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Is Peace in Rwanda and in The Great Regions of Africa Achievable?

By: Nziyyumvira Bosco

Since The Rwandan Patriot Front (RPF) invasion on October 01, 1990, as well as during period post invasion, RPF has had a reputation of undermining any chance of a peaceful resolution and has instead waged terror, arbitration, kidnapping and killing of politicians and other everyday Rwandans who dared ask questions. Recently on June 05, 2014 in NYABIHU in western region (Gisenyi), General and President Paul Kagame made it clear that he is going to shoot perceived enemies in broad daylight.

Going back prior to 1994, the then Rwandan government  had always been interested in peaceful resolution, but the RPF led by then General Kagame often found ways and means to disrupt the process, followed by more kidnapping and killings.

On the other note, I would like to remind readers that prior to 1990 invasion,  dialogues in Uganda between the then Rwandan government , Ugandan government and UNHCR were ongoing in order to solve the issue of Rwandan TUTSI refugees.  The RPF decided to invade Rwanda anyway. It was on October 01, 1990 when RPF-INKOTANYI used the border of Kagitumba (northern east Byumba) as their initial entry point, butchering and killing innocent citizens. In only ten days, the Rwandan government then led by President Juvenile Habyarimana, took initiative for peace talks where the Tanzanian President Mwalimu Julius Nyerere was the mediator between two countries leaders (Uganda and Rwanda) and RPF, with little to no success as RPF went on pushing for offensive, in meantime killing everyone in their path. Men, women and children were murdered (approximately 800,000), for the only reason that they refused to join RPF during their supposed three days conquest of their homeland, Rwanda.

In 1991, At LA BOLE in France, a summit for French speaking countries (LA FRANCOPHONIE) the French president highly suggested that African nations implement multiparty system, and Rwanda was one of the first to do so in 1991. However, RPF-INKOTANYI with their deceptions and lies, managed to infiltrate opposition parties mainly within PL (Liberal Party), causing them to lose their main popular objectives, and collapsed. Meanwhile, RPF in their much-focused intrusive objective intensified kidnappings and killing innocent civilians in regions of Byumba and Ruhengeri. Since 1990 The Rwandan government always strived to bring peace and stability in Rwanda.  After failed negotiations in Mwanza, Tanzania, another opportunity for peace talks was initiated in Goma followed by Nsele both in DRC (then ZAIRE), Later in Arusha Tanzania. All of the negotiations were given full participation and dedication by the Rwandan Government, while RPF led by General Kagame did everything possible to undermine them, at the same time preparing a final invasion of Rwanda.

On June3, both the Rwandan Government and the RPF in Arusha Tanzania signed 1993 The Arusha Accord. RPF-INKOTANYI chose not to honor the accord, and resumed offensive on April 6, 1994 when they shot down the Rwandan presents jet killing everyone on board including the sitting presidents from Rwanda and Burundi, sparking massacres all over the country. Rwanda appealed to the United Nation to assist in managing the crisis with no success. Furthermore, an interim government led by Prime Minister Jean Kambanda also reached out to the RPF leadership in CND (parliament building in Kigali) where an RPF battalion was living in accordance with Arusha accord, but RPF rejected the  ceasefire offer and chose to fight on regardless of mounting atrocities all over the country. RPF went on by declaring that they will fight anyone who would try to intervene.

On July 19, 1994, the RPF took control of the country and declared victory, followed by mass arrests and disappearances of people who decided not to flee. Executions began at the Stadiums in Byumba, Kabgayi in Gitarama (where Catholic bishops, nuns and priests were slaughtered), and in many other locations where people were killed in broad daylight by RPF officers. Those who fled were followed by RPF, in 1996 RPF was able to destroy HUTU Refugee Camps in Tanzania, and eastern Congo (Zaire), deliberately  killing civilian men, women, and children by heavy artillery, machine guns, drowning them in rivers, and by many more barbaric means of deaths, the great lake regions of Africa have never seen before.  Like he (Paul Kagame) said before he destroyed BIRAVA refugees camp in south Kivu; “Those dogs that managed to escape I will follow them”. That is exactly what took place. Those who managed to escape; RPF followed them into the Jungles of DRC killing everyone in their path, HUTU refugees and Congolese alike. This information can be backed by the UN report (Mapping Report) published on October 01, 2010. Simultaneously, massacres and arbitrations also went on in Rwanda, where opposition members were persecuted, and leaders arrested like FDU president Victoire Ingabire and the PS-IMBERAKURI President Bernard Ntaganda, and the Green party president Mr.  Andre Kagwa Rwisekera who was beheaded by RPF henchmen, in addition to many  journalists who were arrested, thrown on jail and killed.

