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Brussels: Oppositions parties call for a greater participation to get rid of Rwanda “weakened dictatorship”

Oct 31st, 2013 at 7:12 | By Amani Tuyishime | Category: Top news

The opposition parties Rwanda National Congress (RNC-Ihuriro) and the United Democratic Forces (FDU-Inkingi) are so far “very satisfied” with the results achieved after three years of close collaboration. However, the parties urge Rwandans inside and outside the country for a greater involvement to end the current “cynical and cruel dictatorship of the RPF in Rwanda”. That was the message delivered to more than a hundred Rwandans who attended a public meeting of three (unregistered) opposition parties in Brussels, 13 October 2013.

Collaboration

The public meeting was organized to assess the three year of collaboration between two of the main opposition parties: RNC and FDU-Inkingi; to assess the current political situation in Rwanda and to welcome a new member Amahoro People Congress, (a relatively new party mainly active in North America).

In fact, since three years FDU-Inkingi, (party of the imprisoned opposition leader Victoire Ingabire ) and RNC (founded by former very close allies of President Kagame ) have been working together in what they call “the opposition platform”. Their collaboration has been mainly focused on the diplomatic field and mobilization of the Rwandan people for a democratic change.

Among the key speakers were: Mr. Etienne Masozera, President ofAmahoro People’s Congress; Dr. Nkiko Nsengimana, of FDU-Inkingi coordinating committee ; and Dr. Theogene Rudasingwa, RNC Coordinator and former RPF Secretary General, Ambassador of Rwanda to the United States, and Chief of Staff for President Paul Kagame.

Addressing the assembly, Dr. Nkiko, acting Coordinator of the platform said that in the beginning very few believed in the success of such collaboration would work. “Back in 2010, skeptics and others in Kigali had given us two to three months and not more for our collaboration to collapse but, three years later, we are sitting here stronger than ever” Dr. Nkinko Nsengimana said. « Our collaboration still stands and is even stronger because it’s based on a common goal (a free Rwanda for all) and it also based on a frank-talk. We don’t bypass any issue concerning our country – the word taboo is not in our dictionary” Dr. Nkiko (FDU) added.

Masozera, whose party had just been introduced to the public as a new member of the platform, said to be very pleased to see Rwandans from all sides and ethnic background discussing in harmony and respectful way about the future of their country, even on very sensitive issues like the genocide and other crimes committed in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). He went on saying that everywhere you find a Rwandan you will sense his/her deep attachment to his/her country. ”A Rwandan Rwanda hater doesn’t exist, those who say that are liars” Mr. Masozera said. “All Rwandans love Rwanda, each in their own ways.” he added. « Who are you to dictate people the way to love their country? Why can’ t we such discussions in our country, Rwanda ? » he asked, in a rather emotional voice.

Achievements

Dr. Rudasingwa who then tried to summarize the progress made during the three years of collaboration said that what is most important is the contribution they gave into eradicating fear among Rwandans. “Rwandans, especially in the Diaspora are no longer afraid to speak out against the Kagame’s harsh dictatorship” Dr. Rudasingwa said.

Dr. Nkiko added that by diplomatic means, the platform shows the world the true nature of the “current regime in Kigali.” He recalled that until recently, the “brutal regime” was cherished by almost everyone in the West. Although he later acknowledged that Kigali government has also helped to expose itself by his recent “adventures in the Democratic Republic of Congo” and M23 last war. « Nevertheless, the remaining challenges to finally liberate our country of this cruel dictatorship require us even more efforts to be able to overcome. » Dr. Nkiko added.

Challenges and prospects for future

To highlight the dangers that Rwanda faces in the (near) future, if nothing is done, Dr. Rudasingwa made the following anecdote on how the country is currently run: “It is like a driver who is lost and instead of stopping and asking the right track, he continues to accelerate, even harder, without knowing where he is going and how he will stop the vehicle.”

The aim is to extend the collaboration with other parties to have more synergy into the opposition and to create a much stronger and larger political opposition platform. While consultations with other political parties are set be to continued, the three parties assure that their intention is not to create a new forum for political parties like that exists in Rwanda. The latest is seen by the three and many political analysts and scholars as a way the ruling party, RPF (Rwandan Patriotic front) uses to dictate its agenda to other parties. For the three, there is a need for diversities of ideas also within the opposition.

For Mr. Masozera the mission of the Rwandan political opposition should not only focus on removing the current dictatorship to bring a democratic change. For him, the biggest challenge of the opposition is to ensure that this change for which they advocate, can be done smoothly. “We need to be sure and to reassure the [traumatized] population that what we [opposition] want to set up is not going to be worse than it was”, Mr. Masozera said. He compared the tasks that the opposition must do to those of an airplane, which begins the landing maneuvers in turbulence and with a slippery runway awaits: “We will have to succeed the landing without disturbing the passengers and the aircraft must remain intact” he said.

Answering a question from a person in the public, who asked the panel what they expect from ordinary Rwandans who desire to see positive changes in Rwanda, Dr. Rudasingwa replied : “if I could resume what we expect from Rwandans in one word, it would be: “participate. Participate by giving you more of your time, recourses, taking part in discussions, demonstrations, explaining into your communities where you live. Get involved in the struggle for a truly free Rwanda”.

“While Kagame works 24h/7 to keep his weakened regime together, we can’t afford to keep on fighting the same dictatorship on part-time basis” – Mr. Musonera Jonathan, Head of Mobilisation in RNC added.

Among the concrete joint projects announced at the meeting that a new shortwave radio has caught public’s attention. The radio should be heard through the entire Great Lakes region. According to the opposition parties, radio remains the most effective way to reach people in the interior, especially those in rural areas, which has so far had the right political message of the ruling RPF. The new radio station is said to be operational in the coming months.

The way forward

Even if the meeting took place in a rather friendly climate, the questions and discussions that followed the keynotes of the speakers show that there is still a long way to go to restore the confidence between the different components of the Rwandan community.

These questions which mainly focused on the genocide in 1994 and on the up today unpunished crimes against the Hutus committed by elements of the RPF in Rwanda from 1990-1998 and in Congo from 1996-2004, the last of which if they were proven before a competent court, could be classified as crimes of genocide, according to the UN Mapping Report of 2010. Those crimes and the way they were handled in justice or simply ignored, continue to divide Rwandans and it will remain that way as long as the truth is half told and justice delivered to one part and/or used against the other.

Asked by Jambonews about how he perceives these heated discussions, a participant who didn’t want to be named said: “at least here, we have the right to express how we really feel, and they give us the impression to listen and that they try to answer sincerely, even if they remain politicians”.

Amani Tuyishime

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