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Democratic Green Party of Rwanda committed to Non-violence

Democratic Green Party of Rwanda Declaration:
NON-VIOLENCE, A SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION TO RWANDAN PROBLEMS

Frank Habineza - Chair of Democratic Green Party of Rwanda

Frank Habineza - Chair of Democratic Green Party of Rwanda

After different statements and allegations made against us in the media and elsewhere, the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda re-confirms its commitment to its principle of non-violence and would also like to state the following :

We declare our commitment to nonviolence and strive for a culture of peace and cooperation between individuals in the Rwandan community as the basis of national security and sustainable development.

We believe that national security should not rest only on military strength but also on cooperation, economic and social development, environmental safety, and respect for human rights.

Basing on this principle and after careful consideration of the Rwandan history, which has been marked with use of force and violence to solve national problems, since 1959 to 1994 genocide, which claimed over one million innocent lives.

We re-confirm our commitment on the principle on non-use of confrontational politics, since it only helps to make matters worse other than improve them.

We re-confirm our position to not work with people or groups, who may have intentions of taking back the country backwards. The good things the country has achieved have taken a lot of efforts and energy. This should be highly valued.

We shall continue to strive for consultative politics, diplomacy, cooperation and peaceful competition for political power. But based on mutual understanding, truth and avoidance of abusive language.

We commit ourselves to condemning any causes of war and conflicts by understanding and respecting the Rwandan culture, eradicating racism, promoting freedom and democracy, and eradication of poverty.

We strive for a national security system capable of the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts using peaceful means.

In the process to register the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda, we were always pushed on the wall and ended up in reactionary politics ; this has coasted us a lot and never gave us chance to tell Rwandans our message of peace and hope.

We recognise the different achievements made by the RPF led Government for the last 16 years, especially in the areas of economic development, educational sector (where all Rwandans are accessing education on merit other than race), improvement in national security and many others.

We believe that there is still a big room for improvement in other areas like democracy and good governance. As an opposition party, we also have an important role to play in the sustainable development of Rwanda. We shall strive for a better Rwanda, where all Rwandans from different parts of the world, will feel free to come back home in a country of peace and justice.

Non-violence is indeed the sustainable solution to Rwandan problems ; we encourage all Rwandans to embrace it. It�s our guarantee for a better future and better Rwanda.

Issued at Kigali, 10th May 2010

Signed by The National Executive Committee :

Names and Position

1. Mr. Frank HABINEZA, President

2. Mr. Andre RWISEREKA KAGWA, First Vice President

3. Ms. Jeanine UWINEZA, Second Vice President

4. Ms. Didacienne KANGEYO, Secretary General

5. Mr. Jean Claude NTEZIMANA, Deputy Secretary General

6. Mr. Alexis MUGISHA, Treasurer General

7. Ms. Carine MAOMBI, Deputy Treasurer General

8. Ms. Diane MUYISENGE, Communication Secretary

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May 12, 2010   1 Comment

Greens and EU Parliament Human Rights Chair Demand Protection of Rwandan Opposition Politicians

Letter to S.E. Monsieur G�rard Ntwari,
Ambassador of Rwanda in Belgium,
May 6th 2010.

Honourable Mr. Ntwari,

We, the undersigned, are gravely concerned about news that Rwandan opposition politicians Mrs Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza and Mr Deogratias Mushayidi are being judicially harassed in order to silence their criticism of the state authorities.

Mrs Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza, presidential candidate and Chairperson of the UDF-INKINGI who recently returned from exile in the Netherlands, is currenlty under house arrest and Mr Deogratias Mushayidi, president of the opposition party PDP-Imanzi is imprisoned – both without any official charge against them. We call strongly that the Rwandan authorities either charge them with a criminal offence without delay or promptly release them.

Persistent threat and harassment continues against Frank Habineza, president of Democratic Green Party of Rwanda, which is a serious problem to his party�s democratic participation in the upcoming election process.

What is more, we are further alarmed to learn that this is not apparently first attempt to curtail the freedom of speech of those who openly criticise the President Kagame of Rwanda and his government.

No history of a country shall testify more to the importance of the freedom of speech than that of Rwanda. Never again must the voice of the people be compromised according to political currencies.

We urge you to guarantee political space for opposition voices, free from intimidation, with appropriate protection from security forces for individual party activists.

We hope that the issue will be resolved quickly and that the authorities will ensure that freedom of speech shall be not only protected but also promoted in Rwanda.
Heidi Hautala,
Chairwoman of European Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights

Rebecca Harms
Co-president of the Green/Efa Group

Daniel Cohn Bendit
Co-president of the Green/Efa Group

Monica Frassoni
European Green Party Co-spokesperson

Philippe Lamberts
European Green Party Co-spokesperson

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May 12, 2010   No Comments

French judges arrive in Rwanda to investigate wheelchair genocide suspect Pascal Simbikangwa

Captain Pascal Simbikangwa

Captain Pascal Simbikangwa

Kigali -� Two French judges arrived in Rwanda on May 8 for two weeks to investigate the alleged responsibility of former army officer Captain Pascal Simbikangwa in the 1994 genocide. This has been announced by the Rwandan prosecutor general’s spokesman Augustin Nkusi.

Captain Simbikangwa, restricted to a wheelchair, was in 1994 head of military intelligence at the Office of the President. Rwanda accuses him of drawing up lists of Tutsis to be killed and participating in killings in Kigali.

He was arrested in 2008 in the French overseas territory of Mayotte in connection with forged documents and was then identified as being wanted by Interpol for his alleged involvement in the genocide.

He was indicted in 2009, and placed in detention in France following a complaint filed by a French association called “collective of the civil parties for Rwanda”.

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May 12, 2010   No Comments