The New Times (Kigali)
James Karuhanga
19 November 2008
opinion
Kigali — On November 14, The Daily Monitor, one of Uganda's leading dailies, in its editorial commentary titled, "Rwanda, France need neutral arbitrator," committed the most unforgivable transgression similar to that [some] international media outlets are fond of: blatantly and dishearteningly distorting facts on Rwanda's 1994 Tutsi genocide.
Of course, no one in his good senses would abhor the prospect of a peace loving and well meaning intermediary, whose role is to end the speculation on who is responsible for what in the '94 Tutsi genocide.
Worrisome in the idea of 'a neutral arbitrator', is the presumption that France and Rwanda are at the same footing, in historical power relations, as if they were both armed foes fighting at the same level of military strength and might. The equating of Rwanda and France must be deplored from the onset.
The author of the editorial seems more keen to sanitise France's role in the Tutsi Genocide, than actually giving a diagnosis within a historical context, that heals the wounds of Rwanda which has been wronged.
"However, this search for justice on both parties should not be used to spread more bitterness and, or to encourage impunity. A careful balance should be sought before the tensions escalate. A neutral party is needed to step in and mediate between Rwanda and France," the editorial reads.
Somehow one is inclined to think there was also genocide in France in which Rwanda is complicit. The complicity of France in the genocide is something which can never be forgiven.
Firstly, France is a former colonial power who should be willing to own up to her vile crimes before and during the genocide and ask Rwandans for forgiveness.
Reparations are not out of question in any post conflict situation, here, only just as a sign of good will because nothing can compensate the millions of loved ones lost, dreams shattered.
There must be measures in place that allow people to figure out what happened and deal with the issues at hand once and for all.
However, the Daily Monitor's commentary, just like in some other foreign papers, simply ignored certain critical aspects to do with Rwanda's history of being brutalised. And, one wonders, is this intentional? If intentional, it would be rather unfortunate. I keep hoping it was not.
Rwanda is indeed recovering from a sad and traumatic history and to create permanent healing for Rwandans, justice-seeking efforts must be taken seriously as the commentary points out in part.
But Rwandans also need to see efforts being made to understand their past and contemporary history, with events, especially before and after their traumatic past being accurately reported.
Unquestionably, there are those who want to blur the truth from the world and especially the French government. These people have something to hide, and helping them, even unknowingly, is inexcusable, that is why the first challenge for those who want to help in healing those wounds is to find out the truth.
One of Daily Monitor's travesty is the thin and deceptive declaration that, "Rwanda accuses France of complicity in the 1994 genocide citing Paris' close relationship with former President Juvenile Habyarimana whose government-allied militia led the 1994 genocide."
To only pinpoint François Mitterrand and Juvénal Habyarimana's friendship is simplistic thinking that distorts facts.
Saying that, "for this charge," Rwanda threatens to indict 23 French soldiers for "allegedly" participating in the Genocide, leaves much to be desired because it ignores all the weighty evidence of France's complicity in the genocide.
And, Rwanda is not accusing France of complicity basing on [mere] allegations. They are not allegations! There are glaringly incriminating facts, and they have been put out for everyone who cares to see.
France was present before, during and even immediately after the genocide. It was not only close to the regime but everything political in the country, including preparations for the genocide before 1994.
This has been widely documented, not only by Rwandans and others but especially by French historians and academics.
The French academic Gérard Prunier, for one, in his book, "The Rwanda crisis, 1959-1994: history of a genocide," is very clear on France's role. There is no ambiguity about how France was involved in planning the genocide.
French journalist Patrick de Saint-Exupery, in "L'inavouable, la France au Rwanda" (The Unspeakable-France in Rwanda) leaves no room for doubts too, especially since he was on the ground as the infamous French military's Opération Turquoise was rolled out.
The 1995 BBC Panorama production, "The Bloody Tricolor," a documentary film on the involvement of France in Rwanda prior to the genocide, and many others, are evidence that France not only participated, but also aided and abetted mass murderers. It has done that for the last decade and beyond, doing everything to blur the truth from the world.
As already hinted on, another gross mischievous distortion is saying that the downing of President Habyarimana's plane "sparked off" the genocide.
What most people, and careless ones at that, don't seem to realise is the fact that the genocide in 1994 was not triggered by the plane crash as most genocide deniers want to make us believe.
Contrary to that, preparations for the horror were well planed in advance and the 'plane crash spark theory' is just one way of distorting facts.
More so, genocide in Rwanda did not start in 1994. Look at events in Rwanda in 1959, 1963 - south western Rwanda killings, and even between then and 1994. There was a system of discrimination and disenfranchisement of Tutsis in the country.
Interahamwe militias were trained before 1994. The plane crash as "trigger" is simply used as an excuse by those who don't want to face reality, in what is today's terrible irony.
