Don't ban rights groups, Kigali urged

African Rights, a continental human rights organisation, has urged the Rwandan government to reject a request to dissolve six of the country's human rights groups accused by a parliamentary commission of harbouring genocidal ideas.

"We call upon parliamentarians to move beyond the anger expressed in the heat of the debate and consider how the sensitive and difficult issues the discussion raised may best be addressed in the interests of all the citizens of Rwanda," African Rights said in a report issued on 9 July.
It described the commission's decision as "misconceived".

Among the organisations recommended for dissolution is the League for the Promotion and Defence of Human Rights, an independent rights monitoring body, which has in the past been critical of the government's record on promoting and protecting human rights. The other NGOs include the Forum des organisations rurales, Abahamya b'izuka, Souvenirs des parents, SDA-Iriba and 11.11.11, a Belgian-based organisation with a local agency.

African Rights's recommendation follows a similar statement made by international NGOs Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.

African Rights called on Rwanda to consider establishing mechanisms for mediation and regulation so that when the practices of an organisation gave rise to a substantial reason for concern over ethnic discrimination or incitement, they could be handled in a thorough, fair and measured manner.

"One possible approach would be the establishment of a voluntary monitoring panel including representatives appointed by civil society groups, the churches and the government, to come up with specific guidelines on these issues and to build trust between these sectors," African Rights said.

In 2003, a parliamentary commission recommended the banning of the main opposition party, Democratic Republican Movement, for its "divisionism". The party was banned ahead of presidential and parliamentary elections that were won by President Paul Kagame's Rwanda Patriotic Front.