Pegasus: Amnesty International and Co. up smear campaign against Rwanda

Rwandans are well acquainted with people mud-slinging their country and its leadership almost on a daily basis. But the most recent accusations by Amnesty International relayed by some of the global north media that the Rwandan government is using the Israeli Pegasus technology to target its critics is the craziest.

One of their alleged victims is Carine Kanimba, stepdaughter of Paul Rusesabagina, former hotelier now on trial in Rwanda for terrorism-related crimes. In “Hotel Rwanda activist’s daughter placed under Pegasus surveillance” dated July 19, The London-based publication, The Guardian, wrote: “Carine Kanimba, the American daughter of Paul Rusesabagina, the imprisoned Rwandan activist who inspired the film Hotel Rwanda, has been the victim of multiple attacks using NSO spyware, according to a forensic analysis of her mobile phone, although Rwanda denies it has the NSO technology.”

The Guardian describes Rusesabagina, a man accused of sponsoring terrorism against Rwanda, as an activist. This is intentional and misleading. It is also not the first time The Guardian is involved in relaying harmful anti-Rwanda propaganda. It alleges that “the American daughter of Paul Rusesabagina, ...has been the victim of a near-constant surveillance campaign,” citing a forensic analysis of her mobile.

It is preposterous and outlandish of Amnesty International and The Guardian to spread this propaganda without any evidence. Furthermore, NSO Group has categorically rejected Amnesty International false claims in the report. It said that many are uncorroborated theories that raise serious doubts about the reliability of its sources as well as the basis of this story.

A commentator on social media wrote: “I read this article so that you don’t have to – the crux of this piece of conjecture is the suggestion that an Israeli spyware could only be a Kagame government weapon. It’s an irresponsible reach amidst disproven comparisons of that Belgian and Oskar Schindler.”

The Rwandan government denied it has this technology. Nevertheless, The Guardian goes on to allege that “the Kagame government - which has long been suspected of being a client of the Israeli Surveillance firm NSO – has been able to monitor the 28-year old’s private calls and discussions with US, European and British government officials.” This allegation underestimates the intelligence of the readers who see through the above accusation as just speculative because it is unsubstantiated.

By the way, this technology is not cheap. It is estimated that it costs between $7 and $8 million per year to acquire it. Amnesty International and the global north media want you to believe that the Rwandan government is so profligate to the extent it can squander all those huge sums of money to track such little-nobodys like Kanimba or others. The latter mentioned in these reports include David Himbara, a propagandist for the terrorist group, Rwanda National Congress (RNC), who lives in Canada.

The Rwandan government has other pressing issues and has devoted the meager resources it has to better the welfare of its population in providing quality healthcare, education, and catering for other amenities to its population.

Rwandan Foreign Minister, Dr Vincent Biruta, rejected the Amnesty International accusations saying that they are part of an ongoing campaign to cause tensions between Rwanda and other countries, and to sow disinformation about Rwanda domestically and internationally. It is not the first time that such spurious allegations linking Rwanda to the use of the NSO technology are used.

In November 2019, President Paul Kagame told reporters that Rwanda, like all countries, collects intelligence on enemies to try to see ahead what might happen in future. He insisted that it cannot go as far as using that NSO technology, which he said was also costly.

As for the efforts by Kanimba and her family to see her stepfather released, they have used a plethora of tactics which so far have yielded nothing. One of their methods is using lies to create shock and horror in hope that the Rwandan government will be put under pressure to release him. First, they claimed that he was kidnapped, then drugged, shackled, and brought to Rwanda. They later said that he was being tortured in a slaughterhouse-like cell.

Because of her constant lies about her father’s treatment in Rwanda, Kanimba has earned the nickname of “Queen of Lies” on social media.  When all this did not work, they then spread falsehoods that Rusesabagina has been deprived of food, water, and medication. But the US State Department through the American Embassy in Kigali debunked their lies saying that Rusesabagina was being well-treated.

This Amnesty International Pegasus report and stories in various publications is another stunt that will end up like previous ones. Rusesabagina cannot be released regardless of the defamation campaign against the Rwandan government.

Apart from the global north media’s noise about Rwanda's alleged spying on Kanimba, this smear campaign exposes Amnesty International's double standards. Where was Amnesty International's outrage when,  recently, on the eve of the US President Joe Biden's visit to Europe, the US used Denmark secret services to spy on EU leaders?