Rwanda: A Nation Gripped by Fear - Part 2

Paul Kagame is not an ideologue. He does not seem to subscribe to any set of core beliefs about governing, philosophy or values.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame

(WASHINGTON DC) - In Rwanda today, no one can dare deny the heavy air of suspicion, fear and unease present in all spheres of life. Like any dictatorship, our society has been permeated by the regime’s spies.

The infamous Brigadier General Jack Nziza and Colonel Dan Munyuza have an elaborate and extensive network of spies deployed to “find out what society is thinking or talking” so these spies have camouflaged their presence in bars, hotels, nightclubs, Government offices, airports, buses, cell phone companies and other locations.

The very fabric of the Rwandan society was twisted and destroyed so much so that a culture of impunity has emerged, a culture of lies, disrespect, trickery and intrigue has firmly taken root. For example, the association of Hoteliers held a “security” meeting with members of the police in an effort to sensitize them in security matters.

What shocked many hoteliers was that they were asked to file a report of any incidents of prominent people who were in the company of members of the opposite sex (not spouses) who were seeking a hotel room! In short, the police insist on knowing who is sleeping with whom!

Another example, every year Rwanda Revenue Authority has monetary targets the Government expects them to meet. One of the measures it has taken is to say that if a trader under-declares his taxes then the RRA has been authorized to access his/her bank accounts and force them to pay the rightful amount. This has forced many traders to keep cash in their homes or in neighboring countries with sound banking policies.

Telephone conversations have become comical because of the cryptic language Rwandans have adopted because it is well known that “big brother” is listening and recording. MTN is literally “MTN wherever you go”.

RwandAir has one or two air marshals on every flight that is meant to dupe unsuspecting Rwandans that these marshals are there for security purposes, whereas they are actually spies meant to record the whereabouts/travels of targeted Government Officials, businessmen and Kagame’s imagined enemies. Nairobi and Entebbe airports are flooded with these young tactless spies!

Another disturbing trend taking root in Rwanda, propagated by Paul Kagame himself, is the use of “adultery” to blackmail those who don’t easily succumb to his manipulations. Minister Protais Musoni and General Karenzi Karake are some of the known examples whose misfortune was happily played out in Government newspapers while Kagame savoured every moment with delight! The president has taken to turning Husband against wife, child against a parent, neighbor against neighbor, to the extent that friendships do not exist in Rwanda, people live isolated lives!

The question is how do we rid ourselves of this dictatorship and rectify our Rwandan traditions of “ubupfura” and “inyangamugayo”?

Make a decision to defeat Paul Kagame

Envision a Democratic Rwanda

No one should be under any illusion that democracy will take hold in Rwanda overnight! It will be a lengthy process, but the immediate benefits of taking the necessary steps (non-violently) toward that ideal are worth taking. We need to revise the Constitution. The 2003 constitution has been amended many times to accommodate and provide absolute power and immunities to the President while in power and out. The constitution provides for absolute executive authority. Unless this is changed, there is no rule of law nor checks and balances.

Electoral laws

Electoral Commission

Starve the Beast

In the end, they proved to the world that they loved their country more than those who were accusing them from their moral high horses. If the dictatorship in Rwanda is a three legged stool upon which Paul Kagame sits, then those three legs can be felled one at a time or all at once. Those three legs being, Donor funds, the brutal killing machine in form of his intelligence and police network and his much touted Rwanda Revenue. This is the umbilical cord that feeds our Dictator. To defeat Paul Kagame is to unequivocally break at least one or two of the three leg stools he sits on. If enough Rwandans organize themselves inside and outside the country and coordinate their efforts (a fact that has yet to materialize fully) will not need any third party to take the lead to unseat our own homegrown despot. However, it is the duty of everyone who wishes to see a democratic change to shake off the dictator from the stool.

Partner with Change Agents INSIDE Rwanda

Systematic and Impeccable Organization

John Bosco Gasasira, shot by govt. operatives for his Rwanda publication

Often times, we fool ourselves into believing that the Rwandans are divided into two camps of “pro-Kagame” and “opposition” followers. We tend to ignore the uncomfortable notion that there is a third camp, a more important and larger camp of people who are indifferent. Some of them are on the fence, unable to make their mind up or are trying to test the winds of change.

But, still that is a small minority compared to the vast majority who honestly believing this fight has little to do with their personal lives. They go about their daily lives unaffected and manage to keep the news and debates away from their daily routines. We can hardly call them “independents” because it is not like they are waiting to be convinced. They simply haven’t found the right incentive to get involved thus far because they are paralysed by fear of the almighty Kagame.

They believe that Kagame’s power is undefeatable but most of all they are apathetic. One sure way to have the upper hand in the fight against President Kagame is to wake up this sleeping giant, which is mostly made up of young men and women, with enough technology and education at their disposal but who has been disillusioned by the continued cycle of bad leadership in Rwanda. How do we motivate them to join the struggle?

Defeat Kagame-ism

To flush out Paul Kagame-ism, we need to stand for the complete opposite of his traits and attitudes that have now become part of the fabric that make up our society. Kagame-ism may have been created by the dictator but we should take responsibility and blame for having cheered, cherished, applauded and nurtured this dictatorship to the point that it is the monster that has come to hound us today! We have learnt a very harsh lesson and we can only pray to god that this kind of leadership should be the LAST of its kind to ever take root on Rwandan soil!

Author: Anonymous Veteran Rwanda

Article edited by Jennifer Fierberg MSW

Jennifer Fierberg is a social worker in the US working on peace and justice issues in Africa with an emphasis on the crisis in Rwanda and throughout the central region of Africa. Her articles have been published on many humanitarian sites that are also focused on changing the world through social, political and personal action.

Jennifer has extensive background working with victims of trauma and domestic violence, justice matters as well as individual and family therapy. Passionate and focused on bringing the many humanitarian issues that plague the African Continent to the awareness of the developed world in order to incite change. She is a correspondent, Assistant Editor, and Volunteer Coordinator for NGO News Africa through the volunteer project of the UN. Jennifer was also the media co-coordinator and senior funding executive for The Africa Global Village. You can write to Jennifer at jfierberg@ymail.com. Jennifer comes to www.Salem-News.com with a great deal of experience and passion for working to stop human right violation in Africa.

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