- “The aim of any political association is the preservation of the natural and inalienable human rights. These rights are freedom, property, security and resistance to oppression” (Art.2 Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen of 1789).
Given that ISHEMA Party was founded in the spirit of the aforementioned article, the media and associations of ill-intentioned propaganda which, for lack of information, bad faith or partisanship, tend to portray our party as an extremist movement, will no longer be able to resist in front of the verdict of evidence.
Because, “Together to Modernize Rwanda” is the only project we have and will soon propose to the Rwandan people, who, we have every confidence, will, at the appropriate time, appreciate its short, medium and long term benefits; namely a sustainable peace and a justly shared economic development.
For these reasons, we hereby declare and inform the Rwandan people and the international community of the following:
- We warmly welcome and appreciate the historic declaration of this Sunday, December 11, 2016, made by the President of the Republic of Rwanda, Paul KAGAME, publicly and bluntly disowning the state agencies that took the decision to illegally block at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi on November 23, 2016, the Leader of ISHEMA Party, Mr. Father Thomas NAHIMANA and his team, thus depriving them of their right to return to their motherland with the clear purpose of exercising their civil and political rights.
We are happy with this very “first sign of openness and appeasement” conceded by the President of the Republic to the Rwandan democratic opposition, which must quickly mobilize in a responsible and constructive way to benefit from the unavoidable and imminent evolution of the democratic process.
We reaffirm our firm intention to return to Rwanda to undertake the necessary steps and fulfill the legal requirements for the registration of our party, ISHEMA, in order to participate in the presidential election of August 4, 2017 and the parliamentary elections of 2018. We are delighted to announce that, this time, we will land in Kigali, on Monday, January 23, 2017.
We express our gratitude to all BATARIPFANA and to all sympathizers of ISHEMA Party, both new and long-time, who have unreservedly supported us during the difficult times. We also invite them to promptly make their contribution so that our nonviolent engagement can irreversibly inspire the Rwandan people in building a more united and reconciled nation.
To the International Community, we call for close follow-up and provision of all necessary assistance for the speedy release of all political prisoners, for a constructive and peaceful debate and for the organization of credible elections.
Long live the Republic
Long live the united and reconciled people of Rwanda.
Done in Paris, this 15/12/2016
Rev. Father Thomas NAHIMANA,
Leader of ISHEMA Party,
Candidate in the 2017 presidential election.
