Never Again: Has the world learnt nothing from the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi?

The slogan “never again” was popularized after the full extent of the Nazi Genocide during World War II became known to the world. Only a few years have passed, and it seems to be forgotten and the “never again” became “many times more”; in Armenia (1915), East Timor (between 1975 and 1999), Cambodia (between 1975 and 1979) Bosnia Herzegovina (1990s), and in Rwanda, more than one million Tutsis were massacred by extremist Hutus during 1994, while the world stood by. Today, the effects of the 1994 Genocide are still felt in many different ways, both inside the country and in neighboring states, including in the Eastern DRC, where the ex–FAR Interahamwe continue to commit serious human rights violations, including abductions, killings and rape. Indeed the various past genocides, and specifically the recent 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, seem to have left no lessons. There are scores of media houses and other self-styled politicians who continue to sympathize with the Rwandan genocidaires, still at large both in the DRC and Western capitals. I am really irked by media houses that continue to give platform to these genocidaires and their sympathizers, to spread their genocidal propaganda. On 20thJuly 2010, www.blackstarnews.com gave Ingabire Victoire a space to publish her malicious article in which she undermined the hard-earned unity and reconciliation and development in Rwanda. In the article, Ingabire Victoire alleges that Rwandans are living in fear of the dictatorial government and that the government is intolerant with the opposition allegedly because President Kagame wants to cling on power. She goes ahead to attack the National Electoral Commission alleging that it is partial. She maliciously undermines the level of unity and reconciliation attained by Rwandans. No one should be surprised by Ingabire Victoire’s allegations because her political agenda has always been to destroy the unity of Rwandans and has time and again been negating Tutsi genocide. From the beginning of her political career, she has always negated the 1994 genocide against Tutsi, misleading the world that there was double genocide. Her interview at Gisozi genocide memorial site where more than 250.000 genocide victims are buried is one example to show how Ingabire is a genocide negationist. In the interview, Ingabire said; “If you look at this memorial centre, it only shows one side of the Genocide committed against the Tutsi, there is another side of the Genocide committed against the Hutu”. Invoking double genocide was indeed a mockery to those who died in the Genocide, and reflected a deep sense of revisionism and negation of the genocide against Tutsi. According to reliable sources, Ingabire collaborates closely with genocidaires, one of them, her close aide Joseph Ntawangundi, was arrested and confessed to have killed Tutsi in Rukira Sector. The 2009 UN Group of experts on Congo implicated Ingabire as one of the funders of the genocidal FDLR militia group still roaming in the DRC jungles. Ingabire has also been implicated in the acts inciting violence and creating terrorists groups aimed at causing state insecurity. As a matter of fact, two suspects, Lt. Col Tharcisse Nditurende and Lt. Col Noel Habiyambere, recently arrested in Burundi, admitted having worked with Ingabire and Paul Rusesabagina to form a rebel group (CDF) to launch offensives in the country. Lt. Col Tharcisse Nditurende in particular admitted having travelled to Kinshasa from Goma in September 2008 to meet Ingabire and again met her in Congo Brazzaville to carry on with the plans to start the armed group. Should the Rwandans allow a person with criminal charges still under investigations to stand for the highest office in the land? In the article Ingabire tries to sanitize her image misleading the world that her cases are politically motivated and government’s intentions to delay the registration of her party. Is she a genuine politician? Why is she pushing for the registration of her party before clearing her name in court? Ingabire further tries to portray her party as a victim of what she calls dictatorial regime, claiming that her supporters were arrested and tortured while trying to stage manifestations. Were the manifestations legal? Firstly, FDU – Inkingi is not registered and therefore remains an informal group working and serving the interests of negative forces against Rwanda. Thus any manifestations by the members of this informal group are prohibited under the Rwandan laws. Secondly, the manifestations were aimed at orchestrating violence ahead of the elections. Ingabire continues to mislead the world by distorting facts on the ground so as to attract sympathy. It is very absurd for Ingabire to claim that the people of Rwanda are living in fear and anxiety yet the “2009 Global Peace Index” ranked Rwanda the second most peaceful country in the region behind Tanzania. Ingabire herself knows that she is sacrificing the truth for the sake of misleading some people in the western world who have little or distorted information on Rwanda. I wonder what is wrong with Ingabire, to have failed to see what others, including foreigners, have appreciated. Indeed President Kagame has received various awards recognizing his efforts in good governance and promotion of peace, among them include: International Medal of Peace by Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church (2009); Clinton Global Citizen Award for Leadership in Public Service by William Jefferson Clinton (2009); Innovation for Peace Award by the World Summit on Innovation and Enterprise (2008); African National Achievement Award by the Africa America Institute (2005); Global Leadership Award by the Young Presidents Organisation (2003); and many others. I was also surprised by Ingabire’s remarks that the National Electoral Commission (NEC) is partial and that it will conduct sham elections. Should I take my time to educate Ingabire on the composition of NEC? Of course not because she deliberately evades the truth. But for the sake of educating the audience she intends to mislead, I will explain briefly on the composition and impartiality of the NEC. The electoral body is a representation of registered parties, civil society and special groups like women. As a matter of fact members of the commission are: KARANGWA Chrysologue (RPF), HARERIMANA Fatou (PDI); BURASANZWE Oswald (PL); UYISENGA Charles (PSD); MUSEFANO Juvens (Civil Society); DUSABE Goretti – (Women Council); and NYIRACUMI Anne Marie (PDC). Besides, all the parties will have observers at every level of the electoral process. How else does she want the electoral body to be impartial? Should Rwanda privatize the commission to foreigners? Calling the elections that are not yet conducted “sham” is aimed at pre-empting the election results even before the elections are held and this is only aimed at misleading the world. Maliciously, she accused the government of having a hand in the assassination of Andre Rwisereka Kagwa. Did Ingabire carry out investigations? Can she volunteer to provide information about the politician’s killers? I think Police should use Ingabire as a prime witness since she appears to have facts about the real assassin. Why doesn’t she want to wait for the investigation report? The answer is simple; she intends to pre-empt the investigations and as usual tarnish the image of the government of Rwanda. Ends