Analysis of "The Global Elite's Favorite Strongman"

September 4, 2013, The New York Times published This Article by Jeffrey Gettleman entitled “The Global Elite’s Strongman.”  The article was based upon Gettleman’s 3 hour personal interview with Rwandan President Paul Kagame.

Gettleman’s article has caused much controversy among the refugee community as well as the journalist community.  Refugees feel that he did not give an accurate portrayal of Kagame’s barbarism while some other journalists feel that they could have written this article (and some have said they have written similar articles of the same or better quality) using the same sources with or without personally interviewing Kagame.  My goal is to analyze Gettleman’s article to check the validity of these claims.

Gettleman’s article begins by a superficial praise of the outward visual beauty of Kigali, Rwanda. There has never been any doubt about this image. The question that Gettleman fails to ask is, “what is this image hiding?” When he brings up the fact that there are no homeless people, and that the homeless are dealt with by being sent to a detention center in the middle of Lake Kivu (nicknamed “Hawaii” by Rwandan officials – “Alcatraz” by some Kigali citizens), Gettleman fails to ask about this detention center or the human rights issues involved. What happens in this center? When did poverty become illegal? Is Kagame’s image more important than the suffering of his people? We will never know – at least not from Gettleman.

He then praises Rwanda’s safety in contrast to the Genocide of 1994. Obviously, Rwanda is safer than it was in those horrific days. Gettleman overtly posts blame solely upon the Hutus against the Tutsis – a narrative fully supported and made the law by Kagame. To claim otherwise is a crime in Rwanda. To claim that Tutsis were in anyway responsible for any part of the Genocide is “Genocide Denial” or “Genocide Ideology.” Both are punishable by long prison sentences. Gettleman fails to look into the credible claims of Dr. Theogene Rudasingwa that it was Paul Kagame himself who ordered the shooting of the president’s plane that was the tipping point starting the genocide. He fails to look at the claims that Kagame told his Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) armies that all Tutsis were out of the towns they were invading and it would be only Hutus that they would be killing – therefore, unknowing to RPF soldiers, they would also be killing Tutsis. To be clear, no one denies that Hutus killed Tutsis. No one denies there was a Hutu Power movement. But the Genocide conditions were much more complex than a simple narrative can explain. There simply are no clean hands as far as “groups” go when it comes to the 94 Genocide. Gettleman does not consider this.

President Paul Kagame

Gettleman then goes as far as to call Kagame a “godsend” while calling other African leaders disparaging names: “Megalomaniac” (Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe), “Feckless” (Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of the Congo – who Gettleman also accuses of playing video games all day while his nation falls apart). Gettleman then names Kagame’s powerful backers including Bill Clinton and Bill Gates while calling Kagame “stoic,” and “Spartan.”

Gettleman then touts Kagame’s success in raising Rwanda from the ashes of the 94 Genocide, and then brings up his harsh and possible criminal methods (FINALLY!). He says that Kagame has a reputation for being “merciless and brutal,” and describes his documented crimes of supporting the M23 militia in the DRC (though he makes no mention of Kagame’s 19 years of incursions into the DRC costing over 6 million lives). Immediately, however, Gettleman dismisses these claims as “at least what a growing number of critics say…”  He then explains Western support of Kagame. The West, Gettleman says, according to a diplomat working in Rwanda, is rarely concerned with actual humanitarian rights, but with results. Kagame delivered those results of stable leadership and delivering results. What are those results? Gettleman did not say. Why doesn’t the West care about supporting a war criminal? Gettleman did not ask.

Gettleman does not cite other examples of Western Imperialism. He says that the West has supported dictators in other parts of the world, but to the uninformed reader or to the young reader who may not know about the “darker side” of Western history, Gettleman offers no help. Of course, no single article can give every piece of information. That could possibly be Gettleman’s reason for not citing examples. So, rather than criticizing him on this point, I would rather just suggest that readers find examples of Western Imperialism propping up dictators in violation of fair and free elections in other nations. (NOTE: Kagame technically has been elected. Whether these elections are “fair and free” is a matter for debate).

