[RwandaLibre] Fw: *DHR* Rwanda: l'opposition en exil se réunit à Bruxelles

 

Subject: *DHR* Rwanda: l'opposition en exil se réunit à Bruxelles

 

RFI

Plusieurs partis d'opposition rwandais se réunissent ce samedi à Bruxelles. Une initiative lancée par l'ancien Premier ministre Faustin Twagiramungu. Les 7 partis concernés pourraient décider ou non de s'unir et si oui, déterminer quelle forme pourrait prendre cette union. Leur objectif: obtenir des négociations avec Kigali pour le retour de tous les réfugiés rwandais et l'instauration d'une véritable démocratie dans le pays. Ce n'est pas la première fois que l'opposition rwandaise en exil envisage de s'unir. Il y a déjà eu plusieurs tentatives dans le passé, en vain. Pourquoi une nouvelle tentative maintenant ?
 

A écouter les responsables des différents partis politiques en exil, il y aurait urgence.

D'abord parce que - expliquent certains de ces opposants - le président rwandais Paul Kagame ne peut pas se représenter en 2017, à moins de modifier la Constitution. Ce qu'il fera, assurent-ils, tout en ajoutant que cela pourrait finir de le « décrédibiliser » aux yeux de la communauté internationale.

Plusieurs de ces dirigeants évoquent aussi le discours de Paul Kagame le 12 janvier dernier. Quelques jours après l'assassinat de Patrick Karegeya, son ancien chef des renseignements extérieurs. Paul Kagame avait mis en garde contre « les conséquences de la trahison ».

Des propos qui, selon ces opposants en exil, constitueraient une nouvelle dérive du pouvoir. « C'est de notre responsabilité de proposer une alternative crédible », explique l'un d'eux, qui souligne également que les déclarations très dures des Etats-Unis contre Kigali sur la question du soutien au M23 et sur la succession d'assassinats d'exilés rwandais constituaient « un tournant diplomatique ».

Troisième facteur de poids. Sous pression militaire de la Monusco, les FDLR, les rebelles hutus rwandais, sont à la recherche d'une solution politique. En contact avec plusieurs partis, ils ont finalement choisi de s'allier à l'ancien Premier ministre Faustin Twagiramungu.

Pour rappel, la Tanzanie avait incité Kigali à négocier avec ce groupe rebelle au grand dam du gouvernement rwandais qui l'accuse d'être dirigé par des génocidaires. Mais cette prise de position inédite a donné de l'espoir à bon nombre d'opposants rwandais d'un soutien régional à leur demander de dialogue politique avec le Rwanda.

Cette initiative de Faustin Twagiramungu a-t-elle plus de chance de réussir ?

Ce qui caractérise l'opposition rwandaise en exil, c'est la méfiance des partis politiques les uns envers les autres. 

Méfiance d'abord envers les FDLR, les rebelles hutus rwandais dont les dirigeants sont accusés par Kigali d'avoir participé au génocide. Faustin Twagiramungu a choisi malgré tout en janvier de s'allier avec eux. Il souhaiterait que d'autres partis s'associent à leurs démarches pour obtenir un dialogue avec Kigali.

Si parmi les dirigeants qui envisagent aujourd'hui rejoindre l'initiative de l'ancien premier ministre rwandais, il n'y a pas d'opposition de principe aux FDLR, à leurs droits de rentrer au pays ou de s'exprimer politiquement, beaucoup s'interrogent sur la capacité de Faustin Twagiramungu ou toute entité politique à les contrôler. Ont-ils déposé les armes? Que se passerait-il s'ils décidaient à nouveau d'attaquer le Rwanda ou de commettre des exactions contre la population congolaise ?

Méfiance également concernant les modalités de ce rapprochement entre partis d'opposition. Faustin Twagiramungu deviendrait-il de fait le leader de l'opposition ? Faut-il une simple plateforme à la structure légère ou une alliance aux règles bien établies ? Comment conserver l'identité de chaque parti ou encore éviter l'ingérence de Kigali dans les affaires de l'opposition ?

Face à la question d'une simple participation à cette initiative, deux partis ont déjà connu des dissensions. Les FDU (Forces démocratiques unifiées) de Victoire Ingabire. Et le RNC (Congrès national rwandais) du général Kayumba Nyamwasa.

