DOES PAUL KAGAME HAVE AUDACITY TO CELEBRATE HUMAN RIGHTS DAY?

21 March: Human Rights Day
On this day in 1960 the police killed 69 people at Sharpeville who were participating in a protest against the pass laws. Many were shot in the back. The carnage made world headlines. Four days later the government banned black political organizations, many leaders were arrested or went into exile. During the Apartheid era there were human rights abuses by all sides; Human Rights Day is but one step to ensure that the people of South Africa are aware of their human rights and to ensure that such abuses never again occur.

In his article (This International Human Rights Day, dear Rwanda, how about some introspection? Posted on 10^th Dec 2011), Aimable Mugara, questioned Rwandese the following; Finally, let us ask ourselves as a nation, are we really completely incapable of producing leaders who can transform our nation into a more humane society? Are we as a nation completely incapable of educating the armed men and women who are our brothers and sisters so that they can use their strength to keep the peace instead of using it to destroy some of our people? Are we going to keep going around in a circles of oppression and hopelessness? Or are we going to create a nation that can finally abide by fundamental human rights? The future is in our hands. Every action we take counts, every word we say counts, just like the ocean is made up of many individual water drops.

Does Rwanda have the audacity under the leadership of Paul Kagame, to celebrate Human Rights day? Or,  should Rwanda have its own Human Rights Day so us to honor the innocent lives lost during/after genocide as South Africa dedicated a day to their beloved brothers and sisters who stood up for their rights during the apartheid regime?

Victoire Ingabire, Deo Mushaid, Chalres Ingabile, Gen Kayumba Nyamwasa, etc…became victims of their own conscious, fighting for human rights as well as freedom of expression from Paul Kagame’s regime. The famous prison in Kigali, known as 1930 houses Hutu prisoners, most of them are undocumented, yet the government of Rwanda laments that it respects basic human rights.

But what is human right under Paul Kagame led government? For him, human right means eliminating opponents, instil fear in people, impose his own ideologies on masses as well as dehumanizing Rwandans across the globe.  Given a substantial records on human rights violations from Paul Kagame’s government, should Rwanda be exempt from celebrating Human rights day or should we stand toll and declare that all is well with his regime?

Think twice, before your next of kin (Jean-Léonard Rugambage, Marcellin Kayiranga, Wilson Ndayambadje , etc.) disappears in your eyes.