GOR TOUGHENS STANCE AGAINST "IRRESPONSIBLE"

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KIGALI 000822 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/17/2017 TAGS: PHUM PGOV KDEM RW SUBJECT: GOR TOUGHENS STANCE AGAINST "IRRESPONSIBLE" JOURNALISTS Classified By: Ambassador Michael R. Arietti for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d ) ¶1. (C) Summary. A panel of Government of Rwanda (GOR) officials, including four Ministers, on September 9 used a weekly call-in program broadcast by state-owned TV Rwanda and Radio Rwanda to launch verbal attacks against certain members of Rwanda's independent media, who they accused of cooperating with "negative forces" and Rwanda's "enemies" to undermine the security of the country. Several Ministers threatened to make greater use of Rwanda's laws to prosecute journalists who defame government officials, criticize President Kagame, or publish stories deemed to undermine national security. The Justice Minister, who was also a participant in the call-in show, attempted to temper the collective remarks, noting the importance of a free press and the key role it plays in a democratic society. The statements reflected the GOR's growing frustration with what it perceives to be unfounded, irresponsible, and damaging pieces written by the directors of a handful of small, independent Rwandan newspapers, especially "Umuco," "Umuseso," and "Umuvugizi," all of whom have had running verbal and legal battles with the GOR. This latest episode highlights the GOR's continued difficulty in reconciling its commitment to a free and fair press with its strong desire to control the image of Rwanda and of President Kagame that is projected to internal and external audiences. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) While GOR officials regularly bemoan the lack of professionalism among Rwanda's journalists and have on occasion criticized members of what they consider Rwanda's opposition media, the comments of several ministers on September 9--which were made during a regular call-in program conducted in the format of a town hall meeting--were their strongest verbal attack yet. The seriousness of the message was reinforced by the identities of those delivering the message: Finance Minister James Musoni, Internal Security Minister Sheikh Musa Fazil Harelimana, Rwanda National Police (RNP) Spokesperson Willy Marcel Higiro, Rwanda Defense Forces (RDF) Spokesperson Major Jill Rutaremara, and Information Minister Laurent Nkusi. Rutaremara accused some unnamed journalists of receiving support from the FDLR and Paul Rusesabagina. Minister Musoni asserted that the negative reporting is led by individuals who want to destabilize the country. Minister Harelimana labeled individuals who insult President Kagame as "enemies of the nation" who are attempting to destroy the nation "starting from the head." Justice Minister Tharcisse Karugarama, who also participated in the program, took a more conciliatory line toward the journalists, noting the important role played by a free press in a democratic society, and disassociating himself from the more extreme remarks. ¶3. (SBU) The proximate causes for the outburst appear to be a series of articles in "Umuseso" recently that directly criticized President Kagame, made unsubstantiated accusations of RDF officials' corruption and mistreatment of current and former RDF soldiers, and alleged poor morale within the army, and by the persistent publication in multiple outlets of what GOR officials consider defamatory articles based on unsourced information. For example, "Umuseso" has accused senior RDF officials of pocketing funds intended for RDF soldiers participating in the AU peacekeeping mission in Sudan, despite the fact that it is common knowledge in Rwanda that the funding shortfall is due to the AU's failure to reimburse the GOR for its troop contribution. More recently, "Umuseso" accused Finance Minister Musoni of taking a 10 percent kickback on an emergency fuel acquisition initiated during his term as Commerce Minister without furnishing any evidence to support this allegation. ¶4. (SBU) Although the GOR has reserved its bitterest criticism for those writing in Rwanda's vernacular papers, it has not hesitated to go on the offensive against unfavorable stories that appear in the international press. On August 3, Allan Thompson, professor of journalism at Carleton University and the director of the Rwanda Initiative, which has brought a dozen visiting journalism faculty to teach at the National University of Rwanda's School of Journalism and has placed short-term trainers at several to Rwanda's media outlets, felt the need to publish an apology to President Kagame in the pro-government "New Times" for the content of a weblog posted by investigative journalist and Rwanda Initiative trainer Gary Dimmock. Dimmock, who completed a KIGALI 00000822 002 OF 002 one-month stint at the Rwanda Independent Media Group, which publishes "Umuseso" and English-language counterpart "Newsline," wrote in his weblog that he was "unimpressed" by President Kagame during a presidential press conference he attended and suggested that Rwanda's journalists were probably smarter than their president. The posting generated strong protests from the Office of the President and even some calls for suspension of the Rwanda Initiative, which is the largest externally-supported program to develop Rwanda's media. ¶5. (SBU) The GOR's desire to manage Rwanda's international image is further evidenced by its relationship with "New Times." The paper, whose board is comprised entirely of GOR officials and senior RPF members and is chaired by National Security Services Director Emmanuel Ndahiro, highlights the positive achievements of the GOR and of those donor countries and organizations who support the government. Several journalists and editors reportedly have been fired from the paper for publishing stories that were deemed to have portrayed the country in a negative light. According to John Honderich, a former editor of the "Toronto Star," who served as a consultant to "New Times" under the Rwandan Initiative, the President's office also insists on prior approval of all photos of President Kagame that appear in the paper. ¶6. (C) The GOR's growing frustration with the negative content of some of Rwanda's independent newspapers appears to have prompted members of the ruling Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) to rescue financially struggling "Focus," an English-language bi-weekly established in 2006 that has taken a generally pro-government editorial line while attacking individual government officials and agencies for alleged incompetence. Because of its financial problems, "Focus" appeared only twice in the first half of 2007. By the end of May the Government reportedly was exploring means of ensuring the paper's continued publication and it is now widely reported by sources within government and outside that members of the RPF have taken a controlling share (75-80 percent) of the paper. "Focus" re-started regular publication in late August. ¶7. (C) Comment. We judge press freedom to have diminished this year in Rwanda, given the several prosecutions of journalists for offenses under both the divisionism and genocide ideology statutes and regular criminal statutes, and the combative rhetoric sometimes on display by government authorities, such as during the radio call-in show. However, we feel compelled to note that harsh criticism of the government and senior officials appears frequently and critical papers such as "Umuco," "Umuseso," and "Umuvugizi" are permitted to publish on a regular basis. The GOR appears genuinely perplexed as to these outlets' motives and frustrated by the continued publication of negative articles based on incomplete, inaccurate, or fabricated information. Its approach to dealing with these publications continues to swing between conciliation and aggression. Having attempted without success to appeal to the journalists' conscience, professional ethics, and patriotism, it appears that the some GOR officials believe that the threat of legal sanction is an additional means of encouraging Rwanda's journalists to act in ways those officials would judge more responsible. End comment. ARIETTI