It is a fresh afternoon in Karongi. The scenery is quintessentially Rwandan – soft white mist curling gently over green undulated hills. But with Presidential elections taking place in a matter of days, the incumbent’s campaign machine has made a pit stop at this district in the country’s Western Province.
As a result, it is no ordinary day in Karongi. Everywhere you look, the hill slopes are heaving with young people sporting white caps and T-shirts with the face of the man they have come to see, their President Kagame.
Some are waving the Rwandan flag, others are brandishing cardboard signs with Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) slogans painted on. All are looking towards the stage where the President is speaking. Kagame, a tall and wiry individual, is dressed in a baggy red polo shirt, his rally outfit.
He addresses the audience in a slow, breathy voice, his words frequently interrupted with deliberate caesuras that last several seconds. The mood is upbeat but restrained. The calmness of the atmosphere is slightly unnerving, if not unexpected.
Paul Kagame, a Tutsi, has effectively ruled the country since he first marched on Kigali as the leader of the RPF following the 1994 genocide, in which tens of thousands of majority Hutus massacred 800,000 mostly Tutsi minority Rwandans.
That he will emerge the victor of the elections that will take place on 9th August is a foregone conclusion. Whether his victory will be won fairly has, however, been subject to intense debate.
Carina Tertsakian, a researcher at Human Rights Watch who specializes in Rwanda, claims that there has been foul play in the run up to elections. “In the months leading up to the August elections we really have seen a further crackdown on any form of opposition, dissent or criticism,” she said.
Indeed, opposition parties have been intimidated and harassed and United Democratic Forces (UDF-Inkingi), the most credible opposition to Kagame, have been obstructed from registering. The party’s leader, Victoire Ingabire has been under house arrest since April.
Other parties have sunk into similar quagmires: the Social Party’s leader, Bernard Ntaganda, is in jail, and the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda has been barred from running. Moreover, those opposition parties that have been allowed to run operate with tiny budgets: the Social Democratic Party must take out a loan and the Liberal Party and Party of Progress are working on a shoestring.
The full repercussions of the opposition’s paltry economic resources are even more stark when contrasted with Kagame’s campaign, which is estimated to be worth approximately 1.5 million Euros.
In addition, two newspapers have been shut down, the BBC’s Rwanda service has been suspended, and a handful of the regime critics have been found dead.
“These are not elections,” insists Joseph Sebarenzi, Rwanda’s former President of Parliament, who fled the country in 2000. “Elections pose competition but in Rwanda today you don’t have that competition. These are not elections, but just deception to make sure the international community believe they are.”
According to Kagame’s challengers, such political violence is not a new development born out of the unique pressures of the election period, but easily falls within the general trajectory of political domination that Kagame has relied on to retain power.
The RPF has dominated the government, legislature, and military since 1994. The leader stands accused of having ordered the violent breakup of several Hutu refugee camps and the forced their return to Rwanda in 1995. His regime’s police force and military groups in the arbitrary arrest, disappearance, and believed assassination of thousands of Rwandans from the late 1990s to the present day.
Kagame’s response to such charges against his military arm has an air of helplessness: “You can imagine trying to stand between people who are so seriously aggrieved, and having the desire to settle it because there was no justice infrastructure at that time.”
Furthermore, the election of Kagame in 2003 was seriously marred, according to outside observers. Opposition candidates were threatened or imprisoned. The most credible opposition party, led by ex prime minister Faustin Twagiramungu, a Hutu, was outlawed.
“The people trying to bring new ideas were purged and most of them are in exile and others who are in Rwanda have no choice other than to keep quiet,” says Joseph Sebarenzi.
Kagame’s antagonists assert that integral to the leader’s terror tactics has been the manipulation of memory of the genocide to hold his people hostage to history. Indeed, it does seem that the main discourse that underlies Kagame’s accusations against his political opponents is the often erroneous contention that they are supporters of “genocide ideology.”’
Victims are aplenty. They include the leader of the opposition, Imbagire. She was arrested under charges of genocide ideology, divisionism and terrorism. Other high-profile examples include the PS-Imberakuri’s leader, Bernanrd Ntaganda.
