AfroAmerica Network
Kigali, Rwanda
05.02.01
Rwandan's former interior and security minister who disappeared a few days ago belongs to a group of Rwandans who were about to launch an internal opposition political party. Readers would recall that in our March 16, 2001 edition under the title "Rwanda: Kagame accelerates crackdown on dissenting Hutu and Tutsi", AfroAmerica Network wrote that internal Affairs Minister Theobald Rwaka lost his job because he refused to join the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF). Rwaka belongs to the Christian Democratic Party. He has connection with human rights activists. Kagame's regime had accused him of passing on information to human rights organizations and to his friends from Cyangugu.
Theobald Rwaka served as minister in the RPF Tutsi led government for only one year. Informed sources say he belongs to a group of Hutu elite still living in Rwanda who have been working on a political plate-form of a new political party. Before the political party could be announced, the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) learned about it. The RPF regime instructed state-run media and pro-RPF media to demonize Rwaka before Rwandan President General Paul Kagame sacked him.
These sources say the RPF has destroyed internal political parties using co-optation, character assassination, intra-party struggles, genocide accusations, intimidation, and other brutal tactics. RPF leaders who have been at the forefront of this campaign to destroy political parties are RPF Secretary General Muligande, RPF ideologue Tito Rutaremara, former Foreign Affairs minister Anastase Gasana, National Transitional Assembly Stanley Safari, Former Agriculture Minister Iyamulemye, Journalists Marie Immaculee Ingabire and Elie Muhayimana.
A group of Hutu felt the necessity to launch an internal political party that would relay external opposition to the RPF regime. Rwaka is the first member of this group to disappear. Others are likely to follow suit soon.
Others individuals who the RPF suspect of harboring political ambitions are former Transportation Minister, Charles Ntakirutinka and former Rwandan President, Pasteur Bizimungu. According to a rumor, both politicians are considering launching a political party. A campaign is already under way to prepare public opinion for the arrest of Ntakirutinka on genocide charges.
The RPF is engaged in this dirty campaign against potential political opponents in order to make sure that at the appropriate time Rwandan President Paul Kagame runs for office unopposed or even if he has an opponent, the opponent will be a straw man chosen by the RPF. Many observers believe that Kagame will be overwhelmingly defeated if he faces a challenger and if elections are free.
(c)AfroAmerica Network, May, 2001.
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Soon to come: Coverage on Rwandan Refugees in the Republic of Congo.