Human Rights Issues

Rwandan engagements in the East Congo continue to perpetuate violence in the region. In January General Laurent Nkunda, the leader of the Congolese Tutsi militia the CNDP, was arrested and held in Rwanda. Meanwhile, the Rwandan government came to an agreement with the Congolese government to collaborate in attacking the Rwandan Hutu militia, the FDLR. Rwandan troops, perhaps 7,000, entered the DRC in late January 2009 to begin military operations. Amnesty International was concerned that the increase in military activity endangered the civilian population, especially after the end of the operation.
It is feared that Rwanda’s continuing support of militias is linked to participation in the trade of natural resources that has fueled the arms trade in the region. In Rwanda itself, the Kagame government, which had squelched the political process in its elections, continued to impose strict restrictions and to arrest journalists who voiced criticisms of the government. At the same time, a long held prisoner of conscience, the journalist Dominique Makeli, was released. A prisoner of conscience and journalist detained almost 12 years without trial, he was released by a Gacaca tribunal on Oct 16, 2008.
The restrictions on human rights NGOs eased somewhat, but still continued to prevent them from operating freely. Gacaca trials continued, with reports of witnesses being intimidated, and thousands arrested after their initial releases, increasing the prison population to more than 60,000 — the majority of whom remain incarcerated on charges of participating in the genocide. Many are held without any charges. The Rwandan government continues relatively frequently to charge individuals with participation in the genocide, resulting in the long-term imprisonment of opposition political candidates and the repression of the press and human rights organizations.

  We should care for Rwanda human rights issues because they are very important and they should be taken care of. Because their still problems with the hutus and the tutsi. we need to make peace for them. So that they could be in peace and not worried that when they leave their houses they could be shot or get kidnap or in a fight.