However, Kagame’s supporters insist that Rwanda, which has not yet managed to fully cauterize the wounds of genocide, is not ready for democracy. Alvera Mukabaramba, one of Kagame’s opponents, who has been accused of being a supporter of Kagame and running as Kagame’s opponent in collusion with the leader so that he may claim victory in a carefully choreographed election, promotes such a view: “People who criticize us should understand where we come from. Our democracy is very young. In recent years we have been busy creating a new society,” she defended. “The time will come for us to speak more openly about issues of the past. Now, we have to build our future.”
Moreover, many insist that what Kagame lacks in respect for democracy is made up for in his ability to strengthen the country’s economy. They highlight that Rwanda’s economy has burgeoned at an impressive rate of 6.4% per year since 2001. The streets are clean and the skies are bristling with cranes as high-risers take center stage in Kigali’s center. The economy will probably expand by around 7 percent this year as the government increases subsidies for farmers and the construction industry burgeons. Rwanda was named the world’s most improved country of 2009 by the World Bank. Rwanda is also attracting more foreign investment, which reached $230 million last year. In addition, there has been much discussion of the installation of wireless internet throughout the country, which some have commented will transform the country into the ICT hub of Africa by 2020. There have also been moves to invigorate Rwanda’s banking sector.
Economic development has been the key to Kagame’s strategy of ensuring reconciliation and sustainable peace in Rwanda. In a recent interview Kagame stated, “It will be a long, difficult process – we are under no illusions – and development is really the key. We must create economic opportunity, build a culture of entrepreneurship, get people to take responsibility for improving their lives, rather than putting them in a position where they sit back in their poverty and blame others for it.”
85% of Rwanda’s population are Hutus,Kagame a tutsi wins 93% .What does that tell you? Does it not undermine you statements above that ” kagame does not trust this generation of Hutus”.
we didnt not vote for him I am sure like in my area of Kigombe in Ruhengeri many people decided not to go to the polling stations because they wanted to f=vote for Ingabire and I am sure unless the people of Rwanda the majority stand up for thweir own democracy otherwise we are going to die under Tutsi oppression again I am hoping that Hutus can accept to sacrifice their lives for democracy and genuine reconciliation in Rwanda…..I call upon them wherever they are to support us who are inside Rwanda now to liberate this nation of Rwanda because there is no way 85% people who do not like Kagame because he killed them ever since 1990s can vote for him 93%. Museveni went into bushes because of claimed rigging in Uganda I dont see any reasons why Rwandans cannot peacefully stand up against this obvious rigged elections. we dont have to take arms but we can stand up and refuse to go to work and push for a free and fair democracy in Rwanda for all rwandans
@Sina. I think the question you asked you addressed it to the wrong person. The author seems to know the reason Kagame may have won 93%. It’s not that Hutus love him but because he forced them to show to the world they loved him. If he dares to let them show him their dislike he would be surprised. He cannot allow such option because he would straightaway be taken in front of courts.
I am a hutu and we didnt vote for Kagame you SINA?we were forced to wake up very early in the morning before 4am by the army to go to vote and our voting cards were taken by the soldiers who used them to vote for Kagame and they later returned them to us. so where is the credibility of your statement saying that Hutus voted for that monster Kagame?No hutu can ever vote for this mosnter and no hutu will ever vote for Kagame willingly. you have to look for wherre you will go when America stops imposing Kagame on us Hutus. Since 400 years ago you are still enslaving us in 21st century.I wish all hutus whether us inside and those outside could join hands together we free ourselves from this monster. now we are going to suffer other 7 years more?Oh AMERICAAAAAAAA cant you hear that we are suffering under oppression?if we dont liberate this country our children will.
lorsque SINA, KAMANZI, AMBROSE parlent que ” kagame tutsi a été élu par les Hutu alors que les hutu sont 85 pour cent de la popu du rwanda, oppression Tutsi……” alors recommande de refuser d’aller travailler au lie de vivre opprimer par les Tutsi , j’ose espérer que ces sont des vulgaires ethénistes sans instruction aucune sinon,C’est très demmage qu’ils parlent démocratie. parler plutôt idée et progrès car on retiendra que les hutu ont dirigé le Rwanda pendant des décenies comme Kagame mais seul le résultat compte, un hutu mourra hutu et Tutsi mêmement
There are a lot of incorrect information in this article that point to lack of knowledge about Rwanda. For example the author says that BBC Rwanda program has been suspended yet the program is functioning normally; also Ingabire is written as Imbabire.
