Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08KIGALI620
2008-09-11 16:19:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kigali
Cable title:  

RWANDA - MONTHLY POLITICAL ROUND-UP

Tags:  PREL PGOV PHUM RW 
pdf how-to read a cable
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C O N F I D E N T I A L KIGALI 000620 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/10/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM RW
SUBJECT: RWANDA - MONTHLY POLITICAL ROUND-UP

REF: A. PARIS 1584

B. IGALI 450

C. KIGALI 536

D. KIGALI 603

C O N F I D E N T I A L KIGALI 000620

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/10/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM RW
SUBJECT: RWANDA - MONTHLY POLITICAL ROUND-UP

REF: A. PARIS 1584

B. IGALI 450

C. KIGALI 536

D. KIGALI 603


1. (U) In this edition:

- Release of Mucyo Commission report on French Responsibility
in 1994 Genocide

- Former ICTR Prosecutor on Rwandan Justice System, Universal
Jurisdiction, and Transfer of Cases

- Legislative Campaign Kick-Off - Some Reporters Shut Out

- Kagame Talks Tough in Interview

-------------- --------------
Mucyo Commission Report on French Responsibility in Genocide
-------------- --------------


2. (U) On August 5, Minister of Justice Tharcisse Karugarama
unveiled the 500-page report on the alleged French role in
the 1994 genocide produced by the Mucyo Commission (named
after commission head and former Minister of Justice Jean de
Dieu Mucyo). The report assigns 33 senior French political
and military officials with various degrees of complicity in
the tragedy, including late French President Francois
Mitterand. Among other allegations, the report accuses
French forces of providing training to the genocidal
Interahamwe, of being present at roadblocks where Tutsis were
killed, and of instigating and participating in rape. Since
its release, Minister of Information Louise Mushikiwabo and
Minister of Foreign Affairs Rosemary Museminali joined
Karugarama in giving media comments calling for further
examination by the international community of the charges
outlined in the report. Prosecutor General Martin Ngoga has
not ruled out bringing charges against some individuals named
in the document.


3. (SBU) Comment: The release of the report, which was
commissioned in 2006, comes at a time when Government of
Rwanda (GOR) relations with France remain at a low point
(also see ref A). French indictments of senior GOR
leadership continue to receive negative local attention (see
below) and French nationals seeking to enter Rwanda to work
for the EU election observer team have experienced
difficulties obtaining visas. Even if the GOR brings formal
charges against those named in the report, the GOR will
continue to look for some formal expression of contrition on
the part of the French government (beyond the general
comments by President Sarkozy some time ago mildly expressing

regret); improved relations will otherwise be a very long
road. End comment.

--------------
Goldstone on Justice in Rwanda
--------------


4. (U) Justice Richard Goldstone, former Chief Prosecutor for
the UN International Criminal Tribunal for the former
Yugoslavia and Rwanda (ICTY and ICTR, respectively),
presented a lecture, "The Role of Justice in the Aftermath of
Massive Human Rights Violations," at the Rwandan Supreme
Court August 15. Minister of Justice Tharcisse Karugarama
and Prosecutor General Martin Ngoga were present, and Vice
President of the Supreme Court Professor Sam Rugege moderated
the event. After giving his remarks, Goldstone took
questions from the audience, and responded to Karugarama and
Ngoga's queries on the concept of universal jurisdiction.


5. (U) Goldstone gave a brief history of the work of the ICTR
within the context of international justice and of his own
role and interaction with the GOR during his tenure as Chief
Prosecutor from 1994 to 1996. Calling dehumanization the
"common element" to situations of massive human rights
"common element" to situations of massive human rights
violations, Goldstone cited the importance of public
acknowledgment and education as well as justice for
reconciliation to occur. Justice, he said, is but "one tool"
available to achieve it. He proffered that, without the
ICTY, "the ICTR would not have happened." Among the
successes of the body, Goldstone cited the end to denials of
genocide in Rwanda, the creation of an historic record of the
tragedy, the conviction of some of its leaders, and the
definition of rape as a form of genocide.

