Mr. Joseph Ntawangundi was arrested in Kigali on 06th February 2010 on genocide charges. He is now serving a 17 year term in jail given by an ad hoc Gacaca court in a retrial hearing on 25th March, confirmed by a shady rushed appeal on 15th April 2010.

Since his arrest, his ever-changing statements and his much publicised �tearful-on kneels� confessions make him a good weapon to thwart the opposition, tarnish the good image of the UDF Inkingi and belittle its Chair.

We regret that his unstable condition is used for selfish political purposes.

This is a deal gone bad for a stooge under visible influence. After thorough psychological preparation, Joseph Ntawangundi declined to be assisted by two hired lawyers and curiously preferred to use an invisible saviour�s offer conveyed through Prison�s staff that generously availed all the logistic support to draft his deepest genocide memories and confessions.
For example, on 22nd March 2010 one lawyer had to wait 3 hours behind the prison�s office while the detainee was in a closed door meeting with some governmental agents.

If President Paul Kagame and partisan media are referring to him as a party Chair-Deputy or Assistant, they know very well that he has never been an Executive Committee member but are exploiting his weak-mind to criminalize the whole party and all the leadership.

If President Paul Kagame feels no blame after the Gacaca system sentenced for genocide crimes some fallen key figures of his regime – i.e. the ex- Speaker Alfred Mukezamfura (life sentence) and ex-Prime Minister Pierre Celestin Rwigema (30 years in jail), Senators and army senior officers- we wonder how comfortable he is when he questions the credibility of the UDF Inkingi leadership because of a confessing infiltrated stooge?

In this particular case the concept of individual criminal responsibility is a well-established principle.

According to our records, in April 2009, Mr Joseph Ntawangundi joined a UDF Inkingi local section in Lille (France) and informed that he was already in a voluntary repatriation process with the International Migration Organization (IOM).
He asked for a chance to do some Kinyarwanda- French translation job in Kigali during the registration process of the party.
His curriculum seemed clean and he was accepted in the party on that basis and we encouraged him to join his motherland.

Genocide and crimes against humanity that bedevilled Rwanda left undeletable scars and therefore our political party can not harbour any member found guilty of such crimes.

Though we strongly reprehend his credentials and his handlers� political agenda, we still believe he deserves fair and free justice.

Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza
UDF Inkingi, Chair

Frank Habineza - Chair of Democratic Green Party of Rwanda

Frank Habineza, chair of the Green Party of Rwanda, has been elected as President of the Executive Committee of the Federation of African Greens on April 18th in Kampala – Uganda.

Although his party and others, and the press, are still challenged in Rwanda, this is considered as a significant step.

Annie Garrison has made a radio report on Frank Habineza’s election and on the conditions prevailing in Rwanda before the presidential elections.

Arusha – Trial Chamber III of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) Monday accused a French lawyer, Vincent Courcelle-Labrousse, of using abusive language with racial connotations against the bench.

�’Defence counsel made several utterances which may amount to abusive language with racial connotations,” alleged Ugandan presiding Judge, Solomy Balungi Bossa, at the beginning of the afternoon session in the on-going trial of the genocide-accused former Rwandan Youth Minister, Callixte Nzabonimana.

The French lawyer is the lead defence counsel for the accused.

Judge Bossa, flanked by Judges Mparany Rajohson from Madagascar and Bakhtiyar Tuzmukhamedov from Russia, alleged that the counsel went as far as referring the Chamber as �’Mongolian Chamber” and the whole Tribunal �’A Banana Republic”.

�’This is an insult not only to the Chamber but also to the whole Tribunal,” Judge Bossa charged, demanding an explanation from the lawyer.

Responding, the French lawyer quickly said he had no knowledge of �’what the Chamber was talking about”. Judge Bossa took the trouble to explain further that the words were spoken among the members of the defence team shortly before lunch-break.

The defence counsel was quick to intervene by saying: �’ Anything stated outside the hearing process is beyond the jurisdiction of the Trial Chamber.”

�’The Chamber seizes the matter and will act according to the rules of this Tribunal,” Presiding Judge said and closed the discussion.

Nzabonimana is facing five charges– genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide, direct and public incitement to commit genocide, extermination and murder. He has denied the charges.

His defence case started on April 14. The prosecution presented 19 witnesses and concluded its case on April 13.

The trial continues Tuesday.

