People who negate and deny the 1994 Genocide perpetrated against the Tutsi will find it hard after a new fund to follow up such cases and prosecute those responsible was launched.
The perpetrators and their accomplices continue to deny the Genocide using all kinds of communications as they also struggle to evade justice
Dubbed "Umurinzi Support Fund,” the fund is a product of some individual Rwandans group under Agaciro Generation, was launched on Friday in Kigali.
According to Jacques Kagabo, Agaciro Generation Coordinator, the number of people negating and denying genocide is growing and fighting it should not be the government responsibility only.
Jean-Damascène Bizimana, Executive Secretary of the National Commission for the Fight against Genocide (CNLG), and Jacques Kagabo speaking during the foundation of the Umurinzi fund. / Emmanuel Kwizera
He said the fund would help members of Agaciro generation support activities such as following up and suing people whose acts meant for negating and denying the genocide especially those using social media platform and the mainstream media.
"Negating and denying genocide against the Tutsi is a serious issue and it is growing across the world, we want to join hands with government to fight the vice with all means, we will use the funds to follow up such cases and to take to court those we find with negation and denial,” said Kagabo during the launch of the fund.
"It is a pity that some people still negate and deny Genocide while they say there was double genocide in the country accusing members of Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) who stopped genocide to have committed genocide,” he added.
So far Agaciro generation has about 300 members and over Rwf20 million have been raised towards the fund.
Need for more funds
According to Marie-Immaculée Ingabire, who was elected the president of the newly established Umurinzi fund, fighting genocide negation and denial requires more efforts and means and every Rwanda who is patriotic should make a contribution.
"This should be everyone’s responsibility, we need to put in more efforts to fight genocide denial and negation, we need to change people’s mindset first and we need more funds to use in this endeavor,” she said.
The Executive Secretary of the National Commission for the Fight against Genocide (CNLG), Jean-Damascène Bizimana, hailed the members of Agaciro Generation for establishing the fund saying it would help in the country’s battle efforts to fight genocide negation and denial.
Jacques Kagabo, the coordinator of Agaciro Generation, speaks during the creation of the fund. / Emmanuel Kwizera
He said that genocide perpetrators are using all means, including using the youth in denying genocide.
"This is a very important and long overdue activity and it will bring about positive impact. Fighting genocide denial requires more efforts as it is a long history thing and more efforts were put in by deniers to propagate it,” he added.
Agaciro Generation has opened the fund’s account in the Bank of Kigali for people who want to contribute as it continues to mobilise more people to join.
The fund management says it was engaging people in Diaspora to join the fund and contribute in the fight.
editor@newtimesrwanda.com