The Edmond Sun
May 1, 2010
Photo MARK SCHLACHTENHAUFEN.
EDMOND — Members of an organization concerned about alleged human rights violations by the Rwandan government protested the inclusion of the country’s president in local commencement activities on Friday.
Before the 2 p.m. start of the afternoon commencement ceremony at Oklahoma Christian University, the eight protesters from Friends of the Congo assembled across the street from the campus. They held signs decrying the university’s relationship with Paul Kagame, president of Rwanda.
The Washington, D.C., office of the Africa Faith and Justice Network sent a letter addressed to OC President Mike O’Neal, which stated that the organization is “particularly alarmed by the Rwandan government’s human rights violations of its citizens in the run-up to elections this August.”
The group cites the April 23 arrest of primary opposition leader Victoire Ingabire, who was released on bail the next day, according to the letter. The group says Ingabire has been falsely accused of association with a terrorist group, among other things.
In the letter, the group urged O’Neal to join them in asking that the rights of all opposition party members be restored without delay.
One of the protesters, Olivier Uwihoreye, a member of Friends of the Congo, said he was there to bring attention to the president’s visit, and out of his desire for equal justice. Uwihoreye said he wanted both sides of the story to be heard.
Ron Frost, OC spokesman, said Kagame was at the university to honor the first graduates from its Rwandan Presidential Scholars program. OC does not want to get involved with any of Rwanda’s internal politics or other issues in the country.
“We don’t want to detract from the outstanding achievements by the Rwandan students,” Frost said.
O’Neal said the students have been outstanding academically, and good students in the OC community.
marks@edmondsun.com
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