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The dictator who fooled us Why are we negotiating with Rwanda’s despot?

Tony Blair called Kagame a "visionary" (AFP / Stringer)

Tony Blair called Kagame a "visionary" (AFP / Stringer)


February 23, 2021   6 mins

Paul Rusesabagina was a humble hotel manager when he became a hero amid the horrors of genocide, saving 1,268 people from machete-wielding mobs. His story, immortalised in Hotel Rwanda, was remarkable: fearful days spent pleading with gangs of killers, fraught nights spent firing off faxes begging for help to stop the hideous butchery taking place outside his gates.

His actions brought fame and a United States presidential medal of freedom. But he was dismayed to see his nation become snared in fresh horrors under the one-time rebel turned president Paul Kagame; there was the invasion and looting of next-door Democratic Republic of Congo that left millions dead, as well as the routine killings, detentions and disappearances of Rwandans who questioned their leader’s rule.

Why, he asked me ten years ago, was Britain propping up this despot with big dollops of aid when his democracy was such an obvious sham? “We know what happened in the past. But that does not mean we close our eyes to what is happening now,” he said. “I did not keep silent in 1994 and I cannot keep silent now. We need justice, not aid.”

Today, Rusesabagina stands in a Kigali court clad in prison pink, the latest victim of Kagame’s paranoid misrule. He was seemingly set up by an agent posing as a Burundian priest, lured six months ago from his Texan home to Dubai and then flown on a privately-hired jet to the Rwandan capital. Three days later he was paraded in handcuffs, facing charges on nine offences including murder, armed robbery and membership of a terror group. The president crowed about a “flawless” operation.

Rusesabagina had told me several times about the smears, the death threats and the assassination attempts he endured, which eventually forced him to move from Belgium to a gated community in the US. He is 66 years old with some health issues, so he knows there may be little hope of seeing freedom again.

Kagame is sending out a clear message to his critics with this kidnapping and show trial: no-one is safe from his reach, whoever they are and wherever they live. Only on Sunday, another leading opposition member was killed in Cape Town in a shooting that bears all the hallmarks of a targeted assassination, according to one man who survived such a hit.

There should be little doubt now about the true nature of Kagame’s regime. Slowly but surely, the sheen has come off the self-styled saviour of his nation, exposing the reality of his Tutsi dictatorship along with more complex and often-murkier insights into the genocide and its aftermath. More and more former loyalists have spoken out in dismay at their nation’s descent into darkness. Even with such a skilled Rwandan diplomatic and public relations machine, there are only so many times another Kagame critic can be accused of being a sympathiser of génocidaires. 

Yet there is disturbing irony underlying this latest show trial as Rusesabagina’s presence in that Kigali court reminds us again of the validity of his words when we spoke a decade ago: why is Britain backing this barbarous figure? Even now, even today.

Britain pumps huge sums into this tiny central African nation — £111m over the past two years alone — while its president spends a reported £30m sponsoring Arsenal FC, his favourite football club. Our officials churn out pathetic reports talking about “building effective government institutions” and “development of an open and inclusive society” while Kagame kills his critics, overturns term limits, jails political foes, squashes free expression and shuts down the slightest space for civil society.

Only last week he told CNN that “democracy is not defined by the West”, and spoke about the “imperfections” in those countries which “elect their leaders” only for voters to “turn around and start complaining about the same leaders they elected”. Perish the thought that there might be any complaints from people under his style of “democracy”.

It gets worse, however. Rwanda was a German, then a Belgian, colony. But Kagame preferred the adulation from British and US leaders over rising criticism in the Francophone world of his rule and the RPF’s role in the 1994 bloodshed. So he imposed English as an official language, encouraged cricket and was permitted to join the Commonwealth. Now he is preparing to host royals, presidents and prime ministers from around the world, having been handed the bi-annual Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, due to be held in Kigali in June.

Yet why has this monstrous dictator been handed such a prestigious event when, for example, it has never gone to Ghana, despite its far closer ties to Britain, its genuine democracy and its symbolic significance as the first African nation to gain independence?