Méfiance enfin qui - de l'avis de tous les partis - est surtout liée à l'histoire violente du Rwanda. « Quand on s'est entretué comme on l'a fait, il n'y a rien de plus normal », s'accordent à dire plusieurs responsables politiques en exil. 

 

http://www.rfi.fr/afrique/20140228-rwanda-opposition-reunit-bruxelles-faustin-twagiramungu/

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[RwandaLibre] Hollywood star Affleck urges US investment in DR Congo

 

Hollywood star Affleck urges US investment in DR Congo

By: Agence France-Presse
February 27, 2014 7:50 AM


Ben Affleck. AFP FILE PHOTO
InterAksyon.com
The online news portal of TV5

WASHINGTON DC - Hollywood star Ben Affleck called Wednesday for
targeted investment in the private sector in eastern Democratic
Republic of Congo, where he sees a window of opportunity to end a
cycle of unrest.

The A-list actor and director, who has founded a non-profit group
called the Eastern Congo Initiative and has made repeated trips to the
region, advocated the United States shift its priorities in delivering
aid, in a hearing at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

"People would rather be invested in than accept aid, would rather have
a job than live in a camp," he said.

Specific, small-scale investments are sometimes better than massive
projects because they can be monitored more closely, Affleck argued,
plugging his organization's involvement in building a partnership
between local cocoa growers and organic chocolate company Theo.

"It's good business for the Congolese and it's paying off for this
American company," which will buy 640 tons of cocoa from Congolese
growers this year, he said, emphasizing "economic development is the
key for sustainable growth."

The "Argo" star testified alongside Roger Meece, former US ambassador
to Kinshasa, and conflict economy expert Raymond Gilpin, from the
Africa Center for Strategic Studies of the National Defense
University.

Along with former Senator Russ Feingold, President Barack Obama's
envoy to the region, all four expressed optimism about progress in the
conflict-torn, but resource-rich DRC, where they said a recent peace
deal that ended hostilities with the M23 rebel group was a major step
forward.

They praised the UN's "intervention brigade," whose mandate was
extended beyond peacekeeping, as being pivotal in bringing about the
peace deal.

But they said signficant reforms to the security sector are needed, as
well as elections.

Feingold noted that Washington has set aside $3.7 million to support
the DRC's next elections -- a "paltry sum."

"I think this is something we should heavily engage in," he urged.

Affleck, who also met US Secretary of State John Kerry, said the
troubled 2011 election, following a mostly well-regarded 2006
presidential vote, demonstrated the need for continued international
involvement.

"This is a region that's suffered enormous damage and trauma. And this
fire is now abating a little bit, and we have a window where
engagement on the part of secretary, the president, the Congress all
collectively can make a real difference," he said at the State
Department.

"And I think historically, there's an instinct to sort of put out one
fire and go to the next fire. And this is a point where we can act to
prevent the fire from igniting again."

http://www.google.ca/gwt/x?gl=CA&hl=en-CA&u=http://www.interaksyon.com/article/81635/hollywood-star-affleck-urges-us-investment-in-dr-congo&q=Affleck+urges+U.S.+investment+in+DR+Congo

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[RwandaLibre] Probable offensive against FDLR in DRC next month raises risks to cargo and individuals

 

Terrorism & Insurgency
Probable offensive against FDLR in DRC next month raises risks to
cargo and individuals

IHS Jane's Country Risk Daily Report
27 February 2014

EVENT
Local civil society associations of the villages of Itala and Tama in
Lubero territory, North Kivu, on 26 February handed in a memorandum to
the local base of the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation
Mission for the DR Congo (Mission de l'Organisation des Nations Unies
pour la Stabilisation en RD Congo: MONUSCO), denouncing constant
intimidation and attacks by the rebels from the Democratic Forces for
the Liberation of Rwanda (Forces Démocratiques de Libération du
Rwanda: FDLR).

Local residents complained especially about the theft of food aid and
demanded that the government and MONUSCO address the "intolerable
situation". The spokesperson of the armed forces of the Democratic
Republic of Congo (Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du
Congo: FARDC), Lieutenant-Colonel Olivier Hamuli, stated that the
FARDC would soon "launch tracking operations" against the rebel groups
in the area, namely the FDLR.

