The Rwandan ruler was received in Paris by a hostile environment by Members of the Rwandan and Congolese Diaspora, and they traveled from a number of European countries to protest Rwandan President Paul Kagame’s presence in France, at the invitation of UNESCO.

Opposition protesters

Amid tight security, Rwandan President Paul Kagame was one of the guest speakers to the UNESCO eleventh International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Broadband Commission meeting in the French capital Paris.

As protesters on the sidelines of the event hurled insults and accused the leader of committing war crimes in his own country and neighboring Congo.

The protesters, mainly Rwandans and Congolese in exile, brandished placards with photos of bloodied victims and orphans, shouting ‘Kagame is an assassin’ and ‘he raped our mothers’.

Many Congolese attended the protest, with placards which were painted with the word ‘rapist’ — a reference to militias that Rwanda has supported in the Democratic Republic of Congo, whose members have been accused of raping and killing civilians.

Kagame supporters

However, few Kagame Supporters shot back with the slogan ‘Kagame is a visionary regional leader’, and rival sides were separated by the police to avoid any conflict and scuffles as it has been the case in previous occasions.

 

As usual these events or travels by Kagame outside Rwanda have become a heavy burden for the Rwandan tax payer because whenever Kagame is travelling especially in Europe and North America the government have to organize members of the Diaspora who are paid to go and sing or wave placards in support of Kagame.

Organizers of the event pay huge sums of money for both accommodation and transport and the media propagandist who are selected by the Rwandan government through their respective Embassies to attend.

 

The Paris protests are like other protests that welcome Kagame wherever and whenever he goes because of his criminal record in his own country and neighboring Congo. For example other previous protests, the protesters have been throwing eggs at the presidential car, and the police have been getting it hard to control angry protesters and supporters from charging each other.

 

The demonstrators used megaphones to convey their message and shouting “We came here to protest against Kagame because he’s a criminal,” People were heard shouting

.

“He killed a lot of people not only in Rwanda but in the Congo. He’s responsible for the deaths of millions of people.” “And we know that he’s responsible for supporting of the rebels in EasternCongo that have killed and raped innocent people,” They added.

 

Kagame is now planning to change the Rwandan Constitution so that he can extend his rule after his Constitutional mandate expires in 2017.  However, this has come at a high price, because Kagame has started eliminating all the potential challengers including those perceived to be sympathizers of the democratic change in the country.

 

In light  with Kagame’s strong lobbying machinery and staunchest supporters like former US President Bill Clinton and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Western governments have continued to grudgingly back the strongman in the belief he has kept ethnic extremism at bay.

Yet the Rwandan ruler has been accused by the United Nations and human rights groups of looting the Democratic Republic of Congo of mineral riches and stoking a war that began in 1996.  Despite all these human rights abuses, Kagame’s stay beyond 2017, is no longer if, but come 2017, he will be the same person on the face coin of Rwanda.

 

Jacqueline Umurungi

Brussels.

 

Placide KayitareAFRICADEMOCRACY & FREEDOMSHUMAN RIGHTSJUSTICE AND RECONCILIATIONLATEST NEWSThe Rwandan ruler was received in Paris by a hostile environment by Members of the Rwandan and Congolese Diaspora, and they traveled from a number of European countries to protest Rwandan President Paul Kagame's presence in France, at the invitation of UNESCO. Opposition protesters Amid tight security, Rwandan President Paul Kagame was one...PUBLISHING YOUR NEWS WITH CUTTING EDGE STYLE