President Kagame spoke at length on the situation in DRC, reiterating Rwanda’s readiness to defend herself against the warmongering. Photos/Urugwiro Village.
President Paul Kagame has called out the double standards in the efforts to try and resolve the conflict in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), accusing some of the parties involved of not genuinely looking to address the longstanding situation, but rather protecting their own interests.
Speaking on Wednesday at the Swearing-in of Prime Minister, Dr. Edouard Ngirente, who was reappointed to the position, and the new Members of Parliament and Speakers, the Head of State took time to speak about the things they have to deal with over the next five years, including the attacks and accusations the country has to endure.
President Kagame said that one of the serious issues Rwanda has had to deal with over the past 30 years, is the situation in DRC, which mainly emanates from the neighbour to the west failing to manage her own affairs and on the other hand Rwanda continues to be the scapegoat in a situation it is actually a victim.
The Head of State said that Rwanda wouldn’t have been part of this problem if there was no existence of the FDLR genocidaires in DRC, getting support from Kinshasa, an issue which some stakeholders have downplayed, saying that they are either few or they no longer pose a threat to Rwanda, yet these are people who killed over a million people in Rwanda and are still doing so in DRC.
President Kagame said that beyond people finding excuses for FDLR, there has been no genuine effort resolve the issues that led to the M23 rebellion, particularly on the side of the DRC government, which continues to do the opposite of what is agreed upon in different discussions, to resolve the situation and nobody seems to hold them accountable.
President Kagame said that people whose rights are violated have the right to fight back, as is the case in DRC currently.
“When the leader of the country, the Congolese leaders say publicly that they will never talk to those who have that problem in Congo; who are chased away, killed, imprisoned, etc. And the leaders of the country are the ones saying that and feel like they have the right to do so, and sometimes you see that some people seem to listen to them,” President Kagame said.
“If there is a way to solve it, they start saying, for Rwanda, you have to check well, we misunderstand each other. You have a problem of misunderstanding me and you think it scares me? No, absolutely No.” President Kagame, adding that Rwanda will not back down from its position of asking DRC and the world to recognise the plight of the people fighting for their rights in DRC.
He said Rwanda is concerned because it bears the brunt of the conflict, hosting hundreds of thousands of Congolese Tutsi who flee from persecution and ethnic violence as well as being denied their rights to their land and citizenship. At the same time he said Rwanda continues to be a victim of warmongering by DRC<
He equated the situation of the Congolese Tutsi to that of Rwandans, who for three decades had been kept in exile by the then governments at the time which claimed that there was no room for them, until they mobilised and fought their way back.
He pointed out that the main reasons the M23 and others picked up arms was to fight for their rights which they are being denied by the government in their own country, and that’s what the world should be concerned with, instead of using Rwanda as a scapegoat in a problem it has little to do with.
President Kagame addressed the house which included members of the diplomatic corps representing their countries in Rwanda.
“We have 130 thousand people who were persecuted, from Eastern Congo who are here in Rwanda. Others keep coming every week, they cross the border and come. The first question was to ask, but who are these people? Are they Rwandans who went to Congo, Congo got fed up with them and kicked them out, and they should go home?”
“Are they Congolese but they are not wanted in Congo because of bad politics? All of that should be resolved. But one of the issues that is well understood is that these people are Congolese,” President Kagame said, adding that even those who accuse Rwanda are aware because once in a while they relocate a small number and resettle them in their countries.
He said that without addressing those issues regarding people’s rights, there are likely consequences and many should not be surprised even when those scattered in different countries as refugees choose to fight for what rightfully belongs to them.
“When you treat people badly and take away their rights, it has consequences. I even add that; do you know where I came from? I am here with others who fought for our rights and our country, no one in this world gave it to us as a gift. No one has ever done us that favor,” President Kagame said, referencing Rwanda’s own history.
“Maybe others are afraid to fight for their own rights because they are afraid to die. But for us who are not even afraid of death, if you dare us you will not survive,” he said, adding that even the warmongering by Congolese leaders has not shaken Rwanda’s resolve.
“Those comments you were seeing every day that they wanted to attack Rwanda; because Rwanda is a small country and we don’t argue with anyone on that, it’s true. We are a small country but our rights are as huge as those of these big countries,” he said.
President Kagame said Rwanda cannot continue to carry the burden of DRC’s failures.
President Kagame pointed out that Rwanda would never accept the fact that Congo can send away its own citizens to a neighbouring country where they have people who like them, because it doesn’t want them or simply because they are Tutsi and they go on to kill them, persecute them and ransack their land and properties while the world is watching.
He said that often Congolese leaders are heard saying that Congolese Tutsi should go and join their relatives on the other side of the border in Rwanda and that they should leave their land which they rightfully own since the time borders were drawn -something he said is unacceptable.
“What right do you have to do that? Anyone, including those powerful countries that I know are represented here, is asked what right do they have to do things like those? What right do you have to say that these people should stay here [in Rwanda]?” President Kagame asked.
He pointed out that what is more perturbing is that most of the people accusing Rwanda understand and accept what the problem is and even pretend to care, but do little to hold DRC accountable on its own responsibilities and at the same time continue to accuse Rwanda.
“You see and know that these are people who deserve to be settled at home and not settled elsewhere and you choose to turn around and make it Rwanda’s problem?” he pondered, adding that before it becomes Rwanda’s problem, it is DRC’s problem and it all goes down to how that country has failed to manage its own affairs.
President Kagame said that Rwanda will not accept to be the scapegoat for DRC’s failings or continue to carry a burden which in reality belongs to DRC.
