Should Rwanda be let in?
Posted by AlexT - 22/11/09 at 01:11 pmThis post is written for the Commonwealth Conversation by journalist Derek Ingram
At the last Commonwealth summit in Kampala in 2007 heads of government endorsed a report that updated the rules for countries wanting to join the Commonwealth.
So far the only country admitted that has no historic connection whatever with the UK or any other Commonwealth member is Mozambique, which was a Portuguese colony, joined in 1995, and has been a successful model.
Cameroon, also admitted in 1995, had before independence been part British and part Nigerian. Namibia, once German and then a trust territory under South Africa, became a member in 1990, even before South Africa’s return.
The membership report, produced under the chairmanship of former Jamaica prime minister P.G. Patterson, laid out more explicitly, and even tightened, the qualifications for applicants without historical connections, but in accepting it the Heads added some leeway. They said that “in exceptional circumstances” applications could be “considered on a case-by-case basis.”
However, applicants had to comply with the values, principles and priorities set out in Commonwealth declarations made over the years. They must show a commitment, inter alia, to democratic processes, free and fair elections and representative legislatures, the rule of law, protection of human rights, and freedom of expression.
For many years now several countries have been knocking on the Commonwealth door. Even Algeria has shown interest.
The most pressing case is Rwanda, which before independence was under German and then Belgian rule.
It is adjacent to Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, is now teaching English in its schools and has even started playing cricket. But it hardly adheres to Commonwealth standards as required. It is not democratic and its people do not enjoy freedom of expression.
Rwanda has a champion in neighbouring Uganda. Presidents Yoweri Museveni and Paul Kagame of Rwanda are longtime comrades in arms. Museveni, as host of the last CHOGM, is until the November one in Trinidad, chairperson of the Commonwealth.
The most fervent supporter of Rwanda’s membership is the UK for reasons that are still not entirely clear.
The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) sent the eminent international lawyer Yash Ghai on a mission to Rwanda to discover whether it fulfils the Commonwealth requirements.
His thorough report finds Rwanda does not satisfy the test of Commonwealth values. It says its government “has not hesitated to use violence at home and abroad when it has suited it.”
The reaction of many people is to point out that some member countries of long-standing still do not measure up to these values.
This is no answer. There is no point in the Commonwealth adding to its problems.
In fact, Cameroon was admitted too early and for years now the Secretary-General’s envoys have been trying to get a more democratic situation there. (Paul Biya has been president for 27 years and wants to stand next year yet again).
No member will every have totally clean hands, but there is only a handful such as The Gambia, Sri Lanka, Swaziland that present real problems.
Recently years of Commonwealth diplomacy brought to the Maldives good elections and the end of a president who had ruled for 27 years. In this work the Commonwealth does a great job.
On Rwanda it should wait for next year’s presidential elections, send a strong observer group to decide whether they are fair (the last ones were not) and then consider the application at the next CHOGM in 2011.
Category : The Official Commonwealth
Tags: CHOGM, Rwanda
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October 27th, 2009 at 7:21 pm
There is no question on the benefits of Rwanda joining given that we the commonwealth are proud of leading while others follow.
November 4th, 2009 at 11:30 am
Yes, Rwanda should be allowed to join as long as it meets membership criteria and is committed to democracy. This former Belgian territory will also help to show that the Commonwealth is evolving and emerging away from its colonial past. Sudan, Yemen, Israel, Algeria, Madagascar and others who have shown interest and can meet the criteria and can have English as an official language, should be allowed to join this year also.
November 7th, 2009 at 3:16 am
Rwanda should wait until 2011 because current state of governance and human rights in Rwanda does not satisfy Commonwealth standards (http://hungryoftruth.blogspot.com/2009/09/state-of-governance-and-human-rights-in.html).
