AfroAmerica Network
Ottawa, Canada
05.04.01
A Rwandan delegation has been crisscrossing Canada asking for assistance to the Rwandan economy but Canadian reception has been lukewarm.
Secretary of Education Ntawukulilyayo leads a delegation that includes senior government officials and businessmen who run Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) owned companies. According to a member of the delegation Canadians have showed little interest in the delegation's visit.
During a meeting between the delegation and some members of the Rwandan community living in Canada, Ntawulikura declared that the Rwandan government does not recognize political parties based abroad. He said the RPF Tutsi led regime would fight back if political organizations based abroad launch a military attack against Rwanda.
Ntawulikura is a Hutu who served as RPF Secretary General Muligande when he was the chancellor of the National University of Rwanda. After Muligande moved up in the RPF hierarchy he brought him to Kigali and had him promoted Secretary of Education.
Ntawulikura's wife and children live in Brussels as refugees. Recently he spent a month in a Belgian hospital due to an undisclosed ailment.
Other members of the delegation are: Former Finance Minister Bonaventure Niyibizi, Rwanda Development Bank Managing Director Edith Gasana, Airports Managing John Nkongoli, Fair Construction Managing Director Joseph Mugisha, Alliance Express Managing Director Florence TRISTAR Managing Director Dr Ben Millionaire Pascal Muhamyambuga.
SORAS Managing Director Mporanyi was also a member of this delegation. However, the Canadian embassy refused to issue a visa to him. Mporanyi is a wealthy Hutu businessman whose children have sought asylum in Belgium. He owns several mansions there.
Nkongoli is Mazimhaka's cousin. During the RPF guerrilla against Habyarimana's regime, he was a refugee in Toronto.
Mugisha runs Fair Construction, a company owned by him, Colonel Karemera who is the Rwandan ambassador to South Africa and Rwandan President General Paul Kagame.
Florence runs Alliance Express, a company whose shareholders are General Fred Rwigema's widow Rwandan President General Paul Kagame, and a South African company. Rwigema's widow is the managing director of a travel agency owned by Alliance Express in Kigali.
Dr. Ben runs TRISTAR, a company owned by the RPF. This company has a virtual monopoly over the Rwandan economy. It is also involved in the illegal exploitation of the natural resources of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
As to Pascal Muhamyambuga, he owns the GuestHouse of Kibuye and Hotel des Chutes in Cyangugu. The two hotels belonged to the Rwandan government before the RPF took over. Under the privatization program imposed by the World Bank and the International Monetary fund, Muhamyambuga acquired the two hotels as a reward for his contribution to the RPF war. Two other Tutsi businessmen who longed for the acquisition of the two hotels were Miko and Assinapol Rwigara. They lost out to Muhamyambuga because Miko had been a refugee in Zaire and Rwigara had left Rwanda temporarily. Muhamyambuga is a Tutsi returnee from Uganda.
(c)AfroAmerica Network, May, 2001.
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Soon to come: Coverage on Rwandan Refugees in the Republic of Congo.