[Hirondelle News Agency]

Gen Maj Karenzi Karake and Lt-Gen Charles Muhire arrested

Kigali – The Defence and Military Leadership, yesterday, suspended from duty and arrested Lieutenant General Charles Muhire and Major General Emmanuel Karenzi Karake.

This was revealed by the Defence and military spokesman, Major Jill Rutaremara, who said that the two senior army officers committed serious offences.

�Lt. Gen. Muhire was suspended due to serious charges of corruption and misuse of office while Maj. Gen. Karenzi was suspended on serious charges of immoral conduct that contravenes and undermines the values and ethos of the Rwanda Defence Force,� Maj. Rutaremara said in a statement released yesterday.

�This action was taken in order to enforce discipline, moral conduct and accountability in the Rwanda Defence Force.�
Rutaremara added that investigations continue.

It is only ten days ago that President Paul Kagame had appointed Lt. Gen. Charles Muhire as the Reserve Force Commander � a new arm of the army. Until then, Lt. Gen Muhire had been heading the Rwanda Airforce � where he has worked for several years.

Major General Karenzi Karake led the UN Peacekeeping Forces in Darfur, Sudan before being recalled over accusations of war crimes and genocide committed between 1994 and 1998 against Rwandan Hutu refugees and Congolese and the killing of Spanish catholic missionaries. Upon his return from Darfour, General Paul Kagame assigned him to a position of the director of a military training school for army officers.

People have heard the official reasons given by the defence and army spokesman, but are still waiting to know the real reasons behind the arrestation of those high ranking officers of the Rwanda Defence Force.

Rwanda Tea: Tea was the only export which remained resilient from the global economic downturn. Exports instead short up and prices kept rising over the past two years

Kigali: Jay Shree Tea & Industries (JTIL) is close to acquiring tea estates in Rwanda � and is already telling its investors that the purchases are a good deal for the Indian conglomerate and parent company BK Birla group, its management announced Tuesday.

JTIL has also finalised plans to enter into a marketing pact with a yet unnamed Rwandan tea company. Together, they have formed the Tea Group Investments Ltd which has acquired 60% stakes in Mata and Gisakura tea factories � both located in South west.

According to this tie-up, JTIL will buy 6 million kg of black tea through its Dubai-based subsidiary, Birla Holdings Dubai. The Dubai company will market the tea internationally under the Birla brand name.

The firm has also bought one tea factory in Uganda.

A board meeting has been called on April 28 to approve the overseas acquisition and pave the way for signing agreements with Ugandan and Rwandan partners.

�This time, the acquisition of tea estates in Uganda and Rwanda is surely going to happen. We will acquire two tea estates in Rwanda and one in Uganda. The three estates together produce 5 million kg of tea,� said DP Maheshwari, managing director of JTIL, according to The Economic Times of India

But Mr Maheshwari did not divulge the deal size. �It will be announced on April 28 only,� he said.

This will be the company�s first overseas acquisition in the tea space and would lift production from 23.5 million kg to nearly 29 million kg in 2010-11.

[ARI-RNA]

The most recent covers of Umuseso and Umuvugizi (source: KigaliWire1, http://bit.ly/aTu5sN). The two newspapers were also said to be creating the impression among investors that the country was not safe. UMUVUGIZI (here on the right) says the High Council of the Media bundled it like a “best man” to UMUSESO (left). The Office of the President has also been notified.

Kigali: UMUVUGIZI newspaper � one of the two suspended last week has accused the High Council of the Media of basing its decision on �sentiments and disregarding the law�, RNA reports.

In a petition to the Council on Monday, also copied to the Office of the President and several ministries, UMUVUGIZI publisher Mr. Jean Bosco Gasasira wants the decision reversed immediately.

On Wednesday last week, just hours before a major speech in which President Kagame demanded that media which was trading rumour �must stop� or they are stopped, the Media Council slammed a 6-month suspension on UMUSESO and UMUVUGIZI.

The Council says the two papers have since January been insulting the Head of State, sowing discontent in the army and causing panic in the population. Brandishing many copies of UMUSESO about two of UMUVUGIZI, the Council chairman Mr. Arthur Asiimwe and Executive Secretary Patrice Mulama argued that the papers were also creating the impression the situation in the country was insecure to investors.

However, in the petition, UMUVUGIZI chief says his paper is being treated as a �best man� for UMUSESO by being bundled together because no reasons were given for the suspension of UMUVUGIZI.

