is famously called by the general Rwandan populace,
It would be a blow on his part not to partake in the daily struggles that the electorates face for his tenure of office is conditional-to meet their demands and ensure that their pursuits of happiness are well grounded,
Not merely be premised in the realm of “utopia”-where the governed have no say in the manner in which they are governed.
Whether Rwanda is a democracy or not is simply a matter of construction and perception.
The underlying factor is that Rwandans inside the country are happy with the existing system.
Perfect or otherwise,
It has worked so far and other countries on the continent envy its fruits-a responsible governance style that has turned in small country in the heart of Africa with no natural resources into a beacon of hope that “YES,
AFRICA ACTUALLY CAN”.
3. FRANCE LACKS THE MORAL RIGHT TO LECTURE RWANDA.
France,
Wherever she passes,
There is either an unjustified COUP D’ ETAT or some political crisis.
Ask the Congolese,
The people from Central Africa,
The people of Burkinafaso and other African member states of *LA FRANCOPHONIE*.
France is said to have killed more Africans through her destructive foreign policy towards her former colonies than MALARIAand AIDS combined.
In Rwanda’s case,
Other than sponsoring a pre-1994 Rwandan genocidal government,
France lacks the moral right to lecture Rwanda-let alone President PAUL KAGAME.
A few years ago,
The French President NICHOLAS SARKOZY was in Rwanda-where he apologized for the insidious effects of French policy that contributed to the 1994 genocide against the TUTSI.
This in itself speaks volumes,
France’s harassment of Rwandan authorities is in bad taste and baseless to say the least.
They lacked certitude and are only speaking from a polemic perspective.
How can a so-called democratic and civilized nation promote primitive extremist politics?
Rwandan President is labelled as a criminal by the French,
What happened to the rule of law, due process and the presumption of innocence?
“Press freedom and free speech recognize the importance of people’s rights to a good reputation.
Neither does press freedom nor free speech take away this right,
Therefore,
Freedom of the press and free speech do not accord anyone the right to impute criminality on another person and even more so-to smear the President’s good name when that person has never been pronounced as such by a competent court of law of competent jurisdiction.”
Furthermore,
Accusing a progressive government such as the Rwandan one of political manipulation when everyone (renowned international experts) can attest to Rwanda’s model standing in the East African region where political stability is concerned is a perfidious attack on democracy especially when it comes from a nation that oversaw the 1994 genocide against the TUTSI(see France)-even more so,
A nation whose former President professed of the wonders (political and otherwise) that Rwanda had come to achieve in a short period given her peculiar history after his unprecedented visit to the country.
CONCLUSION.
What we have in Rwanda is a happy populace seeking for CONTINUITY.
In truth,
What Rwanda has become is as a result of collective effort both in spirit and deeds.
Every Rwandan has had to sacrifice one thing or another to see to it that this greatness come to pass.
The sense of belonging to a model country in the heart of Africa has been inculcated in every Rwandan mind.
They are proud to belong to a great nation led by a man of the people-his Excellent President PAUL KAGAME.
They boast of Rwanda as an emerging force on the African continent that overcame her tragic past.
“NDIUMUNYARWANDA” has become a way of life.
TRIBALISM,
DIVISIONISM,
REVISIONISM,
REGIONALISM are all things of the past-the pre-1994 Rwanda.
Rwandans have refused to be taken for a ride by egocentric and cynical imperialists who only want to see them go through the worst.
They know where they came from and how far they have come to boast of Rwanda as it is today.
They are not blind to the fact that the RPF Government is one with a listening ear and heart-irrespective of people’s divergent backgrounds (TUTSI, HUTU AND TWA).
Preposterous political classifications from France must be discarded with the contempt they deserve for Rwanda is not a conquered French territory or an extension of the *HEXAGON*.
They are not that naïve and gullible.
Grateful as they are,
Until kingdom comes,
They will never fall for CHEAP POLITICS as experienced in the past (pre-1994).
“THE NEW RWANDA HAS CHANGED AND IT DID SO FOREVER.”
The Rwandan people are tired of unnecessary funerals fueled by western interests.
France needs to stop meddling in Rwanda’s internal affairs-Rwanda is a sovereign state whose legitimacy emanates from Rwandans, not the French.
At least that is what comity and human decency demand of the French.
Enough is enough.
The Rwandan people can only take so much.
Staff Writer; Lionel Nishimwe
We are an ‘ ADVOCACY AGENCY’ that specialises in DISPUTE SETTLEMENT in liaison with relevant ‘LEGAL ADVOCATES’. Can visit our official “fanpage” over at Facebook; Lionel Nishimwe & Ngandu Consultancy.
May contact this brother at; lionelngayaboshya@gmail.com.
