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HAS THE WORLD LEARNT NOTHING FROM THE 1994 GENOCIDE AGAINST TUTSI? [OPINION]
Frank Gashugi
The New Times (Kigali)
July 28, 2010 Wednesday
Rwanda
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.
From: A. Papazian
Frank Gashugi
The New Times (Kigali)
July 28, 2010 Wednesday
Rwanda
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.
From: A. Papazian