The Challenges of Civil Societies in Rwanda against RPF Brutal regime.

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Despite the current plague of mysterious death of innocent Rwandans in the country, Rwanda Civil Societies, Women groups, and our Parliament, Independent Human Rights Commission and the Police have not only remained silent but sometimes have been used as a tool for silencing government opponents.

The availability of independent Institutions in any given society is not a copy and paste from one country to another just to show the outside world that Rwanda also has independent institutions, rather it is these institutions that if they don’t work or are mismanaged they inflict a curse on their people. Indeed, the reason extrajudicial killings or corruption are so pervasive and also unacceptable norm in Rwanda is the non-existence of strong institutions to hold those in power accountable.

 

How can Rwanda be praised for having the biggest number of women in the parliament, yet they cannot even stand up for the Rights of their fellow women who are widowed by the regime they serve for almost a daily basis? Where are the professional organisations that represent different working groups? For example Rwanda Medical Doctors association, where Dr Gasakure was a member? Where are the Rwandan Business Communities that would have been instrumental in putting to task the government in the death of their member Rwigara Assinapol?

The illegal and continued detention of Col. Tom Byabagamba and Gen. Frank Rusagara without the constitutional bail, the suffocation of any independent media or freedom assembly, the unanimous song that Kagame should be given another term after his term ends in 2017,is fundamentally flawed and should be put to scrutiny by Civil Societies in the country.

Within established and emerging democracies saddled with anaemic democratic institutions and systemic power imbalances, civil society must take a leading role in preventing human rights abuses and holding the leaders accountable.

Rwanda has good legislation but many redundant week institutions, intimidated by the regime or just agents of the regime which have fuelled the current wave of human rights abuses. Indeed, Unfettered by restrictive legislation, civil society can help establish the institutions and mechanisms necessary to temper autocratic relapses.

However, as evidenced by the silence of Rwanda Civil Societies in recent mysterious death or disappearances of innocent Rwandans, the discovery of many dead bodies wrapped in plastic bags and thrown in the Akagera River ending up in Lake Rweru in Burundi, Rwanda Independent Civil Societies have a long way to go in the defence of basic freedoms of Rwandans.

The invasion of Congo and other illegal atrocities of the RPF regime have gone or passed unquestioned, fragile governments born of armed rebellion like RPF may be unforthcoming to allow the scrutiny of civil society over their policies as a basic element of democratic governance.

Governments, like Rwanda that are increasingly feeling the pressure of normative international human rights obligations, have resorted to perverting domestic legislation to silence dissenting voices. Most prominently, as recently observed the Rwandan government is erecting rule by lawstate, the government introduced legislation undermining constitutional and international obligations. Imprisoning whoever challenges its authority, For example, the recent sentencing of Kizito Mihigo and his colleagues for more than Ten Years vindicates the hurdle the Rwandan Civil Societies have in the fight against the human rights abuses in the country.

Furthermore, citing the success of the “Chinese model,” the Rwandan government has suspended civil and political rights while it looks to stimulate what it calls economic growth. Pluralistic democracies in the world demand plurastic civil socities that check and balance the power of governments as a matter of ensuring that a wide spectrum of society is able to have their voices and interests recognized within governmental processes.

 

Joseph Ruhumuriza

Legal Researcher Great Lakes Human Rights Link.

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