Dutch citizens angered by police raid on Ingabire's Netherlands' family home

Phone call to Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza's daughter Raissa Ujeneza, in the Netherlands, after Netherlands police raided her parents' family home in Zevenhuizen, the Netherlands, on Monday, 12.13.2010.

Ingabire police raid sparks angry reactions
Published on : 14 December 2010 - 3:27pm | By Sophie van Leeuwen (Photo: RNW)


Report posted to Radio Netherlands, 12.14.2010.

KPFA News: Victoire Ingabire's Daughter Raissa Ujeneza on Europe and the Kagame regime

KPFA Weekend News Anchor Anthony Fest:
On December 6th, the government of the Netherlands froze budget support for Rwandan President Paul Kagame's regime, citing human rights abuse and concern that imprisoned Rwandan opposition leader Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza cannot receive a fair trial in Rwanda, where she is charged with terrorism and genocide ideology.  Kagame then met angry street protest, during the rest of last week, at a European development conference in Brussels, where several European leaders avoided meeting or being photographed with him.   KPFA's Ann Garrison has the story.

KPFA/Ann Garrison:
Professor Ed Herman, co-author, with Noam Chomsky, of Manufacturing Consent and many other books, describes Rwandan President Paul Kagame as "the worst killer on the planet."

On April 30th this year, a legal team including American Law Professor and international criminal defense lawyer Peter Erlinder sued Kagame, in an Oklahoma City civil court, for the assassination of the Rwandan and Burundian Presidents that triggered the Rwanda Genocide, and racketeering to plunder the resources of Rwanda's neighbor, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, costing millions more lives.

In mid-July Spanish demonstrators took to the streets with hands and faces drenched in red paint to simulate blood, chanting "Kagame!  War Criminal!  Assassin!" and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Zapatero refused to meet or be photographed with Kagame.

On December 6th, the Netherlands froze budget support to the Kagame regime, and during the rest of the week hundreds of exiled Rwandan and Congolese demonstrators banged drums in the streets of Brussels, chanting "Kagame! Murderer!” after he arrived there for a European development conference. They urged European donor nations to follow the Netherlands lead, but Britain's Foreign Minister David Cash argued for ongoing support and, by the end of the week, both Britain and Sweden had pledged major cash grants.

Raissa Ujenza, the daughter of imprisoned Rwandan opposition leader Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza, spoke to KPFA the Netherlands, where Ingabire lived in exile for 16 years before returning to Rwanda Ujenza and Ingabire's husband and two other children continue to live in exile.  Ingabire  for 16 years before returning to Rwanda

KPFA:
Are you encouraged by the Netherlands' decision?

Raissa Ujeneza:
Yes, I am. Very much so.

KPFA:
What about the church groups?  There were a number of church groups collecting signatures to ask the Dutch government to call for respect for your mother's human rights?  Did you have any contact with the church groups?

Raissa Ujeneza:
Not myself.  My father, my grandmother, and my aunt are in contact with the church groups.  They have spoken and set up collecting signatures.

KPFA:
Do you think it's been significant that you and your family, like most people in the Netherlands and in East/Central Africa, are Christian?

Raissa Ujeneza:
Yes, but also, every person who is religious feels a connection and is connected with others who are also religious, and that helps us in standing stronger together, helping my mother and supporting her in her action.

KPFA:  
Do any other European nations now seem inclined to follow the Netherlands lead?

Raissa Ujeneza:
Spain, definitely is supporting actions for Rwanda to act better, but I think it will be a slow process.

KPFA:
Your mother spoke to KPFA a number of times, between her February arrest and her re-arrest and imprisonment on October 15th, and she always said, adamanty, that she rejected violence, and that the country's problems had to be resolved by democracy and debate.  Can you imagine your mother being involved in a violent terrorist conspiracy?

Raissa Ujeneza:
I cannot imagine my mother being involved in a violent terrorist conspiracy at all.  Her purpose is for Rwanda to be a country where all citizens feel free and have equal rights.  And she fights for reconciliation and stability in Rwanda, and not by violence but by peaceful methods.  I really do believe that the accusations are a way for the Rwandan government to put her down and to shut her off.

