4th of November 09

The Global Greens today called for urgent and clear intervention by Rwandan President Paul Kagame to assure the democratic rights and security of the peaceful, democratic, green activists who participated in the Founding Congress of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda (DGPR) held on the 30th October 2009.

The Global Greens are deeply concerned by the news arriving from Rwanda indicating that the founding Congress of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda (DGPR) was violently disrupted by people suspected to be members of the security services while in the meantime delegates of DGPR are being harassed, intimidated and imprisoned by RPF/Government authorities at the local level.

The role of the National Police present at the event gives rise to grave suspicions. Instead of providing the necessary security to the Party Congress, they cancelled the meeting. The two provocateurs who violently interrupted the Congress were released by the police after only a few hours.

A campaign of harassment, intimidation and even detention of the members of the DGPR is taking place at the local level. Some of the districts where this intimidation is taking place are: Kibagabaga Cell, Kimironko Sector in Gasabo District; Nyamirama Sector, Kayonza District; Bibare Cell, Kimironko Sector, Gasabo District; Nyagatovu Cell, Kimironko Sector, Gasabo District, and in Kinamba Sector, Gasabo District.

The Global Green Coordination (GGC) representing 87 green parties from around the world is calling on its member parties to address the Rwandan Embassies in their respective countries asking the Government of Rwanda to provide the maximum protection to all DGPR members and to ensure that any form of political harassment is stopped immediately.

The GGC is also asking parliamentary groups, including the Green Group in the European Parliament, to consider what initiatives they can take in relation to the situation in Rwanda. This includes using foreign visits by President Kagame to ask him to assure full and genuine democratic rights to the Rwandan citizens and to put an end to the systematic obstacles that are impeding the birth of a Green democratic party in this country.

The members of the Global Green Coordination

Contact: Frank Habineza:

Mob: + 250 78 85 630 39;

Email: fhabineza@africangreens.org ; www.rwandagreendemocrats.org