November 7th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
Yes, by all means Rwanda should be let in. Rwanda is a special case, mainly because of its history. It would be wrong to judge Rwanda the same way we judge Uganda or Australia. Rwanda is making a choice between freedom and security and they are choosing security. Last week I met a gentleman from Rwanda and I asked him if he was happy with the lack of certain freedoms. In his words ” I am happy to be alive and let us first guarantee our lives then we can talk about the quality of the life”
If we want to see Rwanda achieve the set human rights standards, lets welcome them into our family, tell them what we expect of them and show them how to get there.
November 7th, 2009 at 3:56 pm
The commonwealth should ensure that current tensions in Rwanda do not lead to another tragedy. We hope The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI)alerted the donor community about serious problems in Rwanda that could lay the groundwork for increased violence in the near future.
For instance, please pay close attention to the following facts:
. Members of one minority tribe (the Tutsis) have seven times more representation in the government, per-capita, than members of the majority tribe (the Hutus).
. In a discriminatory measure, the government recently banned the use of the French language in teaching and administration, despite the fact that the vast majority of Rwandans speak French in addition to Kinyarwanda. French has been used for decades as the language of commerce, education and law in Rwanda. French speaking Rwandans now find their entire careers and livelihoods at risk.
. Rwanda has gone from being a “low-inequality” country in the 1980’s to being in the world’s bottom 15% in terms of inequality today.
. One-third of Rwanda’s population now suffers from nutritional deficiencies, and life expectancy is among the 20 lowest in the world at only 44 years.
. Wealth and power are concentrated in the cities, the government’s stronghold, leaving 92% of the poor in underrepresented rural areas.
November 13th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
Thank you, Umutesi. Could you post a citation/link for the statistics you cite?
I have, since 10.02.2009, been reporting, from the U.S., on the Rwandan Green Party’s struggle for registration and a ballot line in the 2010 elections, by following the press and staying in contact with Rwandan, African and Global Greens. The Rwandan Greens attempts to convene their party have now been shut down four times by Rwandan police–violently the last time. \Broken bones and arrests at Rwandan Green Party,\ convention, http://www.opednews.com/articles/No-Green-Party-banner-over-by-Ann-Garrison-091101-47.html:
I feel compelled to bring this situation to light, as an American, because Rwanda is the U.S.A.’s strongest ally in Africa, the nation Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and, former President Bill Clinton, and, Rev. Rick Warren, our hysterically homophobic, de facto U.S. Ambassador, point to as a shining beacon of hope for Africa.
In addition to the statistics that you, Umutesi, cite above, Rwanda has the third highest per capita prison population in the world, and many of these prisoners are political. Homosexuals are also imprisoned, and teenage girls are most often in prison for the crime of having an abortion.
There is now an orchestrated state, ruling RPF propaganda campaign publishing daily to discredit the Rwandan Green Party, but the state/RPF party mouthpieces keep dodging the fundamental issue at the end of this CHRIG essay:
\On Rwanda it should wait for next year’s presidential elections, send a strong observer group to decide whether they are fair (the last ones were not) and then consider the application at the next CHOGM in 2011.\
November 16th, 2009 at 1:09 am
Dear Ann,
Thanks for everything you do to help alleviate Rwanda’s suffering. I am so sorry for getting back to you so lately.
The statistics I provided were from the article:
“Rwanda Today: When Foreign Aid Hurts More Than It Helps” published by Hotel Rusesabagina Foundation on April 6, 2009.
(http://hrrfoundation.org/rwanda-foreign-aid/)
November 19th, 2009 at 9:57 am
There is more on this from Rwanda today – counting down til CHOGM next week:
http://allafrica.com/stories/200911180983.html
November 22nd, 2009 at 7:51 pm
The Africa Report has published an article by Rwandan MP Gideon Kayinamura about why Rwanda wants to join the Commonwealth:
http://www.theafricareport.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3284485:why-we-want-to-join-the-commonwealth&catid=147:in-the-know&Itemid=97
November 23rd, 2009 at 2:14 pm
And The Independent – a UK newspaper – has written extensively on the issues surrounding Rwanda’s potential admission.
