Editor,

President Kikwete should retract his statement unconditionally, otherwise he has declared himself an enemy of Rwanda. Undoubtedly, Kikwete is not ignorant of who FDLR is. We should not end at letting it be known that this is a shocking utterance, on the part of a neighbouring President; he needs to be reminded by Rwandans that such a careless remark is insensitive, ridiculous and totally unacceptable.

Needless to narrate his own credibility among the Tanzanian, including those in diaspora. Anyway, he is said to be winding-up his mandate. On the other side, he is a disgrace in the face of Africa – a head of state whose precedents are well known icons: Julius Nyerere and Benjamin Mkapa.

The hard part of diplomacy must be played to establish the true colours of President Kikwete. 

Noella Nyampinga, DurbanSouth Africa

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All along Tanzania under Kikwete’s leadership has been camouflaging when dealing with the genocidal forces. Now he (Kikwete) has decided to be open so that Rwandans should be aware of who he is.

Each one should know Kikwete cannot be FDLR’s spokesperson without understanding what they stand for. In other words, Kikwete is a sympathiser of the FDLR’s ideology, no doubt about that, and he supports them. 

Jovin Kalinda, KigaliRwanda

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I can’t say it was a slip of the tongue given the way his administration has been handling cases involving FDLR. The most recent is the case of General Bigaruka who has been acting as FDLR liaison officer based in Tanzania. It came to everyone’s knowledge after Rwanda’s intelligence put pressure on Kikwete’s administration.

Given his record on the way he handled matters of Rwandan refugees in Tanzania, President Kikwete can’t give any lessons on how Rwandans should handle their matters. I urge our government to be alert because in my view, this so-called "Neutral Intervention Brigade”, whom to my view their neutrality can be questioned, may end up creating a vacuum for FDLR get organised to attack Rwanda – a country that determinedly set itself towards the road of self-reliance.

Robert, KigaliRwanda

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Kikwete should think before making such remarks. We all know who the FDLR are and what they did in Rwanda in 1994. Their agenda was and still is to kill and eliminate the Tutsis, not only in Rwanda but all over the world.

Genocidaires and terrorists are not people/groups to sit on the table with governments for negotiations. Even the great Americans themselves acknowledge the fact that such groups are not to be negotiated with.

Rwanda has made tremendous steps in uniting and developing herself. The FDLR and the people who support them have a hidden agenda that can be traced to the atrocities carried out in Rwanda back in 1994. We will not allow any negotiations of any sort. We can only ask them to lay down their arms and come back to help in rebuilding this country.

Sanday K, KigaliRwanda

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