Will the onslaught on Rwanda fall silent after today’s vote?

As was expected, the UN GoE report on Eastern DRC was deliberately leaked to the Media on the eve of today’s vote at the UN Security Council where Rwanda is widely expected to win a seat, among the five non-permanent members.The African Union in February selected Rwanda to replace South Africa on the Security Council for a two-year term starting on January 1. Since Rwanda is the only candidate in its region to vie for a spot on the most powerful UN body, its election by the General Assembly today October 18th, is almost a foregone conclusion.But to discredit this process, the GoE deliberately leaked their infamous report with hardily any changes from the interim one in a desperate attempt to once again blackmail this nation while keeping their fingers crossed for a miracle to happen at the UN assembly.There’s quite a similarity in the method of work between terrorists and these so-called Groups of experts. A terrorist strikes on the eve of an important event to either seek attention or to simply spoil the celebratory mood. Terrorists will always wait until its Christmas or thanks giving or Queen’s birthday or a major sporting tournament to strike.Similarly, because GoE interim report was torn into pieces by Rwanda’s response, this did not go down well with this group. They felt ridiculed and insulted by a ‘tiny’ nation called Rwanda. Therefore to take revenge, they choose a significant moment to strike.Because the editors and reporters running some of the powerful newsrooms in the world are their cousins, brothers, friends or fellows they wine and dine with in Manhattan, they easily get coverage.These editors never take time to crosscheck facts---never take time to look at the timing of such a report and the possible sinister intentions behind it. Instead, they turn a blind eye and say ‘after all this is Africa’---thereby choosing to become accomplices to this injustice.But there’s no better way to prove how Congo issues have been manipulated and used to serve other evil intentions than looking at the timing of these leaks.All along, Congo was a mere smokescreen used by these groups to sabotage Rwanda’s candidacy for a seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).It was a well-hatched plan between Rights groups and UN experts, mastered to detail from New York or London and made easy to implement by the weak Congolese government.Never mind about the many rebel outfits in eastern DRC, they got a soft landing on the M-23 because the members of this group have some historical ties with Rwanda. With this rebel group, their storyline was complete.But good enough, Rwanda exposed the heinous intentions of these people, thanks to the love affair between Steve Hege and FDLR. And like wounded buffalos, they would not swallow the bitter pill of holding their peace forever but rather decided to make last minute attempts like last kicks of a dying horse. So for this entire period, the world has been fooled to believe that these fellows were working for the common good of the Congolese. Nay, it has been a battle against the candidacy of Rwanda for the UNSC seat.Which begs the question; if Rwanda clinches this seat today, what should it do at UNSC?To think that Rwanda will spear head reforms of the UN systems during its two-year tenure is to dream loud. The UN system is rotten and needs a complete overhaul. Rwanda doesn’t have the clout and the muscle to push these reformsHowever, Rwanda has the voice and the voice that Africa needs. It has been a strong champion of an African solution to Africa’s problems. It has demonstrated that with steady leadership, Africans are capable of ending endemic hunger, fight corruption and embark on a journey of total transformation.As such, Rwanda has gained respect from the community of nations and as a champion for Africa.Equally true, is that Rwanda presents a good example of global mob injustice. This country attracts hostility on almost an equal measure as it attracts admiration. Therefore much as Rwanda is feted for its achievements, it is also a symbol of the daily injustice meted on the powerless nations of the world.During these two years at UNSC, Rwanda’s biggest contribution should be to put up a strong voice against this injustice. It should point out the rot expose the irregularities in the functioning of this body and how the UN is now being used to violate the very principles for which it was created.Rwanda must champion the agenda of an African solution for Africa’s problems because when these foreigners mingle in, we only get an escalation of the problem. They can only come to support what is already laid down. After all, we see the fruits in Somalia, Darfur, Southern Sudan and Ivory Coast as opposed to DRC.Above all, the last time we were in UNSC, 1994-1995, we were a laughing stock. At the end of 2014, we should be the admirable lot. I know it wont be simple but who says today’s Rwanda teaches us anything about simplicities.On twitter @aasiimwe

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Will the onslaught on Rwanda fall silent after today’s vote?