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/leading-articles/leading-article-a-dilemma-for-the-commonwealth-1825941.html
November 24th, 2009 at 3:03 am
i think that commonwealth dominion countries like canada and new zealand or the uk should get special privileges within the commonwealth for remaining loyal to the crown…. just a way to preserve old imperial ties and just my opinion.
November 24th, 2009 at 10:08 pm
there is a serious problem about human rights that member countries should acknowledge. what you are for? if you are for human rights Commonwealth – then Rwanda should not be allowed in.
The organisation is only as soon as its leaders. ie. member countries.
November 26th, 2009 at 1:08 am
Does membership to the commonwealth depend on the historical context of countries in it? Why should Rwanda be an exception?
1) Kagame has invaded a peaceful country on October 1st 1990. He came with AK47 not to cook, but to kill. Massacres started in that region ever since until the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, the Kibeho massacre in 1995, refugee killings in the COngo 1996-1998, war of 1998, support of Nkunda and Mutebutsi in 2004 all in the name of fighting “genocidal forces”.
2) The proposition to join the common wealth is not from Rwandese people. Nobody was consulted or asked their opinions on that. So, what’s the meaning of Democracy CW stands for?
3) Talk about opposition in Rwanda. Do you know of any opposition party there? Is that people Rwandese people are so happy nder Mr Kagame and company? How then do you explain the ever increasing number of Rwandese refugees in all parts of the globe?
Briefly, don’t be blinded and buy the “genocide history” idea Kagame has been selling to hide his true colors in the entire CENTRAL African tragedy.
Letting him (not Rwanda pleaseeeeeeee ) in the common Wealth will be disappointing!
November 26th, 2009 at 3:45 am
i believe we shouldn’t join the commonwealth yet until some mess issues are resolved. first, this is not a ticket by the whole population, to prove it, make the Rwandans cities and countryside take the survey on the organization or even ask them the name of the Queen. secondly, what we won’t gain from the EAC, we won’t get from the GHOGM. speaking English is a benefit to us but the gov should not give our souls to the organization we don’t know well yet. PLUS WE STILL LIKE THE FRENCH WAY !!
November 26th, 2009 at 1:35 pm
The Commonwealth could learn a great deal from Rwanda. It has made great progress in the 15 years since the 1994 Genocide. AIDs and malaria has been reduced and it is not true that there is malnutrition. 9 years’ education is available for all and there is zero tolerance of corruption. I wonder how many other countries could manage this in a post-conflict situation?
The suggestion that there is no democracy or freedom of expression is not true. There is more than you might think.
HungryofTruth is not objective and neither is Paul Rusesabagina. The articles in the Independent demonstrate particular ignorance on its part eg of the EAC.
The advantages of the use of English are obvious in education and ICT – where it is the international language and bearing in mind Rwanda’s membership of the EAC with 3 out of 4 Anglophone countries.
There are no “tribes” in the proper sense in Rwanda. All Rwandans speak Kinyarwanda and have no religious or cultural differences. there is no discrimination between people who want to develop the country for all Rwandans.
As for the French way, what was that pre-1994? No development, the corruption for the benefit of the elite akazu, persecution of anyone opposed to those principles and then an attempt to implement the “final solution”. The retention and support of all that was what [the French] Operation Tourquoise tried to achieve.
You can admit Rwanda or not as you like but it would be to the benefit of the Commonwealth or at least those who wish to improve living standards for all and fight corruption.
December 11th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
The issue of Rwanda’s membership of the Commonwealth, and the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative Report, is discussed in this article from the Rwandan New Times:
http://www.newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14106&article=23550
March 1st, 2010 at 6:55 pm
See this recent article about Rwanda’s membership of the Commonwealth: http://leftcentral.wordpress.com/2010/02/27/nothing-in-common-the-uk-rwanda-and-why-the-commonwealth-is-more-relevant-than-we-thought/
July 8th, 2010 at 8:18 pm
okay………………..