VOA News - VOANewsMaker:Well this would be a non-event in my eyes, as we already know that Kagame is no less than a trojan horse of the US Foreign Policy in the mineral rich Great Lakes region. So, that an ally visits another, there nothing more normal. And that he would decide to pobtificate a bit about how good of a job he claims to be doing to reconcile his people, nothing more normal either.
"The President of the Republic of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, held a press conference at the Voice of America headquarters on Wednesday, May 31. President Kagame discussed his visit to Washington, security in the Great Lakes Region and Africa, and progress on reconciliation in Rwanda. A question-and-answer session followed his introductory remarks."
Why I picked on this story (thank you Lorraine), is the fact that at the VOA press conference, a number of members of the Congolese Community group Dignity, inc, who had been given credentials to attend the event, were refused access to the event... I guess President Kagame cannot take some genuine heat on his hegemonic, destabilizing role in the region. He prefers President Bush's "man of action" praises, I am sure...
I would have loved to be there. I have a few questions for the slender General. Why he enjoys maintaining my country in a mess would be one. Why he has not launched an investigation on who really killed President Habyarimana. But that I could also ask to my own President, about his father...
African Politics. Gotta love it, right?
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You're welcome. If you would like to see the interview check out http://www.voanews.com/english/Africa/VOANewsMaker.cfm Each time a person asked a question President Kagame responded by trying to make the question look stupid, redundant or just not worth his time. Sometimes he did this subtly and sometimes not so subtly. For example, when one woman congratulated him on being recognized by the Western world and then asked him what was being done to seek justice for the Hutus who had been murdered President Kagame said (paraphrasing here) "this question has been asked and answered many times and clearly you haven't listened to the answer...etc" My hats off to the woman representing Amnesty International because, in spite of being extrememly nervous (who wouldn't be knowing that the respondant is going to insult your intelligence on national tv and you don't have the right to respond) plowed ahead and asked what PResident Kagame was going to do to ensure the safety of all journalists within Rwanda? He does respond.
I had only watched a brief TV news clip of President Paul Kagame at the White House along with President Bush, so thanks for the link to the VOA article about the press conference. On CNN TV news President Bush clearly looked "uninformed" about what was really going on down in the region and I found his praise for the leadership of Paul Kagame in Rwanda to be "disturbing" to say the least.
Nonetheless describing President Kagame as a "Trojan Horse for U.S. Foreign Policy" in the African Great Lakes region is a rather misfortunate choice of words and very misleading, don't you think? Or do you have some evidence to back up this statement that the rest of the world hasn't seen yet?
I think that any small country (ie Rwanda) that invades his titanic neighbor (DR Congo) not only shows that the Rwandans might be more disciplined, but it might also show how disorganized the Congolese are.
Not only are the basic bureaucrats corrupted and unmotivated, but the higher politicians are just as bad, if not worst.
I've heard in numerous policy circles in Kinshasa that Congolese diplomacy is plainly put, dumb. They can harntry?dly do a press release, let alone run a ministry.
When we'll we see Kabila go to press confrences in his own country?
Well, we've seen President Joseph Kabila do an interview with CNN's Jeff Koinange on May 31st from an estate in Lubumbasha, does that count? He didn't sound or look too "dumb" to me or millions of other CNN viewers around the world. Dumbfounded maybe, due to the shocking video footage presented by Koinange about the atrocities taking place in the eastern DRC at the hands of his own national troops and policemen. I've seen President Bush with the same look on his face when confronted with news about atrocious misconduct of his own troops in Iraq, for example.
Let us remember that the "invasions" by Rwanda into the DRC were strategic to the First Congo Civil War led by the elder Laurent Kabila to overthrow the regime of Mobutu Sese Seko. I wouldn't call Rwanda's subsequent invasions and incursions into the DR Congo as acts from a "disciplined" military leadership and troops, rather I would characterize these incursions as brutal and savage atrocities fuelled by an incredible greed for gold and diamonds and other minerals along with the occassional "ethnic cleansing" attack here and there. Of course, nothing goes down on or from Rwandan soil without the full knowledge and approval of the Great Liberator, President Paul Kagame.
I wonder what kind of "policy circles" you've been hanging around down in Kinshasa where the various officials and workers within the transitional government of the DRC are described as "dumb"?
But that is not what I stopped by for today, Ali. It's Showtime Dude. Surely you have something more to say on the eve of the most important national elections in your country's history. The blogosphere and the MSM is on fire with posts and articles about the DRC this month. Good Luck on July 30th, hoping all goes well and peacefully with the elections.
Hope for the best but prepare for the worst, just in case. A special greetings to "our very own blog reporter on the scene" down in La Belle Kinshasa. Keep your head down Honey at those political opposition rallies.
Re. Kabila's interview with Koinange
I just can't let this one go by. IF Kabila's "reaction" to the footage was REAL then he has to be the most unaware, stupidest person in the Congo. How could he possibly be unaware of what has been happening (and repeatedly reported nationally and internationally) for so many years?
great blog, hope you stop by at my blog at dutch4huckabee.blogspot.com. I found out that Kagame has a nice new friend: Rick Warren.
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