RDR demands the release of all political prisoners in Rwanda

On Saturday, April 20, 2002, the police of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) regime arrested once again the leaders of the Party for Democracy and Renewal (PDR), Messrs Pasteur Bizimungu and Charles Ntakirutinka, respectively former president of the Republic and former minister of public works in the RPF regime. «We received informations the two men were pursuing the activities of their political party, which has been banned by the authorities», said Tony Kuramba, the Rwandan police spokesman. Since it took power in July 1994, the RPF has arrogated to itself a political monopoly power by banning political activities for other political organisations. For soon 8 years, many political leaders of the MDR, PSD, PC, PL and of other political parties have died in jail or are still languishing in jail for their political opinions, for their political and ethnic affiliation.. On behalf of the Rwandan people struggling for democracy, freedom and justice, the RDR condemns the imprisonment of Pasteur Bizimungu and Charles Ntakirutinka for political reasons and demands the immediate release of all political prisoners detained by the RPF dictatorial regime.

The RPF regime accuses the PDR leaders of calling for civil disobedience and division among the Rwandan people, and threatening state security. However, faced with the tyrannical regime of Mr Paul Kagame, repressive and destructive of liberty, civil disobedience is in fact a duty for every Rwandan patriot. For the allegation of preaching division among Rwandans, the fact that the PDR leaders recognise the existence of the Hutu, Tutsi and Twa communities composing the Rwandan society is not at all preaching division among the Rwandan people; it is indeed affirming a human reality that Rwanda cannot hide to the world. The denial of the Rwandan community diversity by the RPF regime is intended to hide its exclusion and discrimination policy which has ended up by concentrating all the political, economic and military power in the hands of a handful Tutsi extremists. For the allegation of threat to state security, this is paranoia. Mr Paul Kagame realizes that more and more Rwandans are beginning to liberate themselves of the fear of death and that his policy of terror don’t influence their behavior any longer. He then fears that the masses imitate them.

Exercising his right to freedom of association, peaceful assembly, expression and his right to participate in the public management of his country by challenging the political monopoly of the state party RPF is a right and a duty for every Rwandan citizen mindful of the future of his country. We condemn the continuous harassment and persecution of members of opposition parties inside Rwanda. We demands the European Union, the African Union, all governments, donors and human rights organisations to use their power and influence over the RPF regime for the immediate release of all political opponents, the cessation of the persecution of the political opposition and the organisation of an inter-rwandese dialogue in order to put in place state institutions trusted by and at the service of all the Rwandan communities. We appeal for the halt of diplomatic support, financial aids, export of arms and military training to the Kigali government.

It is in the strategy of the RPF to get rid of its collaborators, particularily those who are Hutus, after implicating them in grave crimes. Pasteur Bizimungu was the RPF Commissar for information and documentation when it was still in the bush, and later RPF Vice-President and Head of State until his resignation in March 2000. Messrs Pasteur Bizimungu, Paul Kagame et other high-ranking RPF political and military leaders are suspected of war crimes, genocide, crimes against peace and humanity committed in Rwanda since October 1990 and in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) since 1996. Their individual responsibility is namely presumed in the massacres of Hutu civilians by their army RPA in the areas under the RPF control during the 1990-1994 war in Rwanda, in the massacres of Hutus displaced by war in Kibeho camp in April 1995, in the massacres of more than 200,000 Hutu refugees and hundred thousands of Congolese civilians in 1996-1997 and in other crimes. Lawsuits against them have been filed at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) and in other national courts. Mr Pasteur Bizimungu has also been instrumental in the imprisonment of many innocent people, among them the catholic bishop Monsignor Augustin Misago. When the RPF banned political activities for other parties in July 1994, Mr Bizimungu didn’t say anything. Now, this unjust measure turns against him. While condemning the imprisonment of Pasteur Bizimungu for political reasons, we believe the right place for him and other RPF leaders suspected of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity is before an independent and impartial criminal tribunal capable of ensuring them fair trial in order to face the serious charges against them and not at the top of the Rwandese State or political parties.

Paraphrasing the famous poem of the German protestant pastor Martin Niemöller can best illustrate how the evil forces rely on divisions and the inconscience of the masses to consolidate their reign of terror in Rwanda:

Rwandans, ladies and gentlemen, friends of Rwanda, mobilise ourselves now than forever for the salvation and liberty of our motherland. Don’t let RPF/RPA extremists continue to spread wars and spilling blood in Rwanda and the Great Lakes region.

Done in Montreal on 24 April 2002

For the RDR

Emmanuel Nyemera, Ph.D.

Vice-President