Rwanda must not bow to pressure to release terror kingpin Rusesabagina

Nearly a month after the trial and conviction of Paul Rusesabagina who was sentenced to 25 years for terrorism committed on Rwanda soil, his backers frantically continue to call for his release. The latest to enter the fray are members of the European Parliament (MEPs) who, on September 7, voted a resolution which stated that “(they) strongly condemn the illegal arrest, detention and conviction of human rights defender Paul Rusesabagina in Rwanda, which they say violates international and Rwandan law.”

The resolution, seen by many Rwandans and neutral observers, as an ultimatum ordering the Rwandan government to free Rusesabagina immediately, regardless of the serious charges against him, was adopted by 600 lawmakers. Two opposed it and 18 abstained.

What’s not surprising is the way these MEPs resorted to the same tactics of sanitizing this terror kingpin by reminding people of his Hollywood credentials as “a Belgian citizen and U.S. resident who was recounted in the 2004 film Hotel Rwanda,” and completely ignoring the plight of the victims of the terror campaign he waged. Note how they call him “a human rights defender,” which is odd given his involvement in terrorism activities on Rwandan territory. It is as if being Belgian, or a U.S resident, is a carte blanche for Rusesabagina to plot to seize power in Rwanda using “all means,” as he declared, by funding terror groups and forming his own armed outfit.

They also whitewashed the criminality of these groups by labeling them “a coalition of opposition political parties and its military wing,” as if for them, a group which ambushed and killed passengers on buses, attacked villages, and killed innocent civilians deserved any respect at all as a political force. What these MEPS forget to mention is that evidence collected from both Belgian Prosecution and the FBI, exposed in court, revealed that Rusesabagina sent thousands of Euros to the genocide-linked FDLR, a terrorist outfit recognised as such by the United Nations.

It is also preposterous to conclude that the case of Rusesabagina exemplifies “the human rights violations” taking place in Rwanda and consequently call into question the verdict against him. For these MEPs, it is as if fair trial is only the preserve of western courts, which means that Rwanda doesn’t have the right and the means to try its criminals. People saw in this attitude a relic of the outdated colonial mentality and white supremacist at play.

The trial took place in public. Proceedings were broadcast live and translation was availed in the presence of foreign diplomats, and representatives of NGOs. Evidence came from the 20 co-accused including senior officers of his armed terror group, and an American professor, Dr Michelle Martin who worked with and monitored his activities connecting extremist Hutu Power groups and terrorist organizations.

Nevertheless, these legislators ignored all the evidence, some of it collected from their own governments and advanced falsehoods and lies peddled all along by Rusesabagina’s family, his lobbyists, and the organizations which catapulted him to fame. One MEP, Els Van Hoof, went too far and threatened to re-orient foreign aid from the Rwandan government, and using other channels so that it can still benefit the population.

Her colleague, MP Tom Vendenkendelaere, also reminded everyone that Rusessabagina was a Belgian national, saying the trial of his fellow countryman was not fair. “The EU cannot remain silent on this matter. He needs to be released urgently.”  One wonders how a Belgian national would create and fund an armed terrorist organisation to overthrow a government and become president. Is it back to the 1960s where foreign powers were backing mercenaries like Bob Denard to conduct coup d’états in Africa? Do these MEPs really support a return to this hideous past?

For Olivier Mushimire, a Rwandan blogger, “it is also self-contradictory performance on their (EU MEPs) part to describe Rusesabagina as a European citizen, and a political opponent of the Rwandan government in the same statement.” Martin Ngoga, Speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly and former Rwandan Prosecutor General found the EU Parliament’s call for Rusesabagina’s release, a political directive (and) not a suggestion to further judicial review.  Ngoga noted: “Which system would have a standard procedure to grant this? The call undermines some norms you are purporting to defend. Attack on norms is abuse of political platform.”

Whatever noises the MEPs and others make about Rusesabagina, pressure on Rwanda to release a terror convict will not work. Like President Paul Kagame noted, on October 12, Rwanda will not trade off the security of its own people.