Three months after President Kagame exercised his prerogative of mercy to commute the sentence of terror convict Paul Rusesabagina (who had written begging for a pardon from prison) the shameless fellow has resurfaced with outrageous claims. It is as if Rusesabagina aka Rusisibiranya wants to further prove his criminality.
Hours to July 1, 2023, Rusesabagina – who is in San Antonio, USA – released a videotaped message praising the “Independence” that Rwanda got from Belgium colonizers, while smearing the current Rwandan leadership – which pardoned him even after a court of law convicted him of terrorism. Rusesabagina is pushing the lie that his release was because of “pressure”, which is only meant for the gullible and naïve since the circumstance under which his sentence was committed is open in the public domain.
It should be remembered that in a letter penned to the Head of State before his release, Rusesabagina himself atoned for atrocities committed by the FLN militia group, an armed wing of the MRCD which he founded, the convicted terrorist also made a U-turn to his declared violent “politics” which he used to advance while chest-thumping about pushing for “regime change in Rwanda”.
In the very same letter, the man himself averred: “I will leave questions regarding Rwandan politics behind me” since he is aware that such politics took prematurely the lives of innocent Rwanda.
This is while the Biden administration was also quick to announce that there should be “no place for political violence in Rwanda,” as Secretary of State Antony Blinken noted in a press communiqué on the release of Rusesabagina.
However, the unapologetic man who is fueled by the support of US taxpayers’ money, resorted to his incendiary rhetoric in the video, reminiscent of his past declarations of war on Rwanda, which resulted in the deaths of scores of innocent civilians.
Such words include: “Rwandans are still not free, Rwandans are prisoners inside their own country, Rwanda is a hell…”, Rusesabagina also went the extra mile to liken Rwanda’s sitting government with the then apartheid government of South Africa urging the international community to stop working with Rwanda —an astonishing plea, to say the least.
What Rusesabagina conveniently overlooks is the fact that if Rwanda were truly the “hell place” he insinuates, he likely would not have been afforded a fair trial, let alone an opportunity to seek pardon. He would have met a fate similar to that of terrorists in other countries, including the United States.
Moreover, before rubbing salt in the wounds of Rwandans, Rusesabagina ought to know that penalties that the Court imposed on him, such as the Rwf412 million- worth of compensation he and his accomplices owed to victims remained remain in force; this is as per Art. 228 of the law on criminal procedure.
And again, Under Rwandan law, a commutation does not negate the conviction and can be revoked should crimes be repeated, this is in accordance with the conditions specified in the Presidential Order.
Rusesabagina thinks he is far away, but the law has a long arm.
ellenkampire