Client log in to read more
(140 of 355 words)

Recruitment drive - Islamist groups urge India's Muslims to join jihad

Islamist militant groups such as Al-Qaeda have made a number of recent
appeals to India's Muslim population to join the global jihad. Animesh
Roul examines whether these attempts will prove successful or falter
as they have in the past.

http://www.google.ca/gwt/x?gl=CA&hl=en-CA&u=http://www.janes.com/article/34739/probable-offensive-against-fdlr-in-drc-next-month-raises-risks-to-cargo-and-individuals&q=Probable+offensive+against+FDLR+in+DRC+next+month+raises+risks.&sa=X&ei=yCYRU42yJsHP0wHH_oGwBA&ved=0CCEQFjAA

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SIBOMANA Jean Bosco
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http://www.youtube.com/user/sibomanaxyz999
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[RwandaLibre] Amnesty International: The anti-gay law: Uganda's shame

 

The anti-gay law: Uganda's shame

(c) Pete Muller
'the homosexuals have lost the argument in Uganda. They should
rehabilitate themselves and society should assist them to do so.'
President Museveni

At the start of this week Uganda's President heralded a new low for
lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people in the
country by passing the Anti-Homosexuality Bill.

The repugnant discriminatory law that's hung around on the sidelines
of Uganda's parliament for the last five years has been tweaked -
death sentences 'softened' to life sentences for the most serious
'offences' of homosexuality - but it is now law.

Prior to this week, it was already illegal to be LGBTI in Uganda, but
this law extends sentences for gay marriage, 'promoting
homosexuality', 'aiding and abetting homosexuality' - and more.

LGBTI individuals deemed to be 'serial offenders' (ie. frequently
convicted of having sex with someone of the same sex or 'related
convictions') face a lifetime behind bars, as do those with HIV who
have consensual same-sex relations. If you host two people who engage
in same-sex relations in your house, you could be found to be running
a brothel and dealt a seven-year prison sentence.

The Anti-Homosexuality Act's many victims

My heart goes out to so many people in Uganda. To the LGBTI activists
I met at London's Gay Pride last summer, who danced and cheered at an
event that welcomed them. To the individuals all over Uganda who will
live their lives being told their feelings are abhorrent and abnormal,
who face criminal punishment if they even hint at revealing a sexual
orientation or gender identity that 'deviates' from heterosexuality,
who live in a society that will 'assist' in 'rehabilitating' them. To
the health workers, police officers, aid workers and so on who now
face ethical dilemmas around reporting or not reporting suspected
same-sex conduct of individuals seeking their help.

Despite approving a law that actively discriminates based on sexual
orientation and gender identity, Uganda's Health Minster claims that
LGBTI people won't face discrimination when accessing healthcare.
Right.

The financial implications of the law are already being felt, with the
withdrawal of international funds to Uganda. Last week, Obama warned
Museveni of the negative consequences of signing the Bill on US
relations with Uganda. Today, the World Bank halted a $90 billion loan
set to fund healthcare services in the country. Norway, Denmark and
the Netherlands have cut aid intended for services including Uganda's
legal system on the back of this new law. Others will follow. The
value of the Ugandan shilling has dropped in the last couple of days.

With fewer rights and resources pulled from legal and health services
within days of the law's existence, it's ordinary Ugandans who lose
out - regardless of their sexual orientation and gender identity.
There's no discrimination there.

Nature or nurture? African or Western?

In the last few weeks President Museveni appeared to conduct a bit of
a public sweepstake to help him unravel the cultural and scientific
evidence behind this 'being gay' thing. He settled on the decision
that same-sex relations are a social aberration, and while people may
be born gay, the state can cure them of it.

In response to Obama's warning, Museveni did, in a slight to 'Western
intervention in African matters', remind him the law's colonial
origins: 'homosexuality...should continue to be criminalised because the
British had already done it [in Uganda]'. He's not wrong. As with many
African states, same-sex relations were not illegal until European
colonisation.

However, by questioning whether one is born or created LGBTI, whether
homosexuality is a Western concept and social import, Museveni merely
created distractions from the real issue.

