Rwanda News Agency/Agence Rwandaise d'Information (Kigali)
5 March 2008
Kigali — Top individuals that the authorities in Kigali consider as carrying views that strongly negate the Genocide are taking their battle to Canada at a conference scheduled later this month, RNA has established.
The French writer-journalist Pierre Pean, Spanish Lawyer Jordi Palou-Loverdos and Belgian journalist Peter Verlinden have been invited to the conference in Montreal organized by a publishing house that was also at the center of similar accusations. Another controversial Canadian writer-politician Robin Philpot will be in attendance.
The conference has been themed 'Les Médias et le Rwanda: la difficile recherche de la vérité' (The Media and Rwanda: The Difficult Search for the Truth) and will take place on March 29.
Mr. Pierre Pean is subject to a court case in Paris emanating from a 2005 book "Noires Fureurs, Blancs Menteurs (Black Furies, White Liars)" lodged by French and Rwandan campaigners accusing him of denying the Genocide. Government says he is a spy working for the French establishment to minimize the Genocide.
Spanish advocate Jordi Palou-Loverdos is the lawyer and spokesman in the indictments by Judge Fernando Andreu of Spain's National Court who has issued international arrest warrants for 40 top Rwandan military personnel. He is the one that has been on the airwaves defending the indictments.
For his part, journalist Peter Verlinden is behind a bitter relationship with government in Kigali that accuses him of 'simplifying the magnitude of the Genocide'. Recently he was kicked off a plane in Goma (DRC) as he tried to enter Rwanda as part of a Belgian delegation. He had not been granted a visa.
The Canadian politician Robin Philpot is author of 'Ça ne s'est pas passé comme ça à Kigali' (It did not happen like that in Kigali) that Rwandan campaigners in Canada say outrightly denies the Genocide happened.
He has dismissed this accusation saying his concern is the version that Rwandan officials use to explain the massacres.
Incidentally, the organizer of the conference is the same company 'Les Editions les Intouchables' that published the book by Mr. Philpot that is at the center of the storm.
There have been few of such platforms in Canada where controversial personalities that hold strong views on the Rwandan mayhem have been invited. The common meeting ground has been Belgium where thousands of Rwandan opposition figures operate. The country is also home to thousands of fugitives running away from their Genocide past.
A similar meet in November last year scheduled at the Louvain Catholic University in Belgium was moved to another venue following protests from campaigners.
There are atleast five individuals in Canada that Rwanda wants brought to book for the role in the Genocide. Another, Mr. Desire Munyaneza is currently before court on war crimes. However, the Genocide case against one Mr. Victor Ndihokubwayo was dropped recently for no evidence.
However, relations between Rwanda and Canada remain strong with the latter being one of the prominent bankrollers of the former. President Paul Kagame has been to Canada on several occasions amid protests by the many opposition figures living their.
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