The current stand off between Pretoria and Kigali is a climax of the long and old undiplomatic behavior of the Rwandan diplomats not only in South Africa but almost everywhere on African continent and beyond, where Kagame has political opponents. But the last straw that has broken the camel’s back is another attempt to assassinate the Rwandan Former Army Chief Gen. Kayumba Nyamwasa.

According to sources from Pretoria, the South African government has made three Rwandan Diplomats persona no grata on the South African soil due to undiplomatic behavior and in retaliation the Rwandan government has expelled six South African Diplomats accusing them of espionage. The Vienna convention on diplomatic immunity prevents diplomats accredited to a certain country to be held accountable on the crimes committed in the host country. The least the host country can do is to expel them, however, the country that has expelled the diplomats of another country will also see her diplomats expelled, and this is what has exactly happened between Kigali and Pretoria.

According to Article 9(1) of the Vienna Convention

The receiving State may at any time and without having to explain its decision, notify the sending State that the head of the mission or any member of the diplomatic staff of the mission is persona no grata or that any member of the diplomatic mission is unacceptable.

Where is this current row between Kigali and Pretoria heading? Is it a thunder storm that will eventually disappear after the rain and the business between Kigali and Pretoria will resume as usual? Kagame is well known to be the most dangerous human creature on those who don’t worship him or don’t see things in the same manner with him. The late Congo Leader Laurent Desire Kabila was assassinated when he opposed Kagame’s behavior of arrogance and exportation of terrorism worldwide.

When President Kikwete of Tanzania advised the Rwandan ruler to talk to his political opponents, Kagame was not pleased with him, he later declared him a target who will be hit at an appropriate time and place. Indeed, for those who know Kagame very well are aware that he will never rest until he has accomplished   his mission. Should Kagame be left to export terrorism anywhere in the world unabated?

Whereas Terrorism has not yet received an international definition or consensus, it is widely recognized that killing or intimidating with an aim to bring to submission your political opponents is not far from terrorism. Kagame has not hidden his traits, he has publicly admitted that whoever will oppose his government is an enemy of Rwanda and as such will face serious consequences.

The international community has not helped the Rwandan situation, it’s for the first time in the political history that a head of state of any country goes wild or mad and announces that he will kill his political opponents and the international community lays a red carpet for him. Kagame should be politically isolated and his officials put on selected and targeted sanctions for the violations of human rights and crimes against humanity.

Rwanda is on the blink of collapse sooner rather than what the international community might anticipate. The belief that Kagame has suffocated the media, killed all would be challengers and therefore Rwanda is secure, is not only misleading but a time bomb that will explode any time in the same  manner the Arab spring exploded and now is burning uncontrolled. The silence or indifference exhibited by the international community is not only a repeat of the period towards the genocide of 1994 but the behavior is adding fuel to the flames in Kigali politics.

The regional blocks like SADAC, EAC should condemn the Rwandan leader on the acts of terrorism not only on his political opponents but exporting terrorism across the continent and beyond. The Rwandan security forces under the orders of Kagame assassinated the former Rwandan Banker Turatsinze on the Mozambique Soil, his body was found floating on the waters of the Indian Ocean, Karegeya the former comrade and his Spy Chief was also murdered in South Africa. The killings of Col.Theoneste Lizinde and Seth Sendashonga both murders were in Kenya. Similarly, Kagame has not stopped on his own countrymen, he is now the man who has killed three Heads of State of other countries and managed to go with it. Presidednt Juvenal Habyarimana of Rwanda, Cyprian Ntaryamira of Burundi and Laurent Desire of Congo respectively and is now threatening the Tanzanian Head of State that he will kill him.

Kagame should not be handled with soft gloves, this is  a man who thinks or believes that he has the right to kill or he is suffering from the killing disorder , where killing is now  not only a way of eliminating his political opponents but a habit that has now become part of his life. It should be submitted that if Kagame is not stopped he will continue to kill in the same manner as Idi Amin of Uganda or Sani Abacha of Nigeria. It is therefore imperative that all Rwandans work together irrespective of their political differences to remove the monster before the monster leaves no one to tell a story.

Jacqueline Umurungi

Brussels