Re: [wanabidii] Rwanda -Tanzania Tensions Flare Again

Tanzania used to be a strong Non Aligned country.

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From: Yona Msuya <yonamsuya@gmail.com>
To: wanabidii@googlegroups.com
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2014 5:37 PM
Subject: [wanabidii] Rwanda -Tanzania Tensions Flare Again

Tensions flared up again over the weekend between Rwanda and Tanzania after it emerged that President Jakaya Kikwete was hosting at his private residence Rwandan dissidents in Diaspora including rebel FDLR commanders. 

The alleged political and ideological ties between Kikwete and President Paul Kagame's enemies are emerging as the latest flash point between the two countries, whose relations have deteriorated sharply in recent months.

Impeccable sources said two high ranking members of Rwanda National Congress (RNC) - Theogene Rudasingwa (Coordinator) and Condo Gervais were joined by FDLR Executive Secretary Lt Col Wilson Irategeka and the operations commander, Col Hamadi, in Tanzania last week for talks.

It remains unclear why the group decided to convene in the East African country but a long-lingering argument that Kikwete is a sympathiser of the Rwandan opposition forces has since flared up with new intensity since the Tanzanian leader told a meeting on the sideline of the African Union Summit in Ethiopia last year that Kigali should hold talks with the terrorist FDLR.

"ADF is attacking Uganda and FDRL is doing the same to Rwanda so efforts should be made to end such attacks. Talks should be held between governments and rebels hiding in the DRC where they launch attacks against their countries of origin. Military operations against the rebels will not yield fruit," said Kikwete.

Rwanda's Foreign Affairs Minister swiftly made a counterattack, describing Kikwete's statements as "aberrant" and "shocking."

"Those who think that Rwanda today should sit down at the negotiating table with FDLR simply don't know what they are talking about," charged Mushikiwabo in an interview with Radio France Internationale (RFI).

Sources who preferred anonymity so as to speak freely further told this website that the two delegations of FDLR and RNC were received in Dar es Salaam on Thursday evening.

 

This was just a few days after former Rwanda Premier, Faustin Twagiramungu, was hosted in Tanzania. Twagiramungu recently said his party, RDI Rwanda Rwiza, would remove Kagame from office by force of arms.  

 

However, in a statement seen by Chimpreports, Irategeka said "FDLR leadership is saddened by the use of the president of Republic of Tanzania's name HE. Jakaya Kikwete, by certain entities, or individuals for their unknown agendas. FDLR entire leadership is based in Eastern DRC, and has no representation in Tanzania nor holds any foreign passport."

 

The developments come hardly a month after RNC founder Patrick Karegeya was found dead at hotel in Johannesburg.

Theogene Rudasingwa

It is widely thought that RNC has been struggling with internal squabbles emanating from mistrust and divergent views on what method should be used to remove President Paul Kagame from power.

While moderates believe in an uprising from within Rwanda, some on the extreme end are advocating for war.

Sources said FDLR supply lines have been reopened, with the militia, whose ideology and leadership led to the 1994 genocide, receiving plenty of military logistics at its bases in the Democratic Republic of Congo.  

Towards the end of 2013, the government of Rwanda alerted the United States, United Nations, UK and countries in the Great Lakes region of an "impending invasion" of Rwanda by militants in DRC, a military plan that reportedly has the blessing of individuals in France and hostile countries.

Rwanda officials further said that some members in the UN Force Intervention Brigade were in bed with FDLR instead of fighting the negative force as required by the UN mandate.

The UN brigade that fought and defeated the M23 comprised soldiers from Malawi, South Africa and Tanzania.

Matter of priority

The FDLR is considered a national security threat to Rwanda.

At a recent meeting, President Kagame told Russell Feingold, the US Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region of Africa and DRC that the genocidal militia must be firmly dealt with "as a matter of priority."

Earlier, without mentioning Kikwete, the Rwandan leader accused his Tanzanian counterpart of making reckless remarks about FDLR.

"When people continue to uphold the genocide ideology, it is a reminder that the path ahead is still long," Kagame told the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) National Executive Committee meeting in Kigali in 2013.

"We cannot take anything for granted. For Rwanda, this is not just about a discussion. The consequences are a death or life issue for Rwanda," he added.

He further noted that talk of negotiations with FDLR was "evidence of those who have the luxury of speaking but suffer no consequences."

Kagame said then that "speaking casually and calling on us to negotiate with the killers of our people is utter nonsense."

Speaking at the graduation ceremony of 45 army officers at the Rwanda Defence Forces Staff and Command College last year, Kagame described Kikwete's idea as dancing on the "mass graves of our people."

Though he did not mention Kikwete, Kagame maintained proposals that Rwanda should hold talks with FDLR were premised on "ignorance" and "ideological problems."

 

"I kept quiet for the contempt I have for it (FDLR talks) because I thought it was utter nonsense spoken out of ignorance. We must be left to live our lives the way Rwandans want to live them," charged Kagame. He further said "RPF did not seek revenge when it had every reason to be tempted...I don't think anybody should be having issues with us."

- See more at: http://chimpreports.com/index.php/special-reports/16387-rwanda-tanzania-tensions-flare-again.html#sthash.L7CI23jV.echcDs3V.dpuf

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