Regional
Belgian Ambassador: false perceptions on Rusesabagina case a question of time
The
Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to Rwanda, Bert Versmessen, has said that
false perceptions on Rusesabagina are a question of time.
His
comment about the FLN terror case, a rare reaction from an official of the
Belgian Embassy in Kigali since the arrest of Paul Rusesabagina in August 2020,
was made during the Ambassador’s courtesy call to the President of the Rwandan
Senate on March 22.
Ambassador
Bert Versmessen was nominated to represent his country to Rwanda in February
2021. He presented his credentials to President Paul Kagame in October 2021.
His courtesy call to the President of the Senate of Rwanda, Dr. Augustin
Iyamuremye, focused on various aspects of bilateral relations and cooperation
between Belgium and Rwanda.
During
their meeting, the Belgian Ambassador said that the FLN terror case “has
perceptions and interpretations [in the western discourse] that are completely
different from reality.”
He
said “the dominant narrative is that Paul Rusesabagina is a Belgian citizen who
was brought to Rwanda illegally, and behind it there is his family which is
very active in the media,” but added that he is confident “it is just a
question of time.”
The
President of the Senate explained to the Belgian Ambassador how the FLN violent
attacks on innocent Rwandans shocked Rwandans.
He
emphasized that in such situations of armed violence against civilians,
security services do what they are supposed to do as is done elsewhere yet,
paradoxically Rwanda was condemned for doing exactly the same in its security
interests. He stressed that the double standards raise a question of “agaciro”
for Rwanda, and as such Rwandans would rather forfeit material advantages or
accept to be insulted and tarnished but retain their dignity. He underscored
that no amount of media campaign, lobbying and manipulations can erase the
crimes of Rusesabagina’s FLN.
Ambassador
Bert Versmessen’s remarks to the President of the Senate alone are likely to
frustrate the campaign of Rusesabagina’s family and supporters who have chosen
to persuade Western powers to coerce President Kagame into releasing him.
In
the Western media’s narrative of Rusesabagina’s alleged exploits during the genocide,
his glamorized humanitarian actions and political activism that never were,
there is no mention of his role in the creation, funding and leading FLN terror
attacks on Rwanda. These are crimes for which he publicly claimed
responsibility and pledged his unreserved support.
But
the Ambassador’s remarks, set down in a memo, also echo Belgium's recent
reevaluation of the reality. Initially, Belgium, which provided Mr Rusesabagina
and his family asylum and citizenship, was tight-lipped about his arrest and
trial. A spokesperson at the Belgian foreign ministry only admitted officials
from its embassy in Kigali regularly visited Rusesabagina and were offering him
consular assistance, while declining to give further details or say whether
Belgium had any plans to speak out publicly for him. The Rusesabagina family
even expressed frustration with Belgium’s response to the arrest and detention
of Rusesabagina in Kigali.
Belgium’s
inexpressive posture changed when its Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign
Affairs criticized the trial process in statement issued on September 20, 2021,
saying the trial raised questions about Rusesabagina’s sentence. “Mr.
Rusesabagina did not receive a fair and due trial,” Sophie Wilmès’ statement
said.
However,
there is every reason to think that the status quo on Belgium government’s
position is ancient history. Belgian diplomacy’s backpedaling began a month
later during the visit to Rwanda by Belgium’s foreign minister, at the end of
October 2021, answering the question of a Belgian journalist who accompanied
her: "Has your attitude remained the same, Rusesabagina did not receive a
fair trial?”
She
explained: “We took the time to discuss, to analyze also to exchange our
different points of view and we agreed that the dialogue remained open. That we
will continue to talk about the different positive agenda points that exist
between our different countries.”
Rusesabagina
and his supporters are a million miles away from fully grasping Belgium's
epiphany and its diplomatic reversal, which came as a result of the discovery
that Rusesabagina is not as "humanitarian" and innocent as they
assumed, given the serious charges against him and the prosecution's evidence,
much of which was provided with Belgian judicial cooperation.
Clearly,
Belgium fully appreciates the truth about Rusesabagina's crimes and the
strength of his case in court.