Call press and human rights defenders if Frank Habineza is arrested

Frank Habineza, Chair of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda, and President of the African Greens Federation, asks the international community to prepare to protest if he is arrested on his way home from Holland to Rwanda's capital, Kigali. 

April 25, 2010.  Please call Human Rights Watch if Rwanda Greens leader Frank Habineza is arrested on his way home from Holland to Kigali, Rwanda on 04.25 and 04.26.2010.   Call even though Rwanda gave Human Rights Watch 24 hours to get out of the country on Friday, 04.23.2010.  


He should arrive in Kigali at 12:55 P.M. on Monday, 04.26.2010. 


Habineza was elected President of the African Greens Federation at their convention on 04.18.2010, but three officers within his own party turned on him five days later, so he has begun traveling home early, from Afrikaday, where he gave a speech about democracy in Rwanda, to address their allegations and reorganize with other Rwanda Greens.  Frank, his wife Edith, his sons Godwin and Victor, and supporters fear that Rwandan security may arrest him at an airport, as he tries to pass through customs in the next phase of  harassment and repression, in the run up to this year's Rwandan presidential election.  

Rwanda arrested presidential candidate Victoire Ingabiré Umuhoza on Wednesday, April 21st at her home in Kigali, and her Rwandan support team thank pressure from the international community for her surprise release on bail the next day.   

Habineza said that he will call friends when leaving Amsterdam, and he's been urged to start posting updates to Facebook, and to Twitter, as he passes from one stage of his journey to another, from airports in Amsterdam, Nairobi, and Kigali to his home.  

Emergency alerts are one of the best uses of Twitter, social media's short form. 

Supporters of peace and social justice in Rwanda and the Great Lakes region of Africa should be ready, should Frank be arrested, to post the news and call for his release, on social media like Facebook and Twitter, and to contact press, Amnesty International, http://www.amnesty.org/en/contact, and Human Rights Watch, http://www.hrw.org/en/contact-us.

Rwandan presidential candidate Victoire Ingabiré Umuhoza's team thank international pressure for her unexpected release on bail on Thursday, April 22nd, and ask the international community to sustain the pressure.  

Bernard Ntaganda, presidential candidate of Rwanda's Parti Social-Imberakuri feels that his arrest, in Kigali, is imminent as well, and asks that the international community prepare  to call for his release as well.   

Paul Kagame blames you and free speech, on the 16th anniversary of the Rwanda Genocide

On April 7th, 2010, in his address at the Kigali Memorial Center, Rwandan President Paul Kagame blamed "you," a conveniently flexible and expandable category, and all those calling for political space and press freedom, for the 1994 Rwanda Genocide, in which a million Rwandans died. This is the English language section of his English and Kinyarwanda address particularly concerned with press freedom. For the entire English language section of the address, click http://bit.ly/9ssPeO. One week after this address, on April 14, 2010, Kagame's "High Media Council" shut down the independent African language newspapers that most Rwandans depend on. See http://bit.ly/ckL5Dm

Rwanda accuses Hotel Rwanda hero of 'Double Genocide Theory'

Hotel Rwanda - Trailer | Movies & TV | SPIKE.com

Rwanda's government has accused Paul Rusesabagina, the Rwandan exile played by actor Don Cheadle in the movie Hotel Rwanda, of being a "revisionist" who "harbors the Double Genocide Theory."

A "revisionist," in Rwanda, is someone who dares to challenge the received history of the 1994 Rwanda Genocide. The "Double Genocide Theory" is the belief that Hutus, as well as Tutsis, were victims of genocidal violence in 1994. 

Read more at Digital Journal, http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/289105

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.

Frank Habineza requests that the Rwandan Government guarantee his security

Frank Habineza, Chairman of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda

On February 25th, after reports that he would be assassinated within 60 days appeared in Umuseso, a newspaper published in Kinyarwanda, the African language shared by all Rwandans, Democratic Green Party of Rwanda Chair Frank Habineza wrote this letter to the Minister of Internal Security requesting protection:

FRANK HABINEZA

           B.P. 6334 Kigali, Tel: 078 85 630 39,  Email: fhabineza@rwandagreendemocrats.org



25th February 2010

The Minister of Internal Security

KIGALI, RWANDA

Dear Sir,

              Re: Security Threat to My Life, Requesting for Protection

I would like to take this opportunity to draw your kind attention to very disturbing events that have in the recent past surrounded my daily life as the Chairman of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda (DGPR), a party that, as you very well know, is yet to be registered.

Since early February this year, there have been several verbal reports about my imminent demise through assassination. At first I dismissed that information as ordinary rumours that form part of the occupational hazard of a politician’s life.  I had tried to ignore the various threats, intimidation, and harassment I have been subjected to, including those committed against our members since 30th October 2009.

However, subsequent events have forced me to reconsider all aspects relating to my security. Recent press reports published in UMUSESO No.396, of 22 Feb-01 March 2010, on Page two, reveal that there are people who plan to kill me in 60 days, according to reliable sources. I also have information which I can’t substantiate that there are planned robberies, beatings, grenade attacks, and harassment being prepared against my family in particular and other senior leaders of the party.  Other details indicate that we are supposed to be assassinated before the August 2010 presidential elections.

Similar events have happened to Ms.Victoire Ingabire. She was beaten by a mob at Kinyinya Sector in Kigali also in February 2010.

These security threats are preceded by an event that happened to me on 4th February 2010, while I was at Hotel Le Printemps, Kimironko, Kigali, sharing a soft drink with a friend Jean Paul MUDAHERANWA aka.   Suddenly, a certain person unknown to me approached us and greeted me in my names and then told me in a menacing voice, that they are watching me very closely and asked me why I was fighting them, yet they paid for my education. I reported the matter to Police on 5th February 2010 and on 9th February; i gave a full statement to Remera Police Station in Gasabo District.

In a country like Rwanda, which is supposed to follow the rule of law and try to be democratic, where a significant community is peaceful, these developments are very worrying.

The purpose of this letter is therefore to request you to use your good offices to verify these threats and, if they are found true, bring the perpetrators to book. I would also like to request you to ensure my security in particular and that of the senior leaders of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda and fellow opposition leaders in other yet to be registered parties.



I am looking forward to getting a kind consideration from you.



Yours Faithfully



Frank HABINEZA

Chairman, Democratic Green Party of Rwanda



C.C:

-  H.E. President of the Republic

-  The Right Hon. Prime Minister

- The Commissioner General of Police

- The Director General of National Security Services

- National Human Rights Commission

-  All Embassies in Rwanda