Anthony Painter

The following four Audioboos are an interview with an anonymous Rwandan blogger, ‘Nkunda’. He talks about the day when eight of his uncles were massacred, he criticises the Kagame government for abuses of human rights and failure to introduce real democracy, and questions the role of major donors in the country such as Britain and their willingness to turn a blind eye to the actions of the Kagame regime both within Rwanda and in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

This interview shows the power of blogging and social media. The blogger has a voice and is able to get a different perspective out to the world. I would really recommend listening to it whether you have deep knowledge of Rwanda and DRC or not. It’s important.

Part 1

We talk about his life and Rwanda and the atrocities that ‘Nkunda’ has experienced and what he found when he returned to Rwanda from exile. He also talks about the reality of Rwanda today- an oppressive reality.

Part 2

We cover the potential similarity of Rwanda and other African nations which have gone down an anti-democratic, ant-human rights path. We talk about the reality of oppression within Rwanda.

Part 3

This deals with the relationship between Britain and other major donors and Rwanda. The feeling is that human rights and democracy are being left out of the discussion. We also discuss the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo where 5 million people have lost their lives in the conflict.

Part 4

We talk about the life of a blogger in Rwanda for a blogger who is critical of the government. We talk a little more about the DRC also.

I hope that people find this interview fascinating. It is a powerful story and an important perspective. Hopefully, you will spread the message so that there is a fully balanced discussion about the future of Rwanda.