The United States of America seems to have no permanent enemy
or friend, but permanent interests. In pursuit of its interests, the US has
created dictators in many countries gotten rid of them when they ‘threaten’ the
US interests. Potentates like Mobutu, Hosni Mubarak and Ali Saleh were left to
face the wrath of the mass after they proved to be a liability to the US.
Dictators such as Theodoro Nguema Obiang, Denis Sassou-Ngwesso and Ali Bongo are
still in power plundering and ruining their countries as they deem fit simply
because they have not yet proved to be dangerous or independent minded in
dealing with the US.
Rwanda, since its resurrection from the 100-day massacre became
the darling of the West. Nobody lectured Paul Kagame on democracy or Human
Rights. Those who failed to interfere to stop genocide in 1994, especially the
so-called world powers, had to pat him on the back to silence him from accusing
them of their failure. Those who still remember how the international community
failed Rwanda, wonder how Kagame would be key to the destabilization of DRC that
was destabilized since it gained independence. Many still remember how the CIA
killed the founder of DRC Patrice Lumumba and handed over power to puppet and
thief Joseph Mobutu who ruined and plundered DRC for decades. Many wonder how,
ironically, DRC 'stability and prosperity' can be in the agenda of the country
that toppled and killed its founder. Still many wonder how invading, plundering
and destabilizing DRC would be a crime while doing the same to Iraq would be
deemed legal! What a contradiction!
Currently, the lovey dovey relationship between Kagame and The
West has been stained. All results from the poisoned chalice known as DRC.
Kagame is now openly assaulted and accused of aiding M23, a ragtag rebel group
in DRC in order to destabilize the already destabilized DRC. Before long, Kagame
and Museveni invaded DRC under the pretext of repelling and seeking to arrest
Hutu militias. This reason was accepted for a while before the true motive came
to the agora. Seriously, Kagame is threatened and warned that he can be indicted
by the International Criminal Court in The Hague just like Taylor who was
recently found guilty and sentenced to serve 50 years in the prison.
Some western countries have announced the suspension of
financial aid to Rwanda. This is a warning to Kagame to behave well. One Stephen
Rapp, who leads the US Office of Global Criminal Justice was recently quoted by
the Guardian saying, “Charles Taylor never set foot in Sierra Leone, and aided
and abetted, and was convicted of aiding and abetting, the Revolutionary United
Front with assistance that was substantial and, the judges said, without which
the RUF could not have committed the atrocities to the extent they did commit
them. Because of that evidence, Charles Taylor was convicted and sentenced to 50
years." if anything, this is a clear message to Kigali that the US can change
the rules of the game anytime if at all and when at all.
Will Kagame be cowered by such moves? Will he stand his ground
to see to it that the real truth about DRC is known so that the world could
judge? Is the US morally competent to point a finger at Kagame for destabilizing
the country it destabilized since its independence? Let’s do justice for Kagame
even if we don’t like him anymore.
Source: The African Executive Magazine August 8, 2012.
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