Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09KIGALI207
2009-04-13 07:12:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kigali
Cable title:  

RWANDA -- MONTHLY POLITICAL ROUNDUP

Tags:  PREL PGOV PHUM RW 
pdf how-to read a cable
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RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0223
C O N F I D E N T I A L KIGALI 000207 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/09/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM RW
SUBJECT: RWANDA -- MONTHLY POLITICAL ROUNDUP

REF: A. KIGALI 162

B. KIGALI 78

C. 08 KIGALI 872

Classified By: Ambassador Symington for reasons 1.4 (b) (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L KIGALI 000207

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/09/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM RW
SUBJECT: RWANDA -- MONTHLY POLITICAL ROUNDUP

REF: A. KIGALI 162

B. KIGALI 78

C. 08 KIGALI 872

Classified By: Ambassador Symington for reasons 1.4 (b) (d)


1. (U) In this edition:

- Government Hears Journalists' Concerns on Media Law

- Rwanda Takes Prisoners From Sierra Leone Special Court

- Nkunda Hearing Postponed

- Political Party Provisionally Denied Registration


Springtime Thaw in Government-Media Relations
--------------


2. (U) The Ministry of Information and the GOR's media
monitoring and advocacy body, the Media High Council (MHC),
held consultative meetings with journalists in March to
discuss relations between the government and the media and
draft media legislation.


3. (C) On March 13, four journalists representing
independent publications which had been "blacklisted" from
GOR functions met with the MHC to develop resolutions on how
to improve interaction between the GOR and journalists.
Charles Kabonero, editor-in-chief of the banned publication
Umuseso, told EmbOff the MHC was "open and willing to change"
the soured relationship between some critical journalists and
the GOR. Kabonero outlined the meeting's agreed-upon
recommendations, which included increased communication
between journalists and the MHC on abuses of media freedom,
and the MHC taking a more active media advocacy stance.
However, Kabonero expressed doubt there would be substantial
action to that end until a new MHC board is in place (Note:
The current term for the MHC board has expired, so a new
board is expected soon. End note).


4. (SBU) Minister of Information Louise Mushikiwabo met with
media practitioners and other stakeholders on March 20,
inviting comments on the text of a media law passed by both
houses of Parliament and now, she said, before the President
for signature (parliamentary sources say the text has not
officially been passed to the presidency, as final
translations into French and English are still pending). The
nearly-finished law has drawn renewed criticism from local
journalists, including one influential journalist who
apparently expressed his reservations in a recent meeting
with Presidential advisors. In her meeting, Mushikiwabo told
participants the GOR adopted a new media policy during its

annual retreat in February, in which Ministers were
encouraged to meet with the press regularly and be held
accountable by the journalistic community. Mushikiwabo
apparently chastised assembled journalists for not raising
their concerns with the law when it was with the drafting
commission, but assured them it was not too late to change
controversial issues. In particular, journalists flagged
articles requiring university training in journalism for GOR
accreditation, and those related to privacy, protection of
sources, and defamation. Mushikiwabo asked journalists to
freely offer their input on the law in the discussion and
said President Paul Kagame was "ready to hear and consider"
their claims.


5. (SBU) Comment. Increased positive interaction between
the GOR and the media is an encouraging sign; changes to the
draft media law would be welcomed by many local journalists,
particularly those who lack the requisite university

training. There are catch-up provisions in the new law, but
many of the affected journalists would prefer not to have to
meet them. End Comment.


Rwanda Agrees to Accept Prisoners From Sierra Leone Court
-------------- --------------



6. (U) On March 18, the Rwandan government (GOR) signed an
accord with the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) under
which convicted prisoners from the court will serve out their
sentences at the Mpanga prison in southern Rwanda. The
visiting Registrar, Herman von Hebel, praised the Dutch-built
Mpanga prison, which contains a newly-constructed separate
wing for high-profile prisoners, as one "meeting and
exceeding" international standards. In a press release, the
SCSL noted that the accord had been "brokered" by the
International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR),and that
eight persons had so far been convicted by the SCSL, with
five sentenced to 15 to 50 years in prison, the others
awaiting sentencing. The accord provides for eight of the
wing's 30 cells at Mpanga to be available for use by the
SCSL, the release noted. Sources at the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs told us that, "given how long it takes UN tribunals
to convict people and then hear their appeals," the GOR did
not anticipate receiving all eight convicted prisoners "for
quite some time."


