AfroAmerica Network
Kigali, Rwanda
02.26.01
Some political observers have urged Rwandan President General Paul Kagame to acknowledge he has a political opposition and he should open a dialogue with it.
AfroAmerica Network has learned that Kagame has refused to heed advice suggesting he talk with his political opponents instead of demonizing them. When he is told to engage in a dialogue he replies that all his opponents are interahamwe or individuals who committed genocide except former Kigeli V Ndahindurwa, former National Transitional Speaker Joseph Sebarenzi Kabuye, and former Prime Minister Pierre Celestin Rwigema.
According to political sources, during his recent visit in the United States Kagame tried to have a meeting with the three politicians and they turned him down. At the end of last year he sent his close aide Aloysia Inyumba to Brussels to offer cabinet positions to Rwandan Hutu exiles but they turned the offer down.
These sources say Kagame has now decided to rely on Hutu he had demoted. They mention that former Environment Minister Jean-Nepomuscene Nayinzira and former Agriculture Minister Augustin Iyamulemye will be sworn in soon as members of the National transitional Assembly. The latter will replace Biruta as Speaker of the assembly and former Foreign Minister Anastase Gasana will replace Mutaboba as ambassador to the United Nations.
Iyamuremye is married to Theodore Sindikubwabo's daughter. Sindikubwabo assumed the Rwandan presidency in April 1994 and many international observers accuse him of presiding over the genocide of Tutsi.
Iyamulemye has kept a low profile since 1994 because of his association with the Sindikubwabo family. After Kagame took over the presidency last year, Iyamulemye wrote him a long memo suggesting ways to earn the trust of Hutu. His need for Kagame's support has allowed the latter to oppose him to former Public Works Minister Ntakirutinka and to destroy the Social Democratic Party.
An expert on Rwanda says: "Kagame is recycling used Hutu. I personally thought Mr. Karame was dead, now he will head the Rwandan mission at the United Nations." In Kigali, Anastase Gasana is known as Mr. Karame (Long Live!). He always shows up at events attended by Janet Kagame, the Rwandan President's wife and is heard saying "Karame" when Mrs. Kagame calls his name. His long term cronies and acquaintances point to the fact that Anastase Gasana, then a university professor, used the same courting approach with Protais Zigiranyirazo, a brother-in-law of former president Habyarimana, to earn a prominent position within MRND, the ruling party.
Gasana served as advisor to the President of the National Revolutionary Movement for Development. In that capacity Gasana and PETRORWANDA Director General Desire Murenzi created interahamwe to counter the political violence of Inkuba, Abakombozi and Young Liberals. Inkuba or Thunders belonged to the Republican Democratic Movement, Abakombozi or Saviors to the Social Democratic party, and Young Liberals to the Liberal party. Interahamwe, Gasana's brainchild, are said to have received military training.
(c)AfroAmerica Network, February, 2001.
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