The only Issue 60 of UMUVUGIZI which the Council based on is that in which the paper details a complicated extramarital affair between state prosecutor Jean Bosco Mutangana and Dr. Diane Gashumba, head of the Rwanda Women Network.

The two senior officials have dragged the paper to court, which according to Mr. Gasasira bares the Media Council from prejudging the case. The case is in the appeals court.

Basing his arguments on articles 16, 73, 82, 83, 84 and 94 of the media law, Mr. Gasasira says UMUVUGIZI has �never been summoned� by the Media Council over the issues raised in the suspension decision. Mr. Gasasira also says the law states that before a paper is suspended for six months, it is warned, and then handed two months before the final decision.

�None of these were done,� he noted. �Instead [the media council] kept on saying UMUSESO, just like UMUVUGIZI is doing this and that��

The controversial journalist says the Council disregarded the law with intent to �suppress freedom of press�.

Media rights groups have also come out in spirited defense of the papers. President Kagame for his part said he would not allow any media undermining national security to operate.

On Wednesday, 14 April 2010, a Cabinet meeting chaired by the President of the Republic, H.E. Paul KAGAME was convened at Village URUGWIRO.

Cabinet started its session by welcoming a new Cabinet Minister, General James KABAREBE, Minister of Defence.

1. Cabinet approved decisions taken in its earlier meeting of 01/04/2010 after a few amendments.

2. Cabinet heard a presentation on the Budget Framework Paper for the year 2010/11- 2012/13 and the Draft Finance Law.

3. Cabinet approved a draft law establishing the institution of governance and determining its mission, organisation and functioning (Rwanda Governance Board/RGB).

4. Cabinet approved the revised organizational structure of the Ministry of Local Government (MINALOC).

5. Cabinet approved the revised structure of District and Sector.

6. Cabinet put in place the Kigali City Construction One Stop Centre. Within the same framework, Cabinet further approved the Client Charter on land administration and land acquisition to speed up investment facilitation and requested that all stakeholders be informed.

7. Cabinet approved the following orders:

- A Presidential Order appointing ACP Joseph MUGISHA to the post of Director of the Rwanda Police Academy.
- A Prime Minister�s Order authorizing Mr. Prosper MUSAFIRI to suspend service for unspecified period of time.
- A Prime Minister�s Order removing the plot and buildings on Avenue de l�Arm�e in Nyarugenge District from State Public Property and transferring it into State Private property.
- A Prime Minister�s Order removing from office Mr. Vincent UZARAMA, who was RRA Assistant Commissioner in charge of Small and Medium-Taxpayers Department.
- A Ministerial Order determining the modalities of declaration of the enterprise, workers and nature of employer register.
- A Draft Ministerial Order fixing the period, modalities for payment and amount to be paid for funeral indemnities.

8. Cabinet approved a new system for computing the funds Government allocates to each District as part of their budget support. This new system is based on the number of inhabitants of a District, the level of poverty and the number of its sectors.

9. Cabinet approved that 60% of Government shares in Mata and Gisakura Tea factories be sold to Tea Group Investments Ltd, a company which won the tender.

10. Cabinet supported the format of the revised Assets Declaration Form.

11. Cabinet appointed senior staff as follows:

� In Parliament, Chamber of Deputies :

Mr. Justin HATUNGIMANA, Principal Researcher;

� In Supreme Court :

Mr. Fred GASHEMEZA, Director General in charge of ICT

� In MINICOM /RBS :

Ms. Annonciata MUJAWAMARIYA, Director of Administration and Human Resource Management Unit.
� In MINECOFIN :
1. Madamu Enatha DUSENGE, Director General of Corporate Services;
2. Mr. Caleb RWAMUGANZA, Deputy Accountant General in charge of Treasury Management;
3. Mr. Christophe NSENGIYAREMYE, Fiscal Decentralization Coordinator;
4. Mr. Ronald NKUSI, Financial Resources Mobilisation Coordinator.
12. In A.O.B.:

a) Cabinet requested acceleration of the Kigali Industrial Park and Free Trade Zone projects.

b) The Minister of Local Government informed Cabinet that the usual meeting bringing together leaders from Local Government and Central Government will take place on 26-27 April 2010 and requested all those concerned to attend.

c) The Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources informed Cabinet that strategies were devised to move Rwanda�s agriculture from subsistence to market-oriented farming.

d) The Minister of Gender and Family Promotion called on Cabinet members in their respective Districts to remind to parents and all concerned the importance of keeping a kitchen garden with vegetables as part of fighting poor diet among children causing their anemia.

e) The Minister in charge of ICT informed Cabinet that Rwanda has applied for the post of International Telecommunications Council (ITU Council) member.

f) The Minister of Forestry and Mines briefed Cabinet on negotiations� progress towards an agreement with the New Forestry Company (NFC) on tree management and harvesting in the buffer zone of Nyungwe Forest and building a wooden products manufacturing factory in Rwanda. He further informed Cabinet on progress of agreement with the Ecosystem Restoration Association (ERA) relating to tree planting in the Gishwati Forest zone formerly left to local residents but later on included in the forest zone because it was found to be a very high risk zone.

