Journal of the RAFIKIS': Friday, May 05, 2006

Fellow "Nyarus" welcoming kagame (9 more pictures below)

Paul Kagame finally set foot on Canadian soil for the first time after numerous snubs by the previous Liberal leadership. The Liberals had a sound reason to distance themselves from the 'Pilato'. He is a man with a heavy baggage and I am afraid his foes are gaining the advantage here. The dilemma is that he was greeted by hundreds of drum beating demonstrators that accuse him of human rights abuses and genocide in the DRC, yet in the same token, another school of thought sees him as a great African leader who deserves a medal for his sacrifices and indeed the University of Sherbrooke presented him with a medal for reconciliation in Rwanda and not to be out done, the University of Western Ontario bestowed on him with honors too.

The controversy that surrounded his visit was so overwhelming to the extent that the conservatives had no option but to allow him visit unofficially. To me it was outrageous for a head of state to visit and not be received or acknowledged by any high ranking government official of the country he is visiting! If you let the man in you have no choice but do the needful and for christ's sake cut the man some slack, he ain't a pilato for nothing. Get that people.

Prior to his visit the lead council at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, Peter Erlinder, sent an official letter asking Prime Minister Harper to disallow the visit on the grounds that as an "accused war criminal" he should not receive endorsement of the Canadian government without putting the record straight. Equal pressure was exerted onto the conservatives from the huge Congolese community in Montreal and the Rwandese expatriates Association. I was so dampened by these negative forces I consider hypocritical that I jumped onto Ndungutse's bandwagon (dragging the reluctant and sick Hopes with me) to Uof W.O in London to offer my support. Hypocritical in the sense that nobody seems to realize how big a war criminal Bush is and yet he has free passage to Ottawa!! Next time around my drums will be ready, the tide and skin stretched for Kaguta's, if his visit causes a fracas like pilato's did.

Demonstrations by students against Kagame's visit

Students at U of W.O schedules were rudely interrupted by the security presence at campus. The local papers made us know that Pilato has been perhaps the only leader after Bush visiting unofficially with such tight security and a convoy of cars. Four to five security agencies? London Police Dep't (LPD), then RCMP, Campus officers, CISS, and Rwandese security, LOL. Anyways who cares, we had fun, toured London city which I must say is one of the most cleanest cities in Ontario. I enjoyed Ndungutse and Justine's company. The best things in life are free.

Ama foto; with "Nyarus" Brazilian style

A day after storming London with "Nyaru" colors we sailed off to the Bovine, because one Nshuti of mine had mentioned that Matt Bonner aka red rocket was to spin jams off his ipod. Well if it is free why not? U also get to mingle with Raptors' NBA fratenity. That's a bonus right there, never mind the music. He floods in with his homey Pape Sow the 'undersized' Raptors' center or it seems on TV. Well, Hopes and my self got close to Sow for a chat. Man, I'll kill whoever poisoned my mind with that undersized crap, anti talking to this guy was a toll order as my flimsy neck was sent hurting. Talking to a seven footer is like you have been shrunk suddenly with overwhelming brutality, for real. LOL. Did I mention red rocket's hard rock and the spinning talent? I didn't even know he owns an ipod considering his 'sticky hand' bio, mbu, he seldom departs with his amafaranga.

Talking of the NBA, is anybody watching the playoffs lately? If u are u must be intrigued by the level of intensity in this edition, not with Lebron James, the big punisher, teaching the Wizards how to dance and Gilbert Arenas taking none of that, but with Steve Nash the court general's, ability to impose his will in the passing lanes of Kobe Bryant and his Lakers' D. Kobe is money, dropping it like its hot anytime he felt like it, but the game is a team game he gatta know that for he is blessed with Lamar Odom, Kwame Brown whose size outdwells 'the metrix' Marion. In just two hours game 7 of this match up starts, its win or go home and I am sure Kobe, Odom, Kwame, the Metrix, Nash, Diaw are all pumped up just like I am...pumped up.