Rwanda: a very sad anniversary

Six years ago, on July 4th, 1994, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), with the help of Uganda, other countries, and organizations, overthrew the Rwandan Government and seized power after 4 years of a bloody civil war.

After six years of RPF power, the situation in Rwanda continues to deteriorate.

Endless wars, abuses, repressions, corruption, nepotism, persecution, political assassinations, army desertions, and a growing bold opposition from both Tutsi and Hutu are slipping the country into unprecedented turmoil if an alternative to the handful of corrupt military and civilian leaders who run the country is not found very quickly.

The July 4th, 2000 represents the 6th anniversary of despair, deprivation, exile, humiliation, and extermination of the Rwandan People.

From the beginning of its power, the Rwandan Patriotic Front either assassinated or forced to exile several governments officials from the ethnic Hutu.

These officials include:

- Faustin Twagiramungu, Prime Minister, exiled in Belgium;
- Pierre Celestin Rwigema, Prime Minister, exiled in Belgium;
- J.M.V Ndagijimana, Minister of Foreign Affairs, exiled in France;
- Marthe Mukamurenzi, Justice Minister, exiled in Europe;
- Faustin Ntezilyayo, Justice Minister, exiled in USA;
- JMV Nkubito, Justice Minister, assassinated in Kigali;
- Jean Baptiste Nkuliyingoma, Information Minister, exiled in Belgium;
- Vincent Nkezabaganwa, Vice-President of the Supreme Court, later assassinated by the Rwandan Patriotic Army;
- Alype Nkundiyaremye, Vice-President of the Supreme Court, died in exile in Europe;
- Members of the Parliament: Jean Baptist Mberabahizi (Belgium), Eustache Nkelinka (exiled);
- Gerard Niyitegeka, Governor of the Central Bank, exiled in Belgium;
- Jean Damascene Ntakirutimana, Director of Cabinet of the Prime Minister, exiled in Europe;
- General Leonidas Rusatira, exiled in Belgium;
- Colonel Theoneste Lizinde, member of the Parliament, assassinated in Kenya;
- Seth Sendashonga, Interior Minister, assassinated in Kenya;
- Colonel Kanyarengwe, Interior Minister and RPF President, demoted for complaining against massacres of Hutu, including his close relatives,in Ruhengeri, his native region;
- Mrs. Panda Beatrice Sebatware, State Minister of Interior, exiled in Netherlands;cabinet member, persecuted for denouncing concentration camps in Northwestern Rwanda, her native region. Several of her close relatives are in these camps.

Furthermore, most of the Ex-FAR high-ranking officers who joined the Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA) were assassinated or put in jail after being integrated within RPA:

- Colonel Stanislas Hakizimana, assassinated along with his family, relatives and neighbors in Muramba on January 21, 1997;
- Colonel Stanislas Bangamwabo, disappeared;
- Lieutenant-Colonel Augustin Nzabanita, assassinated while in prison in Gisenyi on January 23, 1997;
- Lieutenant-Colonel BEM Antoine Sebahire, assassinated along with his family;
- Major Laurent Bizabarimana, assassinated in Nyarutovu on January 18-19 1997;
- Major Lambert Rugambage, assasinated in January 1997;
- Major Rutayisire, assassinated while in RPF ideological training;
- Major Martin Ndamage, in military prison;
- Major Athanase Uwamungu, in military prison;
- Captain Isidore Bwanakweli, in military prison;
- Captain Alexander Mugarura, Captain Theodore Hakizimana, and Captain Jean Kabera assassinated;
- Lieutenant Francois Nsengimana of Gitarama, assassinated;
- Lieutenant Faustine Nsengiyumva, assassinated;
- Lieutenant Edouard Nsengiyumva, assassinated;

Recently, the Rwandan Patriotic Front and Army has targeted Tutsi:

- Assiel Kabera, Advisor to the former President Pasteur Bizimungu, was assassinated. His bother Doctor Kayijaho, fled to the United Sates of America.
- Joseph Sebarenzi Kabuye, Speaker of the Parliament, exiled in the United Sates of America;
- Jean Mbanda, Member of Parliament, imprisoned;
- Several high-ranking officers were either killed or fled the country: Colonel Wilson Rutayisire Shabani, assassinated in Congo, Major Kwikiriza and several other officers fled to the USA.

