The dictator Kagame at UN

The dictator Kagame at UN
Dictators like Kagame who have changed their national constitutions to remain indefinitely on power should not be involved in UN high level and global activities including chairing UN meetings

Why has the UN ignored its own report about the massacres of Hutu refugees in DRC ?

The UN has ignored its own reports, NGOs and media reports about the massacres of hundreds of thousands of Hutu in DRC Congo (estimated to be more than 400,000) by Kagame when he attacked Hutu refugee camps in Eastern DRC in 1996. This barbaric killings and human rights violations were perpetrated by Kagame’s RPF with the approval of UK and USA and with sympathetic understanding and knowledge of UNHCR and international NGOs which were operating in the refugees camps. According to the UN, NGO and media reports between 1993 and 2003 women and girls were raped. Men slaughtered. Refugees killed with machetes and sticks. The attacks of refugees also prevented humanitarian organisations to help many other refugees and were forced to die from cholera and other diseases. Other refugees who tried to return to Rwanda where killed on their way by RFI and did not reach their homes. No media, no UNHCR, no NGO were there to witness these massacres. When Kagame plans to kill, he makes sure no NGO and no media are prevent. Kagame always kills at night.

26 Oct 2012

Has Torture Ever Been a Secret in Rwanda?

http://www.salem-news.com/articles/october252012/rwanda-torture-jf.php


Oct-25-2012 14:01printcomments

Has Torture Ever Been a Secret in Rwanda?


Committing Habeas Corpus is no secret in Rwanda's legal system. Unlawful detention is part of society for anyone who questions the authority or the national narrative of the Rwandan government.


Kagame
Kagame the 'pearl of Africa'


(WASHINGTON DC) - Another damming report has been released about Rwanda. Amnesty International published a report on October 8, 2012 condemning the "unlawful detention and torture by military intelligence" and urging Rwanda to investigate such findings.

The report "Shrouded in Secrecy" is based on seven research visits to Rwanda between September 2010 and June 2012. Amnesty International conducted over 70 interviews for this report including with individuals previously detained by the military, family members of people disappeared and lawyers. This report explains in great detail how "Between March 2010 and June 2012, Amnesty International documented 45 cases of unlawful detention and 18 allegations of torture or ill-treatment at Camp Kami, Mukamira military camp, and in safe houses in the capital, Kigali." Their extensive reporting on multiple military detention sites as well as safe houses explains how they obtained their information and what they based their findings on. As one reads this report it is hard not to compare the same scenario's to those described in many publications of how unlawful detention as well as detention camps work in North Korea.

Deo Lukyamuzi, Commissioner for External Relations, FDU-Inkingi, stated to this writer that, "There is no surprise in the report. I do find it naïve that Amnesty International is asking the government to investigate the claims in the report when the government is the one committing the abuses."

The report clearly identifies cases of torture, ill-treatment of detainees, serious beatings that were given during interrogations and the use of electric shock. While none of these tactics are new to Rwanda or the international community as a whole when seeking to protect state security of any country but the difference lies in how Rwanda held prisoners in "incommunicado detention" in which they were not allowed to contact lawyers or family members. The AI report states that, "Such incommunicado detention, which includes no access to lawyers, doctors, and relatives and no judicial review of the lawfulness of detention, violates Rwanda's obligations under international law, including guarantees against arbitrary detention and torture."

Dr. Gerald Gahima

Dr. Gerald Gahima, former Attorney General under President Paul Kagame and now founding member of the lead opposition group to the current ruling party in Rwanda had the following to say in regards to this report, "this is really nothing new. The question, why has it not been possible to hold President Kagame and his intelligence and so called 'security services' accountable to date? When do governments that have the means to exert pressure upon him apply the standards that are applied to other states and government?"

The AI report details clearly how suspects held were tortured to the point of giving confessions when they could not take the pain any longer. Many reported to the organization that they would give false confession in order to stop from being shocked electrically any further.

