Dear Thomas Nahimana, as you have scheduled your journey to go back home Rwanda from France where you have lived for sometimes, I am just writing to thank you for your bravery, courage and great love for our country Rwanda and our people.
We have spoken /chat on few occasions and I am sorry I did not have time to call you over the phone so that I can personally wish you a good luck in your political endeavours and good journey as you embark on tough and long political journey ahead of you on the field and most importantly inside Rwanda.
I am sure you have heard how our country’s enemies are afraid of your arrival. Some of them have threatened to welcome you with handcuffs as usually done to their political critics and others have threatened you with baseless legal cases as usually done against the current Rwanda’s regime political opponents but one thing they don’t know is that our motherland cannot become a prison for innocent people–it is a land that we all share and a land that should fulfil our hope and full potential to be where we want to be and who we want to be.
In exile and in refugee camps away from home, we have all feared our return home as a junta government is violently tightening its political and military power around itself, crushing anything that comes on its way. There are those Rwandan political parties that have operated outside Rwanda for more than two decades, enjoying foreign tea and coffee and TV remote control and busy suggesting how things should work in Rwanda and despite them having a great number of supporters, they have chosen to disappoint those who believed in them and they have massively failed taking a fearless journey that you are about to take to implement political change that we all desire.
I am sure you are about to go to Rwanda with a game that closely matches Junta government’s game. Remember that by the time you are in Rwanda, you will be tested on laws and a test that Ms Victoire Ingabire and other peace loving people failed to pass. They place a law beneath your feet so that you can break it and they have an excuse to wrong you in every possible way. Remember they have taken our motherland by force, through blood and torture and they will keep using this force to get in their way.
In few days to come we may continue to see you as a free man who is fighting for the best of our country and our people or as your predecessors those who did take the steps you are about to make today, we may see you as a kidnapped man who is struggling for a release or a man who is finding himself in a hostage environment where you cannot move around and about but whatever the Junta Government’s choice over your liberty and freedom desires, you have cleared the path towards a fearless door for all of us.
But as a man who wishes you all success and all the best, being fearless does not mean breaking a national’s laws. In Rwanda, it is not about national laws, but a bunch of desires from one political party hence they are vague and tough-they can come and fight you at any time but you should remain calm and vigilant in the face of that struggle. Obey Junta’s rules and where you don’t agree ask for a reform and obey those rules until reform as made. As you embark on political field in Rwanda, you are going to be part of the system and the last thing you would want to fight is the system itself because if you do so, you will badly lose because politics inside a system comes with a responsibility to be fulfilled by both the government and opposition.
Don’t take an example from some political opposition figures like Bisigye in Uganda who believes that a political change is about defying country’s rules and laws –These oppositions members end up behaving as mobs and lawless men and women inside a country governed by the rule of law and either you should listen to those who want to use violence and change how things work in Rwanda, they are other junta in waiting.
You have chosen a peaceful path of making a political change in Rwanda, your words and actions should always reflect this step of peace that you are about to make. Upon your arrival in Rwanda, I suggest you take time and see how things works, two three months, get to know all rules and laws and spend some time, knowing more from what our people and country needs the most. On your arrival at Kigali international airport, don’t make mistakes to rush with speeches of vows and pledges but how; happy you will be to get back in your homeland to unify your force with those in Rwanda and together and despite political differences; you upbuild our nation and make it a better place for all not just for few.
Once again, let me wish you a safe return home and all success in upcoming 2017 Rwanda’s presidential election and hopefully, I will be able to speak to you when you are in Rwanda and obviously as you may know, my flight to Kigali is also waiting.
Peace, solidarity and courage to you and your team.
Sincerely yours,
Jean Paul Ndindamahina
Peace and unity to all Rwandans.
Published on 22/11/2016
Jean Paul Ndindamahina- an independent and political analyst focusing on Rwanda
