Hungry for Truth, Peace and Justice

Assault against Mrs. Victoire Ingabire: RPF revives the accusation in a mirror

By Emmanuel Neretse
Brussels, January 04, 2010

Also available in French.

The accusation in a mirror is a method of propaganda which aims at accusing an opponent of crimes that one is about to commit or has already committed against that opponent.

During its war of conquest from October 1st, 1990 to July 17, 1994, the RPF has distinguished itself in the use of this tool of propaganda and it has always succeeded because the public opinion, which was in good faith, each time felt into such a trap. Thus RPF killing of MRND officials in what was then called the “demilitarized zone” in 1993 (Kirambo, Nkumba, Mutura, etc.) were presented by the same RPF as the work of the MRND, which was eliminating its own militants. Political leaders of the opposition who were reluctant to compromise with the RPF (Félicien Gatabazi, Emmanuel Gapyisi) were, according to the RPF, assassinated by Habyarimana. More recently, the RPF provided the "ultimate" accusation in a mirror. In an official report (the Mutsinzi report), the former Tutsi rebellion now in power in Kigali said without blinking that President Juvenal Habyarimana was assassinated by his own! This accusation in a mirror came three years after a French anti-terrorist judge concluded that Juvenal Habyarimana was assassinated by RPF elements octing on orders from Paul Kagame, the current president of Rwanda.

The aggression against Mrs. Victoire Ingabire, who is a declared candidate against Paul Kagame in the upcoming presidential election in August 2010, provides an opportunity for the RPF to use its old recipe: the accusation in a mirror.

The facts

On Wednesday February 3rd, while Mrs. Ingabire had received her identity card the day before, the administrative authority of Kinyinya Sector called her and set up an appointment with her, to come and collect other official documents. She was supposed to show up at 12:30 PM (during the lunch hour to avoid the lines). At the designated time, she showed up with one of her assistants. She was greeted by a crowd of threatening and insulting young men that prevented her from entering the office of the administrative officer who had set up her appointment. Mrs. Ingabire escaped in extremis but her handbag containing her passport and her new identity card was snatched. Her assistant remained in the hands of the attackers. He will be beaten up and taken to the police station where he remained several hours under interrogations before being released.

Reactions

In his initial response, the police spokesman told Reuters that Mrs. Ingabire was attacked by people who do not like her policy speech in what they call "revisionism". Upon realizing that he had committed a serious politico-media blunder, the police spokesman changed the subject. He told the BBC News that Mrs. Ingabire had been the victim of citizens who have not supported that she jumps before them to the office of the administrative authority instead of waiting in line like everyone else.

The victim becomes "executioner"

The next day on Thursday, February 4th, 2010 the verdict came about: the Rwanda’s First daily pro-RPF newspaper, the New Times, wrote: “Ingabire provokes fracas at Kinyinya”. And now the one that fell into an ambush laid by the administrative authorities is now presented as the author of her own aggression or that at least she provoked it. With this scenario, the RPF is killing two birds with one stone. It was able, it believes, to demonize Mrs. Ingabire as "a vulgar troublemaker" but also to recover valuable documents (passport and identity card) that Mrs. Ingabire had acquired after a long waiting time. It will therefore be similar much time lost in the registration of her political party.

Conclusion

One has to admit it. The RPF is exceedingly practicing accusation in a mirror. Does it realize that the public opinion is tired of this and will no longer be satisfied with RPF’s brazen lies as this was the case during RPF war of conquest from 1990 to 1994? But, like any other dictatorship, the RPF regime is so narcissistic that it believes it can fool the world forever.

Note:
This article has been translated from its original French version by Mamadou Kouyate. Only the French version shall prevail.

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posted by Mamadou Kouyate @ 11:13 PM