Kagame slams US actress Mia Farrow over M23 rebels report

File photo: President Kagame addressing participants at the RPF Extended National Executive Council – Kigali, July 13, 2013 (Photo by PPU)

American actress and DR Congo activist Mia Farrow was at the receiving end of attack from Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame today after she tweeted to him an error-filled report published by Human Rights Watch.

On Tuesday early morning, Mia Farrow sent a tweet: “Rwanda backed rebels in #Congo have executed 44 people & raped 61 women since March”, in which she tagged President Kagame. An hour later, the President replied accusing her of being “biased”.

“You [are] just dead wrong and biased on Rwanda,” said Kagame. “… get facts right and put blame where it be …. if you want to be helpful!!!”

Mia Farrow is UNICEF’s Goodwill Ambassador and has visited DRC’s war-torn east several times. With minutes of President Kagame’s response, it had acquired more than 40 Retweets and Favourites – indicative of how eager his followers wait for anything he has to say.

In the controversial report which has attracted furry from Rwanda government and social media, Human Rights Watch claims Rwanda is still backing Congolese M23 rebels. The Washington-based group alleged that the rebels had committed dozens of rapes and various other crimes.

UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Mia Farrow plays with a Congolese child outside a MONUC base in Kiwanja, north of Goma, capital of North Kivu Province (Photo by wnyc

However, in what will emerge as a major embarrassment to the lobby group, the report claims some of the Rwandan army soldiers helping M23 served in Somalia on UN peacekeeping operations. This is completely wrong as Rwanda has never sent troops to Somalia.

The report said: “Congolese deserters told Human Rights Watch that a number of M23 fighters admitted freely that they were Rwandan. Some said they had served in the Rwandan army’s peacekeeping contingent in Somalia or Darfur.”

The lengthy document added: “Two former M23 officers told Human Rights Watch that some of the Rwandan fighters in their units told them they had served in Somalia or Darfur as part of the Rwandan army’s peacekeeping contingent.”

Actress Mia Farrow joins a list of individuals that have come under scrutiny from President Kagame on social media. Some like British journalist Ian Birrell got much of the fame he enjoys now after getting embroiled in a heated exchange with President Kagame on Twitter.