6. (U) After his remarks, Goldstone was peppered by questions
from Minister of Justice Karugarama and the other panelists,
particularly on his position on the transfer of ICTR cases to
Rwanda from Arusha and on the much-maligned concept of
universal jurisdiction (ref B and previous). Goldstone
carefully expressed his support for the transfer of cases,
acknowledging that "home-grown" justice is the ideal and
calling international renditions of justice "second best."
Responding to allegations from Ngoga and Rugege about the
propensity of universal jurisdiction to be "abused,"
Goldstone noted the principle may be positively employed by
the GOR to try genocidaires living in exile abroad.
Karugarama implored Goldstone to read the troublesome French
and Spanish indictments (ref C and previous) and to provide
"a neutral opinion" on their veracity. Goldstone conceded an
international convention on universal jurisdiction which
implements regulation might be useful, but averred that
justice following situations of massive human rights
violations can be "a political and moral compromise."


7. (SBU) Comment: The reaction of the GOR panelists and the
largely Rwandan audience to Goldstone's lecture suggested
greater interest in securing public support from a respected
judicial figure for the GOR's position on universal
jurisdiction than in the specific details of his
presentation. The GOR's campaign against the principle has
shifted a bit, from initial dismissal of the concept outright
to a call for some sort of regulatory mechanism for it. With
the Spanish and French indictments outstanding, this push
will continue. End comment.

--------------
Campaigns Kick Off, Journalists Excluded
--------------


8. (SBU) The Rwandan campaign season officially began August
25 with a rally sponsored by the dominant Rwandan Patriotic
Front (RPF). The rally, held at a Kigali stadium, drew a
large crowd of supporters who enthusiastically greeted party
head President Paul Kagame. Reporters from BBC and VOA
reported that they had been turned away from covering the
event (ref D).


9. (C) Comment: The RPF's campaign efforts are widely visible
in the capital city, through billboards, slogan-covered cars
playing loud music extolling the party, and on innumerable
hats and t-shirts worn by the populace. The other parties,
both those in coalition with and running separately from the
RPF, are more difficult to spot (septel). Coverage of the
RPF rally was extensive in government media organs - the BBC
and VOA absence is another example of the GOR's ill-advised,
ongoing campaign to shut out journalists who work for media
entities that present information the Kagame regime finds
objectionable. End comment.

-------------- --------------
Kagame on French, Belgian, Congolese Relations, and Darfur
-------------- --------------


10. (U) In an interview conducted by Belgian journalist
Colette Breakman September 6, President Kagame called for
serious consideration by the French government of the
conclusions of the Mucyo Commission report (see above). He
said any action against French officials named in the report
would be a question for the Rwandan judicial officials to
decide. On the subject of the French and Spanish indictments
decide. On the subject of the French and Spanish indictments
and the use (and abuse) of universal jurisdiction, he noted
Rwanda had the support of the African Union, and would raise
the matter in the United Nations.


11. (U) Kagame noted Belgium,s colonial role in Rwanda, and
criticized its efforts to enforce the French and Spanish
indictments (when Rwandan delegations travel to Brussels, for
example),without examining the merits of the individual
cases. Notwithstanding complaints in the commercial sector
of unfair treatment, he said Rwanda treated the Belgians and
other foreign businessmen no differently than local
businesses.


12. (U) On Congo, Kagame reviewed recent history in the
Kivus, noting the failed efforts of the Congolese army
(against the advice of Rwanda and the international
community) to defeat renegade Tutsi General Laurent Nkunda,
and said he had told President Kabila that he was "playing
with extremists," and the strategy would ultimately backfire.
Saying he had not spoken with Kabila in some time, Kagame
said he had the sense of being "used, abused, and accused,"
and would simply let matters drop - he had senior officials
following events in the Kivus, but would no longer involve
himself. Efforts to interest the DRC in a revived
three-member CEPGL (Economic Conference of the Great Lakes,
composed of Rwanda, Burundi and the DRC) had largely failed,
as have efforts to exchange ambassadors, he said.


13. (U) On Darfur and the Deputy UNAMID Commander, Rwandan
General Karenzi Karake, Kagame spoke unequivocally: "If
Karenzi leaves, the entire Rwandan contingent will leave
Darfur - the same day." Certain western nations were abusing
concepts of international justice in their indictments of
senior Rwandan officials, and if the Rwandan commander were
"attacked," Rwanda would also be under assault and would
respond.
SIM