Beware left-wing colonialists

By Simon DANCZUK.

Unlike Britain, Rwanda does not suffer from the left-wing right-wing arguments we commonly see played out in our parliament and especially through our media.

Rwanda is better served by having a more united approach to governance and politics, a shared vision of where the country is going and what it needs to do to get there.

Unfortunately, in the West we often see a leftist agenda permeate our institutions. We have people, who have a particular world view, spread their bias to advance their cause.

A recent example of this is where the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) was found to have falsified a recording of a Donald Trump speech to give the impression he was calling for an insurrection during a rally in Washington.

Regrettably, this left-wing bias does have consequences for countries like Rwanda. BBC Sport recently chose to run a story about Arsenal fans protesting at Visit Rwanda’s sponsorship of their shirts. The claim was that Arsenal football supporters were unhappy with Rwanda’s role in eastern Congo. The reality was that 21 people, from a stadium attendance of over 60,000, held up a banner before their game with Paris Saint Germain. The BBC failed to point out that many of the 21 were Congolese.

A similar bias crept into reporting when Rwanda hosted the Union Cycliste Internationale Road World Championships recently. Instead of celebrating this first for Africa, the BBC consistently reported on the accusation that it was ‘sportswashing’ by Rwanda – sadly it was a core part of its coverage.

The Guardian, another British left-leaning media outlet, has run similar negative stories about Rwanda.

Why do some left-wing Western media organisations attack Rwanda in this way? The answer is simple. Their bias is based on a doctrine like that of Henri de Saint-Simon. A French economic and political theorist at the start of the 1800’s his socialist perspective influenced the likes of Karl Marx. More sinister, he held the view that Europeans were far superior to those in Africa.

These left-leaning journalists, commentators and, even some politicians, like Saint-Simon, believe they have the best ideas about how African states should be run. They take the view that Rwanda is best served by Western socialist models of governance, that anything less must be criticised and condemned.

The good news is that these jaundiced individuals are usually ignored in Britain and beyond.

The truth is Rwanda’s sponsorship of teams like Arsenal, FC Bayern Munchen, Paris Saint Germain, LA Clippers and Los Angeles Rams, is doing a great job in promoting a small African state on the world stage.  Rwanda’s ability to successfully deliver major events is part of the country’s business model.

Rwanda’s hosting of various international sports championships isn’t propaganda, it is about adding to economic growth and ensuring, as a nation, it punches above its weight.

Rwanda is right to focus on sport and right to ignore the haters and naysayers.

The writer is Simon Danczuk, a former British MP who champions strong political and diplomatic relations between Rwanda and the United Kingdom.