Open letter to American universities that invited Kagame to speak
Friday, May 30, 2014 7:26
Open letter to
President Frederick M. Lawrence, Brandeis University, Irving Enclave
113, MS 100, 415 South St., Waltham, MA 02453
President Drew Faust, Harvard University, Massachusetts Hall,
Cambridge, MA 02138
President L. Rafael Reif, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77
Massachusetts Ave., Room 3-208, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307
President John L. Hennessy, Stanford University, Building 10,
Stanford, CA 94305-2061
President Anthony P. Monaco, Tufts University, Ballou Hall, Second
Floor, 1 The Green, Medford, MA 02155

Kambale Musavuli, a native of the Democratic Republic of Congo, is
based in New York City and serves as national spokesperson for Friends
of the Congo, which raises global consciousness about the situation in
the Congo. He is featured in the short film "Crisis in the Congo:
Uncovering the Truth" that explores the role that the United States,
Rwanda and Uganda have played in triggering the greatest humanitarian
crisis at the dawn of the 21st century. Here he speaks at Congo Day in
Connecticut, on March 8, 2014.
Re: Rwandan President Paul Kagame's visit to Your Universities
Dear Presidents,
As a coalition of Africa-focused human rights and peace organizations
representing a broad range of individuals, including Rwandans,
Ugandans and Congolese people, we write to express our dismay at your
decision to welcome President of Rwanda Paul Kagame to your
universities.
We regret to inform you that your invitation of Paul Kagame to your
institution co-signs his repressive practices inside Rwanda and his
aggressive interventions in neighboring Democratic Republic of the
Congo (DRC). In 2010 a Human Rights Watch article insisted that, if
"leaders continue to ignore the darker side of Kagame's story, they
will only compound the problem. Burying the truth about horrific
crimes is a very effective way to sow the seeds for future grievances
and more violence."
Your invitation of Paul Kagame to your institution co-signs his
repressive practices inside Rwanda and his aggressive interventions in
neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Consider these recent charges and reports on Kagame's militarily
aggressive activities in Congo, politically oppressive activities
within Rwanda and alleged assassination of dissidents abroad:
In 2008, The Spanish National Court, The Audiencia National (which
charged disgraced Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet), indicted 40
Rwandan military officers for terrorism, mass killings and several
counts of genocide against Rwandans, Congolese and Spanish citizens,
following the 1994 genocide, Spanish Judge Fernando Andreu has said he
has evidence implicating Rwanda's current President Paul Kagame, who
has immunity from prosecution as a head of state.
Following the August 2010 election, where Paul Kagame won with 93
percent of the votes, many observers have called it fraudulent and
noted that it was marred by political violence, incarceration and
intimidation and repression of press freedom. The White House issued a
statement raising concerns that "[n]o one should underestimate the
enormous challenges born of the genocide in 1994. Rwanda's progress in
the face of these challenges has been remarkable, and is a testament
to the people of Rwanda. Rwanda's stability and growing prosperity,
however, will be difficult to sustain in the absence of broad
political debate and open political participation."
On Oct. 1, 2010, the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human
Rights (UNOHCHR) published "The United Nations Mapping Exercise
Report," which documents crimes committed in the Congo from 1993 to
2003. It singled out the crimes committed by the Rwanda army by noting
that "the apparent systematic and widespread attacks described in this
report reveal a number of inculpatory elements that, if proven before
a competent court, could be characterized as crimes of genocide."
In May 2011, British news sources reported on attempted assassinations
carried out by Rwandan government personnel against Rwandan refugees
and exiles.
The June 3, 2011, report from Amnesty International condemns Kagame's
government, saying: "The Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), in power since
the 1994 genocide, tightly controls political space, civil society and
the media, contending that this is necessary to prevent renewed
violence. Human rights defenders, journalists and political opponents
cannot openly and publicly criticize the authorities. People who do
speak out risk prosecution and imprisonment."
On July 21, 2012, The New York Times reported that the U.S. State
Department said that "it would cut military aid to Rwanda for the
year, citing evidence that the country was supporting rebels in the
Democratic Republic of Congo. The move is significant, coming from one
of Rwanda's staunchest allies."
