Rwanda: The supreme court verdict on petition against genocide ideology law is due on 05 October 2012

http://www.fdu-rwanda.com/en/english-rwanda-the-imprisoned-opposition-leader-victoire-ingabire-again-in-the-supreme-court#more-1783 Rwanda: The imprisoned opposition leader Victoire Ingabire again in the Supreme court. SEPTEMBER 03, 2012   Kigali, 03 September 2012   Today, despite an impressive deployment of heavily armed anti-protest units, in and outside the Supreme Court, near 200 people observed as the incarcerated opposition leader Madame Victoire Ingabire made a new appearance in front of the Supreme Court to hear the status of the filed constitutional review on contentious genocide ideology laws. She has already spent near 2 years in maximum security prison on politically motivated charges concocted by the Paul Kagame's regime  to stifle any dissenting voices. The supreme court verdict is due on 05 October 2012. Ingabire is expecting  this Friday 07 September another High court verdict on charges relating to acts of terrorism, genocide ideology and divisionism. On 19 July 2012, the Supreme court postponed the hearing in order to allow the defendant to respond to the government submission on the lack of merit of the constitutional review of genocide laws. The LAW N° 33 BIS/2003 REPRESSING THE CRIME OF GENOCIDE, CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY AND WAR CRIMES has been repealed in the ORGANIC LAW N° 01/2012/OL OF 02/05/2012 INSTITUTING THE PENAL CODE published in the Official Gazette nº Special of 14 June 2012 (art.765). The controversial aspects of the genocide ideology laws are still intact. Rwanda seems to be again at crossroads as its current leaders supporting the M23 rebels in North Kivu are expecting tougher sanctions including international criminal charges, freezing of their foreign assets and the country's aid disbursements. Rwandans are forced to contribute their salaries and money to  the newly created "anti-donors" solidarity  fund AGACIRO DEVELOPMENT FUND", which in the eyes of the regime will allow the country to do away without international aid. This illusive concept to extort money from the population will bleed to death the already poor Rwandans instead of giving the dictatorship any meaningful financial independence it's pretending to achieve. FDU-Inkingi is encouraging the international community to maintain hot pressure on the regime to halt its support to the M23 rebellion in the DRC North Kivu, and to respect the sovereignty of the neighboring states. FDU-Inkingi Boniface Twagirimana Interim Vice President.

Africa's Freedom Fighters: The Case of Rwanda

Africa's Freedom Fighters: The Case of Rwanda http://www.therwandan.com/blog/africas-freedom-fighters-the-case-of-rwanda/

http://www.umuvugizi.com/?p=6717&lang=en Rwandan Strongman Paul Kagame isolated more than ever Dictator Kagame . By Gasasira, Sweden Umuvugizi can report that the Rwandan strongman Paul Kagame is isolated more than ever due to his latest adventure in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The European Union recently froze new aid to Rwanda because of Kagame's support to M23 rebels currently threatening to overrun Goma. The UK is having second thoughts about resuming. Former British aid Andrew Mitchell who un-froze aid to Rwanda on his last day on the job has been exposed to have done so without consulting the rest of government. The new aid Minister Justine Greening is busy cleaning the mess left behind by Kagame's friend Andrew Mitchell. Both British Foreign Secretary William Hague, and the Minister for Africa, Mark Simmonds, have questioned the logic in Andrew Mitchell's restoration of aid to Kagame. So has the Labour Party Opposition Ed Miliband who is pressing the Cameron Government to account for its actions. In a letter to the Department for International Development (DFID), Michael Ashcroft, a life peer in the British House of Lords, wondered why Britain pours money into the coffers of some of the world's most brutal regimes. In Rwanda, wrote Ashcroft, "British cash funded an electoral body that prevented President Kagame's rivals from standing. Such is the desperation to find a country that proves aid works, we continued to lavish money on this unlovely regime even after Scotland Yard warned it sent a hit squad to kill British citizens living in Britain." And now this from the Americans. The United States on Monday demanded that Rwanda publicly denounce M23 rebels who have seized swathes of eastern DRC. Americans are increasingly frustrated by their protege Paul Kagame and his role in DRC's conflicts. Johnnie Carson, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African affairs, had this to say: "It is not and should not be too much to ask the government of Rwanda to denounce a rebel group that is preying on the lives of people or undermining the stability of a neighbour." Strongman Kagame's usual denials do not appear to be working for him this time around. All eyes are on him – with little or no room to manoeuvre the tight corner in which he has painted himself.

