Kagame, the RPF, and the M23, what do they all have in common?
President Paul Kagame, is a man of infamous history. He was part of the military party that captured Kigali in July of 1994 to end what is known widely as the Rwandan genocide. However, the same Rwandan President was accused of ordering the surface-to-air-missile that murdered the then acting Rwandan President, Juvénal Habyarimana, and Burundian President Cyprien Ntaryamira, which effectively began the genocide.
If the allegations are true, Kagame orchestrated a bloody governmental coupe that left him on top literally in place to become president of Rwanda. While he has since gained the respect of the international community for the success Rwanda has become since the genocide, there are still those who suspect his motives.
A Spanish indictment alleges that the RPF military, the military power that reports to Kagame, were in violation of several counts of genocide and human rights violations in Rwanda, but also in the Democratic Republic of Congo from 1990-2000. Why?
A UN report on the Illegal Exploitation of Other Forms of Wealth in the DRC sites three reasons: a number of Rwandan companies that have ties to DRC resources seem to be controlled by the RPF, Rwandan Patriotic Front, Kagame’s political party. Secondly, Kagame’s personal position in the State has evolved making him an important player in the control of Congolese resources because of his control over the military; his relationship with Rwandan businesses operating over the border in Congo and various structures that support illegal activities has strengthened. Lastly, Kagame and his administration have indirectly established climate conducive to illegal exploitation of natural resources.
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