When, in July 2019, The New York Times (NYT) sought to fill its Nairobi bureau chief position, recruiters were, publicly, very specific and candid about the kind of stories they expected from the person who was to "dive into news and enterprise across a wide range of countries, from the deserts of Sudan and the pirate seas of the Horn of Africa, down through the forests of Congo and the shores of Tanzania.” Reactions to the NYT job ad varied from anger to mockery, with some Africans expressing sarcastically how overjoyed they were that a benevolent NYT correspondent would soon patrol our pirate seas and deserts, occasionally telling our "unexpected stories of hope”. After all, they added with amusement, we, Africans, live for the white gaze. 

Facing yet another backlash on a continent it so openly holds in contempt, the NYT took down the ad, but the mindset of its reporting on Africa remained. Accordingly, an overzealous correspondent, one Abdi Latif Dahir, has worked hard to live up to the expectations and mindset of his employers. His latest piece, "Hotel Rwanda’ Dissident Denied Food and Medicine in Prison, Family Says,” which amplifies the wildest allegations around Rusesabagina’s treatment in Rwanda, shows that there are people who actually live for the white gaze and the effects on their lives are devastating. 

The first victim is Paul Rusesabagina himself, the made in Hollywood "hero” who was naive enough to believe western myths around his grossly exaggerated heroism. Nine months ago, he was boasting about his special treatment in a Rwandan police cell. "I have been treated with kindness. Last night I had pasta and today porridge. I have my medication because I move with my tablets for blood pressure and a cardiovascular condition,” Rusesabagina said in his first interview with The East African – following his handing himself over to the authorities and subsequent arrest. A few days later, he repeated the same story when he gave his second interview; this time, it was Latif asking questions on behalf of the NYT. "I am not complaining of anything. I eat what each and every Rwandan eats. I’m given whatever I want. So I’m treated like an ordinary person,” Rusesabagina maintained. 

At the time, Rusesabagina appeared confident in his ability to overcome his predicament. "It’s a matter before the court and I’m ready to face terror charges against me,” he told The East African. But things have changed. Evidently, Rusesabagina and his lawyers went through the thousands of pages of the indictment against him and they didn’t like what they saw. They were not prepared for witnesses of the prosecution who are credible, articulate and convincing. From Rusesabagina’s Vice-President and former FLN spokesperson, Callixte Sankara, to Professor Michelle Martin, a US citizen and a former volunteer at the Rusesabagina’s foundation, the accusations are consistent and the evidence impeccable: Rusesabagina provided financial and political support to terrorist groups, namely the FDLR and the FLN. The suspect’s reputation is irreversibly damaged as demonstrated by Rusesabagina’s current demotion by the NYT: they no longer refer to him as a "hero” but a "dissident” as the headline of Latif’s fake news piece screamed. 

On their part, Rusesabagina and his family know they cannot win the case in court. Hence, the decision to appeal to the white gaze in a foolish hope that the government of Rwanda could be bullied by western powers into releasing a man responsible for the murders of peaceful, unsuspecting, innocent Rwandan civilians. 

First, a campaign to free the "hero” on humanitarian health grounds was launched despite Rusesabagina stating that he had access to his medication and doctors; the narrative was somewhat adjusted to include the risk of catching covid. Interestingly, the concern that he could be infected by the deadly virus came from the US at a time when Rwandan prisons were safer than any place in America in regards to the pandemic. Rwanda vaccinated Rusesabagina long before even members of Rusesabagina’s PR team ever got their vaccine. 

Later, Rusesabagina’s PR team circulated rumours about an assassination plan targeting the very person the government had just vaccinated to protect his life; they couldn’t explain why the government accused of such evil plans had also provided a covid vaccine to him. If there were plans to harm Rusesabagina; wouldn’t it have been simpler to leave him exposed to the virus?

More recently, Rusesabagina, who is apparently more courageous after his vaccination, complained about his private cell with special accommodation, which he described as "solitary confinement.”

"In the case of Paul Rusesabagina, a private room and separate menu were availed when he was transferred to Nyarugenge Prison. Mr Rusesabagina was recently placed in a shared room with several inmates when he complained of being kept in "solitary confinement", which does not exist in Rwanda's prisons. He is currently provided the same meals as the other inmates & has access to a medical doctor whenever required, as has always been the case,” reads the statement from the Rwanda Correctional Service (RCS) in response to the latest wild rumour that has found its way into the NYT pages, courtesy of the overzealous Latif – reporting from the African jungle or, most probably, the pirate seas of the Horn. 

The rumour alleges that Rusesabagina was denied food and medicine because the Rwandan government wants to "pressure him to return to his trial.” Really? Why would the accuser pressure the accused to defend him or herself? In 2010, Ingabire Victoire, another victim of the white gaze, used the same theatrics and refused to stand trial, probably hoping that some western special forces would storm into her prison and liberate her; instead, she spent close to eight years in prison until she was released on presidential clemency. 

This time is no different, except that the creativity involved in making as much noise as possible in a desperate bid to keep the suspected terrorist leader in the news is unprecedented. If the fear in the terrorist supporters’ camp is that the western world forgets about Rusesabagina, it should be obvious that the Rwandan government has no interest in making him the object of attention for that empathy-free "world” that refuses to acknowledge the humanity of the victims of his terror grouping; a "world” that still refuses to talk about his crimes and the imperative of justice for the victims, but prefers to dwell on rumours. 

Abdi Latif Dahir, the NYT correspondent who seemingly operates from the lawless "pirate seas”, has not even acknowledged the statement from the US State Department which debunks the fallacious claims made by the family of the terrorist leader. 

"Our Embassy in Kigali spoke with Rwandan authorities, as well as Belgian diplomats and Mr. Rusesabagina’s lawyers, who have all stated that Mr. Rusesabagina continues to have access to food, water, and medication. The Rwandan government continues to provide access to Mr. Rusesabagina to Embassy officials,” reads the statement that was shared by the more serious, Texas based newspaper, KSAT 12.

Latif should learn from his self-inflicted embarrassment and return to some journalistic ethics. Moreover, journalists should not expect, as Latif does, our highest authorities to comment on every senseless rumour that they deem worthy of the NYT pages. Lastly, Rusesabagina’s western lawyers – whose misplaced anger Latif deems justified enough to feature in his hatchet job – should know that just like no African lawyer expects prison doors in the west to open up as soon as they appear there, they shouldn’t expect some knee-jerk reactions from Rwanda’s institutions that primarily exist to serve the Rwandan people. The authorization for foreign lawyers to operate in Rwanda is not automatically granted on account of one’s belonging to a certain (white) tribe. There are rules and procedures to follow and contrary to the contemptuous beliefs of NYT recruiters, Rwanda, an African country, is a country governed by the rule law.