Some Rwandans are currently running an online campaign on Google, petitioning the search engine to update Images of Rwanda on their Japanese servers. 

According to Jovani Ntabgoba, a Rwandan post-graduate Data Science research student in Japan,  Googling the word "Rwanda” in Katakana (Japanese characters) gives you content of "Rwanda of 1994”, which— him and a number of Rwandan youth and social media enthusiasts—say, undermines development strides made by the government after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. 

Ntabgoba, a former manager of KLab, a local IT incubator, said  even though Rwandans would not forget the Genocide – which occurred 22 years ago—Google searches in Japan still portray Rwanda as though the genocide took place yesterday. 

"I am passionate about promoting Rwanda as an investment destination but each time I introduce Rwanda to a Japanese—[They google.....]– they only see images of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. 

"This is by no means a syndicate by Google to forever portray Rwanda as a genocide torn country. Google holds a high reputation, it cannot be like some NGOs that have for years advertised images of poor African children with flies on their faces,” Ntabgoba’s petition reads in parts. 

He goes on to explain that the reason why Google searches about Rwanda in Japanese gives results of Rwandan genocide images only is, that thousands of Japanese searched about Rwanda for their first time in the year 2004, when the Hollywood Film called "Hotel Rwanda” was premiered. Since then, Google Japan servers did not update their Rwanda cache. 

"Each time I tell a Japanese that I am from Rwanda, they respond with empathy as though I am from a war torn country. When they tell you to google "Rwanda” it is all about war, despite the 22 years difference. 

This particular request is not for Google to "forget the old links” but to "remember both old and new Rwanda” when searched for,” the petition further reads. 

What the law says 

Can the petition make an impact on Google in updating their servers in Japan? Ntabgoba says, it is possible, going by European laws on the "Right to be forgotten”. 

Under the stated laws, paragraph 93 of the ruling states that "Individuals have the right - under certain conditions - to ask search engines to remove links with personal information about them. This applies where the information is inaccurate, inadequate, irrelevant or excessive for the purposes of the data processing”. 

He added that since Google has no ‘special interests’ in portraying the country the way Rwandans do not like, the petition can be impactful in portraying the true image. If the petition gets enough signatures, it should be enough for Google to consider updating their Japan search results. 

"There is no threshold number, but democracy is all about large numbers. Rough estimates, since internet usage in Rwanda is 10 percent, 1 Million People. If a petition has say 1000 Signatures, it would mean 1 percent of Rwandan Internet Users. This could be significant for Google to consider it, maybe,” he says. 

Investment cooperation hindered

Ntabgoba wejnt on to say that the call for Google to update their Japan servers is also based on the fact that a handful of Japanese investors have not picked interest in investing in Rwanda, due to the images portrayed by the search engine about Rwanda.

"Due to this and maybe other reasons, Rwanda has only registered a total of less than 10  Japanese investors, despite it being 3rd best country to do business in Africa,” he said. 

Public demand 

Sunny Ntayombya, Corporate Communications and Government Relations Manager at Tigo Rwanda, told Sunday Times that Google Japan has a responsibility to ensure accuracy. "Sadly, they have abdicated that responsibility. I hope that changes.” 

After signing the petition, Lucy Mbabazi, Visa Country Manager for Rwanda, Burundi and Malawi, noted that despite their dark history, Rwandans were now defined by their resilience to overcome and make it a country to be proud of. 

"Rwanda has changed for good and forever. Google must change this to reflect current situation so as not to mislead people,” she noted. 

The Executive Secretary of National Commission for the Fight against Genocide (CNLG), Dr Jean Damascène Bizimana, said despite the Genocide, there was need for the world to recognize that the country has since made tangible strides in rebuilding. 

"It is true Rwanda faced Genocide, but that is about 22 years ago; it has since made significant steps towards solving problems caused by the Genocide, ensuring unity and reconciliation and it has developed,” he said. 

Bizimana added that it has not only realized stable peace and security, but has also been instrumental in restoring peace in various parts of the world through engaging in peace keeping operations. 

Rwanda is ranked the fifth largest troop and police contributing country worldwide, with a total of 6,596 peacekeepers currently deployed in seven peacekeeping missions.

Click here to join the petition.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw