Guest blog: Marcellin Gasana - Rwandan forces
| 19:00 UK time, Saturday, 23 October 2010
This blog post was written by Marcellin from Rwanda. The views expressed are his own and do not reflect those of the wider ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳.
President Paul Kagame's recent return to office after the September elections has given him another seven-year mandate - but it took place amid genocide accusations by the United Nations that have now led to Kagame threatening to pull Rwandan troops from helping around the world.
For some, Kagame's success means Rwandans are no longer ashamed of belonging to a country that was once known for only its mountain gorillas and the 1994 genocide.
"Wherever I travel, I feel proud to be Rwandan because I come from a country that is ruled by a man who is respected world over", a Uganda-based Rwandan businessman told me.
But the United Nations recently published a report accusing Rwandan army of committing genocide crimes against Rwandan Hutu rebels in DR Congo in 1998.
The accusations triggered sparks coming so soon after Kagame's victory. The Rwandan government, therefore, threatened to withdraw it forces from the UN Peacekeeping operations in the war-torn Darfur region of Sudan - and elsewhere - if the UN failed to reconsider it report.
On 8 September, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon met Preisdent Kagame to discuss the issue, saying afterwards:
"Rwandan forces are well trained, they are highly disciplined and they are widely respected for their great contribution for peace and security in the region, and I strongly urged President to Kagame to continue such a great noble contribution around the world particularly when we are going to see a true referendum in Sudan January next year. This will be very important in protecting civilian population especially women, and children and girls. Peace keeping is a noble cause and I told president Kagame I sincerely hope that Rwanda will continue its excellent indeed exemplary work in support of peace and security in the region."
However, the UN Secretary General's visit to Rwanda made very little impression - as it was only meant to hear Rwanda's position and not to annul the report. Rwanda's foreign minister threatened "strong action" if this continued.
But all is well that ends well. The leaked UN report finally went public with some slight changes - including genocide no longer being used as a term for what happened.
Instead, "war crimes" were committed by Kagame's and Kabila's armies against Rwandan rebels - many of whom committed the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.
Personally, I think the UN should try and be realistic when it comes to Rwanda. Otherwise many Rwandans will again begin to ask where the UN was when the genocide was happening in 1994?