The author does not have the grasp of what is happening in Rwanda. There are no tensions in Rwanda, instead there is stability and tranquility. The survivors of genocide are slowly by slowly healing, mainly because of peace, stability and economic development. It is such tangible things that matter for the ordinary Rwandans; to put food on the table for families, have shelter, medicine and education.
this does not mean though that there is no democracy in Rwanda because there is. Democracy means many things, including regular elections, dicentralisation of power thus giving the ordinary people at the grassroots to determine the way they are governed and how much space they can allow government so that the latter is able to deliver socioeconomic services. All these exist in Rwanda.
However, Rwanda being a developing nation, its vulnerable to outside pressures as well as Rwandan opportunistic politicians. What the West should do, is to continue supporting the process and everything will be alright. Rwandans are very optimistic under President Kagame and the RPF as shown by a recent survey.
Jacobs and others should thus not worry about Rwandans because they are in their own hands and are thus safer. Political opportunists and destructive media are the only threats that Rwandans see today. Otherwise, President Kagame means well and does well for Rwandans and should be left alone to accomplish a noble mission of transforming a failed state in 1994 to a succes story and a beacon of hope that Rwanda is today.
@Jane. Racepoint is a London PR company which has been laundering RPF reputation on the international scene. The depiction of Rwanda which comes out of the description you give is no different from the one from Racepoint. I wonder why a government would need a costly makeover when it didn’t have many nasty spots it doesn’t want to be seen?
You are trying to discredit a well written article based on a few typing errors yet you make some yourself. I believe you meant Decentralization not “dicentralisation”.
And yes the BBC was shut down, for a period that amounted to 2 months, because it aired views that were contrary to the govt. guidelines. This is the same reason the two independent news papers have been closed.
Ms. Sherelle Jacobs, how can you graduate with first class honours and you fail to make the right interpretation of the current Rwanda? But any way even in Rwanda the masterminders of the 1994 genocide were PHD holders.
Let me help you with some current affairs in Rwanda:
The presidential elections in Rwanda have been praised by AU, EU, EAC, Common wealth, Rwandan civil society election observers and Rwandans in general. I want to remind one incidence in 2003 ,where a journalist from europe cried in Northern Rwanda , when Twagiramungu lost election. This the kind of people who pretend to love Rwanda more than Rwandans.
I would also like to remind Sherelle Jacobs that Twagiramungu was never arrested but he came to Rwanda to stand for presidential elections and lost and went back to europe. He could not win the elections for obvious. reasons. How can Rwandans vote for someone who is far away in europe without any touch of the situation on the ground and who is not part of the solution to the Rwandan problems. He just wanted a job i.e to be a president, and when he lost he returned to europe.
Ingabire is not different from Twagiramungu, she also had announcements on the radio Rwanda that there will be elections in Rwanda in August 2010, she packed her bags and off to Rwanda. The only difference with Twagiramungu was that she came armed to the teeth to carry on the 1994 agenda genocide. The first day of her arrival in Rwanda was bad news to Rwandans, she came asking for the memorial of Hutus. This was not acceptable to any Rwandan, because this was adding injury to the wound. This is the kind of opposition candidates, the Sherelle Jacobs type wish for Rwanda.
If Ingabire had stood in the recent conluded elections, there could be dead bodied of innocent Rwandans along the streets. So please Sherelle Jacobs mind the lives of Rwandans or leave us alone.
Some of you talk from point of ignorance on our countires, although you have strong academic papers. How can you say that BBC is not working in Rwanda. Please tune http://www.bbc.co.uk/greatlakes and you will be proved wrong.
The constitution of Rwanda stipulates power sharing, so RPF cannot dominate govt, legislature or any other govt institution.
Sherelle Jacobs, mind about the sources of your information; if you quote Carina, from HRW, her comments are always negative, Gwynne Dyer is also another self proclaimed enemy of Rwanda.
Regarding the status HIV prevalence in Rwanda, it is less that 3%, where do you get the 10% statistics?
Rwanda economy has improved and this is also the same with the standard of living of Rwandans. Income per capita has increased from 290 USD in 1996 to 590 USD now. The situation is getting better every year.
Sherelle Jacobs, better be objective and dont buy whole sale the ideas of Rusesabagina and Twagiramungu.
See you in Kigali in 2017.
