RWANDA:Coalition of Rwandan Community Associations in UK

23rdJune 2011.

Eric Joyce MP Chair

All Party Parliamentary Group on the Great Lakes Region of Africa

House of Commons, 

London, 

SW1A 0AA

 

By email 

 

I am writing to you on behalf of the Coalition of Rwandan Community Association in UK.

The Rwandan regime, distraught by the vigilance of the UK intelligence service in tracking its 

death squads is intent on grooming home grown hit men and women in the UK. Under the 

umbrella of the Rwandan Diaspora Convention Europe 2011, planned for the 22-24 th July 2011,

the regime is sponsoring a 5 day ideological education training for the youth (16-29 years old) “

in what is called

 

Itorero ry’igihugu,  aimed at teaching the history of Rwanda according to “the RPF” ideology” .

The militia training is scheduled to take place at the Apex Centre in Bury St Edmunds in the Suffolk County from the 17th to 24 th July 2011.

 

According to insiders in the Rwandan security apparatus, this will allow the regime’s agents 

to identify candidates suitable for more advanced training as political cum military cadres. 

Once trained ideologically and militarily, the regime would no longer need to send out hit 

squads against critics abroad.  According the official programme, there will be 

“PRESENTATION OF YOUTH AWARDS” from 3:00pm-6:00pm on 22nd July 2011.

 

The president of Paul Kagame is scheduled to address this event.

We believe that such a training falls within the definition of terrorist act under the UK law 

which where the Act "terrorism" means among others the use or threat of action where

 

(a) The use or threat is designed to influence the government or to intimidate the public or a 

section of the public, and

(b) the use or threat is made for the purpose of advancing a political, religious or ideological 

cause.

 

The project should be stopped as means of prevention and suppression of terrorist 

activities.

What everyone should be aware of is that the regime of General Paul Kagame

has developed an instinct of self preservation is not short of imagination to make the 

indoctrination process of RPF political ideology look like a patriotic and very progressive 

enterprise. It has used as in the case of Gacaca courts, a traditional institutions Itorero 

ry’igihugu and Intore who woe the public and deceive the international community.

 

To understand the stratagem one needs to look at the choice of names given to the 

ideological school and granduants, namely Itorero ry’igihugu and intore. 

The word Itorero ry’igihugu, a Kinyarwanda word, was borrowed from the traditional 

educational institution for the aristocracy that mentored and cultivated leadership skills.

 

The lessons included History, Philosophy, Sociology, Oral Literature, Applied Ethics, Theology,

Political and Military Sciences, Law, Patriotism, Regional and International Relations. 

The word Intore is given to famous Rwandan dance “Intore, a “dance of heroes”. It is performed 

by men wearing grass wigs and carrying spears. It was a dance performed by returning 

warriors, celebrating victory in battle. At certain stages the dancers stop, with arms outstretched and make blood-curdling battle cries.The training is therefore to produce warriors to fight any dissenting ideology by force. 

 

In Rwanda, this ideological education has been made compulsory. For example in May 2008 local authorities in Gicumbi district in Northern Province sacked over 100 teachers for reportedly refusing to participate in the training that saw over 40,000 primary and secondary school teachers participate: 

 

Let us recall that the word interahammwe which meant “people working harmoniously 

together for a common purpose” referred to Hutu politicians who worked together and 

braved death threats while fighting to exploitative and oppressive monarchical system of 

government. In its creation, the interahamwe were not meant to kill Tutsi but rather formed 

to propagate and defend the political ideas and values of MRND party.

 

Given the past political and violent history of Rwanda and in consideration the recent 

Rwandan government foiled plan by the MI5 to eliminate physically its critics in the UK,

the Rwandan community in UK is extremely worried of the ideological training of Rwandan 

youth in the UK and therefore requests the UK government to impress upon the Rwandan 

High Commission and its affiliated Rwandan community association to stop the training into 

Rwandan into ideological extremism. 

Regards,

 

Noble Marara

Assistant Coordinator 

Email: noblemarara@yahoo.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it