On Nyamwasa and Kagame

It has been a busy week in Rwandan politics.

There is much chatter, both domestically and among the disaspora, about the journey into exile of ex-army chief Gen. Kayumba Nyamwasa.

President Kagame laid down a coup challenge, daring his detractors to raise a coup.

There were simultaneous bombs on Thursday evening in Kigali.

Let's contextualise this recent political activity.

First Nyamwasa is one of a long list of members of Kagame's inner circle to have fallen out of favour with him. Nyamwasa's interview with Kampala's Monitor is revealing for a few reasons.

The interview suggests, although Nyamwasa does not say so openly, that there an organised internal (within the RPF) opposition to Kagame's highly centralised and personal rule. It also raises unanswered questions about who is behind the recent bombings in Kigali....

Second, it reveals the extent to which Kagame seeks to control the political space. Dissent of any sort is not allowed; even Ambassadors are not safe. Those who challenge Kagame, or question his commitment to peace, reconciliation or democracy, are eliminated from the political realm.

Of course, there is much missing from the interview, including why Kagame is nervous about Nyamwasa's willingness to testify in a court of law about what he did, as a commander in the RPF, before, during and after the 1994 genocide. This includes Nyamwasa's willingness to speak out about the events surrounding the downing of former President Habyarimana's plane (the event that launched the 1994 genocide). Nyamwasa was indicted by French judge Brugiere, and was found guilty of war crimes.

Kagame reveals his great nervousness about a man who speaks out about his politics (even when they differ from Kagame's) and is willing to testify in a court of law, when he issues a coup challenge to anyone who might question Kagame's power and authority. In an ackward display of political power, Kagame urged his detractors, Nyamwasa among them, to try to take power from him.

Not only do such threat indicate the instability of Kagame's power based in Kigali, it also shows the extent to which Kagame views himself as the only legitimate source of power. This is unfortunate for all Rwandans, elite and ordinary folk alike.