I wanted to react to this pro kagame sympathisers who think that being a tutsi is being part of Kagame by blood and flesh.This article actually didnt not exhaust the account of the oppressions that Hutus are undergoing here in Rwanda. I am from Ruhengeri where all of us have been rounded in concentration camps called umudugudu and our fertile lands have been taken over by the government near the famous gorilla guest house which used to belong to the government and now is Kagame’s wife’s hotel where the world comes to look at the gorillas paying all the money to an individual instead to the people of Rwanda. Here we didnt vote for Kagame ever since even in 2003 we didnt vote him as he claimed this time around the RPF soldiers spent the whole night knocking on our doors reminding us how they killed us in 1998 saying that if we do not go to vote as earlier as 5am before the coming of the observers they are going to teach us a lesson because of that fear people were at the polling stations as early as 4am and they voting cards were taken by the soldiers and used them to vote and they were returned to us I am one of those people whose voting cards were taken by the soldiers. tht is the situation and even commenting on this blog might cost me life if I am caught
Human Rights groups are showing concern about brutality and bullying in the lead up to the pole but Salim Ahmed Salim, the chairman of the Commonwealth Observation Group praised the transparency of the elections. “Elections in Rwanda were conducted in a peaceful atmosphere,” Salim said. “The count in the polling stations was transparent and conducted fairly.”
Kamanzi you are creature of God no one will touch you, Rwandans must stand for their rights no one is going to fight for us only us. Good example is Mrs INGABIRE UMUHOZA VICTOIRE we have to follow her good and constructive example which is clear enough to everyone who love Rwanda. No matter how Kagame keep ignoring our peacefully CALL will not STOP us to fight him NON VIOLENT FIGHT, never giver up till the end!
Kagame’s Rwanda is ruled through a maliciously crafted apartheid environment which has modernized an archaic system of oppression/ exploitation of the majority Hutu by the Tutsi minority which prevailed before the 60s in the country. It’s the worst type of apartheid system which can ever exist because, at the opposite of the old South African apartheid, this one is legalized behind a framework of laws and practices – genocide ideology, revisionism, divisionism, genocide denial, education support for only Tutsi survivors, not being allowed to enter Kigali without wearing shoes, which for a non informed person seem justifiable. All these laws and practices only target and affect massively Hutus who are 85% of the population.
Thank you Sherelle Jacobs for this brilliant analysis.
Dont be deterred by those who are profiting from the regime and live in a state fo denial because truth is bitter.
I am really surprised that they would call you ignorant or question your academic qualifications because you hold a view that is diferent fron the official line, witout giving a convincing argument against the facts that you bring forward. .
Thanks for your courage to have an analysis that is not in line with the government discourse for fear of being labelled negationist or trivialising genocide.
In kinyarwanda there is a saying that ” only a fool says that he/she is the most intelligent” and that one’s one opinion without can lead to a catastrophe.
I would have thought that the critics would at least give some respect to the views of Joseph Sebarenzi, former speaker of the National Assembly under Paul Kagame, who lost almost his entire tutsi family and is now in exile.
.
I pray that our leadership and all rwandans from all sides of the divide take head of the truth you bring out your article.
There is no peaceful solution to Rwanda until we take up arms again like Mr Kagame did.Kagame understand only one language which is Krachnikov Rwandans should wake up and pick it and march to Kigali..I dream seeing another march to the capital Kigali for a final liberation of Rwanda by Rwandans.Many we should not continue dying this way.UK-USA-Belgium will fail to intervene when they see its the revolution carried out by Rwandans,,please join me in this war to install democracy in Rwanda
Jacobs — don’t pay attention to those who react to your article with disrespectful comments. Rwandan society is so polarized that whatever angle you take, some people will disagree. I only wish they disagreed respecfully. Great job dear.
Extremism has not decreased, and extremism on one side feeds the extremism on the other side –and it only validates Kagame’s authoritarianism.
Those who preach war don’t know war: it only adds deaths to deaths. If war was a way to achieve peace for all and democracy, Rwanda would have become peaceful and democratic because Rwandans have been fighting for the last 50 years.
True liberation will be the liberation of all Rwandans. True democracy will include all Rwandans (Hutu and Tutsi). True security will be the one that makes all Rwandans safe. Otherwise, Rwandans will continue regardless their ethnicities.
Best,
Joseph