http://www.inyenyerinews.org/human-rights/opposition-still-under-attack-in-rwanda/ Opposition still under attack In Rwanda October 2, 2012 By Rwema IT Webmaster Leave a Comment By: Jennifer Fierberg In the wise and profound words of Winston Churchill: "You see these dictators on their pedestals, surrounded by the bayonets of their soldiers and the truncheons of their police … yet in their hearts there is unspoken fear. They are afraid of words and thoughts: words spoken abroad, thoughts stirring at home — all the more powerful because forbidden — terrify them. A little mouse of thought appears in the room, and even the mightiest potentates are thrown into panic." ― Winston Churchill, Blood, Sweat and Tears If ever a quote embodied the mood that many describe inside of Rwanda to be it is this one. A climate of fear rules day and night with people having to look over their shoulders, fear of speaking where neighbors, friends and even family will report you for speaking negatively about the government. In a nation where trust is small and fear is great there can be no dissention without a legal response. That has been prevalent the most in the political group of the FDU-INKINGI in Rwanda. Their leader remains imprisoned and is scheduled to be sentenced on October 18th, which is ironically the same date that President Paul Kagame of Rwanda is due to be voted for at the United Nations Security Council in the US. Yet, the political gymnastics that has surrounded Victoire Ingabire's trial is one of Olympic abilities. It is widely known that she is facing a life sentence on charges against her under the ambiguous "genocide law." Her compatriots have kept the diplomatic dream alive but as you will read in the below press release you will see that Kagame's Rwanda is full of fear: Press Release: Kigali, 02 October 2012 Rwanda: Eviction threat to FDU member Theophile Ntirutwa The local administration and members of the paramilitary militia known as "local defence" intruded the home of Mr. Theophile Ntirutwa, located in Nyarutarama (Kangondo II , Remera sector, Gasabo district) and took him to Nyarutarama police custody for a few hours. His house was sealed off and was ordered to pay Frw 20,000 and told to get out of that area. Apparently this happened after he turned down money collectors from Agaciro development fund, the controversial fund set to pump money from the population to compensate the delayed budget aid in light to overwhelming information that Rwanda is backing M23 rebels in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. 8 other FDU-Inkingi members from Rutsiro district have been illegally detained since 15 September 2012. The first lawyer dropped the case after police intimidation. A new defense lawyer, Emmanuel Bimenyimana, took the case but when he reached Nyabirasi detention centre he realised that a kangaroo court has been arranged without any defense, any family member. On 27 September 2012, the Karongi Intermediate Court denied bail and ordered a 30 day-provisional detention in the central prison of Gisovu. A bail appeal has been lodged today. Up to date the Karongi intermediate court has refused to issue a copy of the ruling on the case against FDU-members Mutuyimana Anselme, Uwiringiyimana venuste, Ufitamahoro Norbert, Dukundane Moise, Twizerimana Valens, Nahimana Marcel, Byukusenge Emmanuel and Gasengayire Leonille. FDU-Inkingi Boniface Twagirimana Interim Vice president