The answer lies in the legacy of guilt over the world’s failure to prevent the sickening genocide, fused with the desperate desire of Western leaders to find an aid success story. So they hail Kagame and hold Rwanda up as the lonely poster child for their tarnished policy of throwing cash at problems of conflict and poverty. They praise its economic growth, ignoring that it was built on the back of rampant pillaging in the Congo. They point to its enterprise and openness to business, yet front companies for a one-party state that dominate vast chunks of the economy. Yes, visitors admire Kigali’s order and clean streets, though those with longer memories say the smooth roads and sober officials existed before the genocide.

Even if Rwanda was a runaway success, there would be no excuse for Kagame’s persistent meddling in neighbouring states and savage repression. Yet politicians across the political spectrum have fallen at the strongman’s feet. Tony Blair called Kagame a “visionary”, congratulated him for a sham election victory, borrowed his private jet, defended his intervention in DRC — and used his bond with the president to help build an advisory empire.

Bill Clinton called Kagame one of the “greatest leaders of our time”. David Cameron claimed Rwanda was “a success story” and “a role model for development”. His former development minister Andrew Mitchell remains a constant cheerleader — and, coincidentally, collects £39,600 for nine days work a year advising a bank in Kigali run by the former finance minister. Meanwhile, big development charities appease this brutal regime with their silence to keep their hefty revenues flowing.

The flow of funds from British taxpayers did not even stop when Scotland Yard warned two human rights activists in this country that a Rwandan hit squad had been sent to kill them, or when MI6 gave the government tape recordings of senior regime officials plotting to kill opposition leaders. The author Anjan Sundaram has also written that anti-terror experts provided him with armed protection in the UK when he promoted his superb exposé of Kagame’s dictatorship, based on several years trying to teach journalism in Rwanda on an aid-funded project. Rwandans living here have told me of regular events organised by intelligence operatives based in the London embassy, at which they must pledge loyalty to the RPF on pain of death for them or their families

In Do Not Disturb, a forthcoming book by journalist Michela Wrong investigating the brazen murder of former intelligence chief and Kagame’s political rival Patrick Karegeya in Johannesburg, there is a Kagame quote that rings all too true to explain his unperturbed approach to eliminating foes: “Those wazungus [white people] make noise but over time they forget it.” His regime has become so arrogant that it barely hides its actions now. “When you choose to be a dog, you die like a dog — and the cleaners will wipe away the trash so that it does not stink,” said Kagame’s defence minister after that killing. His president, in that CNN interview, absurdly claims Rusesabagina “more or less brought himself” into Kigali.

Kagame’s defenders argue that he brought stability to a troubled country. Gerard Prunier, the French historian, rightly responds that such attitudes display lingering racism, since they suggest a tough ruler is needed to control the inherent violence of Africans. Meanwhile, some prominent defectors claim the president sneers in private at his Western backers. “He calls those British politicians who sing his praises all the time his stooges,” said David Himbara, who spent six years working with Kagame as his policy chief and principal private secretary. He added that “behind Blair’s back, Kagame laughs at how he deploys a former prime minister of Great Britain as his praise-singer on the cheap.”

Yet could this current show trial, following the trapping of a simple man who stood firm in the face of unimaginable hell, finally spark a change in attitudes towards this regime and its mendacious president? The European Union has condemned the rendition, while 37 members of the US Congress have called for Rusesabagina’s release. Even Britain has tentatively showed concern over “continued restrictions to civil and political rights and media freedom”.

But as Kagame says, this is just noise. We need to cut off all his flows of aid, then ensure Prince Charles does not have to shake his bloodstained hand at a Commonwealth summit in Kigali. This ruthless president will only see that the West does not fall for his phoney talk of democracy and facade of “development” when he becomes a toxic pariah. We should be in awe of human rights heroes like Rusesabagina, not murderous dictators who crush dissent.


Ian Birrell is an award-winning foreign reporter and columnist. He is also the founder, with Damon Albarn, of Africa Express.

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ralph bell
ralph bell
3 years ago

What an incredible and depressingly shocking story. Thanks you for raising my awareness of this horrific situation and dangerous President. Its incredible in the age of ‘wokeness’ and BLM that these lives obviously don’t matter enough!

