EngRegional
HRW Does Not Own the Copyright on Human Rights
After ending the genocide, government focused relentlessly on restoring hope and delivering improvements in the well-being of her citizens. Courtesy
Rwanda’s
Ministry of Justice stopped responding to questions from Human Rights Watch in
2017 after at least seven Rwandans who the organisation claimed had been
“summarily executed” for stealing goats and fruit, turned up at a press
conference in Kigali puzzled and very much alive.
Perhaps
Human Rights Watch’s oversize name plus the consistent lack of scrutiny on what
is reported about African countries may have given them the confidence that
they could get away with such deceit. Since then, there has been no Human
Rights Watch staff presence in Rwanda and their regular reports are teleported
from various offices around the world.
The
highly political report released this week adds to Human Rights Watch’s record
of presenting a distorted picture of Rwanda that exists only in their
imagination. The timing shows a clear intent to derail the Migration and
Economic Development Partnership with the United Kingdom by influencing the
outcome of the ongoing appeal before the UK Supreme Court.
Any
balanced assessment of Rwanda’s record in advancing the rights of Rwandans over
the past 29 years would recognize remarkable, transformational progress. After
ending the genocide, our administration has focused relentlessly on restoring
hope and delivering improvements in the wellbeing of citizens, as well as
restoring dignity, unity, and pride in the country. We have in fact advanced
the most critical right of all, the right to life, with Rwanda’s life
expectancy having more than doubled in the last 27 years: from 26.2 to 69.4
years.
We’re
not surprised that Human Rights Watch wilfully ignores the facts. They’ve spent
three decades skilfully and relentlessly driving an anti-Rwanda agenda that has
nothing to do with protecting the rights of Rwandans.
Instead
of reporting the reality, they focus on unfounded claims of discredited sources
including perpetrators of the Genocide against the Tutsi, and cite cases of
convicted terrorists who have killed and maimed Rwandans including women and
children. In their choice of ‘‘sources’’, the organisation lays bare their
intent to amplify the claims of anyone who can further their agenda, regardless
of their background and credibility.
In an
investigation titled “The Travesty of Human Rights Watch on Rwanda,” retired
American diplomat Richard Johnson documented Human Rights Watch’s pattern of
siding with anyone who advances their anti-Rwanda agenda: “Human Rights Watch’s
advocacy efforts concerning the international community’s treatment of Rwandan
genocide suspects outside Rwanda has been consistent with their radically
negative view of Rwandan governance and justice," the publication read in
part.
Mr
Johnson observed that Human Rights Watch was active in providing support to
genocide suspects residing in the UK trying to avoid extradition to face
justice in Rwandan courts. The report also found that “Human Rights Watch’s
discourse on Rwanda over the past 20 years has been viscerally hostile to the
Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), which defeated the genocidal Hutu Power regime
in 1994, and systematically biased in favour of letting unrepentant Hutu Power
political forces back into Rwandan political life.”
Summing
up, Richard Johnson aptly stated "Indeed, Human Rights Watch reports on
Rwanda serve as a propaganda tool meant to demonise the Rwandan leadership, and
the governing party of RPF [Rwandan Patriotic Front] in an effort to create a
moral equivalence with génocidaire outfits like FDLR [Forces Democratiques de
Liberation du Rwanda] and allied groups." Although the report was written
ten years ago, his assessment of Human Rights Watch’s motivations still holds
true.
It is
also galling when Human Rights Watch and others question the motivation behind
Rwanda’s collaboration with other countries to further peace, safety, and
rights. Our government is rightly contributing to making life better for
others, including by cooperating with partner states to tackle insecurity and
terrorism that destroys communities and stalls much-needed development.
At a
time when much of the world is challenged by conflict and terrorism, any
country that contributes to tackling insecurity can only be applauded, and
supported. It shouldn’t be the case that an organisation purporting to advance
rights across the world consistently show themselves to be incapable of
objectively assessing the policy choices or actions of the Rwandan government,
even when the humanitarian motivations are obvious and backed up by the lived
reality of those communities we’ve helped.
No
country is perfect. But Rwanda is determined to continue working for the rights
and welfare of all our citizens, and collaborating where we can, and when we
are called upon, to advancing the security and progress of communities on our
continent, and working with partners to solve the biggest global challenges. We
will not be deterred from this work by bad-faith actors advancing a politicized
agenda.
The
author is the Spokesperson of the Government of Rwanda.