KPFA:
What would you most like the world to understand about what she represents, in Rwanda and the wider region, including Congo?

Raissa Ujeneza:
I would like the world to understand about my mother that she stands firm in what she believes.  She's a smart, strong, and kindhearted person, who cares very much for her country and wants to make a difference.   And every person who would observe her would see that she has all the qualities that are needed to bring the necessary changes.  Too many people are still dying and still suffering.


KPFA:
Do you think that the Rwandan people and those of the wider region have had a lot of hopes that Barack Obama, the first African American president would make a significant difference in the region?


Raissa Ujeneza:
Yes I do believe a lot of people have a certain faith in him and I really hope he can live up to those hopes.


KPFA:
Raissa, thank you for speaking to KPFA.


Raissa Ujeneza:
You're welcome, and Merry Christmas. 

KPFA:
For Pacifica/KPFA Radio, I'm Ann Garrison.

KPFA News: Rwanda, Congo, Ingabire, and the Netherlands

Audio link: http://goo.gl/gm5QE

KPFA Weekend News Host Anthony Fest:
And turning now to news from Africa, the dispute over who is responsible for the bloodshed in East/Central Africa over the past 16 years intensified this month when, on November 9th, Rwandan President Paul Kagame's former bodyguard testified at the International Criminal Tribunal on Rwanda.  Following that testimony he told a newspaper and website that Kagame summarily executes political enemies.  On November 12 Rwanda's High Court sent an opposition leader back to prison.  Now a new Dutch Parliament seems close to confirming that it will no longer support Kagame's government.   KPFA's Ann Garrison has the story.

KPFA/Ann Garrison:
Rwandan President Paul Kagame's former bodyguard Aloys Ruyenzi testified, at the International Criminal Tribunal on Rwanda, that the President of the Interahamwe, the militia said to have massacred the Rwandan Tutsi population in 1994, was himself a Tutsi and Rwandan Patriotic Front and Army agent.  Ruyenzi, in an interview with The Newsline East Africa, also described what he called "killing spots," where, he says, the Kagame regime continues to sort, classify, and then systematically execute those it perceives as enemies.

The Kagame regime's High Court in turn denied opposition leader Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza's bail appeal, and sent her back to prison to await trial for conspiring with terrorists and genocide ideology, which means disagreeing with the official history of the 1994 Rwanda Genocide.

Rwandan exiles and supporters have demonstrated in Brussels, the Hague, and London since Ingabire's arrest, and the new Dutch Parliament seems to be moving toward a vote to sustain a 2008 decision to cut economic aid to Kagame's Rwandan regime because of its human rights abuses in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo and because of Ingabire's imprisonment.

Vincent Harris is a Dutch new media consultant and writer.  Harris says that the Dutch Parliament's decision could raise the question of why other European nations and the U.S. continue to provide economic and military aid to Rwanda:

Colored Opinions Blogger/Writer/New Media Consultant Vincent Harris:  
In December the final decision concerning budget support, whether the Netherlands will resume budget support  to Rwanda, will be made by the Minister of Foreign Affairs.  Kigali's reputation is at stake.  Once the Dutch government freezes budget support again, it's a strong signal to all European partners, and also to, for instance, the US and the UK  to explain why they think they should keep supporting this regime.

KPFA/Ann:
Harris says that Ingabire was a respectable, working, lawabiding, resident of the Netherlands, where her family still resides, for 16 years, before her return to Rwanda, and that church groups with significant influence are collecting petition signatures, to be addressed to the Dutch Parliament, asking the legislative body to lobby for her safety and human rights.

Harris reports that the Dutch Parliament has already asked its embassy staff to attend her trial as witnesses, though they do not believe that she can receive a fair trial in Rwanda.

For Pacifica, KPFA Radio, I'm Ann Garrison.

