US Secretary of State John Kerry with Rwandan President Paul Kagame whop has been accused of committing violations of human rights against his people.
The United States of America has been warned it risks harming Africa if it continues to harness a shameful relationship with Africa’s dictators. The warning was sounded by former Rwandan Ambassador to the US Dr Theogene Rudasingwa in his open memo to US Secretary of State John Kerry featuring pathways to fix broken US policies in Africa. Rudasingwa said that the US should instead engage in helping to create conditions for authentic pro-democracy African leaders to emerge through the promotion of negotiated and peaceful settlements on the continent.
In the memo, a copy of which was sent to The London Evening Post, Dr Rudasingwa informed Secretary Kerry to be aware that the US carries historical and current negative baggage in Africa in terms of its African allies. “Even as the Cold War recedes in the minds of the older generation, there is a discrepancy between what successive U.S administrations claim to be a values-driven foreign policy of freedom, democracy, human rights and guilt by association with some of Africa’s most notorious dictators, as long as they serve ‘U.S. interests”, Rudasingwa said.
He expressed disappointment at the US’s continues support for Rwanda President Paul Kagame and his Ugandan counterpart Yoweri Museveni both of whom he accused of being .bloodied dictators responsible for horrendous human rights abuses that fuel deadly conflict in the Great Lakes and Horn of Africa’. “How can the United States be part of a solution when it is part of the problem!?” he wondered.
He appealed to the US to press the Presidents of Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda to have dialogue with their opponents and open political space so as to foster democracy in addition to making it absolutely clear that it is a high cost to scheme and change constitutions to perpetuate dictatorship.
Rudasingwa recommended the withdraw of US support to Presidents Museveni and Kagame emphasizing that it is the only way they will stop what he called “destabilizing military adventures in the DRC and South Sudan”, and hold them accountable to their war crimes, crimes against humanity, and acts of genocide. Furthermore, he encouraged the US to champion and support negotiations, consensus-building and support Tanzania and South Africa in the peacekeeping work they are doing in the DRC because there is nothing they get in return for supporting Kagame and Museveni. FULL STORY
