Rwanda insists new envoy to UK takes office in the New Year despite opposition

Rwanda maintains its new ambassador to the United Kingdom will report to work in the New Year despite growing calls by human-rights activists to the government to reject his nomination by President Paul Kagame.

The Kigali government says criticism of the designated ambassador — the former Minister of Justice and Attorney General Johnston Busingye — is being pushed out by those who are “desperate to salvage the reputation of Paul Rusesabagina”, who was recently sentenced to 25 years in prison on terrorism charges.

Mr Rusesabagina, 67, who rose to fame after his life was portrayed in the film Hotel Rwanda, was found guilty by a Rwandan court of backing a rebel group behind deadly attacks in 2018 and 2019 in Rwanda. The sentence came at the end of a seven-month trial.

His family rejected the verdict and maintained he was kidnapped and the subsequent trial was “illegal”.

If his appointment is confirmed by the UK government, Mr Busingye will replace Yamina Karitanyi who has since taken office in Kigali as head of the Rwanda Mines, Gas and Petroleum Board.

The post in London still remains vacant months later.

“Ambassador Busingye will be arriving at some point in the New Year. We have every confidence that he will make Rwanda proud and help us build on our already strong relationship with the UK,” Yolande Makolo, Rwanda’s government spokesperson told The EastAfrican.

“Those trying to take advantage of the appointment of our High Commissioner appointee are desperate to salvage the reputation of Paul Rusesabagina — a man who very publicly spoke about founding an armed group, the FLN, even as they conducted attacks which killed innocent Rwandans, including children,” Ms Makolo added.

Push by activists

Since Mr Busingye’s appointment on August 31, activists in the UK and the US have been pushing to reject his credentials and place him on the list of people sanctioned by the UK under the Magnitsky Sanctions programme that targets individuals responsible for human rights violations or corruption.

On December 8, UK’s All-Party Parliamentary Group on Magnitsky Sanctions urged their government not to accept the new Rwandan ambassador, and to add his name on the list of individuals sanctioned by the UK, alongside Rwanda’s Investigation Bureau’s (RIB) secretary-general Jeannot Ruhunga for their role in the alleged kidnapping and associated human-rights violations.

“As far as I understand it, the UK government has still not given their agreement to the appointment. I hope they will announce today that they have absolutely no intention of doing so,” said Chris Bryant, a UK MP.

Similar calls on the UK government to reject Mr Busingye credentials were echoed by US-based rights group Lantos Foundation, which on Wednesday filed a formal UK Global Human Rights Sanctions submission with the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office.

The UK government said, “We do not comment on the appointment process for individual ambassadors or high commissioners. All nominations are considered on a case-by-case basis and a range of factors are taken into account before a decision is made.”

However, given that the UK and Rwanda are keen to maintain what they both describe as “a strong relationship”, it is unlikely that calls by activists will reverse the appointment.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing intense scrutiny by the British public as well as his Conservative Party over his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The UK is also backing Rwanda as the incoming chair of the Commonwealth Heads of Government to host the biennial summit CHOGM.

“Preparations for CHOGM are ongoing, and we are hopeful that it will be able to take place as planned, at some point this year. We are currently working towards finalising a date. The only barrier to our preparations is the ongoing situation regarding Covid-19,” Ms Makolo said.

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Who is Johnston Busingye?

Prior to his appointment as Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Johnston Busingye held many positions in the Rwandan government and judiciary.

From 2006 until 2013, he served as the president of the High Court of Rwanda. Other responsibilities in the past were National Prosecutor of Rwanda, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice, and principal judge of the East African Court of Justice (EACJ).

In his capacity as Minister of Justice, he announced in July 2014, the decision by the government of Rwanda, not to become a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

He has a Bachelor of Laws, obtained from Makerere University. He also holds a Diploma in Legal Practice, awarded by the Law Development Center in Kampala. In addition, he holds a certificate, awarded by the John F. Kennedy School of Government, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. (Source: East Africa Law Society).