During the 6 years of power, the Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA) systematically massacred Hutu civilians. The RPA massacred 8,000 civilians in Kibeho in May 1995, tens of thousands in Nyakinama and Kanama in 1996, more than 200,000 refugees in Zaire in 1997-1998, tens of thousands in Ruhengeri in 1996-1998, etc.

In June 2000, Rwandan Patriotic Front militia, also known as Local Defense Units (LDU) systematically massacred Hutu civilians in the Eastern and Northwestern Regions of Rwanda. Bodies were burnt or dumped in the rivers or mass graves. A British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) correspondent affirms seeing several bodies floating on the River Akagera on June 16, 2000.

Since the beginning of Year 2000, Uganda and Rwanda forces that invaded the Democratic Republic of the Congo have clashed at several occasions. Theses clashes have resulted in the death of thousands of Congolese civilians. These mass murders of Congolese civilians were called 'genocide' by the United Nations observers.

In Rwanda itself, more than 150 thousands mostly Hutu civilians have been kept in prison in inhuman conditions for more than 5 years without clear charges, if any. Over a million Hutu civilians from Northwestern Rwandan are forced into concentration camps.

At this anniversary, it is important to remind the international community that the tragedy in Rwanda and the Great Lakes Region has been going on since October 1, 1990 with the invasion of Rwanda by the elements of the National Resistance Army of Uganda.

The Organization for Peace, Justice, and Development in Rwanda calls on International Criminal Tribunal for the Rwanda to bring to justice all criminals in the Rwandan tragedy including those, in the current Rwandan Patriotic Front government, responsible for the aforementioned massacres and those accused of the assassination of the Presidents of Rwanda and Burundi, Juvenal Habyarimana and Cyprien Ntaryamira. The international community is well aware that this assassination sparked the 1994 massacres.

The Organization for Peace, Justice, and Development in Rwanda calls on the international community to put pressure on the Government of Rwanda to respect Human Rights. The Rwandan and Ugandan troops must abide by the United Nations Security Council resolution No 1304 by withdrawing unconditionally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the International community has increased the international aid to these regimes. Moreover, innocent Rwandans must be released from inhumane prisons and concentrations camps. Repressions against various groups in Rwanda, including Hutu in general and Tutsis opposed to the current Rwandan Patriotic Front Government must stop.

The Organization for Peace, Justice, and Development in Rwanda is disappointed that the United States Development Agency (USAID) just released 15 millions dollars to Rwanda, whereas the World Bank did the same for Uganda under given the massive violations of human rights and international laws by the regimes of these two countries.

On this 6th sad anniversary of the Organization for Peace, Justice, and Development in Rwanda invites Rwandans, friends of Rwanda, and the International community to work together to build a decent society in Rwanda. The requirements for this society are:

- An agreement on real power sharing and establishment of transitional institutions including the government of national unity and reconciliation, a national army, etc.;
- return of all refugees with guarantees for their security and safety;
- confirmation of multi-party system;
- provisions and duration of the transition;
- establishment of mechanisms for mutual guarantee of security among diverse components of Rwandan Society.

Rwandans, friends of Rwanda, and the International Community must move very quickly to avoid any incremental bloodbath in the Great Lakes Region.

Innocent civilians and other components of the society should have other choices for their welfare than the armed struggle.

The Organization for Peace, Justice, and Development in Rwanda (OPJDR) is ready to work with Rwandans and friends of Rwanda in exploring and implementing approaches to building decent Societies in Rwanda and in the Great Lakes Region.

Felicien Kanyamibwa, Ph.D.
Coordinator.

Jean Marie Vianney Higiro, Ph.D.
Spokesperson.

Organization for Peace, Justice, and Development in Rwanda.

OPJDR
P.O. Box 8011
Talleyville, DE 19803
USA
Tel: 973-449-3117