Two opposition figures in Rwanda denounced the silence of the French president on the issue of human rights in their country, in a joint statement released Tuesday, two days before Emmanuel Macron's visit to Kigali.
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"
It is clear that President Emmanuel Macron no longer discusses the subjects which anger the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), which rules the country with an iron
fist," accuse Victoire Ingabire and Bernard Ntaganda. Emmanuel Macron "
does not hesitate to publicly castigate dictatorial regimes but remains silent in the face of the authoritarian reign and human rights violations of the Rwandan regime
", they continue.
“
Therefore, for President Emmanuel Macron, there are good and bad dictators. The Rwandan internal opposition deplores this macronist policy and recalls that this visit can only be a success for the French and Rwandan peoples if it meets the following conditions: demand a democratic opening in Rwanda; demand respect for human rights in Rwanda.
The French president is expected Thursday in the Rwandan capital, a new step in the normalization of relations between Paris and Kigali, poisoned for decades by the attitude of France in the face of the genocide of the Tutsis of 1994.
The president will go to the Gisozi genocide memorial in Kigali, where he will deliver a speech which, according to the French presidency, should be marked with "
special solemnity
", before going to the presidency to meet with the President. Rwandan President Paul Kagame.
The question of France's role before, during and after the genocide of the Tutsi in Rwanda, has been a hot topic for years and even led to the breakdown of diplomatic relations between Paris and Kigali between 2006 and 2009.
Read also: Macron will travel to Rwanda at the end of May to "write a new page in the relationship"
Strong man of Rwanda since 1994, Mr. Kagame is credited with the spectacular development of a bloodless country after the genocide in 1994. But he is also accused of violating freedom of expression and of suppressing all opposition. Victoire Ingabire was arrested in 2010 shortly after returning from exile in Rwanda when she wanted to run for president against Paul Kagame. She was sentenced in 2013 to 15 years in prison for "
conspiring against the authorities
" and "
minimizing the genocide of 1994
". She was released in September 2018 as part of a presidential pardon.
Bernard Ntaganda had also announced his intention to run against Paul Kagame in the 2010 presidential election. He was then arrested and sentenced to four years in prison for "
divisionism
" and "
endangering state security
".
