POLITICS & HUMAN RIGHTS
French MEP Thierry Mariani Calls Kagame a Bloodthirsty Dictator
French MEP Thierry Mariani slams Kagame as a dictator, cites massacres in DRC, Ingabire’s case, and calls for the EU to cut ties with Rwanda.
September 11, 2025 at 4:59:07 PM
May 15, 2026 at 7:03:32 PM
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French MEP Thierry Mariani (left) and Rwanda’s Paul Kagame (right). Composite image edited by XTRAfrica Studio.
In the European Parliament, French deputy Thierry Mariani delivered strong words against Rwandan President Paul Kagame. Mariani described Kagame as a “bloodthirsty and authoritarian dictator” who has sponsored massacres, civil persecutions, and the looting of mineral resources in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
For many years, Kagame was seen as a favorite of Brussels. Despite his violent record, the European Union turned a blind eye, even accepting his fourth re-election with a “Soviet score of 99.18%.”
Mariani said this blind support is finally beginning to change under the new European Commission. However, he stressed that the past silence and complacency towards Kigali remain “intolerable” and contradict the moral principles the EU claims to defend.
Victoire Ingabire: A Symbol of Hope
Mariani highlighted the case of opposition leader Victoire Ingabire, calling her “a symbol facing the executioner of the Great Lakes Region.” He said Ingabire represents the hope for democracy in Rwanda — a hope Kagame has tried to kill through her arrest and arbitrary imprisonment.
READ ALSO: Breaking: Victoire Ingabire Officially Detained by RIB
Call for European Action
According to Mariani, the European Union now has a duty:
To revive the democratic hope embodied by Victoire Ingabire
To demand her immediate release
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