Gettlemen then describes his meeting of Kagame. He gives a brief but important biography of Mr. Kagame from his days as a refugee to soldier to president. He describes that according to Rwandan Law, the president is limited to 2 terms, and Kagame is in his 2^nd term, but it appears that he will not be giving up power at the end of this term. Rather than exploring this possible power grab, Gettleman moves on. If a 3^rd term only affected Rwanda, this could be understood, but a 3^rd term affects the entire Great Lakes Region of Africa and it also affects International Politics. Kagame’s interventions via the illegal militia M23 as documented by the UN Group of Experts in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) holds the lives of millions at bay. His blatant disregard for international law and the International Community’s ignoring of this affects the peace of the region.

Without a doubt, as Gettleman describes, Kagame has made great strides as President of Rwanda. Women are becoming more and more educated. Technology is developing. The economy is growing. Gettleman fails to count the cost of this growth. What human rights have been violated to accomplish these growths? I cannot say. Why are Rwandans afraid to speak openly (as cited by Gettleman)?

Gettleman praises Kagame for being a “hands on” leader. This does appear to be positive until one reads into the article. Kagame does not tolerate corruption – good thing. This, however, can lead to paranoia (For an account of this, read Healing a Nation: Waging and Winning a Peaceful Revolution to Unite and Heal a Broken Rwanda, by Dr. Theogene Rudasingwa). Kagame is involved in almost all levels of governance of Rwanda. He has his regional leaders set goals and they are held accountable to those goals.

Gettleman then talks about some methods Kagame uses to handle dissent, however he does not ask Kagame any questions about these methods. He uses the example of human rights activist, Rene Claudel Mugenzi who is in the United Kingdom. According to Scotland Yard, they had reliable intelligence that Rwanda had a “hit squad” in the UK to kill Mugenzi. Another example is Kayumba Nyamwasa. He was shot in South Africa and blames this shooting on a Rwandan “hit squad.” Kagame denies all of this. Gettleman does not press him on these issues.

In fact, Gettleman dismissed these claims by calling Kagame “geeky” and it being hard to imagine that he would have anything to do with this. According to Kagame, people like Nyamwasa and Mugenzi are “thieves” who believe that “in Africa, nothing good happens and every leader is a dictator…” 

Gettleman then describes how Kagame handles staff with whom Kagame is not pleased. He will call them into his office, summon some guards, and have these staff members thrashed with sticks. Kagame did not deny this. Instead, he said that he does have a tendency to be “tough.” --- A World Leader “spanking” staff members is tough?

In a very short part of the article, Gettleman does acknowledge Kagame’s human rights abuses including the massacre of Hutu families in the Congo jungles. He acknowledges that there is severe repression inside of Rwanda, but then quickly turns to noting Western Guilt for not helping at the time of the Rwandan Genocide of 1994. He seems to be saying that Westerners should be afraid to even speak of Rwanda because of the West’s horrific mistakes of the past.

Disturbingly, when Gettleman talked to Western Diplomats, he exposed their racist tendencies by their holding low expectations for Africans. The diplomats, by and large, believe there should be more Kagames, because he provides stability. He is a constant in a region of change. His human rights record means little because he is a constant to these diplomats.

The best way that Getleman could conclude this article was by quoting Kagame in saying, “God created me in a very strange way.” If “a very strange way” means murderous, brutal, and invasive into other sovereign nations, then, yes – God did create Kagame in a very strange way.

Getleman’s article is a disappointment for anyone hoping that he would expose something of significance. Reporters such as Ann Garison and Jennifer Fierberg have been doing such work for years and have uncovered much more without access to Kagame. One would expect a publication such as the New York Times to provide a more in depth and truthful article. Instead, they portrayed Kagame as a regular human being. While Kagame is human, he is also a world leader who is held to a higher standard as are all world leaders. Yes, all humans make mistakes, but world leaders can and should be open to public criticism and praise for their actions.  Gettleman ultimately failed in providing the information needed in that regard.