The people who put their lives at grave risk to liberate Rwanda are instead being hunted by the genocide's perpetrators and their collaborators. And while this happens, the mass murderers themselves mostly roam free in European capitals.
Very recently, the country's Director of State Protocol Rose Kabuye, also one of the country's living heroes was arrested in Frankfurt, Germany last Sunday, albeit on the basis of a faulty and widely condemned arrest warrant issued by French Judge, Jean Louis Bruguiere, who falsely accuses her of involvement in Habyarimana's plane crash.
Just six days before this, Germany had released two notorious genocidaires, including Callixte Mbarushimana, Secretary General of the DRC-based Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), remnants of those who carried out the 1994 Genocide of Tutsis.
FDLR leader Ignace Murwanashyaka also continues to live and operate with impunity in Germany.
This is not something to be taken so lightly.
James Karuhanga is a Rwandan journalist.
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It's high time African leaders come together and stand up to these tricky,manipulative,deceptfull and oppressive euopeans.they have used us africans for so long.for God sake how on earth can someone somewhere in europe or America issue an arrest warrant on an ordinary African/s and their leaders with many of her citizens in jail all over european countries for minor offences without African leaders( embassies)interfferring.litte wonder,they now extend this impunity to African leaders. why does the europeans and the americans think human right's theirs alone?why should an African/s be jailed in europe or america for minor offences?and europeans seldom get arrested for grave offences commited against our people and our goverments by ordinary citizens of theirs as well as their goverments.last time the chad goverment arraested and sentenced some europeans who came to our soil African to steal some 100 children plus.these people where tried and sentenced in chad all the european countries and their American allies where all crying wolf and clamouring for their citizens immidi ate and unconditional release inspite of the glarring evidence of their unpardonable crime before we knew it,they generated war in chad evetually they came offerring to protect the president of chad in exchange for the uncoditional release of their criminal citizens.what did the African leaders do? abso lute silence those criminals escape justice. same could be said of lybia where innocent African children where infested with Hiv/aids Trust my friend President M.Gaddaffi.those involved smell thier anus.even though the eur opeans and their American allies where crying wolf Gaddaffi paid deaf ears and ulti mately they paid dearly.but not a single African leader came to Gaddafffi's rescue.presently it's DRC Congo.where it's incumbent L.kabila bid farwell to it's fomer colonial intruders begium and aworded the much needed and long overdue infracstructural contract to china. the europeans and their America master have rallied around again to generate unrest killing innocent Africans while Africans leadrs watch in despire immagine a rabel leader calling for renegotiation of contract awar ded by a deuly elected African leader.another case is Zimbabwe to say the least.
African leaders should wake up,stand up,free Her citizens in foreign jails especially those jailed for minor offences as well treat the europeans in particular in the manner they treat us enogh is enough.
Tonyogbe. writes from brussels belgium.
The statement "DRC based FLDR..." is flatly wrong and is still being widely used by Rwanda as a pretext to loot Congo. The base or headquaters of the FDLR is where the leaders of this organization reside and conduct their business. It's not in Congo, go find them elsewhere in Europe or USA. Congo has never invited FDLR in its territory and Rwanda has never shown any will to repatriate its hutu refugees even after having occupied Eastern Congo for many years. We,in Congo,are not part and have never been part of what happened in Rwanda.
Reading this article it seems France has committed the genocide of 1994 in Rwanda. I have also severe doubts concerning the role of France in this conflict but I think it is ridiculous to insinuate that France would have planned or even facilitated the genocide deliberately . The sad truth is that Rwandans themselves were busily killing each other in Rwanda beyond the imagination of mankind. As long as african journalists politicians and scholars ever and ever point to Europe or the US as the source of all evils, Africa will never liberate itself truly. Face the truth again: it were Rwandans not Frenchmen who hacked there compatriotes into pieces. No civilized society would allow such crimes what foreign involvement whatsoever. With regard to the arrest of Mrs. Kabuye. Dont forget that Germany is a state of law as is France. She might now face trial in France if there is enough evidence. The same argument applies to the release of the two alleged Hutu genocidaires in Germany. If there is not enough evidence or no legal base to keep them in prison, they have to be released. I personally dont like this too but these are the rules of law. We are strong and our democracy in Germany is robust because we obey to the rule of law even if it is sometimes difficult to understand. The journalist who wrote tis article should use his intellectual power to look for african solutions for african problems.
This Justice Goldstone, the one who was seconded to Rwanda for the atrocity trials; made no public remarks concerning this affair nor has he made any sort of report to the U N. While I understand the constraints limiting a Court officials participation in public debate surely he would've, by this time, ensured that all aspects of this period in Rwanda are illluminated by the harsh light of international publicity. Are you then accusing him, too, of a coverup? You have my email address iffen you are reluctant to respond to this question in public!