Finally, Rwanda is preaching diplomacy to Tanzania
Mushikiwabo is complaining why Tanzania didn't consult Rwanda through diplomatic channels.
- Anyway, her boss, Kagame, joined in the fracas doing worse than his inexperienced appointee. Again, arrogance was the sickness! YouTube was there to post it for anyone to hear that rubbish!
As we all know, for three months now senior officials of the Rwandan regime have been badmouthing President Jakaya Kikwete as a person and Tanzania as a country simply because he said something they didn't like.
The row started on May 26 in Addis Ababa in a brainstorming session when Kikwete suggested to the leaders of the African countries faced with rebel fighting – Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo – to hold talks with their enemies. The UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, was a witness.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni responded respectfully, but without any commitment, while Rwandan President Paul Kagame remained speechless. The DRC leader, President Joseph Kabila, agreed and things moved forward. No one was coerced into endorsing that advice.
Suddenly after the meeting, Rwandan Foreign minister Louise Mushikiwabo launched a tirade, insulting Kikwete and telling him to apologise. She said quite a lot, and clearly demonstrated the lack of diplomatic acumen that a foreign minister is expected to marshal.
Probably, Mushikiwabo wanted to appear tough, but actually (excuse my language) ended up looking stubborn and amateurish. Come on, if a head of state cannot insult another head of state, how can a mere minister dare to do so?
Anyway, her boss, Kagame, joined in the fracas doing worse than his inexperienced appointee. Again, arrogance was the sickness! YouTube was there to post it for anyone to hear that rubbish!
The group that Kikwete was referring to with regards to Rwanda is the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a claimed ethnic Hutu militia force linked to the 1994 genocide. Rwanda has failed to wipe out this bush group for 19 years now, hence, Kikwete's advice.
Anyway, fast forward to July 25, Kikwete is now in Kagera, the region that, frankly, is a second home to Rwandans on this earth. President Kikwete, as the Commander-in-Chief, while attending a Heroes Day ceremony, assured Tanzanians that our troops are ready to defend the country in case of any challenge. He did not mention any potential aggressor.
However, the press and Rwandan officials, and Malawians as well, made it a big deal twisting the otherwise very usual statement into a severe warning. Let us be serious, did they want the Commander-in-Chief of one of the most successful militaries in Africa, himself a retired military officer, to say the opposite?
Secondly, Kikwete, after hearing of the plight of Tanzanians living in the northwestern part of Tanzania, ordered all undocumented immigrants to get out of Tanzania within two weeks. Remember, according to our law, being an illegal immigrant is a crime.
Kikwete issued that order because he was tired of hearing that Tanzanians in that area live under the mercy of armed thugs from the neighbouring countries that we have been helping to stabilise for decades. That part of Tanzania is awash with small firearms from Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and the DRC and they are spreading everywhere killing innocent Tanzanians.
Kikwete's order was meant to secure the area and make it easy for security organs to fulfil the mission. He did not aim at any specific populace as Rwandan officials now claim that Tanzania is expelling Rwandans as retaliation.
Retaliation? For what? Kikwete is on the record on July 31 as having said that although Tanzania is shocked with how Rwanda has chosen to behave, the country harbours no ill intent against its neighbour.
As we speak, several thousand Rwandans who were living illegally in Tanzania have already crossed border back to their country of origin. What is wrong with that?
Now, suddenly, the "tough" Mushikiwabo is complaining why Tanzania didn't consult Rwanda through diplomatic channels. She even added that since the two countries belong to the East African Community (EAC), then this matter should have been handled differently.
Now, abruptly, diplomacy exists? Oh! And even the EAC exists as well! Gosh! We thought the two did not exist that is why Kagame and Mushikiwabo had to say what they said against Tanzania and Kikwete!
It must be known that, Tanzania is not expelling Rwandans; Tanzania is only allowing undocumented immigrants, not only Africans, but everybody to immediately return to their home countries without facing any trial. Nothing more!
Any other suggestion that Tanzania is punishing Rwanda is unfortunate, and so is the thinking that Tanzania was readying itself for military action against one or two smaller countries.
I think Rwandan officials need to swallow their pride and respect Tanzanians for what we have done for them in the last fifty years, a reason why many Rwandans are living in Tanzania today.
We all know why Rwanda is angry at Tanzania, and Kikwete's advice is not the real reason. But anyway, it is good that Rwandan officials are now preaching diplomacy!
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