Vague accusation of "divisionism" a political tool in Rwanda

KIGALI, Aug 24 (AFP) - Rwandan authorities have accused an increasing number of opposition politicians of "ethnic divisionism", a vague charge in a country recovering from genocide, and one denounced by rights groups as lacking substance.

The main opposition candidate, Faustin Twagiramungu, a former moderate Hutu prime minister, has been accused of divisionism by the government media as well as the National Electoral Commission (NEC), ahead of presidential elections scheduled for Monday.

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According to NEC president Chrisologue Karangwa, Twagiramungu emphasized ethnic differences in a bid to win support from members of the majority Hutu ethnic group.

In none of the campaign meetings attended by an AFP reporter did Twagiramungu openly make statements calling specifically on fellow Hutus to vote for him.

The words "Hutu" and "Tutsi" had become taboo nine years after the 1994 genocide.

The current government, which came to power in 1994 after Tutsi rebels of the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) defeated the Hutu-led regime has sought to obliterate the use of the terms Hutu and Tutsi in a bid to enhance state nationalism.

Between April and July 1994, a million Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed in the ethnic massacres orchestrated by leaders of then Hutu-dominated government and military.

The constitution approved in a referendum in May 2003, holds as one of its fundamental principles that "ethnic, regional and other divisions should be eradicated".

According to a law on "divisionism and "sectarianism" promulgated in February 2002, sectarianism is defined as any use of "speech, statement or action dividing the people, that might lead to conflict among the population."

Before the elections, the main opposition party, the Democratic Republican Movement (MDR) dominated by Hutus was dissolved.

The RPF has used the accusation of "divisionism" to get rid of opponents, rights watchdog Human Rights Watch wrote in a report last May.

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