19^th, August 1995

During his state visit to Rwanda which took place from 14 ^th to 16 ^th August 1995, President Yoweri Museveni of Ouganda made very serious remarks which left many people puzzled.

In its endeavour to keep the national and international opinion enlightened on the ongoing rwandese crisis, RDR felt so much offended that it can't leave these remarks unchallenged.

Right from his first address to the people of Rwanda that took place before the so-called National Parliament, and afterwards, President Museveni classified rwandese in three groups, as far as the genocide is concerned i.e planners, executers and victims, the latter being tutsi, according to his translator.

Indeed, many of the poor Hutu, victims of RPF repression are neither planners nor executers of the genocide. In any way, if that was the case, no single Tutsi could have survived.

Regarding the planners of the genocide, President Museveni called for their urgent hanging. He doesn't even want to wait for the verdict of the International Tribunal on Rwanda (I.T.R).

RDR fully supports that justice be done. However unless if Mr President is making fun of the I.T.R, this call is a clear interference in the independence of that Tribunal where hanging is not even provided for. Does it mean that so long as there would be no hanging, Mr President, whose country should normally abide by UN resolutions, will seek his own justice ?

Still on this same issue, Mr President declared that should the international community fail to hang quickly the planners of the genocide, rwandese people must pursue the latters wherever they are and carry out the hanging themselves. Here rwandese people should be understood as RPF because the true people of Rwanda will never back RPF in such a misadventure.

With due respect once again, does his Excellency realize that this amounts to terrorism which will definetly call for similar terrorism on the side of the victims thereby degenerating into a vicious cycle of violence ? Does he mind about the possible reaction of asylum countries who may not fold their arms and watch their territory being mercilesly violated and transformed into an RPF hanging zone ?

Thirdly, President Museveni assured RPF repressive regime of full military support in order to keep rwandese refugees in exile.

RDR would like to inform his Excellency that the problem between the self proclaimed RPF regime and millions of rwandese refugees is an internal affair, in which he should not meddle. Moreover, no amount of intimidation or military support, will deter rwandese refugees and other victims of RPF repressive policy, from claiming their inalienable rights to a homeland and a rule of law.

His Excellency will agree with us that this was the very argument used by RPF when it attacked Rwanda in October 1990.

Lastly, throughout his statements, his Excellency kept on talking about "RPF Government". Yet, it was so far a fashion to say that the government in Kigali is a government of " national unity". Isn't it clear that all this propaganda was just a make up to hoodwink the unsuspecting international community?

Given the above clarification, RDR is of the view that the best service President Museveni can do to RPF is not to bless it with an unconditional military support, but to help it understand that there is no alternative to political dialogue with rwandese refugees and other citizen excluded from the governance of their country, if durable peace is to return to Rwanda.

For RDR