General Kayumba Nyamwasa, former Chief of Staff of the army under President Paul Kagame and founding member of the Rwanda National Congress has the following statement about the AI report to this writer, "What Amnesty reported is just a tip of the iceberg. Many families fear to report what has happened to family members, neighbors or friends. Like all despots, President Paul Kagame thinks murder, terror, forced disappearances and exile will perpetuate him in power. He has been reading from the same script like Gadhafi and Saddam Hussein and may end the same way. Most disturbing is the audacity for Paul Kagame to deny the obvious in parliament vilifying those asking him to account instead of answering the right question. Rwandans have suffered so much under Kagame and we need to turn the page. Right organizations have been reporting about the appalling records of human rights in Rwanda. This report should be a wakeup call to international community, so that they can hold accountable the Rwandan government for those human degrading actions."

AI clearly reports cases of enforces disappearances where family members have no information on the whereabouts of their loved ones who were previously held in these military detention facilities and are unable to obtain information from local police or the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Rwanda as to their whereabouts. The report states, "After their family member was transferred to a civilian prison, they later found out that he had been detained in Camp Kami during this period."

Rene Mugenzi, a Rwandan human right activist stated, "Right organisations have been reporting about the appalling records of human rights in Rwanda. This report should be a wakeup call to international community, so that they can hold accountable Rwandan government for those human degrading actions. Furthermore in wake of this report International criminal courts and other national courts in USA and Europe that are dealing with Rwandan suspected for various crimes presented by the Rwandan government should re-look in their cases to investigate if evidence presented and witnesses testimonies presented by the Rwandan government prosecutor were not obtained under torture and other illegal and human degrading means as identified in the Amnesty report."

Committing Habeas Corpus is no secret in Rwanda's legal system. Unlawful detention is part of society for anyone who questions the authority or the national narrative of the Rwandan government.

Jean Paul Turayishimye, Spokesperson for the Rwanda National Congress stated, "The Justice system in Rwanda is broken. Rwanda has refused to sign the international convention because it will be obligated to the rule of law. Justice Minister, Mr. Karugarama and Prosecutor General, Mr. Martin Ngoga should be ashamed of themselves. They spent their valuable time in law schools to work against what they are supposed to be defending. Recommendations by the Amnesty International are simply saying that. Judges are putting the burden of proof on the defendant instead of the prosecution. You wonder whom these judges work for."

Charles Kambanda a legal expert and educator from Rwanda stated to this writer that, "In my considered opinion, torture of civilians in Rwanda should not be making news. It is an ordinary evil and actually a culture for Rwanda's security organs under Kagame. Kagame is the top commander; He even wondered why his political opponents in prisons do not remain handcuffed throughout. He said this himself. A US Federal Court found the same thing about Kagame's Junta, Kagame's army is feared for one major thing; the extent to which they do torture people."

Victorie Ingabire

In the highly publicized case before the Rwandan Courts currently is that of Victorie Ingabire, political prisoner held and charged with terrorism and the infamous yet ambiguous genocide ideology law. Her case has also been touched with the unlawful practices cited in the Amnesty International report regarding witness in her case that were held at Camp Kami for seven months prior to being brought to court. They were denied their legal protections under the requirement of the International law by being unlawfully detained as well as being questioned without the presence of a lawyer. Victorie Ingabire's case has been riddled with judicial gymnastics and she even ceased to attend court or allow her attorneys to attend court on her behalf due to the inability to receive a fair trial in Rwanda. Her sentencing has been delayed for over six months now and with each scheduled court date the judicial system is able to find a new reason to postpone her sentencing.

There are overwhelming numbers of cases in Rwanda that provide evidence to the international community that receiving a fair trial in Rwanda in nearly impossible. Victorie Ingabires case is crucial to shedding light on how corrupt the judicial system is in Rwanda.