Cabinet was happy with the progress made and requested that both agreements be quickly finalized to be submitted to Cabinet for approval.

g) The Minister of Internal Security informed Cabinet that as part of celebrations for the tenth anniversary of the Rwanda National Police, preliminary and preparatory celebrations will begin on 19 April 2010.

This statement was signed by

Protais MUSONI
Minister in charge of Cabinet Affairs

by Godwin Agaba and Ann Garrison

Introduction by San Francisco journalist Ann Garrison

Godwin Agaba, Rwandan correspondent for the African Great Lakes regional outlet 256.com, is now in hiding, though still reporting. On March 9, I spoke to him for KPFA Radio regarding grenade attacks in Rwanda�s capital, Kigali, in the run up to this year�s presidential election, scheduled for Aug. 9:

This week Godwin Agaba confirmed what I had concluded: that Rwanda�s presidential election is effectively closed; all the viable opposition has been excluded.

The ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front Party has taken over the Parti Social-Imberakuri and ousted its candidate, Bernard Ntaganda, whom many expect to be in prison soon, for �genocide ideology,� a speech crime unique to Rwanda which I have explained here in the Bay View. Rwandan security is also investigating Victoire Ingabir� Umuhoza, presidential candidate of the FDU Inkingi Party, for the genocide ideology speech crime, and the government has announced that she will not be allowed to run until she is cleared � meaning that she will not be allowed to run.

And the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda continues to be halted at military bureaucratic roadblocks and checkpoints, enduring meeting after meeting about whether they might have another meeting about the possibility of having yet another meeting to determine whether or not their party might finally be able to meet so as to register and field a presidential candidate.

On April 14, the government shut down the independent African language (Kinyarwanda) tabloid press for the next six months. Since 70 percent of the population speak only Kinyarwanda, not English or French, and only 3 percent have internet access, this means that most will have no information except that in state run newspapers from now until well after the Aug. 9 polls.

European Union election monitors are scheduled to travel to Rwanda but there is nothing left to observe except the effective coronation of incumbent Rwandan President Paul Kagame. The election monitors should stay home in protest rather than validate this charade, unless by some miracle �donor nations,� most of all the U.S. and U.K., choose to heed the Feingold Statement on the Fragility of Democracy in Africa and make civil and political rights, and a real election, a condition of their ongoing support for Rwanda.

Rwandans� thwarted effort to contest the presidential election is also of great importance to the people of neighboring D.R. Congo, where at least 6 million Congolese people have died in the Rwandan and Ugandan invasions and occupations of Congo since Kagame seized control of Rwanda during the 1994 Rwanda Genocide.
The silence of the U.S. press about the loss of African life and U.S. Pentagon responsibility is deafening.

Editorial by Rwandan journalist Godwin Agaba

Godwin Agaba

Anyone who has been following events in Rwanda over the last few weeks will agree with me that it is now clear what President Paul Kagame really wants.
A safer Rwanda!
A Rwanda where there is no political upheaval, no opposition politics, no sentimental politicians, no old friends, no dissent and, above all, no critical newspapers to report the prevailing �peace and tranquility.
�Presidential elections will go ahead as planned in August and when the dust has settled in September, those still living will witness a sympathetic, loving and caring president, a head of state ready to forgive and forget as he embarks on another seven year term as head of state. How cool is that!

Gen. Marcel Gatsinzi will be hauled to court to answer the genocide charges that continue to linger around his back before being thrown into jail.
Lt. Gen. Charles Kayonga will be sent to Rwanda�s Pentagon and given a few challenging but less empowering tasks and Gen. Kabarebe will most likely retire.
Rwandans will have a newly elected leader and The New Times will struggle not to lead with the PK [Paul Kagame] rigs to set a new world record!

