The Parliament of Rwanda has called upon the European Parliament to annul the resolution it adopted regarding Paul Rusesabagina’s case which was passed on February 11, describing it as an affront to Rwanda’s sovereignty and interfering with its judiciary.

Rusesabagina faces various charges including terrorism, arson, and murder that he is alleged to have committed or incited on the Rwandan territory.

The joint plenary session of both chambers of the Parliament was held virtually on February 15, to adopt the joint report of their committees in charge of foreign affairs, cooperation and security on the resolution of the European Union Parliament on Rusesabagina’s case.

The session was attended by 25 senators and 70 deputies and all of them adopted the resolution by the two committees, which termed their European counterparts’ stand on the matter as unfounded.

The resolution adopted by the European Parliament among other things, condemned what it described as "the enforced disappearance, illegal rendition and incommunicado detention of Paul Rusesabagina.”

Rwandan parliamentarians said that the EU’s Parliament showed a bad intent to subvert the course of an ongoing court proceedings, and urged for the nullification of the resolution in the framework of respecting the principle of judicial independence and that of various government organs of Rwanda.

On February 12, both the Lower and Upper House held separate virtual plenary sittings and requested that their committees in charge of foreign affairs assess the EU Parliament’s resolution and draft a rejoinder that would be approved by a joint plenary.

The committees met on Saturday, February 13 for that purpose.

Overall, legislators criticised the EU Parliament for selectively looking at Rusesabagina’s interests with no consideration to the victims of the deadly acts for which he himself had claimed responsibility.

At least nine people were killed and several others injured during attacks claimed by FLN, a militia group that Rusesabagina helped found, and which he has previously told court he regularly fundraised for.

Some parliamentarians said that the EU Parliament did not make any resolution on tackling the 1994 genocide against Tutsi, and wondered why it was much interested in Rusesabagina’s case.

Reasons behind latest resolution

The resolution of the Parliament of Rwanda was based on various factors, including that Rusesabagina and 20 co-accused, all Rwandan, are being pursued in courts over armed attacks that they are suspected to have committed in South-Western part of Rwanda around 2018.

And, Rusesabagina claimed responsibility for having part in such deadly attacks in December 2018 as it is indicated in the EU parliament, and declared publicly that the intent of such attacks was to topple Rwanda’s government.

The Rwanda Parliament said it was shocked that their EU counterparts recognised that Rusesabagina’s armed group claimed responsibility for carrying out series of attacks claimed lives of many civilians, yet, it did not call out the perpetrators.

Parliamentarians said that the EU Parliament’s keeping quiet on that issue, and instead render support to armed groups to continue mounting attacks that harm innocent civilians.

Blatant partiality

Senator John Bonds Bideri, Chairperson of the Senate’s standing committee on Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Security. said that European Parliament’s resolution implies an infringement on the sovereignty and governance of Rwanda, "with their colonial mentality that they can to dictate what happens in African countries.”

"It seems they are attempting to tarnish the image of our country, especially as we get ready for the 27th commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi, and hosting international conferences including CHOGM (Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting due in Rwanda in June 2021).

They want that the participants in the conferences see Rwanda in the image that they have painted the country. We have to strongly condemn that plot,” he said.

MP Christine Bakundufite said that the European Parliament showed blatant partiality in the Rusesabagina case by fronting his interests at the expense of the Rwandans who were killed, lost their relatives, or were left with permanent disabilities because of the terror acts he is charged with.

"Though Rusesabagina is a naturalised Belgian citizen, it does not make him an extra-human, or entitled to special human rights than others,” she said.

The copy of the resolution Rwanda Parliament’s resolution is expected to be sent to, among others, Heads of State of EU member states, the EU Commission, the UN Secretary-General, the African Union, the East African Community and the EU-ACP Parliamentary Assembly.

Rusesabagina and his co-accused are due in court on Wednesday for the substantive trial. He is co-accused with 18 others, among them senior officials within the FLN ranks.