256.com: Rwanda's Ambassador to the Netherlands flees to Ireland

In a 02.28.2009 KMEC radio update on the Rwanda 2010 election, Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda said that the government of Rwanda has "long arms," and that "you can run but you can't hide," so he and the other party leaders of the Permanent Consultative Council, feel safer staying in Rwanda, but former Rwandan Ambassador Jean Pierre Bizimana seems to have tried running, after, refusing to help assassinate FDU-Inkingi leader VIctoire Ingabiré Umuhoza, according to  Ingabiré, and/or, helping her obtain travel documents to return to Rwanda, according to sources unnamed by 256.com.

http://www.256news.com/page.php?aid=951&caid=9

Rwanda’s Ambassador to Holland Flees to Ireland

BY GODWIN AGABA

   

       

Tuesday, 2 March 2010     

In hiding? Ambassador Bizimana

News reaching 256news.com indicates that Ambassador Jean Pierre

Bizimana of Rwanda to the Netherlands is seeking political asylum in

the Republic of Ireland.

Bizimana failed to turn up for the recently concluded Ambassadors’

retreat in Kigali last week because he feared arrest, according to

reliable sources.

The sources indicate that Ambassador Bizimana got into trouble because

of alleged links to controversial opposition leader Ingabire Victoire

Umuhoza of the FDU-INKINGI.

When 256news.com contacted Ingabire for a comment, she denied links

with him but said, “the Ambassador is being blamed for falling to help assassins

sent by Kigali to kill me shortly before my return.”

Other reasons advanced are that, Bizimana helped Ingabire and her

family to acquire travel documents without authorization from Kigali.

A source in the West who is aware of Rwandan politics said the two

(Ingabire and Bizimana) share close kinship.

Louise Mushikiwabo, Rwandan Foreign Affairs Minister did not answer

repeated phone calls from 256news.com and even SMS messages seeking

clarification went unanswered.

Ingabire, who this week caused a stir by seeking a temporary

asylum in British High Commission in Kigali told 256news.com on

telephone that, her impact is being felt by the regime in Kigali

“if Ambassadors are beginning to flee because of me.”

Ingabire lived in Holland before returning to Rwanda mid-January this year.

A terrible day in Rwanda; letter from Rwandan Green leader Frank Habineza

Frank Habineza sent this letter, below, to the African Greens list.  Note that Rwanda is the U.S.A. and AFRICOM's closest ally in Africa; its President/General Paul Kagame are constantly lauded and awarded by former President Bill Clinton, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Reverend Rick Warren, and American universities.

I changed just a few of Frank's sentence structures because he speaks French, English, and his native language, Kinyarwanda, so occasionally his English sentences aren't idiom we'd readily recognize:

Dear Greens,

It's indeed been a terrible day. A man started shouting and threw chairs at our convention in Kigali, and we have established that he is an ex-soldier and a former employee of Military Intelligence. Three people joined him, and one of them had something like a gun-pistol. This was also observed by the US Envoy and Netherlands Envoy and many others.

This was a well planned sabotage done by security operatives. Another guy was also from the local Defense Forces. The police were not helpful at all. It looked like they were compromising us.

The police released the guys who caused trouble, then arrested our members instead, one of them a mother. Thankfully they have been released but were forced to make statements to the police, who asked why they had decided to be members of our party.

Several people are injured, one lady is in intensive care, with back injuries. I am still finding out how many are injured.

Keep us in prayers--

Frank Habineza

Here's BBC Radio audio from the failed convention: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/2009/10/091030_rwanda_opposition.shtml?bw=nb&mp=rm&news=1&ms3=0&ms_javascript=true&bbcws=2

Call, for the safety, and full civil and political rights of Rwandan Greens, and, all Rwandans:

Rwandan Embassy telephone # in D.C.: (202) 232-2882.

Main switchboard of the U.S. State Department 202-647-4000.

Interim Rwandan Green Party leader Frank Habineza with 

his wife Edith and son Godwin. No pictures of the fourth failed 

Rwandan Green Party convention in Kigali yet.