Recently, the Rwandan capital Kigali, usually known as the model of security in the troubled Great Lakes region of Africa, has been rocked by political instability, rumors of coup, and a brutal repression against political oppositions, especially those operating inside Rwanda, including Faustine Ntaganda of Social Party Imberakuri, Frank Habineza of Democratic Green Party of Rwanda and Ms. Victoire Ingabire of United Democratic Forces. A faction supported by RPF staged a forced attempt to unseat Faustine Ntaganda. The RPF led government has so far thwarted Frank Habineza’s efforts to register his party. Ms Ingabire received threats from President Kagame to the point of seeking a temporary protection with the embassy of the United Kingdom. Ms Ingabire is now barred from leaving the country, after she unsuccessfully tried to board a plane to visit her family left in Europe.
In a two month period, multiple grenades attacks rocked the usually heavily secured city of Kigali, sending a shock in the diplomatics circles. In its March 4, 2010 Warden Message, the U.S. Embassy in Kigali confirmed two grenade attacks in Kigali and issued warnings regarding traveling in and around the city. A few days later, two Rwandan ambassadors, one accredited to the Netherlands and another to India, fled the country and sought asylum respectively in Ireland and South Africa. The ex-Ambassador to India was no other than the former Rwandan Patriotic Army Chief of Staff, General Kayumba Nyamwasa. In South Africa he found another colleague, Colonel Karegeya, a former Rwandan army head of intelligence, who had fled a few years earlier.
Then an army mutiny was attempted but failed while General Kagame was on his way back from a trip to visit his son, a cadet at the US West Point MilitaryAcademy. He had to stay in Kenya and then Burundi for a week , awaiting for the loyal troops, the Reserve Brigade, to put down the army mutiny.
When he reached Kigali, he bribed the soldiers by paying US$ 500 per soldier of the Republican Guard, and $100 per soldier in other units.
Next, on April 7, 2010 General Kagame delivered a defiant speech in which he acknoweldges coup attempts, but dismissed the possibility of success. “[They] call me Hitler,” he added referring to the Western institutions who accuse him of stifling the media and the freedom of speech, repressing the opposition and running an undemocratic regime. “who are they giving lessons to? Who are they? Are these Rwandans complaining? Have they sent you to speak on their behalf?,” he angrily reacted. He then promised a to fight if necessary: “there should be no apologies to anyone if we have to fight back when it is time to fight. When it is time to make peace, we should be at our best. But when it is time to fight, for your country, your sovereignty, your dignity, Rwandans – you should not be found wanting – you should never be apologetic about this.”
Two days later General Kagame reshuffled the military, appointing to the post of Minister of Defense the Chief of Staff General James Kabarebe, apparently suspected of involvement in stirring up the military discontent. Observers point out that by appointing James Kabarebe the Minister of Defense, General Kagame is making sure the army would be in the hands of his three loyal henchman: General Charles Kayonga, the new Army Chief of Staff, Lt General Caesar Kayizari, the new Land Forces Chief of Staff and Lt General Charles Muhire, the Republican Guard Chief of Staff. The Republican Guard or the Army Reserve is the presidential guard, in charge of the security of the Rwandan Dictator Kagame.
© Copyright AfroAmerica Network, April 2010
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