While concluding the week-long commemoration week on Monday, April 13, the National Commission for the Fight Against Genocide(CNLG) called for additional efforts in combating genocide ideology. The commemoration week is part of the 100 days in which the 1994 genocide against Tutsi took place and claimed over one million lives. This years remembrance was different from previous ones due to COVID-19 which prevented mass gatherings. As a result, all programs related to commemoration were streamed on local media platforms. The final day of the commemoration ran under the theme the role of political parties in spreading genocide ideology in 1994, as well as the role of citizen-centered leadership in commemoration and in fighting genocide ideology. Speaking to The New Times, Dr Jean Damascene Bizimana, Director General of CNLG noted that the Government has already taken measures to curb genocide denial. He said: We have already started educating the youth on the tragedy that our country went through during the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi and showing them how destructive genocide ideology can be. Bizimana continued to say that parents should also join this fight by informing children the truth of the 1994 against the Tutsi. He said: We also request parents to play their role in teaching their children the true history of this country vis-a-vis genocide against the Tutsi, and avoid any form of lies because the consequences will always be huge Effective use of technology Former senator, Tito Rutaremara also highlighted that young people in particular should make good use of technology and confront genocide deniers with facts. Apparently, everything is going digital including those disseminating genocide ideology, he said, adding that: Youth should take advantage of the available technology and disclose the truth they know about the genocide, so as to even protect people from falling into the trap of genocide deniers because of lacking a comparison base, He said. The reason to why we want, to focus on is being there are the future generation and know less about the genocide, Rutaremara said. Law provision on genocide ideology crime According to the law on the crime of genocide ideology and related crimes that was enacted in 2018, a person who, in public, either verbally, in writing, through images or in any other manner, commits an act that manifests an ideology that supports or advocates for destroying, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group, commits an offence. Upon conviction, the law provides, he/she is liable to imprisonment for a term of not less than five years and not more than seven years, with a fine of not less than Rwf500,000 and not more than Rwf1 million.
