While President Kagame’s supporters reorganize and innovate their communication strategies to deal with the aftermath of this coronavirus pandemic, his opposition is prone to a state of utter disarray.

It seems only right to point out that as long as the brains behind the different political ideologies comprising this opposition cannot agree on the core issue at hand, a conversation regarding power-sharing, which is an important element of democratic governance will remain impossible.

The mistrust within the regime has spread and reached opposition circles who are busy outsmarting one another in a race to the “post-Kagame presidency” that seems lost in advance.

Many of you reading this may strongly disagree but without a platform where the future of democracy in Rwanda can be frankly discussed and debated,  taking on an “enlightened plutocracy” such as today’s Rwanda is not only futile, it is irresponsible gambling.

It is enabling the regime’s brutality and warranting future violent outbursts. 

When envisioning the future of our nation, we should soberly look into our past mistakes and avoid repeating them.

If the opposition cannot discuss and debate the democracy it needs in Rwanda how can it be taken seriously? Who among Rwanda’s donors will endorse it over a regime that guarantees results “whatever difficulties may occur”?

In actual fact, the Rwandan opposition should be most embarrassed by the worldwide support that the RPF regime still enjoys.

If the world knows of its repressiveness, of its human rights violations, of the inaccuracies of its economic miracle statistics, why is it still supporting it over this “ democratic” opposition?

Shouldn’t this be an indication that the said opposition is clearly doing something wrong?

The Rwandan opposition must appeal to reason and strive to achieve political maturity. That is the only way to lasting peace.

Nothing will be achieved as long as we put the interests of this individual over the other, of this ethnic group over the other etc..

That is why I reiterate my belief that the Rwandan opposition is in dire need of a Think Tank, it needs a serious forum of forward-thinkers where discussions and exchange of ideas can be held; where the future of our nation can be seriously and fearlessly explored.

Without such a structure, the impact of individual achievements within a divided opposition is limited by the usual unfortunate indolence or by the habitual outmaneuvering that end up endorsing arguments over peaceful ideals and ideas; leaving Rwandans in the same predicament of sectarianism and ethnic politics where they are now comparing and praising the merits of their favorite dictators as recently pointed out by Dr. Himbara.

Noble Marara