Rwisereka

Former Editor of Umuseso, Charles Kabonero, now living in exile due to his reporting on the government while living in Rwanda, has this to say about the Amnesty International report: "The real issue remains what happens, why and if it can change because in the end the regime in Kigali should be accountable to Rwandans first. I mean, whether the donors think about Rwanda or not, it doesn't replace the fact that if Rwandans are being tortured by the Kagame regime, can't express themselves, there is no rule of law and all, it's the Rwandans suffering, not the donors. Unfortunately, the level of dictatorship and set up of the system in Kigali makes it difficult for Rwandans to express their plight in many of such cases which means that the likes of Amnesty remain the only critical outlet and it's a situation that has been created by the regime which has effectively closed all avenues of free speech. Besides people fearing such consequences as arbitrary arrests, torture, Rwisereka-like incidents, you have another section of Rwandans especially those working in Government who can't speak out on anything critically for fear of losing their jobs because the ruling clique has the powers to do so."

Amnesty International visited Rwanda in June of 2012 to obtain a response from the Government of Rwanda in light of this report and the allegation therein before they published its findings but were unable to secure meetings with high military officials. The AI reports states that, "Brigadier General Joseph Nzambwita, told Amnesty International that the organization's finding were 'categorically false.'"

The recommendations to the Rwandan Government in the report will certain go unheeded by this political organization as have all other recommendations by international groups who call for reforms on the Rwandan Government due to the governments' overuse of calling these critical reports by human rights organization as well as United Nations reports as "biased and misleading." Yet, the reccomendations that the AI report gives to foreign governments, especially development partners in the justice sector and military cooperation, specifically the call to "Suspend any financial support to institutions or security forces involved in human rights violations" is where this will hurt the Government of Rwanda as it has already been seen since July of 2012 when many international partners to Rwanda have been cutting or suspending millions of dollars in aid due to Rwanda's support of a rebel group in the DR Congo which is destabilizing the eastern region of the country.

How much longer can Rwanda continue to deny what is obvious to the international community?

To read the full report by Amnesty International please click on the following link:


http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/AFR47/004/2012/en/ca2e51a2-1c3f-4bb4-b7b9-e44ccbb2b8de/afr470042012en.pdf

_________________________________

Jennifer Fierberg is a social worker in the US working on peace and justice issues in Africa with an emphasis on the crisis in Rwanda and throughout the central region of Africa. Her articles have been published on many humanitarian sites that are also focused on changing the world through social, political and personal action.

Jennifer has extensive background working with victims of trauma and domestic violence, justice matters as well as individual and family therapy. Passionate and focused on bringing the many humanitarian issues that plague the African Continent to the awareness of the developed world in order to incite change. She is a correspondent, Assistant Editor, and Volunteer Coordinator for NGO News Africa through the volunteer project of the UN. Jennifer was also the media co-coordinator and senior funding executive for The Africa Global Village. You can write to Jennifer at jfierberg@ymail.com. Jennifer comes to www.Salem-News.com with a great deal of experience and passion for working to stop human right violation in Africa.

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-“The enemies of Freedom do not argue ; they shout and they shoot.”

The principal key root causes that lead to the Rwandan genocide of 1994 that affected all Rwandan ethnic groups were:

1)The majority Hutu community’s fear of the return of the discriminatory monarchy system that was practiced by the minority Tutsi community against the enslaved majority Hutu community for about 500 years

2)The Hutu community’s fear of Kagame’s guerrilla that committed massacres in the North of the country and other parts of the countries including assassinations of Rwandan politicians.

3) The Rwandan people felt abandoned by the international community ( who was believed to support Kagame’s guerrilla) and then decided to defend themselves with whatever means they had against the advance of Kagame’ guerrilla supported by Ugandan, Tanzanian and Ethiopian armies and other Western powers.

-“The enemies of Freedom do not argue ; they shout and they shoot.”

-“The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish.”

-“The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.”

-“I have loved justice and hated iniquity: therefore I die in exile.”

The Rwanda war of 1990-1994 had multiple dimensions.

The Rwanda war of 1990-1994 had multiple dimensions. Among Kagame’s rebels who were fighting against the Rwandan government, there were foreigners, mainly Ugandan fighters who were hired to kill and rape innocent Rwandan people in Rwanda and refugees in DRC.

