Rwanda's sports sponsorships with top clubs like Bayern Munich and Arsenal have raised awareness about human rights violations in the country. Mohamed Keita from the Human Rights Foundation argues that many people overlook the implications of 'Visit Rwanda' branding. Despite President Paul Kagame's investments in sports and infrastructure, the population suffers from severe political oppression and economic hardship. With critics constantly silenced, Rwanda's image as a burgeoning sports destination contrasts sharply with the grim reality of its citizens' daily lives.
"People have become so used to seeing 'Visit Rwanda' that they don't even see it anymore; it's like McDonald's. Nobody thinks about what 'Visit Rwanda' is, what's behind it."
"The vast majority of Rwandans live under political and economic marginalization. They do not enjoy fundamental human rights. The majority of the population lives in poverty."
"The human rights situation is very dire. This is the country where critics of the government are routinely jailed, suffer extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances. It's a police state."
"Paul Kagame has been president of Rwanda for 25 years and essentially ran the country for the six years before that after the genocide in 1994."
Collection
[
|
...
]