The High Council of the Press will come up with yet another silly document which Patrice Mulama, posing in front of cameras, will read confirming that Umuseso and Umuvugizi newspapers have been reinstated.
It will be business as usual and the international community will continue to pour money into Rwanda with the aim of ending poverty and fostering economic development.

Right path? Don�t ask me for I really don�t know.

What is clear though is that Paul Kagame, having commanded the forces that he says ended the genocide and helped restore order in chaotic Rwanda, has embarked on a self-destructing campaign.

He will stop at nothing to make himself clear and louder to all that Rwanda belongs to him and only he knows what is good for the country.

He does not even appear bothered by the idea of ruling the country as if it is some family ranch, because according to what he knows, he is popular, charismatic and knows his country�s history better than anyone else.

And who are we to challenge him? What exactly do we know?

To him we are rejects who should either shut up or put up with whatever nonsense is being paraded as long as we rise up at the end of the day to toss to the monsieur � only this time, in English!

Make no mistake: The president is in charge.

When coup rumors went around a month ago, he was very stern as he was precise in his assurances to his audience that Rwanda will never have a coup.
�A coup in Rwanda, never � not here,� he said.

If that was a statement that lacked the marrow, he made certain a few days ago with impromptu changes in the army.
Gen. Gatsinzi, the hitherto docile defense minister, was dropped for a close friend (former friend some will argue), Gen. James Kabarebe.

On April 14, President Kagame announced a six-month shutdown of these two newspapers, Rwanda�s only independent papers printed in Kinyarwanda, the only language spoken by 70 percent of the population. Since only 3 percent have access to the internet, that leaves most Rwandans with no other perspective on the news but that of the government-run media. Umuseso editor Didas Gasana is preparing for a lawsuit challenging the suspension of his newspaper. – Photo: KigaliWire1, http://www.facebook.com/l/23bad;bit.ly/aTu5sN

Lt. Gen. Charles Kayonga, who many basing their conviction on local media reports thought was under house arrest, got in to replace Gen. Kabarebe.
Some will argue this was a tactical move by the man in charge.
Technically demote the popular Gen. Kabarebe by making him defense minister and bring Kayonga closer in a more demanding position where he can be checked on and made too busy to even think of a coup.
I�m not very knowledgeable about the finer intricacies of army changes but speculation has never been my specialty either.
It is very plausible though that it is much easier to look after and maintain an eye on a chief of defense forces than it is on someone who is head of land forces.
For the sake of the issue at hand, I will take what the official version is and leave the rest to you, my readers.
Fortunately, there is no official version of the changes, just a routine reshuffle.

Political temperatures in Kigali continue to rise. Kagame continues to impress. He seems very popular with the wanainchi [the people, citizens or masses] or at least it looks that way whenever he pays them visits.
Opposition politics in Rwanda remains a far cry.
Those who have dared to challenge the establishment now find themselves in limbo fearing not only for their lives but, at the moment, for their political parties as well.

Victoire Ingabire has been summoned to the Criminal Investigations Department more times than she has been allowed to go to church unattended.
She is religious, but the government would rather she was not.
Religious people get to meet others when they go to church. And when you don�t want someone to mix with others for fear that they will talk about their political agenda, you so wish they were pagans.

Those who have dared to challenge the establishment now find themselves in limbo fearing not only for their lives but, at the moment, for their political parties as well.

Frank Habineza, another of the political hopefuls, a former Rwandese Patriotic Front member who broke ranks to form the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda � a party whose registration seems to bother Kagame more than the poverty in the country � is not having it smooth either.
He has on several occasions been in the news complaining about scary emails and intimidating phone calls from state agents who continue to threaten him unless he gets out of politics.

Bernard Ntaganda, who until a week ago was party chairman for Rwanda�s only vocal political party, PS-Imberakuri, was successfully ousted by a party wrangle within his own party that many believe was orchestrated by the ruling Rwanda Patriotic Front.

With these under control, in dissaray, under investigation or currently being accused of one or several offences, Kagame will definitely emerge as the one and only presidential candidate come August. He will achieve what he has set out to achieve � ruling Rwanda � forever.
And as long as the elections are held at the hindsight of local and international observers, we will have no legal reason to believe that his victory was manipulated.

The media, which in such an environment would have provided credible evidence as to the real situation on the ground, has been manipulated.
Those like Umuseso, who have not been so keen at accepting government tokens, have now been suspended.
The six months suspension effectively rules out Umuseso in the media life of Rwandans until, well, after the elections.
If that is not calculated, then I stand to be corrected as to whether Kagame is not preparing himself to be the father figure and self-appointed Lord of Rwanda he wishes and claims to be.

