Opposition still under attack In Rwanda
By: Jennifer Fierberg
In the wise and profound words of Winston Churchill:
“You see these dictators on their pedestals, surrounded by the bayonets of their soldiers and the truncheons of their police … yet in their hearts there is unspoken fear. They are afraid of words and thoughts: words spoken abroad, thoughts stirring at home — all the more powerful because forbidden — terrify them. A little mouse of thought appears in the room, and even the mightiest potentates are thrown into panic.†― Winston Churchill, Blood, Sweat and Tears
If ever a quote embodied the mood that many describe inside of Rwanda to be it is this one. A climate of fear rules day and night with people having to look over their shoulders, fear of speaking where neighbors, friends and even family will report you for speaking negatively about the government. In a nation where trust is small and fear is great there can be no dissention without a legal response. That has been prevalent the most in the political group of the FDU-INKINGI in Rwanda. Their leader remains imprisoned and is scheduled to be sentenced on October 18th, which is ironically the same date that President Paul Kagame of Rwanda is due to be voted for at the United Nations Security Council in the US. Yet, the political gymnastics that has surrounded Victorie Ingabire’s trial is one of Olympic abilities. It is widely known that she is facing a life sentence on charges against her under the ambiguous “genocide law.â€
Her compatriots have kept the diplomatic dream alive but as you will read in the below press release you will see that Kagame’s Rwanda is full of fear:
Press Release:
Kigali, 02 October 2012
Rwanda: Eviction threat to FDU member Theophile Ntirutwa
The local administration and members of the paramilitary militia known as “local defence†intruded the home of Mr. Theophile Ntirutwa, located in Nyarutarama (Kangondo II , Remera sector, Gasabo district) and took him to Nyarutarama police custody for a few hours. His house was sealed off and was ordered to pay Frw 20,000 and told to get out of that area. Apparently this happened after he turned down money collectors from Agaciro development fund, the controversial fund set to pump money from the population to compensate the delayed budget aid in light to overwhelming information that Rwanda is backing M23 rebels in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
8 other FDU-Inkingi members from Rutsiro district have been illegally detained since 15 September 2012. The first lawyer dropped the case after police intimidation. A new defense lawyer, Emmanuel Bimenyimana, took the case but when he reached Nyabirasi detention centre he realised that a kangaroo court has been arranged without any defense, any family member. On 27 September 2012, the Karongi Intermediate Court denied bail and ordered a 30 day-provisional detention in the central prison of Gisovu. A bail appeal has been lodged today. Up to date the Karongi intermediate court has refused to issue a copy of the ruling on the case against FDU-members Mutuyimana Anselme, Uwiringiyimana venuste, Ufitamahoro Norbert, Dukundane Moise, Twizerimana Valens, Nahimana Marcel, Byukusenge Emmanuel and Gasengayire Leonille.
FDU-Inkingi
Boniface Twagirimana
Interim Vice president
Now I can say, if you had done that at first instead of joining FDRL in the jungle of Lambert Mende, you would now all be in Government by now ……well not every thing is lost, try to be good citizens, then mobilize through the grass-root but avoid your Genocidal ideology, and may be, may be….see you during the Elections.
Do you think that you are a good citizen, you may have killed many than him and you still do it. It is not late to think to change your position and be ralistic.
@Kigogo how do you brand a person you might not know as a killer ? Try to express yourself but with some degree of respect, what if I could brand you as a traitor who sells false information against his country ? would you feel comfortable ? No of course, but I can’t do it. For me what Murasira is saying is true, this website promotes what I would qualify as outdated ideology, always it bases its contents on ethnicity, now I am wondering why, considering what this political idea lead to us. As far as FDU inkingi is concerned, let us imagine, that you go to Auschwitz (A memorial site for GENOCIDE AGAINST JEWS) and you start question about the genocide committed by Nazis against Jews, imagine what would happen to you, Look not far away than the President of Iran; Ahmedinejad when he questions the genocide against Jews, what happens to him ? try to make a research you will tell me. Now because it is Rwanda, we must accept anyone including people like UWINGABIRE to come to hurt us on our soil, I don’t think so, we do not deserve to be taken any how by anyone and moreover on our soil. Do you think Democracy is to let anyone do whatever he thinks is right for him ? If so why don’t we see all sorts of parties in the US, but we see only two; Democratic and Republican ? Tell me. The author did well to say that Dictators fear of thoughts stirring at home, now I am asking her what does OBAMA and CONGRESS fear of the ANTI WALL STREET movement at home ? Why isn’t the movement allowed to demonstrate ? Why America allows only Democratic and Republican parties only ? Why can’t we see Socialists and Communists in the US ? I need a clear and simple answer to this question so that I can argue. We need to know a simple concept; DEMOCRACY IS NOT UNIVERSAL, IT DEPENDS UPON THE SITUATION OF A PARTICULAR COUNTRY. Miss Jennifer Fierberg Try to fight the injustice in west more than in Rwanda, speak out for Julianne Assange and Manning, voice your concern for people who are incarcerated in Guantanamo bay, Speak loud for justice for Trayvon who was executed by a white man, speak out for people who are tortured in the name of war on terror and the list continues.
Azs7Vr Very good blog post.Thanks Again. Really Great.