EDITORIAL: The Rwandan spirit will prevail over Genocide denial

In October last year, the BBC run a documentary-Rwanda the untold story. The documentary was a deliberate attempt at genocide denial and revisionism.

Sunday, February 08, 2015

In October last year, the BBC run a documentary-Rwanda the untold story. The documentary was a deliberate attempt at genocide denial and revisionism.    

A commission of inquiry was set up to look into the issue, but even before the findings are released, another public television broadcaster in France, French 2 on January 31, aired a breakfast show which out rightly promoted Genocide denial. Attempts aimed at belittling the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi have been on going over the last 20 years.

The forces behind this well calculated ploy are the very perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide, which left over one million innocent people dead. Many of the perpetrators are still at large trying to evade justice.

However, these attempts at genocide denial should make Rwandans even stronger and more determined to counter the evil forces.  

The genocide revisionists are never going to give up on their sinister motive of belittling the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.  

But as Rwandans, it is within our hands to defeat this evil and defend our dignity. The Rwandan spirit should prevail just like it has done over the last 20 years.

As we gear up for the 21st commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, the Rwandan Diaspora should take a lead in countering Genocide denial. Most of the genocide deniers and their sympathisers have found a safe haven in foreign capitals where they are given a platform to perpetrate genocide revisionism.

Like the theme of Kwibuka 2015 says, we should engage the international community on the issue of genocide denial and revisionism. Genocide denial is a crime and the international community should not allow it to continue unabated. 

As we mark Kwibuka 2015 let us re-affirm our resolve to counter genocide denial because it is an insult to Rwandans and the souls of those who died during the genocide.