In its 64th congress held in Santiago, Chile, the “Libaral International” federation has just awarded its prize for freedom, version 2024, to the Rwandan Madame Victoire Ingabire.
The Freedom Prize is awarded annually to honor an individual who has made an exceptional contribution to the promotion of human rights and political freedoms. The winners come from all over the world and have fought on issues ranging from women’s empowerment to establishing democracy.
Read: “Ingabire Day”, symbol of justice and human dignity in Rwanda
Winners from previous years include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (2022), Kenyan lawyer Gitobu Imanyara (1990) and Sadako Ogata (1994).
Madame Victoire Ingabire now enjoys the honor of finding herself among the historic figures, at the global level, who promote human rights and democracy, in exceptional conditions.
An indirect response to recent threats?
This price comes in a particularly turbulent context. Madame Ingabire recently suffered an avalanche of threats made against her. The aim seems, undoubtedly, to weaken her and push her to collapse on her own, probably before any other action is taken against her life.
The Rwandan president’s remarks, made in his speech on November 16, bitterly attack people who have been pardoned but who continue their socio-political activity, diverging ever so slightly from the government line. In a rather demonstrative speech format, the president says verbatim that it is time, regarding these people, to “ repower the clock and reset it to the correct time “. The president complains, moreover, of a certain international opinion which supports them and inflames them, according to his words.
The identity of the people implicitly targeted is not so difficult to identify, as we know that Victoire Ingabire, since her release from prison, is the only one who truly continues her socio-political activity in Rwanda, thus enjoying great credibility. both national and international.
Some pro-government media relayed the president’s speech, enjoying lying and slandering the intentions and conduct of Madame Ingabire. Unsurprisingly, the same slander and defamation have resurfaced: support for rebel groups, genocidal ideology, divisionist spirit, etc.
Today more than ever, threats and other forms of attacks can only inflame already tense minds. They should give way to speeches of appeasement and living together.
If the country were well reconciled, the prize for freedom awarded to Victoire Ingabire should delight the entire population. It would be an opportunity, in the Rwandan context, to reflect and give meaning to “politics” and inclusive and human values.
Isn’t this precisely Victoire Ingabire’s fight?
In ending this post, allow me to refer to a beatitude taken from the novel “Les bouts de bois de Dieu” by Ousmane SEMBENE: “…Happy is he who fights (injustice) without hatred “. This sentence from Maimouna’s song concludes the entire narration of the novel.
