par FDU-Inkingi and Rwanda National Congress.

(from joint open letter of FDU-Inkingi and Rwanda National Congress to members of the US Congress – 14th September 2011)

Recommendations to the Government of the United States:

The Rwanda National Congress and FDU-Inkingi once again warmly welcome President Obama’s recent pronouncements in a speech at State Department, May 19, 2011:

��there are some who advocate for democracy only when they are out of power; once in power, they are ruthless in suppressing the rights of others. No matter where it takes hold, government of the people and by the people sets a single standard for all who hold power: you must maintain your power through consent, not coercion; you must respect the rights of minorities, and participate with a spirit of tolerance and compromise; you must place the interests of your people and the legitimate workings of the political process above your party. Without these ingredients, elections alone do not make true democracy.

Still, invoking the the Presidential Directive on Mass Atrocities, Presidential Study Directive-10 (PSD-10 ), the White House on August 4, 2011, quoted President Obama:

�66 years since the Holocaust and 17 years after Rwanda, the United States still lacks a comprehensive policy framework and a corresponding interagency mechanism for preventing and responding to mass atrocities and genocide.� The President orders the creation of an interagency Atrocity Prevention Board within 120 days from today so as to coordinate a whole-of-government approach to engaging �early, proactively, and decisively.�

Most Rwandans now see a gulf between words and practice with regard to U.S policy on Rwanda, and a sense of betrayal that probably the U.S and the rest of the international community are yet to sufficiently learn the right lessons from the seemingly endless cycles of violence in Rwanda. We call upon all of you, Honorable Members of the United States Congress ( House and Senate) to use your leverage to bring the matter of US policy on Rwanda for urgent Congressional review, with the objective of changing it because it is not only unsustainable, but also because in the medium to long term, it may contribute to yet another blood bath in Rwanda. We also strongly urge the U.S. Congress to recommend to the U.S. Government, due to its strong links with the government of Rwanda, to engage �early, proactively and decisively� to prevent and respond to mass atrocities and genocide in Rwanda.

We recommend the following measures as necessary to convey an unequivocal message to the Government of Rwanda that it must carry out reforms to ensure respect of the legitimate demands of the citizens of Rwanda for freedom:

(a) Calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners;

(b) Demanding an end to persecution (including arbitrary arrests and detentions, torture, involuntary disappearances and extra-judicial killings) of government opponents and critics and their relatives;

(c) An end to the practice of channeling the development assistance that the United States provides to Rwanda through budget support;

(d) Conditioning the development assistance that the United States provides to the Rwanda government on political reforms, including opening up political space;

(e) Using regional and united Nations human rights mechanisms to ensure that President Kagame and his security officials are held accountable for gross human rights violations that are committed against innocent citizens in and outside Rwanda;

(f) Encouraging the government of Rwanda to agree to a comprehensive and unconditional dialogue with all the opposition on ways for resolving the political impasse engulfing Rwanda; and,

(g) Calling upon the international community, especially the UNHCR and United Nations member states, to reject the Government of Rwanda’s manipulation to apply the refugee cessation clause (due to be applied at the end of 2011) until performance from (a) to (f) above has created an enabling environment conducive to the return of refugees.

�We envision a new Rwanda that will be a united, democratic, and prosperous nation inhabited by free citizens with harmonious and safe communities who will live together in peace, dignity and mutual respect, regardless of class, ethnicity, language, region, origin or other differences, within a democracy governed according to universal principles of human rights and the rule of law�- RNC Vision Statement

�We have a vision of a new Rwandan society underpinned by the rule of law, democracy, good governance and equal opportunity. Our core values are human rights, accountability, rule of Law, democracy, equal opportunity and social justice, sanctity of human life, political participation and duty of memory� � FDU-Inkingi Vision Statement