Peter Mutabaruka in the clip, spokesperson of Amahoriwacu campaign, is asking the international community not to recognize the results from the Rwandan presidential elections to be held on August 4th, 2017.
The reason of the campaigner’s call is the refusal by president Paul Kagame to allow politicians presently living in exile to return home. But there is more to that, as one can understand listening to what he says about the Rwandan leader and the situation in Rwanda.
The typical case where the Rwandan president has practically declared some Rwandan politicians in exile as persona non grata is of Father Thomas Nahimana, leader of Ishema party, and members of his delegation. They were stopped on two occasions from taking any flight going to Rwanda from any location around the world.
On November 23rd, 2016 the mentioned political party’s delegation was held on standby (in transit) for three days at Kenyatta International Airport, because Kigali had instructed Kenya Airways not to allow the team on its aircraft. They had to go back where they had come from because they couldn’t enter their country.
Two months later, on January 23rd, 2017 the same instructions were this time given to the airline company Brussels Airlines which had among its passengers Father Thomas Nahimana and his colleagues. They were again trying to return home to register their party in Rwanda.
President Kagame is cornered and afraid. His regime in power since 1994 seems at the end of the road. He killed and imprisoned his political opponents inside and outside the country. Let’s not highlight much his bad governance or some of his crimes in DRC against Congolese and Rwandan hutu refugees in that country.
Even if the Rwandan president had been characterised by good policies for his citizens, which is not unfortunately the case, 23 years in power is a too long period to demand change of political leadership.