Fraser Bailey
Fraser Bailey
3 years ago
Reply to  ralph bell

It is not at all ‘incredible’ that these lives don’t matter. Politicians, not to mention the likes of BLM, are very selective as to whose lives matter.

john freeman
john freeman
3 years ago
Reply to  Fraser Bailey

I do agree that “incredible” is not a synonym for “remarkable”.

katoadamdavid
katoadamdavid
3 years ago
Reply to  ralph bell

Bell,
Either you are being to hasty to believe what is fed to you, or you are unwilling to challenge your own preconceived narrative about African countries and African realities. No one should be too naive to thinking that a single article will condense Rwanda’s reality. This article has willing left out a lot of information regarding Rusesabigina’s involvement in killing innocent Rwandans and funding rebel groups. The account of the flight is wrong and so many other details. I challenge to read more and test the validity of these claims. Clearly the common wealth is not he problem here, the real question is the validity of this authors claim, and on that point, he has failed. If you are truly seeking to know the truth about this account, keep reading.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/easy-narratives-and-lazy-journalism-betray-rwanda

Nicky Samengo-Turner
Nicky Samengo-Turner
2 years ago
Reply to  katoadamdavid

So why is Africa financially, industrially, economically, culturally, educationally, and democratically moribund?

D Ward
D Ward
3 years ago

Very interesting. Only last night i finished reading the chapter on Rwanda in Christina Lamb’s “Our bodies, their battlefields”, which describes how r a p e has been used across the globe in the pursuit of war.
As mentioned in the article, it is not hard to believe that “the West” wants to be able to grasp onto a victory story, a “happy end”, where everything works out OK. The truth seems a lot more complex than our current Western culture can cope with. We mourn the loss of critically-thinking politicians, and honest journalists, at our peril.

M Spahn
M Spahn
3 years ago

Kagame’s defenders argue that he brought stability to a troubled country. Gerard Prunier, the French historian, rightly responds that such attitudes display lingering racism, since they suggest a tough ruler is needed to control the inherent violence of Africans.
I was willing to entertain your argument, but you lost me with this passage. A country where hundreds of thousands of people were hacked to death by their fellow citizens in the recent past just might need a strong ruler, and to label that honest accounting “racist” is repulsive nonsense.

Last edited 3 years ago by M Spahn
Dan Martin
Dan Martin
3 years ago
Reply to  M Spahn

That was the one part of the article that bothered me, too. Strongman rule is endemic to much of Africa because the strong man brings stability. But Kagame has crossed several bridges too far.

Bryan Dale
Bryan Dale
3 years ago

He should have stayed in Texas.

Fraser Bailey
Fraser Bailey
3 years ago
Reply to  Bryan Dale

I have often the same about George W.M.D. Bush.

Last edited 3 years ago by Fraser Bailey
Lori Wagner
Lori Wagner
2 years ago
Reply to  Fraser Bailey

Haha.

Tony Taylor
Tony Taylor
3 years ago

Just another African fiasco-state whose business model is organised crime.

wanilukak
wanilukak
3 years ago

I’d argue you fooled yourself if you really believed your neo-liberal western leaders genuinely believed in democracy, human rights and good governance. Realism is on steroids in todays western capitals. Will only get worse with Biden.

patriotspeaks
patriotspeaks
3 years ago

It is unfortunate that voices like that of Birrel get to be the one amplified when dealing with such critical topics. From his reporting over the years, it is clear he hates the current Rwandan leadership, and will do anything to skew reporting on Rwandan events, to an audience that wouldn’t have access to unbiased information or authentic views from Rwandans on the ground. Nowhere in this sham of an article does he mention Rusesabagina’s political aspirations, the fact that he is a self-declared leader of the political party whose armed wing committed acts of terror in Rwanda claiming several lives! This is a huge red flag pointing to his disingenuous intentions. He uses Rusesabagina’s arrest (not illegal by any international standards for a suspect of such heinous crimes) to launch into a vitriolic rant about the President and totally ignores the real story. It is shameful and embarrassing that this is considered journalism.

john freeman
john freeman
3 years ago

£111M out, and £30M in, via Arsenal: we should be glad of that at least, I suppose. But then, of that £30M, a load goes out again, because of all the foreign nationals in the side . . I can’t keep track.

