A World Caught Between Two Extremes – President Kagame

President Paul Kagame has called for respect and tolerance for human diversity in light of continued terrorist attacks around the world. The renowned President of Rwanda was addressing his first news conference of the New Year at Village Urugwiro, Kigali.

He said the recent deadly attacks on a French publication and the continued brutality by Boko Haram in Nigeria and neighbouring countries were a stark reminder of the vulnerability of peace-loving communities to acts of terror.

However, he condemned the double standards that have often characterised international reactions to terrorism, citing the indifference and unacceptable insinuations with which the international community has responded to terror attacks in African countries, for example, in Rwanda.

“In Rwanda, throwing grenades at citizens is seen as an expression of political grievances. Elsewhere, it is seen as an outrage,” the President said referring to a series of grenade attacks linked to FDLR militia and dissidents who are based in South Africa.

The FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda) is the primary remnant Rwandan Hutu rebel group in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo bordering the west of Rwanda. It is often referred to as simply the FDLR after its original French name: the Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda. It has been involved in fighting since it was formed on September 30, 2000 and has been implicated in repeated terrorist acts in Rwanda.

Speaking about the attack on Charlie Hebdo magazine, in which 12 people, including journalists and cartoonists were killed, President Kagame also urged respect and tolerance with regard to religion.

While condemning the attackers on the French magazine, he also questioned the rationale of repetitively publishing offensive cartoons of Prophet Mohammed under the pretext of free speech, especially when everyone knows that it’s likely to both enrage billions of Muslim faithfuls around the world and also be used by terrorists as justification for violence.

The world is stuck between two extremes; the diehards of freedom of the press and the diehards of religious beliefs, which calls for common sense to prevail to create harmony, he said.

“We need to find a common way of managing these extreme situations”.

Standing by values

Meanwhile, Kagame told reporters that Kigali will continue to stand by its values at whatever cost.

Referring to the Kinyarwanda proverb that says, “truth will pass through fire and get out of it intact.” President Kagame said Rwanda has often been vindicated on so many issues despite initial opposition by some in the international community.

“Rwanda went through the fire. We are what you see, and what we tell you is what we mean. The way we feel and think we should be doing something is the way we put it to you,” Kagame said in reference to several accusations by the international community against Rwanda.

He added: “We have been tried, tested, insulted about where we are coming from and where we are going, the means and process we went through; but the truth about us has remained.”

He was responding to a question about the perceived change in attitude and support of Rwanda by the international community during this past year.

“Hopefully, our friends have gone through a period of understanding us and understanding the situation of Rwanda and this probably helps to inform their attitude towards us,” he said.

‘Not confident on Monusco’

On whether he was optimistic Monusco would finally address the problem of FDLR militia, Kagame said he was not “too confident” based on past experience, but added that he was following closely if those concerned would follow through on their recent promises.

MONUSCO is the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (which is initials of its French name “Mission de l’Organisation des Nations unies pour la stabilisation en République démocratique du Congo”). Until 2010 it was known as United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo or MONUC, (French: Mission de l’Organisation des Nations Unies en République démocratique du Congo). It is a United Nations peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) which was established by the United Nations Security Council in resolutions 1279 (1999) and 1291 (2000) of the United Nations Security Council to monitor the peace process of the Second Congo War, though much of its focus subsequently has turned to the Ituri conflict, the Kivu conflict and the Dongo conflict.

“What has been playing out relating to FDLR has not been helpful at all…different groups (operating in DR Congo) are attacked and confronted by the same international community on short notice. You attack them without a warning, you do not have to first hold a meeting but when it comes to FDLR, you hear all sorts of excuses,” he said.

The FDLR, whose leadership is mainly composed of perpetrators of the Genocide against the Tutsi, had been given until January 2 to voluntarily disarm or face military action, but there has been no action two weeks after the deadline.

The offensive is expected to be carried out by the Force Intervention Brigade of the Monusco, but shortly after the FDLR disarmament deadline expired, the UN troops instead went after Burundian rebels, the National Liberation Force (FNL), also based in Eastern DR Congo.

Kagame said that as Head of State, he would ensure Rwandans are protected from any form of insecurity imported from across border. He will protect Rwadans against thugs, against terrorists just as much as the West is ready to protect themselves from it.

“We don’t have a say over what happens on the other side of the border. Those who have the authority, the international community, it has been in their hands for a long time and they will decide what to do.”

“For us in Rwanda, we shall continue building our capacity to ensure that irrespective of what happens or doesn’t happen on the other side of the border, it does not spill over to cause insecurity on our territory,” he said.