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.

13 Jun 2015

Fwd: No. 27727: Burundi: country suffers media black-out after coup attempt -- Media





AfricaFiles



Title: Burundi: country suffers media black-out after coup attempt
Author: Lorraine Nkengurutse
Category: Media
Date: 5/27/2015
Source: African Arguments
Source Website: africanarguments.org

African Charter Article# 9: Every individual shall have the right to receive information and express their opinions.

Summary & Comment: Following a failed coup attempt in May, three radio stations and a private television station were attacked while the ruling party's radio station was also targeted. "The fear of not knowing what is happening is one of the main factors pushing people to flee the country," the author writes. -BF



http://africanarguments.org/2015/05/27/burundi-country-suffers-media-black-out-after-coup-attempt-by-lorraine-nkengurutse/

Burundi's media has been silenced. People no longer walk or sit with have their phone glued to their ear - there is hardly anything left to listen to. A day after the failed coup attempt of 13th May, three influential radio stations and one widely watched private television channel were destroyed, reportedly by policemen and military said to be loyal to president Pierre Nkurunziza. Authorities accuse African Public Radio (RPA), Bonesha Radio Sans Frontière (RSF), Radio Isanganiro and Renaissance TV of supporting the protests against President Pierre Nkurunziza's bid to run for a third term in office. The ruling party's radio Rema FM was also destroyed.

This absence of information has left the field free to fear and rumour. It is very difficult to remain informed and many unverified images and stories are circulating on social media. The fear of not knowing what is happening is one of the main factors pushing people to flee the country.

When President Pierre Nkurunziza arrived at Bujumbura from Dar es Salaam the day after the failed coup led by General Major Godefroid Niyombare, a former rebel of CNDD- FDD, he promised to allow media stations and publications to reopen. This was, however, made extremely difficult, as the General Director of Renaissance TV was prohibited by police from even entering the premises of his damaged station.

Willy Nyamitwe, the senior advisor in charge of information and communication in the Office of the Presidency, explained that the media can only resume work after the investigation into its attack concluded. He adds that the president didn't promise that media outlets would be reopened, but rather that an investigation would take place to find out who was responsible. "We must first wait for the public prosecutor to finish his investigation, to identify the losses and to catch the perpetrators so [they can] be punished according to the law," specified Nyamitwe.

This statement was not appreciated by journalists who fear that it is simply a means of preventing private media from operating again. "I know how investigations are done in Burundi. They don't want us to work again. This is a way to stop private media broadcasting indefinitely," complained a journalist with Renaissance TV.

Silencing the media

The chief Editor of Radio Sans Frontière (RSF) Bonesha, Léon Masengo said the attack was clearly politically motivated: "Policemen and militaries that said they were loyalists came here to destroy our material. We had done nothing wrong. We were only here to inform the population."

Innocent Muhozi, the president of Burundi Press Observatory (OPB) and Director of Radio Television Renaissance, denounced the Media houses' destruction by policemen. He states that freedom of expression is guaranteed by the Burundian Constitution.

"This is totally absurd. Some of our colleagues are in hiding, others have fled the country. Those who are still here, live in fear. This country is clearly heading for disaster."

While not taking responsibility for the media black-out, the senior advisor in charge of information and communication in the presidency, Willy Nyamitwe, has stated that private radio stations were complicit in the attempted coup. "They were with the plotters because the latter were in their studios and they have been broadcasting this and even some songs and they have been accompanying this plot as partners."

The battle for the media occurred after opposition political parties and civil society organizations, united as the 'Arusha Movement,' and spent over a month demonstrating against the candidature of President Pierre Nkurunziza. The National Council for the Defense of Democracy- Forces for Defense Democracy (CNDD-FDD), the ruling party, presented Pierre Nkurunziza as the candidate for the presidential election of June 2015, a plan that critics say violates the Burundi constitution and the Arusha Peace Accords.

Tensions mounted over the course of several weeks, finally boiling over when dissident members of the armed forces led by General Major Godefroid Niyombare, a former rebel of CNDD- FDD, announced a coup against the president. Nkurunziza was in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, where he was participating in a Summit of East African Community Heads of States, organized to find a solution for the deteriorating security situation in Burundi.

Some media still active

Today only Burundi National Radio Television (RTNB) (a state radio station) is still broadcasting in the country. Other important sources of information are international media such as RFI, VOA and the BBC. Bear in mind that since 27 April, the second day of demonstrations, four influential radio stations were prevented from broadcasting in the countryside. The most popular radio station - African Public Radio (RPA) - was shut down on police orders. It was briefly reopened by the team surrounding General Major Godefroid Niyombare who attempted to overthrown President Pierre Nkurunziza. When the coup was quashed, the RPA building was set on fire by people believed to be loyal to the President.

Iwacu Press Group, the principal newspaper in Burundi, suspended activities after the attempted coup because of security concerns. After thorough deliberation, Iwacu restarted its activities on 19th May, despite worries about the security of journalists. In his speech to mark the reopening of Iwacu, Director Antoine Kaburahe indicated that he cannot guarantee the security of journalist nor the IWACU premises. "We are not sure that our journalists will be respected in the field, but we decided to continue our mission of providing information in spite of the risks we are facing."

A day later, journalists who went to cover the demonstrations in different communes of the capital were blocked from taking pictures or collecting information. "Policemen and Imbonerakure intimidate and force us to leave the place after deleting all the pictures taken from there," explained one IWACU journalist. "We cover demonstrations timidly. I worry that policemen will shoot at us. Today, no journalist was authorized to take pictures or interview protesters at Musaga, one of the communes in the south of Bujumbura that has seen some of the most violent protests. Even international journalists have been repulsed by policemen who were shooting at protesters."

Meanwhile, the protesters welcome the journalists, because they believe that policemen won't shoot at them when journalists are present. Policemen, however, fear the media. "Policemen don't like to appear in the media. They complain that the International Criminal Court (ICC) will use the images and pictures to sentence them," a protester from Musaga explained to an Iwacu journalist.

On Wednesday 20th May President Nkurunziza appeared on television to give a national address. While Burundians were expecting a healing speech from the President after four weeks of crisis in Burundi, members of the Arusha Movement judge the speech as intimidation. Nkurunziza warned local and international journalists: "I warn any journalist who attempts to spread information that promotes hatred and division between Burundians or brings discredit to the Burundi Government or encourages an insurrection movement especially during the electoral period". The day after the President's speech, the president of the National Council of Communication, Richard Giramahoro, met with international journalists and correspondents present in Burundi to explain to them that they are not in the country to cover protesters against Pierre Nkurunziza candidature. They are there to cover the election process.

Many Burundians have lost hope. They don't have access to information and wild rumours are swirling around Bujumbura. People fear that the shutdown of private media is a strategy of the government to kill, arrest or torture their political opponents with impunity. "Denying us access to information is killing the population. We live in extreme fear," said a woman living at Nyakabiga, one of Bujumbura city council Communes."We don't know what is happening around us. Now people are killed, arrested and we don't hear about it."

Lorraine Nkengurutse is a Burundian journalist.







Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the AfricaFiles' editors and network members. They are included in our material as a reflection of a diversity of views and a variety of issues. Material written specifically for AfricaFiles may be edited for length, clarity or inaccuracies.


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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.

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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.