Do Not Disturb: The Story of a Political Murder and an African Regime Gone Bad

• by Michela Wrong •

Overview

Michela Wrong's "Do Not Disturb" is a vexing but essential book about Rwanda and its leaders, notably Paul Kagame. The book opens with the murder of Patrick Karegeya, Rwanda's former head of intelligence. The story is about Kagame's presidency and the difficult history of the Africa Great Lakes region leading up to and following the genocide in 1994.

Wrong's rigorous research delivers new insight into the inner workings of a duplicitous dictatorship. She skillfully surfaced and synthesized silenced voices. I understand the complex regional dynamics better after reading this book. I would also have appreciated additional analysis on how these newer perspectives compare with previously published investigations. This omission makes this work a good addition to understanding what happened, rather than a stand-alone comprehensive account of the situation.

Reflections Raised by this Reading

This book is stirring. Beyond the book's direct purpose, this harrowing account underscores the importance of character in individual leaders. It raises questions about the courage required to confront leadership abuses. And It prompts reflection on the competencies and connections required for adequate accountability structures that must surround any leader, whether internally or externally imposed.

This book, alongside a conversation with a colleague targeted by Kagame's regime, elicited these six ideas that I intend to ponder further.

1. Insecure, controlling leaders lack character and can destroy lives.

Robert Greene's book The 48 Laws of Power showed up on the desks of Kagame's staff. "Never outshine the master" was the first law. I'm reminded that leaders' unaddressed insecurities result in fatal wounds. Their character defects cause them to compulsively exercise power over people, rather than use their privileges, competencies, and connections to unlock the potential for thriving. At its worst, where institutional safeguards fail to create accountability, murder and atrocities are inevitable. In liberal democratic politics or even corporations, these personalities destroy by controlling with psychological violence, snuffing out the mind and spirit if not the physical body directly.

"It is a deadly but common misperception to believe that by displaying and vaunting your gifts and talents, you are winning the master's affection. He may feign appreciation, but at his first opportunity he will replace you with someone less intelligent, less attractive, less threatening." —Robert Greene, The 48 Laws of Power

2. Leaders must grow competencies to de-escalate geopolitical tensions by addressing identity crises.

Refugees, radicalization, and oppression will persist as people struggle to find or create the "tribe" that anchors their identity. Globalization confuses this pursuit as previous identity markers such as languages, geography, and citizenship are complicated with new affinity options. Leaders must create a belonging around a shared purpose and mission above any exogenous factors.

3. We must consider the shifting roles of guilt and shame as tools for both communities and their leaders to create accountability in a democratic society.

Western law and tradition are based on guilt, which assumes shared underpinning values. This approach relies on the strength of each individual's conscience and character. Today's bloated corpus of Western legal code now prescribes behavior with detail, relying less on guilt derived from shared underpinning ideals. The rule of law now masquerades as morality. Guilt increasingly stems from rules that help us determine right and wrong, rather than character development (which guides us far beyond the rules to new situations). On the other hand, Eastern law and tradition often rely more on community-based shame, rather than guilt, to govern society. We’re seeing more of this in the West today with the rise of cancel culture and social media shaming. What balance of guilt and shame for accountability ultimately drives the most thriving for individuals, communities, and diverse societies? What steps can we take to prioritize forming shared values that shape character and guide people from the inside out?

4. Leaders must value truth-telling over cleverness.

In a world where PR and spin are now normal, the need for courageous truth-tellers has never been greater. Leaders must value truth as a core element of character to restore trust in society at all levels. Wrong's work reminds us that leadership requires character and fidelity to core principles, even when it isn't expedient or easy. Too many leaders today rely on tactics like fear or greed for short-term gains rather than building competencies to develop sustainable paths for thriving. Leadership is hard enough without obfuscation and lies that damage connections.

5. We must beware of intelligence as a weapon in the hands of a surveillance state.

Surveillance capability isn't necessarily proportional to tech infrastructure. The intelligence apparatus, underpinned by human networks, permeates life for Rwandans at home and abroad. Any hint of disagreement is punished by death, exile, or prison. This could happen anywhere that citizens and policy-makers don't have the competencies and courage to consider the consequences of emerging technological capabilities.

6. We must codify warning signs of when a leader must be forcefully challenged.

The book reports that Kagame's autocratic regime emerged slowly. His tactics included cultivating tensions among peers and subordinates, manipulating their relationships to isolate subordinates from one another, duplicating assignments to cause peers to compete with and inform on one another, and handing out tasks that undermined the work of another person. Kagame trusted no one and had to be the center of control, including his staff's interpersonal relationships and task-level details. Even when psychological abuse turned to physical beatings and unjust imprisonment, the intimidation and fear he instilled in those around him made mustering the courage to speak truth to power difficult. Confrontations cost lives. What are the best practices and competencies we need here? Who is best positioned to confront when retribution is likely? How do we fortify collective courage to act in dangerous circumstances? How do we stay alert for acclimation to brutality and early warning signs?

Conclusion

"Do Not Disturb" is a thought-provoking book that is a must-read for diplomats, public policy professionals, and global geopolitics gurus. Readers without some background in African affairs may find the academic rigor tedious and will require additional reading for a fully balanced perspective on Rwanda's history and challenges. Those who persevere through the lengthy text will benefit from Wrong's direct insight as well as the broader questions incited by Kagame's ego-centric leadership approach.

Call for Conversation

In light of the dangers of abusive leadership practices raised in this book, what's one courageous action that a less powerful person could take to defang bullying behaviors before they do serious harm?