At her arrival at the International Airport of Kanombe- Kigali this Saturday 16 January, 2010, Mrs Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza, addressed a very powerful message to the Rwandan People in Kinyarwanda. Here is the official translation of her speech as posted on FDU-Inkingi’s website:

I am back home.

Rwandans, my beloved people,

16 years in exile was an eternity. Today, I am back home.

A lot has happened. The summum was the genocide, the massacres and war crimes. Millions of Rwandans have been killed. Each family is still mourning the victims. The current regime has been unable to deliver any sound solution. A genuine national reconciliation process is still a dream. Rwandans are still terrorised.

My message is clear: I object to violence.We must put an end to any form of violence, if not, the violence will finish us. Peace is my motto, my guiding principle.

In exile, 3 years ago we launched the United Democratic Forces, UDF-INKINGI, with clear objectives:

- To set up a genuine multi-party democratic system;
- To create the right conditions conducive for an all-inclusive national dialogue;
- To put an end to impunity and to create the right social and political atmosphere for the healing of all the surviving victims without any segregation;
- To put an end to discrimination and to guarantee equal opportunity to all the Rwandan citizens;
- To repatriate refugees and to ensure their resettlement and re-integration;
- To reorganize the national economy to suit national aspirations and;
- To put to rest all pretences of expansionism and to contribute towards the restoration of peace and security in the region.

The time is now to come back home. Because it is time to uproot for good the “INGOYI” or all forms of dictatorship, violence, intimidations, victor’s justice, impunity, all sorts of discrimination.

We have the conviction that the building of a State must be based on the respect of the dignity of the human person, his freedom and rights, and on accountability. It is time to quietly spread the word and break the pervasive apathy. The time is now and the right people are you, Rwandans. Foreigners and the international community, have distantly witnessed on their televisions the genocide and the massacres. Do they see the oppression, the misery, the despair, the militarisation, the dictatorship? If yes, what are they doing? Business.

I am empowered by warm greetings and blessings of your exiled sisters and brothers. They are on your side. They know the immensity of your sacrifices.

I am a daughter and a mother, moved by the misery and humiliations of my people. I don’t need an army to defeat the dictatorship. All we need is determination, commitment and patience. The sacrifices of all committed people will overcome our misery and these endless crisis in our motherland. The upcoming presidential elections are not an end to this process.

To you all courageous Rwandans, who directly and silently endured those humiliations, your tears of sorrow and pain are a permanent call. Your “silence for survival” has inspired this non-violent revolution.We don’t need another war in our country. Too much blood has been poured. Enough is enough. The color of blood is red.� So is the mark on the faces and the eyes of criminals.

It’s still premature to call you for public meetings, demonstrations and sit-ins. We need first to raise our awareness. But if your lives are in danger, peacefully attend the political meetings of your oppressors and their tools. This will allow you to better know them and their methods.

All we need is a free and fair election with total transparency of vote counting by the public and in public.

The debate about eventual current or past positive performances of the regime is mere propaganda. They have tools, public or private media and a well experienced brain-washing publicity.

Yes many will be seduced by those luxurious buildings and residences and totally miss the misery, the pain, the despair, the discrimination, the hunger, poor health, or other dictatorial practices imposed to our people.

Together we shall overcome.

Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza