Hungry for Truth, Peace and Justice

Rwanda's liberation struggle: It's so wrong to downplay Rwigyema and Museveni roles

By John Kabagambe
The Observer
August 19, 2009

I was stunned to read that President Museveni’s speech at the 15th Rwandan Liberation Anniversary “ruffled feathers” in the Rwandan army officer ranks close to President Kagame, reportedly because President Museveni, among others, had the audacity to heap praise on the fallen RPF/RPA founding leader, the late Major General Fred Rwigyema (See: ‘Museveni stirs anger in Rwanda’, The Observer, July 20 – 22, 2009). For starters, it is a fact that the late Fred Rwigyema is a national hero in Rwanda who founded the RPF/RPA in Uganda, organised the force, commanded it and inspired many people to either join its ranks or support it with funds, food, and other logistics.

This happened because the late Rwigyema was hugely popular in Uganda, not only among the exiled Rwandan community, but also among ordinary Ugandans because of his charisma and the legend of his combat prowess, that was only comparable to that of Gen. Salim Saleh.

The RPF/A invasion of Rwanda was launched in 1990 with the late Rwigyema at its head [at a time when Kagame was attending a war college in the USA], and if he had not been killed, the scenario might have been very different because just within two days he had overrun the northern parts of the country and was on the outskirts of Kigali, ready to eject Juvenal Habyarimana.

Furthermore, his surprise attack had completely thrown the Habyarimana regime off balance, which could never have had the time to organise and later on execute the genocide that claimed the lives of close to a million people.

All these are facts that no amount of propaganda can ever erase. Against that background, therefore, what is so wrong in recognising and praising the man who paid the ultimate price for liberating his country?

The answer to that question may lie in a quote attributed to Rwanda’s Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. James Kabareebe that appeared in the RPF-run The New Times newspaper on July 7, 2009:

“The Truth must be told. Nobody should lie to you that we had another person like President Kagame. This is what I believe and also the army’s position”.

Misleading as it is, why should Kabareebe’s personal belief be necessarily the army’s position? What will happen, if tomorrow a new CDF who does not share Kabareebe’s beliefs takes over; will the army’s position change to reflect the new CDF’s belief?

Interestingly, the uproar over Museveni’s comments by Kabareebe and others, unwittingly exposes the lack of freedom of speech/expression in Rwanda, because if Museveni can be vilified for correctly stating the facts of the liberation war, what happens if an ordinary Rwandan dares to take a position deemed contrary to the “official position?” Kabareebe went on to state that: “The battle to liberate Rwanda by RPF/A would have failed had President Paul Kagame not been in charge” Really? I don’t think so. You see, opinions are like noses, everyone is entitled to one. Here is mine.

Whereas everyone recognises the role played by President Kagame in taking over the leadership of the RPF/A after the death of Rwigyema, it is entirely baseless and unfounded to state that Kagame is the only one who could have led the RPF/A to power.

If you examine the role played by Rwigyema up to his untimely death, you realise that Kagame came in only to fill a leadership vacuum left by Rwigyema, and not because he had any exceptional talents or abilities that were superior as implied by Kabareebe’s comments.

If anything, Rwigyema’s charisma and field combat prowess far outshines any one’s in the RPA today as his record would show both in Uganda and Rwanda.

Subsequent commentary in the state-controlled Rwandan media seemed to downplay President Museveni’s own contribution to the Rwandan liberation war.

The truth is, due to President Museveni’s good relationship with the late Rwigyema, and his genuine belief in the right of Rwandan exiles to return home and end Habyarimana’s dictatorship [in the same way that he supported the cause of SPLA/M in Southern Sudan], when the liberation war was launched, the President justified the RPF/A cause to the world, explaining to the international community the Hutu regime’s backward policies of rendering the Tutsi exiles stateless.

Slowly by slowly (thanks to Museveni), the international community began to appreciate the issues in Rwanda, so much so that the Habyarimana regime only had France, Belgium and Italy on its side.

The above does not include the fact that many Rwandan exiles fundraised, sent food and recruits to the frontline in Rwanda, all of which were allowed passage by President Museveni, not to mention that Ugandan arms, ammunition, uniforms, trucks and other logistics and military hardware were the ones that launched the war.

All said and done, one loses nothing by giving credit where it is due. In fact, you only stand to benefit by strengthening the old alliances with the country and its leader who backed you in your hour of need.

Note:
The author is a lawyer practicing in Kampala, Uganda. Contact john Kabagambe at jbkabagambe@gmail.com

Related Materials:
We stood with Rwanda during the hard times

Museveni stirs anger in Rwanda

Rwanda: The Liberation Struggle Belongs to the People

The RPF liberation struggle: Museveni involved in war planning

posted by Mamadou Kouyate @ 3:46 PM