7. (SBU) Comment. This accord benefits the SCSL, the GOR
and the ICTR. The SCSL has found an acceptable prison in
Africa for its convicts, and a government willing to take
them, not something always easy to do. The GOR has had its
Mpanga prison publicly ratified by a UN tribunal as a more
than acceptable facility for high-profile prisoners. In its
long-standing appeal to the international community to
extradite suspected genocidaires to Rwanda for trial, the GOR
now has an international seal of approval for its detention
facilities. The ICTR, anxious like the SCSL to find
acceptable facilities for its convicts, and specifically to
transfer cases and prisoners to Rwanda (something its own
review panels have so far declined to do),can point to
Mpanga prison as a suitable facility for its prisoners, as
recognized by a brother UN tribunal. End Comment.


Nkunda Case Refiled in Gisenyi, Subsequently Postponed
-------------- --------------


8. (SBU) Following denial of a March 11 application to a
Kigali court for release of Laurent Nkunda from Rwandan
custody (Ref A),his legal team attempted to file an similar
application before a military court, also in Kigali.
Rebuffed by the military court, his legal team then traveled
to Gisenyi, where Nkunda is reportedly being held, and
successfully filed an application there. Originally
scheduled for March 25, Nkunda's legal team (which has till
now not been allowed to see him) requested a postponement of
the hearing until April 17. Aside from pushing the hearing
date beyond the traditional genocide commemoration ceremonies
in early April, local legal counsel said the postponement
also gave time for various "useful discussions" to continue
on the ultimate fate of Nkunda, possibly alluding to various
proposed CNDP amnesty provisions, and continuing discussions
between the GOR and the Congolese government. In a
communique issued by the Rwandan and Congolese governments
following their "Four Plus Four" talks in Kinshasa March
27-28, the two sides pledged to have their justice ministers
confer on his fate and "offer advice" on the issue.


9. (C) Comment. Nkunda's legal team appears suddenly much

less anxious to see him freed from Rwandan custody, at least
through its own efforts. The team may hope that discussions
between the two governments, including deliberations between
the two justice ministers, could offer an acceptable
compromise. End Comment.

PSI Denied Registration
--------------


10. (SBU) In early March, the Ministry of Local Government
(MINILOC) denied registration to the Ideal Social Party
(PSI),a new political party founded in December, 2008, which
held its first organizing congress in February (refs B and
C). In announcing the denial, the Ministry declared that PSI:
1) had not gathered sufficient people for its congress,
properly documented, from around the country (needing five
from each of 30 districts); 2) had in violation of the law
used an acronym (PSI) of a well-known and registered NGO,
Population Services International; and 3) had violated
constitutional requirements governing the number of women for
party executive officers, 30 percent of which must be held by
women. Party founder Bernard Ntaganda told pol/econ chief
March 9 that his party had sufficient persons present at the
congress with adequate ID (despite some having ID problems),
had appointed enough women after the congress to executive
positions to meet legal requirements, and did not violate the
law on naming conventions for registered organizations. He
claimed some women candidates for executive positions had
been "intimidated" from attending the congress. Finally, he
added he could not raise sufficient cash to stage another
congress (at a cost of about USD 30,000),the only way to
legally change the name of the party.


11. (SBU) A MINILOC official told emboffs later that the
Ministry had "bent over backwards" when evaluating PSI
documentation, but Ntaganda had simply fallen short -- in 2
of 30 districts, for example, five adequately documented
persons were not presented. Another dispute involved whether
Ntaganda had a properly registered notary public at the
congress to record attendees. However, the Ministry decision
was not final; Ntaganda could continue his efforts to
register his party. "He does not have to start from
scratch," said the official. "We see his registration
problems as minor ones."


12. (C) Comment. Precise and manifold registration
requirements are found in other areas of Rwandan activity --
NGO registration, the tax code, environmental requirements
for local businesses. The ultimate goal for the GOR is to
demonstrate that it can evaluate such requirements in an
even-handed manner, which the Rwandan public can accept. The
PSI had championed the idea that opposition to the government
did not equal improper dissent or divisionism. This may have
raised some hackles within the government and ruling party.
We will monitor this case, to see if the various registration
failings are overcome. End Comment.


SYMINGTON