Rwanda must be held accountable!
- published at D+C The global magazine on international cooperation
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​The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has long been a scene of conflict, with the eastern regions being particularly affected by violence and exploitation. At the centre of the current turmoil is the involvement of neighbouring Rwanda. The regime of Rwandan President Paul Kagame is seizing the DRC’s rich natural resources, deliberately creating instability by supporting rebel groups and committing serious human-rights violations.
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The real Rwanda!
- published at Africa Is A Country.​​
Rwanda is praised internationally for stability and development, but behind this image lies a pattern of severe repression. Kagame’s regime silences critics through torture, disappearances, arrests of journalists, and sham elections, while exploiting the conflict in eastern Congo for minerals and regional influence. Despite growing evidence; including the Rwanda Classified investigations and high-profile cases like Paul Rusesabagina and Victoire Ingabire; the West continues to prioritize strategic interests over human rights. As global perceptions slowly shift, the Rwandan diaspora and activists call for renewed international pressure, insisting that only genuine democracy, accountability, and respect for human dignity can bring lasting peace to Rwanda and the Great Lakes region.
Rwanda: Beneath the facade of Consensus Democracy
- published at African Arguments
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Rwanda’s so-called “consensus democracy” is a façade masking an authoritarian system where opposition figures are criminalized, institutions are controlled by the ruling party, and elections serve only to legitimize Kagame’s power. Critics like Diane Rwigara, Victoire Ingabire, and Christopher Kayumba have been imprisoned, silenced, or barred from politics, while disappearances, arbitrary arrests, and human rights abuses continue unchecked. Parliament and the judiciary lack independence, and even Rwanda’s celebrated gender representation hides a rubber-stamp legislature. Despite its polished international image, external pressure remains weak. Twenty-five years after the Inter-Rwandan Dialogue, Rwanda urgently needs a renewed national dialogue to restore political pluralism, citizen participation, and the rule of law. Rwanda’s democratic crisis is not only a national issue but a global concern that requires coordinated international action.
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Ingabire Day: a transcendent struggle for Rwandans’ dignity​
- published at Vanguard Africa
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Ingabire Day, observed every October 14, honors Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza and symbolizes the wider struggle for democracy and human rights in Rwanda. The day has grown into a global event, highlighting the regime’s repression, including arbitrary arrests, censorship, and the targeting of journalists, activists, and opposition members. Cases such as the 2021 arrest of nine people commemorating Ingabire Day, and the continued detention of journalists like Nsengimana and Cyuma, expose Rwanda’s systematic crackdown on dissent. The Rwandan diaspora plays a crucial role in keeping these abuses visible and pressuring for accountability. Ingabire Day is thus a worldwide call for justice, freedom, and democratic reforms; and a reminder that international solidarity is essential to protect those who dare to speak out.
