Frank Habineza, President of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda (DGPR), has strongly denied social media claims that he attended a secret meeting in the United States with opposition figures Thomas Nahimana and Paul Rusesabagina.
An account on X (formerly Twitter) named “Africans” alleged that “individuals opposed to Rwanda held a secret meeting in the United States,” and shared photos featuring Rusesabagina, Nahimana and Habineza.
Habineza, who is currently serving as a Senator in Rwanda’s Parliament, dismissed the claims as false and unfounded.
“I am in Rwanda, in the City of Kigali. Today I spent the entire day in the Senate plenary session in my capacity as a Senator,” he said.
He added: “The rumours claiming that I am in the United States meeting Thomas Nahimana and Paul Rusesabagina to plot wrongdoing are baseless lies.”
Habineza further clarified that neither he nor his party share a political agenda with the two men.
“I wish to remind everyone that our party is rooted in promoting peace and tolerance. This is also the line we share with the global Green movement. Those who fabricated these rumours are gravely mistaken,” he said.
Habineza, a long-time opposition politician, has been active in environmental advocacy since his university days at the former National University of Rwanda. In August 2009, he formally entered politics by founding the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda.
He contested the presidential election in 2017 but was unsuccessful. In 2018, he was elected as a Member of Parliament, serving one term that ended in 2024. He again ran for president in 2024 but did not win. Since then, he has continued to lead the DGPR and was later appointed to the Senate, where he remains active in promoting democracy and environmental protection.
Nahimana and Rusesabagina both identify as opposition political figures and are known for their criticism of the Rwandan government.
Rusesabagina founded the armed group MRCD/FLN, which was linked to attacks carried out on Rwandan territory. He was subsequently tried and sentenced to 25 years in prison on terrorism-related charges before later receiving a presidential pardon after submitting a formal request.
