EurAc is concerned about the violence and the democratic deficit in the run up to presidential elections in Rwanda

By Kris BERWOUTS
Afrique Liberation
July 4, 2010

EurAc, the network of European NGOs for lobby on Central Africa, has since the beginning of 2010 been following which great attention and concern the preparations for the presidential elections in Rwanda , planned to be held on 9 August.

We have seen how the opposition parties which were getting ready for the campaign have been excluded of the process and how the political playing field has been closed off by:

• the régime’s monopoly of the media which have never stopped demonising the opposition parties and their leaders ;

• verbal and physical intimidation of opposition parties, their leaders, officials and activists;

• the creation of a legal framework which enables the régime very quickly to start legal proceedings which are very difficult for the opposition to counter (based on accusations of spreading “genocidal ideology and divisionism”, very vague notions which have deliberately been left imprecise in law). This framework paralyses the opposition leaders when they try to carry out their daily activities and is used to prevent them from exercising their political rights;

• an administrative policy aimed at preventing opposition parties from registering, taking root, organising meetings or making themselves known to the general public;

• the infiltration of opposition parties to destabilise them from inside.

In addition we have noticed a considerable degree of nervousness in the inner cicles of power in Rwanda , not least in the army. The flight of General Faustin Kayumba Nyamwasa to South Africa and the arrest of Generals Emmanuel Karenzi Karake and Charles Muhire have demonstrated that by attempting to keep society under complete control in this pre-electoral period the Rwandan régime has begun to lose its cool and its cohesion.

In recent weeks EurAc has noted increasing insecurity and more acts of violence as shown in these examples:

• the attempt to assassinate General Kayumba Nyamwasa on 19 June 2010 in Johannesburg . Since his arrival in South Africa at the end of February the General has expressed very explicit public criticism on President Kagame and his government;

• the assassination on 24 June at Nyamirambo ( Kigali ) of the journalist Jean-Léonard Rugambage. He worked for the independent newspaper. Umuvugizi, publication of which was suspended in April 2010. Umuvugizi had reported that the government had a hand in the attempt to kill Nyamwasa and that Jean-Léonard Rugambare was leading the investigations;

• the intimidation, arrest and ill-treatment on 24 and 25 June of officials, activists and leaders of two opposition parties, PS-Imberakuri and FDU-Inkingi.

EurAc is especially concerned about the actual and potential violence in the run-up to the Rwandan elections. EurAc recommends that the European Union, in the framework of its political dialogue with Rwanda , should give a strong and clear signal to the Rwanda government and recommend that it should take steps to ensure political stability and the holding of free and transparent elections. It should:

• respect democratic principles prior to the elections, allow opposition parties to register and to carry out their work at grass root level, and finally stop dismantling them;

• stop political and police harassment of leaders and members of the opposition ;

• not use the media to demonise its opponents;

• respect and protect the space for free expression and diversity of opinion by civil society and an independent press.

EurAc hopes that the European Union will express its worries about the current situation and that it will react to the killing of Jean-Léopold Rugambare with as much indignation and consternation as it did to the announcement of the death of Floribert Chebeya.

The author is Director of EurAc, the network of European NGOs.