Yesterday a court in Rwanda sentenced Paul Rusesabagina, an avowed and self-confessed terrorist to 25 years behind bars for leading a band of terrorists of his FLN military wing of his political party MRCD to attack Rwanda.
Nine people, all innocent and law abiding citizens in Nyamagabe, Rusizi, Nyamasheke, and Nyaruguru in South-Western Rwanda were killed while many others suffered lifetime injuries and their properties destroyed. This alone calls for a life sentence.
I say he got off easy, but out of deference to Rwanda’s judiciary I will accept the verdict. After serving his sentence Rusesabagina will be 91, and no longer in a position to terrorize innocent Rwandans. That is comforting enough for me.
I hear there are no tears being shed in Rwanda over Rusesabagina’s sentence while all sorts of mindless protests are being heard in Brussels and wherever Rusesabagina’s fans reside. Let them. His family got duped by the so-called “international community” to believe that pressure would be put on Rwanda to release this pseudo-humanitarian. Somebody forgot to tell them that Kigali does not take orders from outside, not now, not ever.
I personally don’t buy the story that this sad tragedy of a man is a cancer survivor and has all sorts of medical issues. If he did surely he would have been more circumspect and left his adventures to able bodied younger souls. Nice try, Paul.
See, “fame” and all that Hollywood glitter got to his head and he lost his mind. After 2006 Rusesabagina founded his own political party and started jet-setting around the world. What fool would otherwise get on a private jet in Dubai that he did not reserve, or pay for? This nonsense that he was tricked into boarding the private jet is just that: utter nonsense. When did it become a crime to outwit a terrorist? How come when the US or Israel do it there is celebration, wild and un-checked?
The international community has said much and given Rusesabagina so many accolades to soften his sinister nature: humanitarian, ordinary man, hero and the rest of the heroic phrases that made him a legend in his own head. Such delusions.
Rwandan lives matter.
Rusesabagina has for instance been called President Kagame’s greatest critic and fiercest opponent. You don’t say. When did a second-rate cook turned “hotelier”, with little education rise to such heights? Without a Hollywood film director hungry to make a buck from the genocide against Tutsi Rusesabagina would still be hustling and driving a cab in Brussels. Fame has destroyed more solid men that this genocide denier and avowed Rwanda hater.
Calls by the US Congress and the EU Parliament interfering with Rwanda’s judiciary are not only ridiculous they should be ignored. Why else would the US Treasury Department designate the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda a terrorist group? Why did the US co-operate in compelling Western Union to turn over records of Rusesabagina’s money transfers to his terrorist partners in the DRC and Burundi?
Somebody please tell me: Rusesabagina claims he was enroute to Burundi — to do what?
In his own words, and on a video still online, Rusesabagina declares, “The time has come for us to use any means possible to bring about change in Rwanda.” These seditious words were followed by vicious and callous attacks on public buses, schools and innocent Rwandans perished.
The evidence against Rusesabagina was rock solid. Talk of him being denied access to his European or white lawyers is simply laughable and smacks of white privilege and sense of entitlement. Rwanda is a country of laws, and the Rwanda Bar, just like any Bar in the US has rules and regulations as to who can practice law in their jurisdiction. Rwanda does not bend its laws to soften political criticism. Been there done that.
Rwanda’s Judiciary has stood the test of time, otherwise the US, Canada, France, Sweden would not have extradited Rusesabagina-minded terrorists to stand trial in Rwanda. Everybody needs to take a deep breath: Rusesabagina had a fair trial, excellent and effective legal representation, and the moon is going to keep shinning in the dead of night.
Rusesabagina chose to play in the big leagues and lost. Good riddance!