Canada Cheers on ‘Africa’s Most Ruthless Regime’
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While the Canadian government questions whether Nicolas Maduro really won 51% of the vote in Venezuela’s presidential election it has no trouble with Africa’s most bloodstained dictator claiming 99%. Ottawa also has no trouble supporting the Rwandan government despite UN experts accusing it of aggression.
Two weeks ago, Paul Kagame ‘won’ 99.18% of the vote in the Rwandan presidential election. It was an improvement on the 98.63% he received in 2017 but Kagame should be concerned as he’s running out of room to improve his tally in future elections.
Kagame’s main competitors were formally excluded from running. Victoire Ingabire and Diane Shima Rwigara have spent time in jail for challenging the strongman and were not allowed to run. Kagame has repeatedly assassinated political opponents both inside Rwanda and across the continent. In 2020 the regime kidnapped its most famous opponent, Paul Rusesabagina, who is the namesake for the Hollywood film Hotel Rwanda. A Belgian citizen and US Green Card holder, Rusesabagina was snatched from Dubai and flown to Rwanda where he languished in jail for three years.
Kagame has ruled Rwanda with an iron fist for 30 years. His regime has also unleashed three decades of mayhem in Congo, as has been detailed in countless UN and other reports. In their Final Report released last month the UN Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo concluded that as many as 4,000 Rwandan troops were in eastern Congo. It also noted that Rwandan forces’ have “de facto control and direction over M23 operations.” In late 2021 M23 rebels instigated a new round of fighting in eastern Congo that’s killed thousands and displaced 2 million. (About seven million Congolese were already internally displaced due to years of violence, which Rwanda has played an important role in.)
As he’s caused mayhem in eastern Congo and solidified his dictatorship, Kagame continues to receive Canadian support. Canada’s High Commissioner in Kigali Julie Crowley celebrated the presidential election, noting “voting day in Rwanda. Congratulations to all who voted!” But Canadian officials don’t seem to have said anything about the farcical nature of the election. Over the past three months Crowley and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have described Canada’s “good bilateral relation”, “well established relationship” and “support to Rwanda”.
Trudeau has met Kagame multiple times. Amidst Rwanda’s invasion into Congo Trudeau attended the June 2022 Commonwealth summit in Kigali. Trudeau focused his discussion with Kagame on opposing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, ignoring Rwanda’s aggression against Congo. They also announced that Canada would open a full diplomatic high commission in the country.
At the official opening of Canada’s High Commission last month, Crowley met James Kabarebe. Afterwards Crowley posted, “Thank you Minister of State James Kabarebe for launching our renewed and strengthened relations.” General Kabarebe was the subject of an arrest warrant by a French judge for his role in shooting down President Juvénal Habyarimana’s plane, which unleashed Rwanda’s genocidal violence in Spring 1994. A 2012 UN report claimed Kabarebe organized and armed the M23, labeling him “a central player in recruiting on behalf of M23” and active “on the ground to coordinate military activities.”
The M23 is the successor to a Rwanda-backed rebel force led by Laurent Nkunda, who grew to prominence after Rwanda invaded. In 1996 Rwandan forces marched 1,500 km to topple the regime in Kinshasa. Two years later they re-invaded after the Congolese government it installed expelled Rwandan troops. This led to an eight-country war between 1998 and 2003, which left millions dead. Ever since Rwanda has had significant sway over eastern Congo, which it has pillaged of minerals.
Despite Rwanda’s decades of aggression against Congo, Global Affairs ‘both sided’ their reaction to the Final Report of the UN group of experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Global Affairs’ official account noted, “Canada is deeply concerned by the final report of the UN group of experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Canada calls for Rwanda to end its support to the M23, and for the DRC to end support to the FDLR.”
But Congo hasn’t invaded Rwanda. Suggesting there are two equal sides at fault is a massive concession to Kagame.
Author of In Praise of Blood: The Crimes of the Rwandan Patriotic Front, Judi Rever recently wrote about Canadian support for Kagame in “Canada’s whitewashing of Africa’s most ruthless regime”. Alongside diplomatic backing, Ottawa has provided millions of dollars of assistance to Rwanda’s military in recent years through the Dallaire Institute. Named after former UN commander Romeo Dallaire, the Kigali and Halifax based Institute is supposed to combat child soldiers yet the Rwandan military recruits and employs child soldiers.
Dallaire has covered for Kagame’s crimes for decades. For starters, he promotes the wildly simplistic account of the Rwandan genocide Kagame has used to justify his rule and interference in Congo.
Dallaire is on the Board of Directors of Toronto based Helios Fairfax. The Africa-focused investment firm also has Toronto Raptors President Masai Ujiri on its board and has partnered with him on a project in Rwanda.
Labelling Kagame a “visionary”, “inspiration” and “blessing”, Ujiri was personally awarded 2.4 hectares (nearly six acres) of land in Kigali by presidential order. As Rever reveals, Ujiri and Fairfax are building a boutique hotel, upscale restaurants, a rooftop lounge and gym on the site. Was it Ujiri’s reward for supporting the blood-stained dictator?
Ujiri, Dallaire and Ottawa’s support for Kagame is an indictment of Canadian political culture and official policy. Another reminder that Canadian foreign policy is not about advancing justice.
Hypocrites? Ssh.
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