October 20, 2020 – Paul Rusesabagina appeared for pretrial at Kicukiro Primary Court. Prosecution sought for extension of 30-day provisional detention
Paul Rusesabagina, the former hotelier, has again emerged with a message that reeks of cynicism and a desperate attempt to rewrite history.
In a recent New Year’s message delivered via YouTube from the United States, Rusesabagina called for a “mass amnesty” for all those who have committed “crimes” in Rwanda.
While he didn’t explicitly use the term “general amnesty,” his lieutenants, particularly Christine Mukama, spokesperson of his political outfit, have clarified that he was referring to a general amnesty for all those who have committed crimes, regardless of their severity.
This proposal is nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to shield genocide perpetrators and undermine the hard-won justice and reconciliation efforts of the Rwandan people.
Rusesabagina, who has spent years peddling a distorted narrative of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and having failed even to send it through his naïve small world, now jumped to another course of ignoring the systematic extermination of over a million innocent civilians.
He is focusing on pulling shrouds of mists to hide the actions of the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) that halted the genocide and liberated the country from the clutches of a genocidal regime.
His claim that the RPF “killed and continues to kill” is a blatant fabrication, a desperate attempt to deflect attention from the horrific crimes committed by the genocidal regime and its allies.
It is not a point of contention to appreciate that the RPF, led by President Paul Kagame, has dedicated itself to rebuilding the nation, ensuring security, and promoting economic development.
While there will be no working government without flaws, the RPF’s records still stand in stark contrast to the brutal regime it replaced.
The old man’s call for “forgiveness” rings hollow, especially considering his actions and how time has revealed his motives from the beginning.
He has actively supported extremist groups, including the CNRD-FLN and the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a composition of remnants of the genocidal regime the world categorically named terrorists.
These groups continue to threaten the security of Rwanda and the region, perpetuating the very violence Rusesabagina now claims to abhor.
His proposal for a “general amnesty” is a dangerous proposition. It would effectively grant impunity to those who participated in the genocide, allowing them to evade justice and continue to threaten the lives of Rwandans.
It would undermine the painstaking efforts of the Rwandan justice system, which has strived to ensure accountability for the perpetrators of this horrific crime.
The 70-year-old political pessimist is crowning his life with strife, to destabilize the country he failed to in the prime of his youth.
The Rwandan government gave him time to think again while he wore out his life in propaganda against the RPF until he attempted to form a militia to kill innocent Rwandans.
Of course, he would not go beyond that – he was arrested in 2020 and subsequently convicted on terrorism charges in Rwanda.
His trial revealed his deep involvement with extremist groups and his role in planning and financing terrorist attacks within Rwanda.
It became clear that Rusesabagina was not the human rights advocate he paused to be but a pawn of a scheme for a chaotic change of government orchestrated by foreign interests seeking to install a “preferred” candidate.
Rusesabagina’s actions are not those of a peacemaker but of a man with a sinister agenda.
He has consistently sought to undermine the legitimate government of Rwanda, spreading misinformation and supporting extremist groups.
His recent pronouncements are simply a continuation of this destructive campaign he has long harbored in his corrupted mind.
The Rwandan people have endured unimaginable suffering and staged remarkable resilience in rebuilding their nation and forging a path towards reconciliation.
Rwandans deserve justice, not the cynical pronouncements of a man who seeks to shield the very forces that sought to destroy Rwandans.
Rusesabagina’s call for amnesty is a dangerous and misguided proposition, an insult to the memory of the victims of the genocide and a threat to the hard-won peace and stability of Rwanda.
The Rwandan people must reject this cynical attempt to rewrite history and shield the perpetrators of one of the darkest chapters in human history.
