Kagame's Janus-Faced Communication Strategy

On the day of André Kagwa Rwisereka's funeral, the assassinated Green Party's Vice-President, two weeks before the 2010 rigged elections, Paul Kagame did not send a message of condolences, but said:

'my job has not been to create an opposition'

These words summarize Kagame's Janus-Faced communication strategy. To the west he portrays himself as the 'beacon of hope' (in a sea of incompetent and desperate primitives), but inside Rwanda he cherishes the image of a brutal election rigging dictator who crushes the opposition, assassinates dissidents at home and abroad and continues to defy the west by playing bloodsoaked games in Virunga park.

Sofar this aspect of the regime in Kigali seemed mostly neglected by western politicians and diplomats. Yesterday that changed.

At the great lakes summit Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders asked Paul Kagame to publicly condemn the M23 rebellion in Congo. Kagame refused to answer and walked out of the meeting. His pr accolytes later claimed the question didn't exist and that Paul had another 'important meeting':

.@YolandeMakolo @digitaldjeli @coloredopinions Not true. DRC summit consisted of speeches by ICGLR states, SADC rep & other int'l stakeholders not exchange 

.@onduhungirehe @digitaldjeli @coloredopinions Please don't mislead your followers! Didier Reynders did not ask any question to PK, who did not "walk out"!

Belgian foreign minister Didier Reynders had just checkmated Paul Kagame. Game over!