AMAHORO

AMAHORO People's Congress[1] has been informed of President Kagame’s upcoming visit to the Whitehouse on March 4^th 2003. Given the role that the USA played in forcing him to withdraw his troops from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), we are convinced that the United States, once more and during this visit, can play a vital role in pressuring him to allow democracy to take roots in Rwanda.

As stipulated in a letter we addressed to your office in September 2002, http://www.newrwanda.org/PeaceSecurityInGLR.English.htm, the Kagame regime continues to hold political prisoners. Among them is the former President of Rwanda, Mr. Pasteur Bizimungu, who has been imprisoned for alleged “illegal political activities”, meaning activities not sanctioned by the regime. Such a criminal act is not surprising for a regime that has been ranked 7 on the congressional “good governance” index, and 6 on the freedom index (7 being the worst possible ranking) by the USAID, for six consecutive years, without any sign of improvement.

Mr. President, the purpose of this letter is to urge you to use your influence during this upcoming meeting with Mr. Kagame, to persuade him to join the rest of the world and allow democracy to take root and to flourish in Rwanda, by releasing all political prisoners, allowing freedom of expression and association, and establishing institutions that would lead the country to a real multiparty system. Furthermore, the regime must refrain from imposing the unilaterally drafted constitution that it is currently circulating. As demonstrated in our evaluation of the said draft, http://www.newrwanda.org/csec_report.htm, this constitution, if enacted, would establish a one-party system in the guise of a “forum of political parties”. It would also place the legislative branch under the control of the President, who, directly and indirectly, controls the appointment of 2/3 of the Senate members. Clearly, this constitution has been tailored to fit the dictatorial practices of the current regime, and cannot promote democracy. It is no wonder that every Rwandan organization, outside the control of the Kagame regime, has spoken out against the said constitution. Rwanda is at the crossroads between engaging in a national dialogue to establish true democracy, and joining the ranks of rogue nations in establishing a “constitutional” dictatorship. We are afraid that, by all indications, the Kagame government is moving in the latter direction.

While President Kagame continues to use the Tutsi genocide to secure foreign aid, his government has done very little, if anything, to help its victims. Unlike the ICTR (International Court Tribunal for Rwanda), that has and continues to improve its efficiency in bringing the perpetrators of the genocide to justice, the Kagame government has sheltered some alleged perpetrators, as outlined in our letter to the ICTR, http://www.newrwanda.org/letter_to_ictr.htm, asking it to investigate them. The Kigali regime continues to hinder the work of the ICTR, thereby refusing to comply with UN Security Council resolution 955. Often has the Chief Prosecutor of the ICTR complained to the UN Security council that she is not getting the cooperation needed from Kigali.

We urge you Mr. President, to stress upon President Kagame the need to comply with the UN Security council resolutions. We would like to see him arrest the suspected perpetrators of the Tutsi genocide within his government, and to turn them over to the ICTR. We would also like to see him grant the tribunal his and his regime’s full cooperation in the investigation of crimes committed by some of the RPF soldiers during 1994, as mandated by resolution 955.

Lastly Mr. President, we would like the United States to condemn the unjustified release of prisoners who confess to having butchered Tutsis during the genocide, while those who profess their innocence and who have no charges filed against them are kept incarcerated. This irresponsible act is a miscarriage of justice and will exasperate ethnic tension in Rwanda. Worst, it will undermine the population’s faith in obtaining justice through the courts, thereby setting the stage for future bloodsheds.

Mr. President, we believe that the USA is in a unique position to influence events in Rwanda. We hope that the upcoming meeting with President Kagame will be used to urge him to allow democracy in Rwanda, as that is the only option that will bring lasting peace to Rwanda and to the Great Lakes region.

The world has learned that instability anywhere is instability everywhere, by helping Rwandans achieve freedom and democracy, the United States will be helping us bring stability to our country and our region security, as part of the global fight against instability and terrorism in the world.

AMAHORO People's Congress looks forward to continue working with your administration and the international community, to bring about lasting peace and stability in Rwanda and in the Great Lakes region of central Africa.

Chairman of the international relations committee in the US House of Representatives.

[1] AMAHORO People's Congress is a Rwandan political organization that was formed in 2001, as an alternative to the current Kigali regime that had and continues to become increasingly corrupt, criminal and unable to bring justice, democracy, stability, and peace to Rwanda and to the Great Lakes region.