On Dec. 18, 2012, President Obama personally called Paul Kagame to
emphasize "the importance of permanently ending all support to armed
groups in the DRC, abiding by the recent commitments he made in
Kampala along with Presidents Kabila and Museveni, and reaching a
transparent and credible political agreement that includes an end to
impunity for M23 commanders and others who have committed serious
human rights abuses."
On Oct. 3, 2013, the United States sanctioned the Rwandan government
and blocked further military aid because of its support for M23 rebels
in the DRC who are believed to be using child soldiers.
Reuters reported that State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said
Rwanda was sanctioned because of its "support for the M23, a rebel
group which continues to actively recruit and abduct children" and to
threaten the stability of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
On March 12, 2014, the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in
the U.S. House of Representatives wrote a letter to Secretary of State
John Kerry to express his "deep concern over the numerous attempted
attacks and killings of Rwandan dissidents living outside that
country." Chairman Royce called on the State Department to "reevaluate
U.S. engagement with Rwanda."
As you can see from the above cases, the global community led by the
United States is moving in a direction to hold the Rwandan government
accountable for its repressive actions inside Rwanda and its
destabilizing activities in the DRC and elsewhere in Africa.
The global community led by the United States is moving in a direction
to hold the Rwandan government accountable for its repressive actions
inside Rwanda and its destabilizing activities in the DRC and
elsewhere in Africa.
If your universities were genuinely invested in sustainable peace and
development in Rwanda, and if you are determined to cultivate a
relationship with Kagame, we are insisting on greater caution and
responsibility. We urge you to make your partnership with Kagame
conditional on improvements in his human rights record, extension of
political freedoms, cessation of his pursuit of dissidents abroad and
an end to repeated interventions and support of proxy militias inside
the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Without these measures, you will open your university to a great deal
of warranted criticism, negative media attention and an almost certain
historical stain as one of the institutions that supported the
despotic rule of another African strongman.
Sincerely,
The Africa Great Lakes Coalition (AGLC)
The Africa Great Lakes Coalition is comprised of the Africa Faith and
Justice Network (AFJN), African Great Lakes Action Network (AGLAN),
Don't Be Blind This Time, Foreign Policy in Focus, Friends of the
Congo (FOTC), Hope Congo (HC), Hotel Rwanda Rusesabagina Foundation
(HRRF), Mobilization for Justice and Peace in Congo (MJPC), UMOYA –
Comités de Solidaridad con el África Negra, Save the Congo and
Stanford University STAND. The coalition can be reached at The Africa
Great Lakes Coalition, c/o Friends of the Congo, 1629 K Street NW,
Suite 300, Washington, DC 20006.
http://www.google.ca/gwt/x?gl=CA&hl=en-CA&u=http://beforeitsnews.com/african-american-news/2014/05/open-letter-to-american-universities-that-invited-kagame-to-speak-2451266.html&source=s&q=Open+letter+to+American+universities+that+invited+Kagame+to+speak&sa=X&ei=u5-IU_yMOezksATwy4DICg&ved=0CBwQFjAA
--
SIBOMANA Jean Bosco
Google+: https://plus.google.com/110493390983174363421/posts
YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9B4024D0AE764F3D
http://www.youtube.com/user/sibomanaxyz999
***Online Time:15H30-20H30, heure de Montréal.***Fuseau horaire domestique:
heure normale de la côte Est des Etats-Unis et Canada (GMT-05:00)***
Posted by: Jean Bosco Sibomana <sibomanaxyz999@gmail.com>
| Reply via web post | • | Reply to sender | • | Reply to group | • | Start a New Topic | • | Messages in this topic (1) |
.To post a message: RwandaLibre@yahoogroups.com; .To join: RwandaLibre-subscribe@yahoogroups.com; .To unsubscribe from this group,send an email to:
RwandaLibre-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
_____________________________________________________
More news: http://www.amakurunamateka.com ; http://www.ikangurambaga.com ; http://rwandalibre.blogspot.co.uk
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-SVP, considérer environnement avant toute impression de cet e-mail ou les pièces jointes.
======
-Please consider the environment before printing this email or any attachments.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sponsors:
http://www.rencontressansfrontieres.com
http://www.intimitesafricaines.com
http://www.foraha.net
-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-
No comments:
Post a Comment