Godwin Agaba was a Rwandan correspondent for Great Lakes regional outlet 256.com; he is now in hiding but still publishing without his byline.

On April 7, 2010, in his address at the Kigali Memorial Center, Rwandan President Paul Kagame blamed �you,� a conveniently flexible and expandable category, and all those calling for political space and press freedom for the 1994 Rwanda Genocide, in which a million Rwandans died.
This is the English language section of his English and Kinyarwanda address particularly concerned with press freedom.
For the entire English language section of the address, click here. One week after this address, on April 14, 2010, Kagame�s �High Media Council� shut down the independent African language newspapers that most Rwandans depend on.

State Orchestrated Censorship Will Deepen Unrest in Rwanda

On 13th April 2010, the Media High Council (MHC) suspended for 6 months UMUSESO and UMUVUGIZI Newspapers.

The censorship measures were aired only a couple of hours after President Paul Kagame, in an unprecedented abusive language, threatened to gag the publication of some independent media outlets considered by him to cause instability and or to belittle his infallibility and powers.

As the August 2010 presidential election looms, the MHC, a supposed-to-be independent body is backing the incumbent in his war against free media.

We believe that the MHC did not fully examine the content and the spirit of the Law on Media Nr. 22/2009 of 12/08/2009, art. 16, 18, 73, 82, 83, 84 and 94, or for reasons well known to some of its members ignored the steps for penalties and rushed into censorship.

How can this body pretend to protect the freedom of expression while it is enforcing government calls to muzzle the independent media prior to a presidential campaign?

How do they brandish ethical values only when the government accountability is challenged and keep silent when pro and governmental media fuel media lynching against opposition leaders?

In an environment of restrictive provisions in freedoms� laws, everybody expects a Media High council to push for the repeal of draconian provisions increasing criminal penalties, advocating suspension of media outlets, levying exorbitant fines and allowing censorship based on vague national security considerations.

We encourage both President Kagame and the Media High Council to let the newspapers UMUSESO and UMUVUGIZI run their normal business and to understand that critical coverage of public affairs and diversity in the expression of opinions are part of press freedom.

Mrs. Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza
Chairperson, UDF INKINGI.

A Message to the US State Department
in reaction to the USA on the 16th Anniversary of the Rwandan Genocide
by JB Uwumuremyi.

Thanks for remembering the victims of the Tutsi genocide. But many Rwandans continue to ask this:
What about the people that were killed by the Tutsis? What about all innocent people that were killed by Kagame and his soldiers from Byumba, throughout all Rwanda, all the way to the Congo?
Were they not humans?
Not all were interahamwe.
The population of Byumba, decimated by Kagame in 1990, were they interahamwe?
How about some justice for them?
In your message, you say that

�Rwanda�s vision for its future is one enlightened by all Rwandans who live together in respect�.

That is what most of us Rwandan want.
But in reality, today Rwanda belongs to a small group of Tutsis from Uganda.
The rest of Rwandans have no room whatsoever in Rwanda. Their rights are abused, stepped upon every single day.
Today, Rwanda has more refugees than any other time in its history. And if you speak up and condemn injustice, you are a genocide denier, an enemy of the state.

Kagame and his Akazu (entourage) are the real threat to the peace and security in the Great Lakes Region.

Before Kagame�s military ventures, the Great Lakes Region was peaceful. Kagame set in motion wars that killed millions of Rwandans and Congolese.

You say that

�The United States will remain a committed partner in Rwanda�s efforts to improve the well-being of its citizens and promote peace and stability in the region�.

If you mean it, help us remove the dictator Paul Kagame because many Rwandans are so sick and tired of him. Sixteen years of him is more than enough.

I find it amusing ( or you are not informed ) when you say that

�the United States applauds Rwanda�s progress and wishes its people continued success in their efforts in securing a peaceful, prosperous and democratic future�.

Democratic? The fake election Kagame is planning so he can secure another 7 years of power, you call that democratic!
Frankly, I find it shameful the fact that the US state department hasn�t stepped out and condemn Kagame and his shameful political games.
Is the US an ally of Rwandans or an ally of dictator Kagame?
If the US is an ally of the Rwandan people, these are the times that the US should act and side with the people.

[JB Uwumuremyi - rwandarugali.blogspot.com]