Belgium Worried About Lack Of Democracy In Rwanda

Published on February 4 2010 by KANYARWANDA

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Thursday, February 4, 2010

Belgium Worried About Lack Of Democracy In Rwanda

The new Foreign Affairs minister of Belgium, Steven Vanackere (CD&V), recently visited the great lakes region. On January 25th, Belgium newspaper De Standaard reports:

`Vanackere benadrukt dat hij in Congo, Rwanda en Burundi geen enkel gespreksthema uit de weg is gegaan. ‘Zo heb ik in Congo het hoofd van de militaire justitie erop gewezen dat je geen opleiding nodig hebt om te weten dat je niet moet verkrachten.'En aan de Rwandese president Paul Kagame — voor wie De Gucht altijd een stuk milder was dan voor Kabila — zei Vanackere dat hij bezorgd was over het gebrek aan een oppositiepartij.`

In English:

`Vanackere stressed that on his visit to Congo, Rwanda and Burundi, no subject has been avoided. 'I have, for example, told the head of military justice in Congo that you don't need education to know that you should not rape.' And he told the Rwandese President Paul Kagame, of which his predecessor Karel de Gucht was less critical, that he had worries about the lack of a opposition party.`

Today, the largest Dutch newspaper, de Telegraaf, writes that Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza, who has recently returned to Rwanda as Presidential Candidate for a Rwandan political party, has been attacked at a municipal office in Rwanda. Police stood by without protecting her and her assistant. The New Times, a "newspaper" that in reality publishes propaganda in favor of the current military junta, has for weeks been writing half-truths and lies about her. Off course, again today, the New Times wrote a distorted account of what actually took place: "Ingabire was standing in line and didn't want to wait for her turn." I am affraid The New Times campaign of character assasination will continue. There strategy seems to be: "Throw as much shit at her, some of it will stick." Allafrica, a faithfull publisher of government friendly press in Rwanda, continues to pass on these "press releases". It's amazing it doesn't hurt their business model. Makes me wonder concerning the credibility of the news they receive from other "news sources" in Africa. US mainstream media have kept silent about Ingabire´s return to Rwanda so far, makes me wonder how much longer they can wait. I can´t wait to hear what Philip Gourevitch or Stephen Kinzer have to say about her.

Voice Of America reports that Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza will today publish an open letter to Paul Kagame demanding protection in the run up to the Presidential elections. Wouldn't it be great if Reverend Rick Warren made a video with his "friend paul", a civil forum setting would do, asking him to protect Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza?

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ambrose · less than 1 minute ago

I think people close to Bill Clinton, Tony Blair and Reverend Rick Warren, all personal friends of Paul Kagame, should tell them that what he is doing to Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza is tarnishing their image. In fact, when you are a friend of a dictator, thief or a criminal, you too somehow you bear those characteristics. For their sake I think they should distance themselves from their friend, unless the ties are so tight they cannot be distorted.

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kirenga · less than 1 minute ago

No one needs to throw shit on ingabire here, she is full of it herself by harboring divisive ideologies. and why should she ask for protection when she has not even registered her party? The campaigin has not even started and she is trying to stir up things. we all know her agenda; she is here as a proxy of tutsi hating westerners, genocide deniers and their cohorts. That is why they will incite her to break the law at any chance so they can scoff at the kigali establishment and throw accusations of all kinds in order to discredit its democratic credentials. i dont think you will get what u want here!!

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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Mukunzi · less than 1 minute ago

why are you even reading this article Kirenga???Do you think that it right to beat an innocent lady just because she dared to speak up when no one else had? Maybe you are right! we ll never get what we want. But i dont see any reason why we should not be heard. Unless you dont beleive in democracy? ( i have a feeling you dont) we are not going to accept this injustice just because it is convinient.

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Ann_Garrison 24p · less than 1 minute ago

I like this description of the Rwanda New Times: :"a 'newspaper' that in reality publishes propaganda in favor of the current military junta. . . ," though I'd add another clause to make it, "a 'newspaper' that in reality publishes propaganda in favor of the current military junta, which serves as the U.S. and its allies' proxy army in the wars for African resources."

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Ann_Garrison 24p · less than 1 minute ago

kirenga. . . "she has not even registered her party?" Will she be allowed to, when she tries? And, election? Really? What election? The Parti Social-Imberakuri has been threatened with losing its registration for the crime of "genocide ideology," which Human Rights Watch defines as "disagreeing with the government or making unpopular statements." http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/04/11/power-horro... The Democratic Green Party of Rwanda has five times tried to convene, as they must in order to register, only to be shut down by Kafakaesque bureaucratic obfuscation, and, on 10.30.2009, violence. See ttp://www.opednews.com/articles/No-Green-Party-banner-over-by-Ann-Garrison-091101-47.html.

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Ann_Garrison 24p · less than 1 minute ago

Also, CP, I'd like to know how sincere you think this is, or rather, what Belgium's real motivations are---insofar as "Belgium" can be anthropomorphized. (I'm sure there are different tendencies within the Belgian government, towards Africa, so let's just say, what do you think the thrust and or consequence of this concern is likely to be?) Especially given the arrival of Belgian commandos, to join the RPF soldiers flown all the way across Congo, to join MONUC, AFRICOM, and FARDC soldiers who weren't defecting, in putting down the Resistance Patriots of Dongo?