Internal divisions hit EU observer mission

KIGALI - A storm is brewing in the European Commission Electoral Observer Mission (EU EOM) in Rwanda owing to internal wrangles which are reportedly being fuelled by some members of the team. According to reliable sources from within the mission, the squabbles are said to be between the office of the Chief Observer, and a clique within the mission known as the Core Team. According to our sources, the Core Team members are accusing their superiors of siding with the government which they claim is ‘intimidating the population.’ However, the Chief Observer and his deputy are said to have clearly rejected false and “unsubstantiated allegations submitted by the Core Team. Another source among the mission’s Long Term Observers said the bad blood between the two camps is fuelled by some observers who came with pre-conceived ideas. “Our meetings are usually stormy. Some in the Core Team seem to have come with their minds already made up and want to influence others,” said the observer, adding that the atmosphere is already poisoned between the CO and his deputy on one hand, and the Core Team on the other. Some members of the team are also accused by the population of accosting them on the streets asking for information that is irrelevant to their mission. “They are cornering the local population asking them outrageous questions. The first one they ask is whether the government was intimidating us and was suppressing our freedom of expression which I think are not at all relevant to what brought them here—to observe the parliamentary elections,” said Athanase Karimba, a resident of Kagugu. During the run up to the elections that are slated for tomorrow, several EU observers have been in the country for over one month. The latest to arrive is a group of 50 which arrived mid this week. When contacted, the Chief Observer, Mr. Michael Cashman could not be reached as his phone was switched off by press time. However, in an earlier interview with The New Times, Mr. Cashman had said that he would ensure that the observers do not interfere in whichever way that is out of their mandate. “We spoke to them (observers) about the code of conduct to abide by,” Mr. Cashman told The New Times Thursday after presenting the 50 observers who arrived in the country recently. The source from the mission who requested for anonymity for the security of her job said that the ‘Core Team’ which are said to have come to Rwanda with ‘pre-conceived positions’ are elements said to be representing interests of some western countries whose aim is to tarnish the image of Rwanda. She says this group has gone as far as accusing the government of terrorizing the people, a fact that has angered the Office of the Chief Observer. The CO’s office has insisted on having concrete proof before appending their signature to approve these reports sent to the EU headquarters in Brussels. When contacted, the Chairman of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) Prof Chrysologue Karangwa said that he was not aware of these allegations, saying that they are enjoying a cordial relationship with EU EOM. “The allegations have not come to our attention…however, when proven right, we have the right to revoke the accreditation of any observer who goes beyond his or her mandate,” Karangwa warned yesterday during an interview. Earlier on, Karangwa had issued stern warnings to some observers who were waylaying members of the public asking similar questions as raised above. “But since that warning, we have not heard of other complaints from the public and we are working closely with the mission. Ends