Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete and General Paul Kagame of Rwanda are in 
Japan where they are taking part in the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD V), an event held every five years since 1993. They are among the heads of state and officials from Africa invited to the event by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The event is believed to be the biggest African development event outside the continent.
Jakaya Kikwete and Shinzo Abe, at Shinzo Abe’s Official Residence in Tokyo.
The two African heads of states met, a week after the Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete urged President Paul Kagame to hold direct talks with his armed rebellion in order to bring peace in the Great Lakes region (see here). The position of the Tanzanian President has irked Rwandan leaders, to the point that Rwandan Foreign Affairs Minister, Louise Mushikiwabo and Defense Minister, James Kabarebe, publicly cursed the Tanzanian President and called him a sympathizer of “genociaires”, a “genocide denier”, and other names.
“Jakaya Kikwete is a Four Bs”, Kagame tells his closest aides
It is not known whether General Paul Kagame will meet Jakaya Kikwete in a one-on-one or a mediated venue. According to sources within the Rwandan Presidency, when General Paul Kagame returned from Addis-Abeba after Jakaya Kikwete’s comments, he was livid. He called an urgent brief intelligence services meeting and told the participants that Jakaya Kikwete is a “Four Bs”, which he said in Kinyarwanda meant “an opportunist, attention seeker , arrogant and contemptible person.” Contrary to his habit, he dismissed the participants to meeting after 15 minutes and went directly to bed.
Before leaving for Japan, he once again held a meeting with his intelligence services and top military leaders and told them the following: “Now, after the betrayal by the Tanzanian Four Bs, it is clear that, like orphaned kids, we are on our own. I am traveling, and when I return I want you to present me with a plan on how we will get out of this severe situation.” When he asked whether anyone had anything to add, everyone looked down. He dismissed the meeting after a few minutes and headed to his private jet, that he rents out to the Rwandan Government.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe vs Chinese President Xi JinPing
During the Ticad V meeting today, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has pledged ¥ 3.2 trillion or $31.9 billion for African Development. Japan is trying to catch up with China. Contrary to Shinzo Abe who has never visited Africa since he took office in December 2012, Chinese President Xi JinPing has already visited three countries: South Africa, Congo, and Tanzania.
President Xi JinPing also pledged $20 billion in loans over the next two years and China built the African Union Headquarters in Addid Ababa, Ethiopia, valued at $200 million
The conference is being held in Yokohama City and will last three days. The Tanzanian President is expected in Dar-Es-Salaam on Sunday evening June 2, 2013. Upon his return, he will be faced with two pressing matters: addressing the contempt of his small neighbor, the Rwandan General Paul Kagame and start preparing for the visit of the most powerful man in the World, US President Barack Obama.
Jaka Kikwete, the Star of TICAD V
Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete was a star at the Ticad V. He and South African President Jacob Zuma were received with the highest honors by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. He was the first to be received at the Prime Minister ‘s official residence in Tokyo on May 30, 2013.
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To those of you who claim to be Rwandans and dare to dismiss what President Kikwete suggested….you dont want peace plus you do not want to move on and accept the reality. President Kikwete suggested Rwanda to engage dialogue with the FDLR. What is bad in that? You are stuck with your own theory and dream of gemocide denial but you do not want to listen and understand that pride and hatred will never bring peace in the greatlakes that happened in the country in 1994. Stop your childish thinking and grow up. Rwanda has had every support from everyone around the world because of the genocide. What more could you Rwandans have asked to the world? In return what Rwanda gave back? Pride, arrogance and childish behaviour! You felt you are allowed to do anything in the world when and how you want it!!!… come on!….Rwanda could have used the worldwide attention it had wisely and move on but you are making the same mistake again and again. Guess what, Kikwette got it right either you like it or not DIALOGUE is the only way. You travel around the world and talk to any wise person from any small cultural community in the world, he or she will tell you that engaging dialogue with your ennemies is the right thing to do. It may not lead to the solution but it is the first and foremost thing to do. Now, look at how you Rwandans are reacting quick without even thinking like children. Unless you are aware of any other hidden agenda behind what Kikwete suggested and if that is the case then talk about it openely so thatbit is heard and dealt with but do not denial in public that dialogue is not the way forward.
Kikwete is correct,Rwanda and Uganda has to find peace on dialogue! And if they want to figth with their rebels why they don’t go and fight? They are reluctant because the rebels are not in their country! Kagame shame on you,how many people you have killed? Kikwete is Right no matter you don’t accept the truth!
Kikwete umeonyesha taswira gani ya utu na elimu uliyo nayo. You reflect ….
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What ever Kikwete’s all abouts,he is just politician seeking his interests in DRC together with his so called Westerners.they will take whatever they need in DRC and the situation will always be the same in the country because the so called protection is for Gold fields.but Kikwete should know that Politics is affair game.what goes around,comes around.the world is a sphere that rotates.we are Rwandans and proud of being ABANYARWANDA.we know our values so stop whatever nonsense your are talking.its so a shaming that some leaders like kikwete don’t know the value of being independent.after all no one will remain on this earth alive.so we are determined to be Rwandese and we always be who we are not to be recolonized by so called developed countries.but we wish you success.
