Rwanda defends rights record over Commonwealth bid

By Sophie Tholstrup
Reuters
July 21, 2009

* NGO report recommends Rwanda should not join Commonwealth
* Rwanda says criticisms have "no basis"

KIGALI, July 21 (Reuters) - Rwanda's government said on Tuesday its human rights record should be viewed in the context of the huge strides it has made since the 1994 genocide, after a report said the country should not join the Commonwealth.

The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) said Rwanda's adherence to international law, its speech and press freedoms and community justice system were not up to global standards and recommended against accepting its bid to join the Commonwealth this year.

Rwanda's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rosemary Museminali, said many of the accusations had "absolutely no basis".

"There is room to improve, but no country is 100 percent perfect," she said. "Rwanda should be looked at in the context of where it's come from."

The report comes four months before the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Trinidad and Tobago in November, where Rwanda's application for accession is likely to be discussed. Its bid is strongly supported by Britain, Australia and Uganda.

The Commonwealth is a grouping of 53 nations around the world, mainly former British colonies. It aims to promote good governance and develop trade links between member states.

The CHRI, an independent non-governmental organisation that seeks to promote human rights within the Commonwealth, said Rwanda's bid to join in 2009 would be ill-advised if minimum rights standards were not met.

"(It) will devalue the Commonwealth's foundational principles, signalling tolerance for continued poor governance and human rights violations," the group said.

MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL

CHRI said despite relative internal stability since the genocide that killed 800,000 people, Rwanda has illegally invaded neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo four times.

It also said the Gacaca courts used to try genocide suspects violate international human rights norms. Laws criminalising "genocide ideology" have been used to suppress freedom of speech and to justify arbitrary imprisonment, CHRI said.

"Gacaca ... has its flaws but they don't amount to human rights abuse," Museminali said. "It has done great things, it has helped the country to get back on its feet."

President Paul Kagame has won praise for running a disciplined government and attracting foreign investment as Rwanda rebuilds its economy after the genocide. But critics say his style is authoritarian.

The British Ambassador to Rwanda, Nicholas Cannon, told Reuters the country's membership would be mutually beneficial. He said it would benefit from international exposure by joining the Commonwealth, as well as from technological cooperation, especially with developing member countries.

"We feel that Rwanda, with its dynamic and activist leadership would play a positive role in the work of the Commonwealth," he said.

(Editing by Hereward Holland)