PRESS RELEASE ON PAUL RUSESABAGINA KIDNAP

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MOUVEMENT RWANDAIS POUR LE CHANGEMENT DEMOCRATIQUE
(M.R.C.D)

Electronic address: communication.mrcd@gmail.com

PRESS RELEASE ON PAUL RUSESABAGINA KIDNAP

Due to the kidnap of Mr. Paul Rusesabagina -Vice-President of the MRCD-UBUMWE and President of the PDR-IHUMURE- by the RPF mafia government led by President Paul Kagame, the members of the Extended Executive Committee of the MRCD-UBUMWE held an emergency meeting on Sunday September 6, 2020 and adopted the following resolutions:

The leaders and members of the MRCD-UBUMWE reaffirm their strong condemnation of the act of the Rwandan government of Paul Kagame of having kidnapped Mr. Paul RUSESABAGINA as announced on August 31, 2020 when the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) announced it to media in Kigali. MRCD-UBUMWE was shocked that in an interview with state media (radio and television) today, Sunday 06/09/2020, Paul Kagame himself boasted the arrest and conceded to have kidnapped Paul Rusesabagina by trickery. In fact, he publicly confessed himself to the crime of having misled Rusesabagina in order to kidnap him.
The kidnapping of RPF’s opponents by Kagame’s criminal group, has become of regular occurrence. Indeed, in April 2019, Mr. Callixte Nsabimana Sankara who was the Vice-President of the MRCD-UBUMWE and Chairman of the RRM party, was also kidnapped. Various members of other political parties, as well as human rights groups’ activists have also been kidnapped or killed by the dictatorial regime of Paul Kagame and a few examples BEN RUTABANA of the Rwanda National Congress (RNC), Lieutenant Joël MUTABAZI, Dr. Théoneste NIYITEGEKA (for trying to run for the 2003 presidential election), DEO MUSHAYIDI of the PDP Imanzi party, and many others.
The MRCD-UBUMWE informs the international community and Rwandans that it is not a terrorist organization, rather a platform of political parties which campaigns for the opening of political space for all in Rwanda. The MRCD-UBUMWE believes that all possible ways and means should be used, including armed struggle, given that the government of Paul Kagame has blocked all avenues to freely exercise political activity in Rwanda; and regrets that the international community continues to support this dictatorial regime. The MRCD-UBUMWE never killed civilians. To the contrary, it is the government of President Paul Kagame which kills civilians on a daily basis and even boasts it (kidnappings and shootings of people in daylight). Unfortunately, all these atrocities are attributed – by Paul Kagame’s regime –to the MRCD-UBUMWE, as well as to the other opposition parties and are labelled as “terrorists organisations”. We believe that standing up to overthrow the dictatorship has nothing to do with terrorism.
The MRCD-UBUMWE is shocked that the United States appears to support the atrocities perpetrated by President Paul Kagame and his clique because, so far, they have not condemned the terrorist attack against the shooting down of the plane that was carrying Juvenal Habyarimana and Cyprien Ntaryamira, president of Rwanda and Burundi respectively and their close collaborators, act that took place on April 6, 1994. Furthermore, the United States have been silent on horrendous killings, assassinations and murders of unnamed civilians and refugees in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as detailed in the Mapping report of October 1, 2010. The MRCD-UBUMWE believes that the protection of the international community and impunity have made President Paul Kagame an addict of acts of terrorism, in particular: kidnappings, enforced disappearances and murders of Rwandans, the assassinations and the hunting of refugees in their host countries, the endangering of the security of neighboring countries, without any concern.
The MRCD-UBUMWE strongly condemns the acts of torture that the Rwandan government continues to inflict on political prisoners as it is one of the most dangerous forms of intimidation to extract confessions from them for the crimes it has committed itself. This is one of the reasons why Mr. Paul RUSESABAGINA should not be tried in Rwanda, regardless of the nature of the charges against him. If he should face justice, it would be in the United States of America where he legally resides, or in Belgium, a country of which he is a citizen. The MRCD-UBUMWE remains convinced that there is no fair justice for Mr. Paul Rusesabagina by the government in Kigali which kidnapped him and always treated him as an enemy because he is a political opponent. In this case, the government of Kigali is both judge and party!
The MRCD-UBUMWE urges all Rwandans and their friends to not lose hope as the aftermath of Mr. Paul Rusesabagina’s kidnap. We rather urge them to continue supporting the organization, as well as other political organisations that are hungry for a democratic change in our country. Let us unite our efforts and fight for the full realization of our rights and democracy in our country.
The MRCD-UBUMWE calls on all nations to oppose and impose severe sanctions on the Rwandan government, including the suspension of aid, on the grounds that the government of Paul Kagame is deliberately violating international law including the kidnapping of Rwandan dissidents who are refugees or residing in other countries, or Rwandans within the country; the use of illicit practices; particularly by listening to their telephone conversations to find out how to trap and kidnap them. These activities take up a higher portion of budget that should be used for the wellbeing of the Rwandan population.
The MRCD-UBUMWE also calls on the international community to continue to put pressure on the government of Paul Kagame until the release of Mr. Paul Rusesabagina and Callixte Nsabimana Sankara, as well as all other members of various political parties and human rights organizations who are imprisoned in Rwanda, accused of fabricated crimes because of their critical views of the government. Those who are not released must enjoy fair trails and choose lawyers in collaboration with their respective families.

The MRCD-UBUMWE urges all Rwandans, political parties and human rights organizations to unite and organize demonstrations, or use all possible means to protest and condemn the atrocities committed by the RPF, including kidnappings and arbitrary imprisonment.

Done in Brussels on September 6, 2020

Mr. Faustin Twagiramungu
Spokesperson the MRCD-UBUMWE