Victoire Ingabire, imprisoned Rwandan woman leader sentenced to 15 years of jail
For some time a certain circle of her supporters compares the imprisoned Rwandan woman politician Victoire Ingabire to the Thai political figure Aung San Suu. However, what is sure is that the sentence given by the Supreme Court in Kigali to that opposition leader might give her a status more close to Nelson Mandela than anybody else.
In fact, the judge presiding on the verdict explained that if it was not for the family of the accused living in The Netherlands she would have received 28 years of imprisonment instead of 15 years announced by the court.
It was on Friday December 13th, 2013. Probably if the verdict had been pronounced at a different time, its dimension could’ve been something else. The timing between the passing of Nelson Mandela and the sentencing of Victoire Ingabire can undoubtedly link the two personalities.
This is what Jean Bosco Mutarambirwa is saying on the two political figures:
“[ In the video] the reporter tried to ask the right questions. Kagame mumbled throughout like a retard. The guy has nothing to say! Seriously! You can tell Kagame is ashamed of himself because he knows he stands against everything Mandela stood for.
… Why 15 years of jail? Simply because Ingabire wants justice for all Rwandans, tutsis and hutus alike. She’s the Madiba of Rwanda.
Kagame is basically torturing and putting Mandela him back to the cross, while pretending that he’s mourning. Mandela must have been turning in his coffin when he saw Kagame in the room today.
Kagame is accusing Madame Ingabire of exactly the same crimes PW Botha was accusing Mandela when he robbed 27 years of his life, taking him away from his beautiful wife and young children. Kagame is doing exactly the same to Ingabire, a wife, and a young mother of three. If the world believed Mandela was really a criminal, then the world wouldn’t be mourning Mandela. But if the world stands with Mandela today, the world will stand up for Ingabire as well. Kagame is the ultimate loser which he doesn’t seem to realize.
- Mandela formed a coalition government with his jailers; Kagame is murdering, sending to refuge, and throwing in jail those who dare to speak against his evil actions.
- Mandela negotiated peace with his jailers for the sake of a reconciled nation; Kagame is too busy calling FDLR names such as terrorists, genocidaires, etc, and has categorically refused to talk to them despite their expressed interest in negotiating a peaceful repatriation.
- Mandela has lived a simple life; Kagame is too busy collecting expensive private jets, filling his offshore bank accounts, buying mansions overseas, etc, while the average Rwandan citizen is literally crippling in poverty.
- Mandela put South Africa to the path of democracy through free elections, and left power in time to preserve a legacy; Kagame is busy crashing his opposition and rigging elections every time he organizes one, and has no plans to leave power.
I can go on and on and you would get tired of reading the differences between Kagame and Madiba. Long story short, Kagame stands against everything Mandela stood for. If you agree to some extent that Mandela deserves to be named a saint, then you would agree to some extent that Kagame deserves to be called a devil.
If you want to learn more, all you need is search the web. There’s ample evidence online about Kagame’s crimes and have let to the loss of over 6 million lives of Rwanda’s and DRC’s people, close enough to breaking Hitler’s slaughtering record. For a more comprehensive summary, check out Newsweek at http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2013/01/13/the-case-against-rwanda-s-president-paul-kagame.html”
At the end of her sentencing on Friday 13/12/13, Victoire Ingabire had this to say: “Do not be afraid, we continue our struggle. Time and History are on our side (…) so do not get discouraged, the fight continues.” She addressed her supporters while leaving the court in handcuffs, greeting them with her thumbs up as usual.
Congolese historian and activist BK Kumbi expresses the African dimension of Victoire Ingabire case this way:
“When Kagame will fall and Victoire will be out, most of the people will come and say what a great woman she was. If we don’t understand that this woman is hope for Africa, if we don’t understand that we as a people, as Congolese, Rwandans, Ugandans, we should support this woman and ask this criminal to set her free, is that we don’t understand the essence of the heart of Africa that beats in that woman’s body. The day Victoire set a foot back in Rwanda she became a hero and we should celebrate our African heroes when they are still alive.”
Kambale Musavuli, also Congolese activist and spokesperson of the Friends of the Congo raises a question and expresses his solidarity:
“It is still sad that the many organizations working in Africa, pushing for women leadership, are all silent on the unjust imprisonment of Victoire Ingabire. As a Congolese human rights activist, I stand in solidarity with her and the many Rwandans fighting to have a representative government in their country, despite US interference in supporting dictator Paul Kagame.”