Should Rwanda be let in ?

Dear Editor: The biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) is going to take place from November 26-29 in Trinidad and Tobago. As part of our advocacy we will be sending series of write ups which forms the basis of Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative's (CHRI) advocacy for CHOGM 2009. One of the issues we are flagging off is Rwanda's application for membership in the Commonwealth which CHRI believes that the upcoming CHOGM should make no decision on Rwanda's application other than to examine Rwanda's eligibility for membership and the consequences for the Commonwealth of expansion in its members. Derek Ingram, a vateran journalist and CHRI's Executive Committee member  has written an article on Rwanda which wa want to publish . The article got published in Royal Commonwealth Society's conversation's page and I have taken permission from the Royal Commonwealth Society to reprint and send it for publication in the Caribbeans.

 Titled 'Should Rwanda be let in?', it is about 560 words.
 
Would be thankful to you if you could consider it for publication.
 
regards
Aditi
 
 
Aditi Datta
Media/Communications/Outreach Officer
Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative
B-117, Sarvodaya Enclave, Second Floor
New Delhi 110017 INDIA

SHOULD RWANDA BE LET IN ?

This article by journalist Derek Ingram appeared in Royal Commonwealth Society’s Commonwealth Conversation last week.
At the last Commonwealth summit in Kampala in 2007 heads of government endorsed a report that updated the rules for countries wanting to join the Commonwealth.
So far the only country admitted that has no historic connection whatever with the UK or any other Commonwealth member is Mozambique, which was a Portuguese colony, joined in 1995, and has been a successful model.
Cameroon, also admitted in 1995, had before independence been part British and part Nigerian. Namibia, once German and then a trust territory under South Africa, became a member in 1990, even before South Africa’s return.
The membership report, produced under the chairmanship of former Jamaica prime minister P.G. Patterson, laid out more explicitly, and even tightened, the qualifications for applicants without historical connections, but in accepting it the Heads added some leeway. They said that “in exceptional circumstances” applications could be “considered on a case-by-case basis.”
However, applicants had to comply with the values, principles and priorities set out in Commonwealth declarations made over the years. They must show a commitment, inter alia, to democratic processes, free and fair elections and representative legislatures, the rule of law, protection of human rights, and freedom of expression.
For many years now several countries have been knocking on the Commonwealth door. Even Algeria has shown interest.
The most pressing case is Rwanda, which before independence was under German and then Belgian rule.
It is adjacent to Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, is now teaching English in its schools and has even started playing cricket. But it hardly adheres to Commonwealth standards as required. It is not democratic and its people do not enjoy freedom of expression.
Rwanda has a champion in neighbouring Uganda. Presidents Yoweri Museveni and Paul Kagame of Rwanda are longtime comrades in arms. Museveni, as host of the last CHOGM, is until the November one in Trinidad, chairperson of the Commonwealth.
The most fervent supporter of Rwanda’s membership is the UK for reasons that are still not entirely clear.
The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) sent the eminent international lawyer Yash Ghai on a mission to Rwanda to discover whether it fulfils the Commonwealth requirements.
His thorough report finds Rwanda does not satisfy the test of Commonwealth values. It says its government “has not hesitated to use violence at home and abroad when it has suited it.”
The reaction of many people is to point out that some member countries of long-standing still do not measure up to these values.
This is no answer. There is no point in the Commonwealth adding to its problems.
In fact, Cameroon was admitted too early and for years now the Secretary-General’s envoys have been trying to get a more democratic situation there. (Paul Biya has been president for 27 years and wants to stand next year yet again).
No member will every have totally clean hands, but there is only a handful such as The Gambia, Sri Lanka, Swaziland that present real problems.
Recently years of Commonwealth diplomacy brought to the Maldives good elections and the end of a president who had ruled for 27 years. In this work the Commonwealth does a great job.
On Rwanda it should wait for next year’s presidential elections, send a strong observer group to decide whether they are fair (the last ones were not) and then consider the application at the next CHOGM in 2011.

 

< Prev		Next >