Kagame defends Rwanda’s rights as the Commonwealth expands

President Paul Kagame fiercely defended Rwanda’s record on human rights and political freedoms on Saturday as the curtains closed on a Commonwealth Summit that has placed his country under intense scrutiny.

The Commonwealth also welcomed two new members at its summit in Kigali – the French-speaking West African states of Togo and Gabon, which have no historical ties to Britain.

The decision to hold the gathering in Rwanda was heavily criticized by legal advocates, who accused Commonwealth leaders of ignoring repression and detention of opponents in the host country.

Kagame, who has been the de facto ruler since the end of the genocide in 1994, told reporters Rwanda is proud of its record and doesn’t let outsiders lecture it.

“As far as values ​​go, we don’t need lessons from the BBC or anyone,” Kagame said in an impassioned statement that lasted nearly 30 minutes.

“I want to assure you that there is no one more aware of values ​​than we are here in Rwanda,” he said at the summit’s closing press conference.

Ahead of the meeting, which was attended by Prince Charles and some 30 leading figures, human rights groups warned that Kigali’s glittering streets had been cleared of homeless people and street children in order to maintain a glamorous image for visitors.

In an open letter, 24 civil society organizations said there was a “climate of fear” in Rwanda and urged Commonwealth leaders not to jeopardize the body’s integrity by letting Kagame off the hook.

His government has directed a crackdown on the right to assembly, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention, torture and extrajudicial executions, they said.

Kagame dismissed any suggestion that his government was arresting opponents and said some of his most vocal critics had been released from prison by presidential pardons.

“There is nobody in Rwanda who is in prison who shouldn’t be there because we have a really working and fair justice system,” he said.

Kagame also announced that Gabon and Togo had been admitted to the Commonwealth, the first new members since Rwanda in 2009.

“This is a historic moment! A new important page in Gabon’s history is being turned 62 years after its independence,” Gabon President Ali Bongo said in a statement.

Togo’s Foreign Minister Robert Dussey said membership opened the door to 2.5 billion consumers in the Commonwealth realm, brought new educational opportunities and sparked a “enthusiasm” for English among his countrymen.

Francophone states have also sought to join the Commonwealth in recent years in a move away from former colonial ruler France, analysts said.

The addition of Gabon and Togo brings membership to 56 nations and is a boon for the Commonwealth at a time when its future relevance and modern profile is once again being debated.

Republican movements are rooted in a number of Commonwealth nations, and some are calling for redress for colonial-era injustices.

On Friday, Prince Charles told Commonwealth leaders the choice to become a republic or relinquish Queen Elizabeth II as head of state was their own alone and expressed “personal sadness” at Britain’s legacy of slavery.

And British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the interest of new members showed the organization was alive and well.

But the admission of Gabon and Togo could raise questions about the Commonwealth’s commitment to good governance, respect for rights and democracy as core values ​​of its charter.

Both countries have been ruled by individual families for over half a century, and elections have been marred by irregularities and violence.

“We are much better together than we will ever be apart,” said Patricia Scotland, who was re-elected for another two years as Commonwealth Secretary-General after a bloody and divisive campaign in Kigali.

Delegates to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) addressed issues such as climate change, violence against women, mental health, immunization equity and urbanization – to name a few.

However, a much-criticised deal to deport UK asylum seekers to Rwanda dogged the meeting, with Johnson vigorously defending his policy.

Ahead of the summit, it was reported that Charles – who will take over the Commonwealth when he becomes king – was strongly opposed to the migrant scheme.

The first transfer of asylum seekers scheduled for this month has been blocked by a European court, but Johnson insists the deal is not illegal and he will go ahead with it.

Born out of the British Empire, the Commonwealth represents one-third of humanity in nations across Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas.

The next Commonwealth meeting will be in Samoa in 2024.