Editor,

I was excited to read in The Sunday Times that the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) rebels, especially after the arrest of their top leaders, in Germany, are deserting. As a patriot, it pleases me to see Rwandans coming home to build a society that that will benefit our children.

I think that their deserting shows to the world, and more importantly, to Rwandans, that their ideology of hate and destruction is totally without resonance in this country.

On a separate note, I’m actually surprised that Germany decided to arrest the FDLR leadership. From time immemorial, as long as one got to Europe and screamed "political suppression” you instantly became an "untouchable”.

It didn’t matter whether you views were ugly, but as long as you said you were ‘fleeing’ an African regime, they could do whatever they wanted. With this new paradigm, Europe shall stop being a haven of those who’s views and acts are genocidal, but a place where justice actually means something. That is what I sincerely hope.

However, I know that I may be naïve to think that just because Germany arrested some FDLR leaders, even people hiding in France and other European countries shall have the same treatment meted out to them.

Eric Rukondo
Nyamirambo