RWANDA UNDERCUTS WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY BY

C O N F I D E N T I A L KIGALI 000323 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/05/2018 TAGS: PREL PHUM PGOV KPAO RW SUBJECT: RWANDA UNDERCUTS WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY BY EXPELLING 3 JOURNALISTS FROM FESTIVITIES REF: KIGALI 225 Classified By: Amb. Arietti for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (SBU) Summary. The Rwandan Ministry of Information hosted a widely attended program of lectures in honor of World Press Freedom Day on May 2. The government expelled three independent journalists midway through the proceedings, claiming they had not been invited. Following the expulsions, the Minister of Information announced in radio interviews and remarks to local newspapers that she was "blacklisting" four journalists for articles hostile to the government. The expulsions and later announcement by the Minister signify the Government of Rwanda's (GOR) limited understanding of press issues and external perceptions of press freedom in Rwanda. End summary. ¶2. (C) The Rwandan Ministry of Information hosted a series of lectures in honor of World Press Freedom Day on May 2, on topics including journalists' access to government information, the relationship between the Rwandan National Police and the media, and the draft media law currently in Parliament. The event was widely attended, with the recently-appointed Minister of Information Louise Mushikiwabo, Deputy Commissioner of Police Mary Gahonzire, and High Council of the Press executive secretary Patrice Mulama present among the journalists and other attendees. ¶3. (C) At the opening of the afternoon session, a question and answer exchange, three journalists heading independent publications in Rwanda - Jean Bosco Gasasira of Umuvugizi, Charles Kabonero of Umuseso, and Jean Gualbert Burasa of Rushyashya - who had registered and been present for the morning sessions, were expelled from the event. The personal assistant to Mushikiwabo told the journalists (and, later, our Pol Assistant, who was present) that the Information Minister, the Deputy Police Commissioner and the President's Press Secretary had jointly decided they should be expelled. The pro-government New Times quoted Mushikiwabo to the effect that the journalists "had not been invited to participate." However, in subsequent conversation Gasasira told Emboffs the Information Ministry had sent a mass e-mail invitation, and he and the other two expelled journalists had received it. He also produced the badges he and Burasa had received after registering on the day of the event. ¶4. (C) In later radio comments, Mushikiwabo justified the expulsion of the three by comparing them to "wedding crashers" and expressed criticism of their professionalism, saying they were working with outside forces to "blackmail" the government. She further said they and a fourth journalist, Bonaventure Bizumuremyi, editor-in-chief of independent publication Umuco (still sought by the GOR for his article comparing President Kagame to Hitler - reftel), would be blacklisted from future functions hosted by the Ministry, including press conferences. ¶5. (C) After the expulsion, other journalists present briefly discussed boycotting the rest of the event, but ultimately remained. Two of them, however, registered their disappointment with the expulsion during the question and answer session. One called the action "sad" on a day meant to promote press freedom. A more vociferous critic, a journalist working with Daily Business, demanded an explanation from Mushikiwabo, especially given the day's explanation from Mushikiwabo, especially given the day's theme. Ministry technical staff pulled the microphone from him during his remarks. ¶6. (C) Comment: These expulsions and "blacklists" are, at best, awful public relations gaffes by the government. Do they also reflect a hardening of the GOR's attitude toward the local Rwandan media? Only slightly less troubling is the sense that the Minister of Information and her colleagues appear entirely unaware of the consequence of their actions in the eyes of the international community. Professional deficiencies, especially among local independent journalists, are often cited by the GOR as reasons to continue government oversight of the media. We do not find this very persuasive, given their own obvious lack of expertise on media issues. Ambassador Arietti will meet with Mushikiwabo and Minister of Finance James Musoni (GOR lead on its Millennium Challenge Corporation Threshold Country Plan, devoted to governance issues) to register Post's displeasure with the expulsions and blacklists and to counsel a more enlightened approach. End comment. ARIETTI