READ MORE RECENT NEWS AND OPINIONS

SUMMARY : THE TRAGIC CONSEQUENCES OF THE BRITISH BUDGET SUPPORT AND GEO-STRATEGIC AMBITIONS

United Kingdom's Proxy Wars in Africa: The Case of Rwanda and DR Congo:

The Rwandan genocide and 6,000,000 Congolese and Hutu refugees killed are the culminating point of a long UK’s battle to expand their influence to the African Great Lakes Region. UK supported Kagame’s guerrilla war by providing military support and money. The UK refused to intervene in Rwanda during the genocide to allow Kagame to take power by military means that triggered the genocide. Kagame’s fighters and their families were on the Ugandan payroll paid by UK budget support.


· 4 Heads of State assassinated in the francophone African Great Lakes Region.
· 2,000,000 people died in Hutu and Tutsi genocides in Rwanda, Burundi and RD.Congo.
· 600,000 Hutu refugees killed in R.D.Congo, Uganda, Central African Republic and Rep of Congo.
· 6,000,000 Congolese dead.
· 8,000,000 internal displaced people in Rwanda, Burundi and DR. Congo.
· 500,000 permanent Rwandan and Burundian Hutu refugees, and Congolese refugees around the world.
· English language expansion to Rwanda to replace the French language.
· 20,000 Kagame’s fighters paid salaries from the British Budget Support from 1986 to present.
· £500,000 of British taxpayer’s money paid, so far, to Kagame and his cronies through the budget support, SWAPs, Tutsi-dominated parliament, consultancy, British and Tutsi-owned NGOs.
· Kagame has paid back the British aid received to invade Rwanda and to strengthen his political power by joining the East African Community together with Burundi, joining the Commonwealth, imposing the English Language to Rwandans to replace the French language; helping the British to establish businesses and to access to jobs in Rwanda, and to exploit minerals in D.R.Congo.



Thousands of Hutu murdered by Kagame inside Rwanda, e.g. Kibeho massacres

Thousands of Hutu murdered by Kagame inside Rwanda, e.g. Kibeho massacres
Kagame killed 200,000 Hutus from all regions of the country, the elderly and children who were left by their relatives, the disabled were burned alive. Other thousands of people were killed in several camps of displaced persons including Kibeho camp. All these war crimes remain unpunished.The British news reporters were accompanying Kagame’s fighters on day-by-day basis and witnessed these massacres, but they never reported on this.

Jobs

Download Documents from Amnesty International

25,000 Hutu bodies floated down River Akagera into Lake Victoria in Uganda.

25,000  Hutu bodies  floated down River Akagera into Lake Victoria in Uganda.
The British irrational, extremist, partisan,biased, one-sided media and politicians have disregarded Kagame war crimes e.g. the Kibeho camp massacres, massacres of innocents Hutu refugees in DR. Congo. The British media have been supporting Kagame since he invaded Rwanda by organising the propaganda against the French over the Rwandan genocide, suppressing the truth about the genocide and promoting the impunity of Kagame and his cronies in the African Great Lakes Region. For the British, Rwanda does not need democracy, Rwanda is the African Israel; and Kagame and his guerilla fighters are heroes.The extremist British news reporters including Fergal Keane, Chris Simpson, Chris McGreal, Mark Doyle, etc. continue to hate the Hutus communities and to polarise the Rwandan society.

Kagame political ambitions triggered the genocide.

Kagame  political  ambitions triggered the genocide.
Kagame’s guerrilla war was aimed at accessing to power at any cost. He rejected all attempts and advice that could stop his military adventures including the cease-fire, political negotiations and cohabitation, and UN peacekeeping interventions. He ignored all warnings that could have helped him to manage the war without tragic consequences. Either you supported Kagame’ s wars and you are now his friend, or you were against his wars and you are his enemy. Therefore, Kagame as the Rwandan strong man now, you have to apologise to him for having been against his war and condemned his war crimes, or accept to be labelled as having been involved in the genocide. All key Kagame’s fighters who committed war crimes and crimes against humanity are the ones who hold key positions in Rwandan army and government for the last 15 years. They continue to be supported and advised by the British including Tony Blair, Andrew Mitchell MP, and the British army senior officials.