Piny Def
Piny Def
3 years ago

Oh did Rusesabagina told you also is the president of MRCD movement with a military wing FLN that attacked and claimed the death of innocent citizens in 2018 in Rwandan territory? Actually Rusesabagina is a founder and funded a terror group and declared a war to Rwanda. What do Western countries do to Terrorist? Where’s Bin Laden, Sadam, … at least Rwanda is giving Rusesabagina a trial.

katoadamdavid
katoadamdavid
3 years ago

It is heart-breaking in every manner the word employs to see that the so-called experts in journalism—the “award-winning foreign reporter[s]”—fail the most basic and fundamental step of starting the career: reading between the lines and going beyond what one is told. You’ve failed to let go of the presupposition that western media is the master of African stories. This article has been uncritical of many accounts, including Rusesabagina’s, as if it can’t be fact checked, as if it impossible to know the truth. With the use of disconnected jargon, you are throwing opinions at us which you don’t bother to prove, or which you try to prove with completely unrelated topics. Why do you at no point question the charges that landed Rusesabagina in front of the courts, before you criticize the pink he is“clammed” in. Why refuse to question to logical contradiction of funding and supporting terrorist groups to spill the innocent blood to the people that you claim to want to protect? Even a rookie college reporter writing for a student paper would ask such a question. I am afraid this, maybe, reveals other sinister motives beyond just unprofessionalism.
 
At best, this is failed journalism. But it is far worse than this. The western world seeks to set itself as the example of democracy and truth, the light to tyranny and dictatorship that roams the third world. It thinks of itself a complex system, but dissolves those of Rwanda and other developing nations as easy soundbites that lack nuance. But that is the pitfall of the western world and the coverage provided by western journalism. Your preconception is solely a single story, fed by bias, and a static thinking towards “the other”. For those offended by the blanket accusations, it is because scenarios like this have become far to frequent, that they can’t be interpreted otherwise.
 
To Mr. Birell and the readers of this piece: Journalism is about truth seeking. It is about finding reality and keeping people in touch with it. If you were seeking to feed your preconceived notions and biases do stop here. You got what you were looking for. If you are looking for truth however, keeping reading, challenge easy narratives. You can start here: Easy narratives and lazy journalism betray Rwanda
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/easy-narratives-and-lazy-journalism-betray-rwanda
 
This piece is not journalism or truth: FAR FROM IT.

Last edited 3 years ago by katoadamdavid
Mark Gregory
Mark Gregory
3 years ago

Where else have we seen this duplicitous behaviour by British Governments. Seems like a familiar story.

Angela Frith
Angela Frith
3 years ago
Reply to  Mark Gregory

Yep, it’s all our fault. Not theirs.

Andrew Baldwin
Andrew Baldwin
3 years ago

Well, it is sort of obvious what the first steps are. Cancel or move the upcoming Commonwealth meeting and kick Rwanda out of the Commonwealth. I really hope that Rwanda goes back to French as its European language of instruction too, but of course, that’s for the Rwandans to decide. Rwanda was previously a country where many French Canadians went to teach just because the European language of instruction was French. And we should all pray for the courageous Paul Rusesabagina

Nicky Samengo-Turner
Nicky Samengo-Turner
2 years ago

Africa… so? Are we surprised?

Barry Brill
Barry Brill
2 years ago

Words, words, words. Carefully crafted words (polished by PR professionals) to create fear and loathing for the Kagame Government and to reinvent the Tutsi-Hutu rage that Kagame subdued. Words, but no evidence. No data.
I have visited Rwanda twice in recent years, as well as all its neighbours in East and Southern Africa. I stayed at Rusesabagina’s hotel. I couldn’t help but compare the welfare of its citizens with those of Burundi and DRC, and marvel at what has been achieved in so short a time. Under Kagame, the data suggests that Rwanda has become the most successful nation in the whole of the African continent. Kigali is a haven of peace and progress.
Maybe those innocents Clinton and Blair were under-informed. Perhaps the world’s best-resourced intelligence services were out-foxed by the Tutsis. But I doubt it. I suspect this article is the outcome of ‘motivated reasoning’ – or worse, it’s just a propaganda piece!

