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’They are wasting their time’ - President Kagame reacts to ’Forbidden Stories’

By Wycliffe Nyamasege
On 17 June 2024 at 03:06

President Paul Kagame on Monday laughed off reports by a group of more than 50 journalists accusing his administration of widespread repression.

Speaking during an interview with RBA, the Head of State dismissed the series of stories dubbed "Rwanda Classified" as sponsored, saying the individuals behind the campaign "are just wasting their time".

"I was seeing a conglomerate of journalists who are really up in arms against us. But these are just wasting their time. They should have used their money and energy for something else. Rwanda is here and will prosper every year in spite of them," President Kagame stated.

The government had earlier accused the group of journalists mostly European and drawn from 17 media outlets of a well-orchestrated plan to dent Rwanda’s image ahead of the general elections slated for July.

In a statement to newsrooms on May 28, the Office of the Government Spokesperson said the claims were not new.

"Rwandans have come to expect this kind of media flurry by the usual actors, timed to disrupt our upcoming presidential and legislative elections.

"In a similar vein, along Rwanda’s western border, in the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, there is a parallel attempt to protect the genocidal militia FDLR, in the hopes of hurting Rwanda and in support of the open call for “regime change” by the President of the DRC," the government said.

The government maintained that the "malicious" campaign would not "materialise".

"This objective will not materialise because of the strong unity and accountable political system that Rwandans have built over the years. Rwanda’s democratic processes will continue, and Rwandans will make their choices about who they want to lead them into the future, peacefully and confidently."

The "Rwanda Classified" project is orchestrated by "Forbidden Stories," a platform and website run by the Freedom Voices Network. The Journalists’ association was created in November 2017 by French journalist Laurent Richard.

President Paul Kagame on Monday laughed off reports by a group of more than 50 journalists accusing his administration of widespread repression.

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