The debate he should have engaged with is whether he wanted to
guarantee his citizens human rights or not. It's that simple. Instead,
he chose to arbitrarily curtail basic rights for a chunk of the
population based on allegations about one aspect of an individual's
identity.

The witch-hunt begins

Last month Nigeria strengthened its anti-gay laws and immediately set
about rounding up and punishing those suspected of same-sex
relationships.

The day after Museveni passed Uganda's equivalent law, Ugandan tabloid
paper Red Pepper recklessly published a list of the 'top 200 gays' in
Uganda. Many of them were being outed for the first time.

A few years ago, the now-defunct Rolling Stone paper published its own
list of purported gay Ugandans. Months later, gay rights activist
David Kato was murdered in his home. This is no coincidence.

Kato did successfully bring charges against Rolling Stone, but by then
it was too late. This was before the Anti-Homosexuality Bill became
law; those named have fewer rights now. Red Pepper should also face
charges - the law cites the duty of editors and broadcasters to
protect confidentiality, but the maximum fine for outing someone in a
newspaper is only around £59.

One of the men outed in the Red Pepper spoke to the BBC about how he
can no longer speak to his family or return to Uganda after his name
appeared on the list. LGBTI activist Frank Mugisha appealed to the
police for protection:

Uganda Police Do some thing about the press on gay people in uganda,I
plead please you know our society it's like throwing them to wolves

-- Dr. Frank Mugisha (@frankmugisha) February 26, 2014

Meanwhile, in Zambia...

On the day that Red Pepper was endangering the lives of 200 Ugandans,
there was some good news as a leading gay rights activist was
acquitted of 'promoting homosexuality' after defending gay rights in a
TV debate.

Next week, the same court is due to deliver a verdict to Philip
Mubiana and James Mwape, both 22, and both accused of homosexual
relations. If found guilty, they could serve 14 years behind bars.
Since they were detained last May, Philip and James have been forced
to undergo anal examinations without their consent to 'prove' the
charges - scientifically pointless while invasive and cruel.

I hope that on Thursday, if the verdict is delivered it is a positive
one. The LGBTI community in sub-Saharan Africa desperately needs some
good news right now.

About Amnesty UK Blogs
Our blogs are written by Amnesty International staff, volunteers and
other interested individuals, to encourage debate around human rights
issues. They do not necessarily represent the views of Amnesty
International.

http://www.amnesty.org.uk/blogs/campaigns/uganda-zambia-anti-gay-law-homosexuality-bill-lgbt

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SIBOMANA Jean Bosco
Google+: https://plus.google.com/110493390983174363421/posts
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[RwandaLibre] Uganda Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Kutesa met several ambassadors

 

Uganda Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Kutesa met several ambassadors

Minister Kutesa and Ambassador Alphons Hennekens of the Netherlands

newvision
By Vision reporter

Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Kutesa Thursday met several ambassadors
accredited to Uganda with whom they discussed the Anti-homosexuality
law recently assented to by the President.

According to a press release from the ministry, Kutesa's visitors
included Alain Hanssen (Belgium), ambassador Urban Andersson (Sweden),
ambassador Scott DeLisi (US), Thorbjørn Gaustadsæther of Norway,
ambassador Alphons Hennekens (Netherlands) and Dan Frederiksen
(Denmark).

The press release about the meeting reads: "The Minister of Foreign
Affairs today met Ambassadors of Belgium, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and
the US to discuss the anti-homosexuality law recently assented by His
Excellency the President.

"They all expressed their governments' objection of the passing of the Bill.

"However, there was consensus from the ambassadors that they continue
to value the partnership with Uganda and far-reaching decisions will
not be taken in haste as they continue to engage the Ugandan
Government on the issue.

"The ambassadors were mindful that they do not want ordinary people to
suffer as a result development assistance cuts, as they are closely
observing the implications of the Law.

"Kutesa reiterated the President's position on the law but emphasized
that its intention is not to discriminate, harass or witch-hunt
homosexuals but prohibit the promotion and exhibition of homosexuality
in Uganda. The minister added that "we should examine this issue in a
cool and rational manner", with continued engagement as a way
forward."

http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/653065-minister-kutesa-meets-foreign-enyoys.html

--
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
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