In 1997, ABACENGEZI coming from DRC began insurgency activities in Rwanda, fighting for their share of right to govern the country. In efforts to suppress the rebels, RPF killed everyone who was not  an RPF supporters, sometimes decimating entire families in Gisenyi, Ruhengeri , Gitarama and Byumba.

In 1998, during Kabila’s second war, the president of DRC then Laurent Kabila broke ties with RPF, chasing them from DRC. Hutu refugees, who survived RPF massacres in the prior war, responded to Kabila’s call to fight RPF invasion, where they fought in west and eastern DRC successfully repealing RPF. Again in an effort to find a peaceful resolution for Rwandans, FDLR in 2001 took the initiative to disarm, and engage in political and peaceful means. Over 2500 troops were disarmed, housed in KAMINA Military Complex (BAKA), and their weapons were bunt in Kinshasa. Meanwhile with RPF conspiring with Force Armee Congolese (FAC) they decided to decimate FDLR soldiers. On Nov 01, 2002 FDLR soldiers in KAMINA were attacked by Congolese Forces killing the Commander LTC Ndanda, all in front of MONUC (Today’s MONUSCO). The rest were captured and their families and brought to Rwanda against their will. Those who managed to escape took to the jungles of Congo again, this time toward the northeast; there they linked up with FDLR elements that stayed in eastern Congo. In 2003 they reached their destination in east.  Together they decided to pick up weapons again to resist Rwandan aggression.

In 2005, Rwandan Hutu refugees attempted one more time to peacefully resolve their problems with the Rwandan government. In SAN EGIDIO in ROME ITALY, FDLR one more time declared that they abandoned Arms Struggle, and are going to follow political means to end the refugee issue. Quickly, RPF boycotted the meeting and chose to mount fresh mass attacks on the FDLR in DRC, killing more innocent refugees. Killing refugees has been the main tactic used by the so called Rwandan Special forces, in order to defeat FDLR partisans. The only thing RPF and RDF can say they managed to do is to mutilate, slaughter and kill Hutu refugees and Congolese people in eastern Congo.

Simultaneously, RPF was killing Rwandans inside the country, especially those accused of being related to FDLR members, they were given a sentence beyond death. In the program called “NDI UMUNYARWANDA” (I AM RWANDAN in English), RPF teaches that being HUTU is a curse for eternity, but being a TUTSI is a noble and pleasant ethnic to belong too for eternity. In this program HUTUs from old to young are forces to apologize to TUTSIs for supposedly what HUTUs have done since 1959. (In 1959 the majority HUTU revolted against a minority monarch TUTSI, that enslaved Hutus for almost four centuries).  It does not stop there, because even the unborn ones (Hutu) will carry that curse and will always apologize to Tutsi for being such barbaric murderers. This is alienation at its best in this century, but it is happening as we speak.

Unfortunately, The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) had only persecuted Hutus, and is ready to close its doors before any Tutsi figure is indicted. This is a shame to the international community, and had not rendered any justice to Rwandans. In fact, it has shown bias and ignored that Tutsi leaders from RPF massacred millions of Hutu and Congolese.

On December 30, 2013 the FDLR took lead and publically and surrendered its weapons in effort to avoid another conflict one more time try resolving this refugee issue peacefully. FDLR declared that once again is looking forward to end its Armed Struggle if Kigali is willingly to sit with FDLR to discuss a peaceful resolution. Instead of showing good will and interest in peace, the President of Rwanda Paul Kagame, on June 05, 2013 in NYABIHU delivered a very troubling speech, telling NYABIHU residents that he will shoot anyone on broad daylight, who will dares to support anyone who opposes his government, FDLR supporters, adherents, friends and relatives.

Friends, brothers and sisters, looking at all these events that have taken place, we who favor peace; what are we waiting for to help FDLR to achieve Rwandan last long peace?

To the International Community, UN, European Union, African Union, NGO’s and all Rwandan citizens, it is time to put pressure on Kigali and Kagame to look for common interest (Peace), to end his terror and stop the use of barbaric speeches like:

-Those we had to shoot we shot them

-I will crush them

-I will kill a fly with a hammer

-I will shoot them in broad daylight…

These kind of disturbing talks are undermining regional hopes of stability, and Kagame with his RPF are bringing no good to Rwandans and International community to which he is continue to lie that he is a star to follow.

Translated by Jean Paul Romeo Rugero

Edited by Jennifer Fierberg

 

 

 

 

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