Barry Brill
Barry Brill
2 years ago

Words, words, words. Carefully crafted words (polished by PR professionals) to create fear and loathing for the Kagame Government and to reinvent the Tutsi-Hutu rage that Kagame subdued. Words, but no evidence. No data.
I have visited Rwanda twice in recent years, as well as all its neighbours in East and Southern Africa. I stayed at Rusesabagina’s hotel. I couldn’t help but compare the welfare of its citizens with those of Burundi and DRC, and marvel at what has been achieved in so short a time. Under Kagame, the data suggests that Rwanda has become the most successful nation in the whole of the African continent. Kigali is a haven of peace and progress.
Maybe those innocents Clinton and Blair were under-informed. Perhaps the world’s best-resourced intelligence services were out-foxed by the Tutsis. But I doubt it. I suspect this article is the outcome of ‘motivated reasoning’ – or worse, it’s just a propaganda piece!

Pierre Whalon
Pierre Whalon
3 years ago

I was aghast when the Commonwealth allowed Rwanda to join. It was never a British colony, is ruled by a ruthless dictator, and routinely commits major crimes against humanity in the Congo. I suppose part of the attraction is that Kagame has played the anglophone card, while insisting that France committed crimes in the country in 1994 and French must be expunged (even though it came from Belgium…). It is high time for London and Washington to cut ties with Kagame’s regime, including exclusion from the Commonwealth.

Piny Def
Piny Def
3 years ago
Reply to  Pierre Whalon

Could you do a little bit research? Docs are unclassified detailing the role of France in the genocide of 1994 against Tutsi.

katoadamdavid
katoadamdavid
3 years ago
Reply to  Pierre Whalon

Mr. Whalon,
Either you are being to hasty to believe what is fed to you, or you are unwilling to challenge your own preconceived narrative about African countries and African realities. No one should be too naive to thinking that a single article will condense Rwanda’s reality. This article has willing left out a lot of information regarding Rusesabigina’s involvement in killing innocent Rwandans and funding rebel groups. The account of the flight is wrong and so many other details. I challenge to read more and test the validity of these claims. Clearly the common wealth is not he problem here, the real question is the validity of this authors claim, and on that point, he has failed. If you are truly seeking to know the truth about this account, keep reading.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/easy-narratives-and-lazy-journalism-betray-rwanda

niyiololade
niyiololade
3 years ago

Biased reporting!

Lori Wagner
Lori Wagner
2 years ago

Wazungu not wazungus is the plural of muzungu meaning ” foreigner” or colloquially “white man”

Lori Wagner
Lori Wagner
2 years ago
Reply to  Lori Wagner

But thanks for the interesting article

Alan Thorpe
Alan Thorpe
2 years ago

What does the Head of the Commonwealth have to say about this/

Nicky Samengo-Turner
Nicky Samengo-Turner
2 years ago

So? Are we supposed to be suprised that a former colonial African nation is not a humming hotbed of technology, culture, finance, commerce, education, industry, agriculture, and freedom ?….

Fran Martinez
Fran Martinez
2 years ago

Excellent article. I had no idea this was going on. Basically, decided to read it because Ian Birrel is an excellent writer and once again he did not dissapoint. Sad however that we will never here if this in the MSM as this will never be the current thing

David Radford
David Radford
3 years ago

I am a simple guy who has no detailed knowledge of what this West-propelled monster is apparently up.to. But if we are to have a chance at all in the coming years then the concept of sovereignty needs to be changed. All around the world there are dictators who don’t give a sh*t about the consequences of their actions because there is no real downside to being a monster. Sanctions are simply not enough – removing them is the only way to get change. Put that in your pipe Tony Blair and smoke it