2018 has so far been a very good year for Mr Kagame , Rwanda’s CEO. He hired Arsenal to advertise  VISIT RWANDA ( the world of course was appalled, considering Rwanda’s malnutrition situation – but quickly moved on).

VolksWagen, we were told, would be assembling cars in Rwanda at a  plant currently under construction ( though the project is still rather sketchy). Louise Mushikiwabo, Kagame’s own iron lady ,will chair the IOF for the next four years ( to the total dismay and distress of a lot of francophone countries ).

Kagame has even managed to convince the prestigious Ali Baba group  to get on board his promotion of “Rwanda’s Economic Development” .  

As opposed to last year’s fiasco  of sham elections ( won at 98%!!!) and  damning human rights report https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/12/16/rwanda-needs-take-torture-seriously, this year has been good for  Kagame. He was even the star of a film https://petergreenberg.com/2018/04/26/rwanda-royal-tour/ .

  All these  “ accomplishments “ by Mr Kagame  are excellent publicity for his regime  particularly in the west. They make it very difficult  for his disunited opposition abroad to voice their discontentment . The  rare westerners that do criticize his tyranny with damning evidence such as Anjan Sundaram or Judy Rever  are considered misinformed  when they are not frowned at as upstarts .  

But let us consider the Rwanda opposition. Do we really understand who we are up against?

Kagame is no longer that thug in Ugandan Military fatigues. He is no longer the  apprentice dictator funding warlords  and hiring child soldiers in DRC. He is now a full blown gangster  who trades DRC’s minerals better than DRC itself. He has succeeded in making Rwanda the “ business hub” he intended it to be  so as to ensure the survival of his regime .

Kigali is now the go to place in Africa for those who wish to conduct business regarding their  stolen minerals , money laundering , gun trafficking in a secure ( albeit too secure – armed soldiers all over the town at all times ), internet friendly environment where  there is running water and constant electricity ( at least at the expensive hotels and residences ).

The west and the rest of the world are vaguely aware of the suffering of the rest of Rwanda , that has no access to water or electricity or health care , and they may mention  it to Mr Kagame behind closed doors in passing but that is as far as they will go .

Those Rwandans can only be spoken for by other Rwandans. Because Kagame  is still the killer of our brothers at home and abroad , he is still the jailer of our  innocent ,the  oppressor of our poor and tormentor of our voiceless compatriots now deprived of the right to own land in Rwanda.

Which brings me back to the same questions : How prepared are we in the Rwandan opposition ( abroad) to take on Paul Kagame , the go to man  of the West as far as the great lakes are concerned ? Do we understand whose interests he represents and how far the same will go to defend those interests should the  region’s stability be threatened?

 

  Noble Marara