The splashy headline article published in the Flemish newspaper, HET BELANG VAN LIMBURG, went viral in all the francophone press. But what is it really of those “death squads” which would have been sent by Rwanda and be active in Belgium? Information or brainwashing?
To say the least if these “death squads” actually existed, they would appear to have been extremely inefficient. The article refers to a single case without mentioning any name – the death of Juvenal UWILIGYIMANA more than ten years ago. There are no specific details of events and the whole article consists of information similar to pure gossip.
The article mentions “death commandos” active in Belgium … but where are the dead?
Philippe Brewaeys has been a Belgian investigative journalist for over a quarter century and has closely followed many major legal cases in Belgium. During the last decade, he made several trips to the Great Lakes region and for the past five years has been investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting of the former President Juvénal Habyarimana’s plane – trigger of the 1994 genocide against Tutsis in Rwanda. He is also the author of a book entitled: “Black and white liars.”
After seeing this article, Mr. Brewaeys expressed his views on the Internet. Here in a few lines is the opinion of an informed investigative journalist:
“This is information that helps to fight against misinformation”:
Incredible! When speculation replaces information. How many opponents have been killed in our country? The article mentions only one death, that of Juvenal Uwilingyimana ten years ago, without mentioning his name. Reason being:
“According to some Belgian judicial sources, the coroner reported a suicide. However, the Court dismissed the case.”
Why would the RPF (Rwandan Patriotic Front) have murdered him?
At the time of his death he was working with the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) investigation team and “reported” genocidaires. He was so frightened by the Hutu extremists that still live with impunity in Belgium, that appointments with ICTR took place discreetly in a hotel in Lille, France. The ICTR had provided him with a train pass to travel to these appointments.
If the body was found shredded, it is because he had stayed for several days in the canal that runs through Brussels to a place where on average 25 barges pass per day. This article was not well researched.
I will come back in detail to what happened with Juvenal Uwilingyimana in my next book (with Albert TOCH) “Genocidaire Trackers” (*). I also narrate two cases of threats (and protection that followed) that occurred in the Arusha prison against two convicts who had confessed and reported “their comrades». I also show how the death of Juvenal Uwilingyimana is being exploited by genocidaires in the Arusha prison…”
As a matter of fact, there will be more defamatory articles of this kind being published as we approach the next Presidential elections of 2017 in RWANDA. Lobbying by opponents to the current Government will allow catching some complacent or naive media attention. But what weight this lobbying has compared to the real will of the people of Rwanda unanimously allied for their President?
The international media knows that Rwandans recognize their President as a great Head of State who has managed to make Rwanda the shining star it is today in Africa. Twenty one years after the horrific genocide that claimed the lives of a million Tutsi, Paul Kagame has brought together all Rwandans but also offered them absolute security and exemplary cleanliness throughout the country including the ban of plastic bags (coveted by many Western states). He instituted a parliament composed of 64% of women (1st worldwide), provided basic medical cover to over 90% of the population and a paid maternity leave (six months), developed free and compulsory education, has freed several millions of Rwandans from extreme poverty by providing government subsidies, improved the country’s economy to the point that Rwanda is ranked among the most efficient governments in the world (7th), etc.
All of the above noted achievements and rankings are recognized by renowned and neutral international organizations. This is now common knowledge so how would a Rwandan living in his country, witnessing and enjoying the incredible progress made in so few years, not support the one who made everything possible to significantly improve the lives of the citizens?
All is certainly not perfect and a lot is still to be done in several areas, but one thing at a time. While it took Europe several centuries and massacres to shift from the “Middle Age” to the present “Imperfect Democracy”, how can we fail to recognize the enormous progress by Rwanda which twenty years ago was experiencing “its Middle Age”?
For those who still doubt, take a tour in the neighboring country, the historical “sister” country – BURUNDI. Even a deaf, blind and dumb will cross the border running back to the soothing Rwanda.
Imposing all their “imperfect democracy”, even creating chaos as was the case in Iraq, Libya or other parts of the world; leaders of Western countries should not duplicate the same actions guided by pure “economic interests” rather than an genuine “democratic” ideology. Instead, they still try to interfere in the internal affairs of Rwanda, where peace reigns and the economy is growing.
The colonial era is over and Rwandans have sufficiently proven, for over twenty years, that they are totally capable, better than anyone, to take control of their own destiny. They have not forgotten that during the worst times in the history of their country, the International Community failed them by leaving them alone while facing the last genocide of the 20th century. Where was the International Community at that time?
Rwandan people will never accept to be dictated certain principles today by those who in the past “simply observed”, or worse, “supported” in one way or another genocidaires in action. After waiting in vain for help from the International Community when they were in total chaos, they know from experience that today they can only rely on themselves.
Finally, it is important to stress that the author of this editorial, a “European immigrant” living in RWANDA has already been threatened by these “opponents” for the opinions expressed in previous articles… not worth alarming the press but threatened still! Obviously, unlike the brave Canadian journalist who felt insecure in Belgium, it must be emphasized that the author lives in a country where there is security … there has been no need for a bodyguard or an armored Mercedes to move around Kigali.
Alain BILLEN
(*) “Genocidaire Trackers” (Philippe Brewaeys – Albert TOCH) – Release scheduled for late September 2015