Aid that kills: The British Budget Support financed Museveni and Kagame’s wars in Rwanda and DRC.

Aid that kills: The British Budget Support  financed Museveni and Kagame’s wars in Rwanda and DRC.
Genocide propaganda and fabrications are used by the so-called British scholars, news reporters and investigative journalists to promote their CVs and to get income out of the genocide through the selling of their books, providing testimonies against the French, access to consultancy contracts from the UN and Kagame, and participation in conferences and lectures in Rwanda, UK and internationally about genocide. Genocide propaganda has become a lucrative business for Kagame and the British. Anyone who condemned or did not support Kagame’s war is now in jail in Rwanda under the gacaca courts system suuported by British tax payer's money, or his/she is on arrest warrant if he/she managed to flee the Kagame’s regime. Others have fled the country and are still fleeing now. Many others Rwandans are being persecuted in their own country. Kagame is waiting indefinitely for the apologies from other players who warn him or who wanted to help to ensure that political negotiations take place between Kagame and the former government he was fighting against. Britain continues to supply foreign aid to Kagame and his cronies with media reports highlighting economic successes of Rwanda. Such reports are flawed and are aimed at misleading the British public to justify the use of British taxpayers’ money. Kagame and his cronies continue to milk British taxpayers’ money under the British budget support. This started from 1986 through the British budget support to Uganda until now.

Dictator Kagame: No remorse for his unwise actions and ambitions that led to the Rwandan genocide.

Dictator Kagame: No remorse for his unwise actions and ambitions that led to the  Rwandan genocide.
No apologies yet to the Rwandan people. The assassination of President Juvenal Habyarimana by Kagame was the only gateway for Kagame to access power in Rwanda. The British media, politicians, and the so-called British scholars took the role of obstructing the search for the truth and justice; and of denying this assassination on behalf of General Kagame. General Paul Kagame has been obliging the whole world to apologise for his mistakes and war crimes. The UK’s way to apologise has been pumping massive aid into Rwanda's crony government and parliement; and supporting Kagame though media campaigns.

Fanatical, partisan, suspicious, childish and fawning relations between UK and Kagame

Fanatical, partisan, suspicious, childish and fawning relations between UK and Kagame
Kagame receives the British massive aid through the budget support, British excessive consultancy, sector wide programmes, the Tutsi-dominated parliament, British and Tutsi-owned NGOs; for political, economic and English language expansion to Rwanda. The British aid to Rwanda is not for all Rwandans. It is for Kagame himself and his Tutsi cronies.

Paul Kagame' actvities as former rebel

Africa

UN News Centre - Africa

The Africa Report - Latest

IRIN - Great Lakes

This blog reports the crimes that remain unpunished and the impunity that has generated a continuous cycle of massacres in many parts of Africa. In many cases, the perpetrators of the crimes seem to have acted in the knowledge that they would not be held to account for their actions.

The need to fight this impunity has become even clearer with the massacres and genocide in many parts of Africa and beyond.

The blog also addresses issues such as Rwanda War Crimes, Rwandan Refugee massacres in Dr Congo, genocide, African leaders’ war crimes and crimes against humanity, Africa war criminals, Africa crimes against humanity, Africa Justice.

-The British relentless and long running battle to become the sole player and gain new grounds of influence in the francophone African Great Lakes Region has led to the expulsion of other traditional players from the region, or strained diplomatic relations between the countries of the region and their traditional friends. These new tensions are even encouraged by the British using a variety of political and economic manoeuvres.

-General Kagame has been echoing the British advice that Rwanda does not need any loan or aid from Rwandan traditional development partners, meaning that British aid is enough to solve all Rwandan problems.

-The British obsession for the English Language expansion has become a tyranny that has led to genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, dictatorial regimes, human rights violations, mass killings, destruction of families, communities and cultures, permanent refugees and displaced persons in the African Great Lakes region.


- Rwanda, a country that is run by a corrupt clique of minority-tutsi is governed with institutional discrmination, human rights violations, dictatorship, authoritarianism and autocracy, as everybody would expect.