NUR tALES

International systems operate in freedom, even their prisoners

BY GEORGE KAGAME

Arusha
Recently during a Rwanda media fraternity meeting in Butare, several journalists started off a conversation about the ICTR, one of the popular FM radio presenters stated; "Rwandans will run to Arusha and declare themselves as genocidaires".

The unnamed journalist said the Rwandans would this as one techinique for escaping poverty in Rwanda. The journalist was concerned because the detainees at the Arusha based UN detention facility were "living as kings while Rwandans are languishing in poverty."


He could not be more wrong about the part of ICTR detainees living as royalty. However, the assertion that Rwandans are willing to commit genocide or go to Arusha and declare themselves as genocidaires so as to be treated as royalty was patronizing.


The topic about the ICTR was started off by a senior international journalist John Honderich who was concerned by the recent decision of the ICTR to allow its detainees to meet their wives, concubines and girlfriends and have sex, legally known as conjugal rights.

On a different note, the topic of conjugal rights has awakened a huge debate in the Tanzanian media, as if the the detainees are Tanzanians, matters of the body are a favourite pastime with many Tanzanians, Dar Salaam the capital is known in the country as the 'East African city of sex'.

Renown Canadian newspaper mogul Honderich was bewildered that jailed fellow newspaper investor Conrad Black who is serving time for mismanaging his business empire Horlinger Inc. is not allowed conjugal visits while genocide suspects are allowed such treats of freedom as conjugal rights.


I told the discussants that the detainees are Rwandan in the context that they are answering for crimes they committed in the country, but that is as Rwandan as they get currently. They are now part of the larger international community not Rwanda and the international community operates with excesses, even their prisoners. Thats why, when the detainees are acquitted, they never return to Rwanda but the UN locates another country for them to adopt citizenship.


The ICTR detainees are not your regular 'guys in pink', they are savvy and know that they have so many influential forces on their side, ton top of keeping a large spy network around Arusha and Kigali where they monitor events in Kigali and advise their cohorts who are still being tracked by the ICTR tracking team. For a Rwandan first timer at the ICTR you can take them for being an alternative central government.


Even before the issue of conjugal visits was put on paper, it is said that they did not entirely live like catholic priests. The detainees are actually living large, they are driven around in a convoy and their vehicles are made to ensure that there's enough comfort for the inmates.


Walking to work on Tuesday morning i met Clare Roberts, a visiting intern at the ICTR from one of the leading universities in Europe. An anthropologist by training, Clare is also frustrated by the practices of the international community. "The developed countries are feeling a sense of guilt for doing nothing for Rwanda while the genocide was taking place, instead of helping the country and its citizens seek justice now, they bring the court to Arusha so they can now feel good for helping Rwandans see justice, far away from the scenes of the crimes".


Clare was disappointed that there are also very few Rwandans at the ICTR; "Rwanda is a distant memory for many people here, they don't want to talk about the country or simply they don't know." The week before I had thought the Rwandan journalist was speaking out of naivety of the international community but never knew how to take the views of the European intern.


The official granting of conjugal rights by the ICTR is a small treat to prisoners who are used to opulence and power. For example recently the ICTR interupted internet connection to the cells after it was found that Hassan Ngeze was running a website from his cell.


Ngeze the notorious hustler journalist is reported to have been funded by the the powerful 'Akazu' under the patronage of first lady Agathe Habyarimana to start a newspaper 'Kangura.

This paper was responsible for primarily printing the famous 10 commandments of the Hutu power. Ngeze after his arrest continued his journalism experience even in jail where he used his website to spread the Kangura propaganda.


When the ICTR learnt about it, the site was closed but it is believed to have changed names and managers. Now Ngeze's propaganda is carried out by a variety of publications with Iwacu.com leading the pack.