Here it is another self African betrayal Jakaya Kikwete. While, Africans are trying to work hard to move the continent forward, Jakaya is instead trying to bring us back NEGATIVELY, to the 1994 Rwandan horrors by sympathizing with the genocide criminals. What a shame!!! We actually don’t even need his apology because he just showed to the entire world humanity especially the Rwanda genocide survivors his true COLORS. But as much as his stupid remarks were and still are SHOCKING, we were born resilient and always ready to strike any threats where ever it comes from. TO KNOW A DISEASE IS A HALF CURE. Good luck Mr. Jakaya Kikwete!!
James,
do you know that your position is the same argument Gregoire Kayibanda’s government was using against our brave Inyenzi elders. MDR-PARMEHUTU used to say: “These Inyenzi are terrorists. We, the survivors of Ubuhake n’Ubwami cannot negotiate with them.”
Do you know that this is what MRND’s government initially said against Inkotanyi: “These Inyenzi are coming back again?????”. It is said that Colonel Kanyarengwe at the time used to say: “I will talk to a Tutsi only if the scars on my head grow back hair.”
Well, it appears history is repeating itself with RPF government position and General James Kabarebe (I assume it is not you) who , with his stand, has become the Colonel Kanyarengwe of before 1973. You cannot repeat the same thing over and expect different results.
Today, it is our choice: Do we need to build a Rwanda, where every Rwandan is included or do we need to perpetuate ethnic hatred and division?
That is why I believe that Jakaya Kikwete is right. We need to move beyond bitterness and traumatization (yes we suffer PTSD -post trauma syndrome disorders, and it is a normal situation, but so are the Hutu) and face reality, get healed.
For example, if Rwandan armed Hutu opposition includes “genocide criminals”, let us make it a precondition that we want to negotiate only with a team that does not include these criminals. But on our side too, let us agree that potential criminals will be dealt with accordingly. I also agree that President Paul Kagame’s government should not negotiate with General Mudacumura’s FDLR-FOCA, but he should do it (and I believe he eventually will, as I argued before) with RUD-Urunana, and RPR-Inkeragutabara, with the mandate that RUD-Urunana will in turn bring in the fold those within FDLR-FOCA who are seeking peace. Then let us have a South African/Burundian truth and reconciliation type of approach.
But let us not be stuck in time. SAM.
Dear Sam,
I don’t know you as I am sure you don’t know me but I can easily tell that you are supporting Kikwete remarks because he is simply “dancing to your music” along with your criminal friends of fdlr, which is: denying the Tutsi genocide. Kikwete for his own crazy reasons likes you guys. So congrats for your new sympathizer in the name of Jakaya Kikwete. Whatever your agenda is, please do not compare anything else in Rwanda history with what happened in 1994. In case you don’t know, please ask the world and you might consider change your views on Rwanda if you understand very well. I am myself a hutu, not involved in politics at all but let me tell you something: whenever something beyond imagination such as a genocide strikes any part of the world, even those who hate politics follow the news because the facts and consequences are so obvious that they become undeniable . You can freely chose so, but then something is very wrong with you or maybe you live in a different planet.
James; for sure you’re not Hutu. Facts, you don’t mention the same atrocities described in UN Mapping report, neither Ingabire’s case and similar ones!!!
Lies don’t stop one truth and Rwandans knows about that.
CYUBAHIRO: Do you think all hutu think like you? there are open minded hutus in this world,you still in genocide ideology,just hate tutsi you will end up suffering heartattack.
You agree or not, what we know many rwandans were killed during genicide. thats very bad!
the number of people killed we heard one million, but in the rwanda census of 1992 tutsi in rwanda were about five hundred thousand. and during genocide were not all killed.
from my heart am not rwandan but i love rwandans and they love me.
only thing some of rwandans hutu and tutsi are biased due to political inflience for personal interests using genocide as a foundation of business.
you can hear genocide orphans in rwanda while we have now 19yrs after genocide. thats not true!!!
then for this case of jakaya kikwete suggestion for peace talks, some rwandans starting to to the top, they are exttemists. don’t need mind change. they want to see them like innocents! how can u say that such leader is the best?!!!! hypocrites!!!!
kikwete has his own problems in tanzania but he has the right to advise as we know no one is perfect.
Rwandans extremists and hyporcites, change your mind and accept the reality. no durable peace through fightings!!!!
Gen Kagame now understand what politic is,because after serving the west by killing innocent peoples both in Rwanda and Drc ,they no longer want him because he has nothing else to offer.China and USA both are competing to take charge of new Africa with Tanzania now,not gen Kagame..soon he will be on wanted list or history just like Mobutu,western mojo says “we can work with anybody at anytime,anywhere if is on our (west) interests”.That’s why yesterday was gen Kagame,Museveni etc..to be replace with someone like pres Zuma & pres Kikwete, gen Kagame is aware of this change of guard in Africa.”life goes on” you reap what you saw.
That is your wish! that will never happened to our president,the population is with him,so keep dreaming.
The Tanzanian President is absolutely correct- and even Mushie can’t deny that they took top FDLR back into the country and gave them jobs. THE TOP LEADERS OF FDLR are not Genocidaires? What does this say? If you want to see the true Kagame regime and the plight of Rwandan refugees, please go here and watch the film “Stateless”: http://www.stoprwandacessation.org
If you agree, please sign the petition to stop the cessation from starting! IT WILL BE IN PLACE BY END OF JUNE 2013. SPREAD THE WORD!
KIkwete should ask forgiveness from rwandans.b’se the intaenational community has recognized what hapened in rwanda in 1994 as genoside commited against humanity.The actual Rwanda Gouvernement which Stopped genoside and did alot in order to reconsiliate Rwandans can’t seat on 1 table with marders.