Opinion
By supporting terror suspects, Lantos Foundation falls on wrong side of history
![image](webadmin/images/Rusesabagina.jpg-20210913102252000000.jpg)
On September 9, the Lantos
Foundation issued a press release calling on the U.K. “to reject
credentials of newly appointed Rwandan Ambassador,” Johnston Busingye, for “his
role” in the prosecution of terror suspect Paul Rusesabagina.
This latest move by the Lantos Foundation to
sanitize a terror suspect could not have come at a worse time. It was just
a couple of days to September 11 - a day the world joins the US for
the 20th commemoration of the terror attacks on American soil where over
3,000 people lost their lives. This is a time to, not only sympathize with
those that lost their loved ones but also reiterate efforts to fight terror and
an opportunity to support anyone, especially allies, involved in
the global war on terror.
“The Lantos Foundation filed a formal submission to the U.S.
Department of State and U.S. Department of Treasury in May 2021 … and
simultaneously transmitted to authorities in the U.K. for consideration. Neither
country has taken action” the press release reads in part.
The U.K. and U.S. governments are fully committed to the fight
against terrorism – even Belgium
that shared evidence against Rusesabagina with Rwanda’s prosecutors – and
works hand-in-hand with their allies across the globe in this war.
Therefore, it is not surprising that these
governments have ignored numerous demands by the Lantos Foundation to intervene
on behalf of the terror suspect, Paul Rusesabagina, who has publicly
admitted his role as head of the FLN outfit that carried out the massacre of innocent people in
Nyabimata, Southern Rwanda.
Lantos Foundation does not set the diplomacy of
countries; only shared interests do, not lies. The appeal to the UK has
also been ignored because the foreign policy of the country is premised on
promoting commonwealth values, and surely terrorism isn’t one of
them. Obviously, everyone wishes to see a fair trial and justice for the
victims of the crimes that claimed the lives of 9 innocent people. The
fact that these people are not Hollywood stars does not make them any less
deserving of justice.
Rusesabagina, who often appeared in public
gatherings and YouTube channels predicting the fall of the
Kigali administration because his “youth” were doing a good job torching
neighbourhoods obviously feared returning to Rwanda to face justice. In the
video, Rusesabagina said that “the time for a political solution” had
passed and that terrorism against an elected government was the only
solution left to remove the “regime” in Kigali.
Therefore, Rusesabagina’s reluctance to return to Rwanda did
not stem from “fear of retribution” as the Lantos Foundation claims in its
press release, which aims to divert attention from Rusesabagina’s
crimes by bringing up non-issues.
Among those
non-issues is the Lantos Foundation’s claim that Honorable Busingye’s
appointment as Rwanda’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom is somehow linked to
the case of Rusesabagina, but nothing could be further from the truth. Mr.
Busingye had served for almost 10 years in his position as Minister of
Justice and, at some point, his tenure was bound to expire.
Moreover,
he had served in different responsibilities before becoming a
minister, and his tenure in those also expired. The suggestion that
his new appointment in the UK is punishment instead of being yet another
opportunity to serve his country in a prestigious position is ridiculous.
Rwanda values its partnership with the UK, and anyone entrusted with the
responsibility of furthering such relations is obviously a trustworthy civil
servant.
Another non-issue is that the government paid for the plane that
delivered Rusesabagina to justice. But the government also paid for the
vehicles that delivered Rusesabagina’s 20 co-accused, something
the Lantos Foundation has totally ignored because they are not
famous, from their hiding areas where they were captured after blowing up
vehicles and terrorizing people in Southern Rwanda.
The Lantos Foundation should wait for the verdict that’s getting delivered this month. The U.S. and the U.K. are Rwanda’s allies in many areas of interest, including the war on terror. They could have done more to apprehend the terror suspect when he was on their soil. However, what matters now is that he is on trial; the fact that “neither country has taken action” in defense of terrorism is the least they can do.
Source: www.newtimes.co.rw