http://therisingcontinent.wordpress.com/2012/10/02/lets-imagine-rwanda-as-member-of-un-security-council/#more-2977 Let's imagine Rwanda as member of UN Security Council Posted on October 2, 2012 | Leave a comment The reference here is of a country called Rwanda and led by President Paul Kagame. With a different leadership, this exercise would be futile for understandable reasons. Some might not be aware of this news, but on 18 October 2012, Rwanda as a new member of the United Nations Security Council, this among the rotating membership of the Council will be confirmed, if nothing opposes its candidacy. However, it will be ironic if the seat to Rwanda is unequivocally approved, considered its persistent responsibility in the ongoing destabilization of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Let's assume the country gets the aspired membership to the Council despite its non deserving behavior towards DRC. How can it use its new position to further its detrimental policies in the Great Lakes region? Destabilizing factor Before 1990, Rwanda would've hardly experienced genocide of the scale seen in 1994. If 800,000 people died during that period, part of the blame should be bared by the current president of Rwanda. Though the country had its own governance flaws, harmonious ethnic policies were gradually and positively changing its society makeup. His Rwandan Patriotic Front of exiled Tutsi mainly from Uganda started a guerrilla war which destroyed existing social harmony between Hutus and Tutsis. Kagame's decision to shoot down the plane of his predecessor Juvenal Habyarimana sparkled massacres on April 6, 1994. Without US and UK backing, the Rwandan president, working with his Ugandan and Burundian allies, wouldn't have invaded the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1996 and 1998. They supplied him with military intelligence and logistical assistance directly or through a network of intermediaries. No wonder the Anglo-Saxons achieved what the little Rwanda couldn't on its own: controlling stream of Congolese minerals through a permanently destabilized country. By joining the UNSC, Rwanda would be part of a club of countries that share an imperialistic vision of the world, with whom it has been working with successfully over the years. It will be for Kigali, an opportunity to contribute closely to shaping that tendency, not anymore acting as agent but mainly too as decision maker. Enhanced impunity During the last eighteen years, the role of agent of US and UK in the Great Lakes region has so far enabled Rwanda to benefit from impunity for its criminal and persistent presence in DRC under different names. In recent months, with particularly the rise of the Congolese rebel movement M23, there has been a view among backers of Kigali that dialogue between Rwanda and DRC could bring peace. They know well it won't. And that is why they push for it. They are aware that addressing the root causes of the issues – removing dictatorships in Kigali and Kampala and supporting democracy in the region, would fundamentally change their plans. From experience between Rwanda and DRC, especially during these years where Kagame has been seen by many and for the wrong reasons as the strong man of the region, he has time and again proven to be untrustworthy. With a seat at the UNSC, he could only strengthen his position on untrustworthiness and forcibly and always point at his detractors as the ones in the wrong. With certainly more offenses to come because of the new acquired position, Kagame could benefit from enhanced impunity. Imperialist in its own right "They back me, I back them." This seems to have been the mantra of Paul Kagame so far. And that has created a "Win/Win" situation. In the process he can even blackmail his backers, like when the UN Mapping report on DRC was published on October 1st, 2010. The Rwandan president supported George Bush in his invasion of Iraq, which was undertaken without the consent of the international community. We remember what came to be of the weapons of mass destruction which were claimed as justification of going to war against Saddam Hussein. Last year, the Rwandan president was equally prompt to get behind NATO in its invasion and destruction of Libyan infrastructures and lives. In recent years Paul Kagame has been behind the majority of rebellions in Eastern Congo against their central government in Kinshasa. His support to M23 has gone unabated despite multiple condemnations from a variety of sources and governments assisting Rwanda. Will Rwanda of Kagame at the United Nations Security Council be another little "imperialist" joining the club, or could it be considered by permanent members as an embarrassment which does not have the required refinement to operate expertly as they do? The death toll in the Great Lakes region since Paul Kagame emergence from the guerrilla wars mounts today to almost 8 millions all nationalities included. What giving a seat to Rwanda at the Security Council will do, can unfortunately be to leverage its position in the commission of acts which led to previous and ongoing tragedies for Rwandans andCongolese particularly.