Remarks made by Presidential hopeful Victoire Ingabire at the Gisozi genocide memorial site, constitute a dangerous development that is happening for the first time in this country since 1994. The Rwandan people have for the last 15 years heard all sorts of revisionists and genocide denial proclamations, uttered in European and North American capitals. It is the first time that anyone in post genocide Rwanda has made such statements from the Rwandan territory.
Remarks made by Presidential hopeful Victoire Ingabire at the Gisozi genocide memorial site, constitute a dangerous development that is happening for the first time in this country since 1994.
The Rwandan people have for the last 15 years heard all sorts of revisionists and genocide denial proclamations, uttered in European and North American capitals. It is the first time that anyone in post genocide Rwanda has made such statements from the Rwandan territory.
This is, owing to, not only the fact that there’s no place for such an ideology in Rwanda, but it is also against the laws of the land.
Such laws are not peculiar to Rwanda, and if Ingabire and her ilk uttered similar statements in relation to the Holocaust, from the European country where she’s been residing all these years, she would be prosecuted.
What is evident is that Ingabire is spoiling for a fight, not at the ballot box but pushing and testing the limit of law enforcement in this country.
Her immediate public remarks denigrating gacaca courts, dismissing the progress made in reconciliation and echoing the double genocide rhetoric is a reflection of what kind of politician this presidential hopeful will be.
Times have changed and this Presidential hopeful may need to understand that the Rwanda she left 16 years ago is an entirely transformed place.
Rwanda is no longer the basket case that it was when Ingabire’s ideological ancestors were running the show. It’s no longer the place where marginalization, discrimination, human rights violations and abuse of the law were the order of the day.
Rwandans have transcended the divisive politics that Ingabire is obsessed with and eager to spread. They are focused on the development of their country and the total eradication of poverty.
Anyone who seeks to divert the people of this country from this course is simply wasting time as the people have tasted the fruits of good governance and are not looking back.
Ingabire is evidently committing a crime in Rwanda, and she shouldn’t get away with it.
Ends