WESTERN PROVINCE

RUBAVU — The minister of Sports and Culture Joseph Habineza has called upon students in high learning institutions to stand up against genocide ideology.

Habineza made the call recently at Kigali Independent University [ULK] Gisenyi campus, where he briefed students on Rwandan history and the 1994 genocide.

During a two-hour discussion, Habineza enlightened students on the history of Rwanda and culture. On culture, he said Rwandans were united under one culture before the colonialists divided citizens along ethnic lines.

He said that organizers of the 1994 Genocide used state institutions to fuel fear and hate propaganda which had been stoked by colonial masters. The results, he said, were myriad acts of hunting, raping and killing that characterised the genocide in which about a million Rwandans died.

The minister noted the genocide perpetrators made orders and monitored to see their orders executed. He explained that for the government to achieve its goals, they had to control the military, the administration, and the political parties. Then they used the radio to incite.

"As elites, we should strive to fight against such ideology. The Rwandan culture was characterized with unity and togetherness. Rwandans solved all kind of disputes peacefully in what they called Gacaca, they engaged in communal work known as Umuganda and worked in unity towards developmental activities through Itorero," he said.

Habineza advised the youth to shun people with genocide and ethnic ideology. He observed youth should keep discussions about the subjects alive to increase public awareness.

He observed that in today’s competitive world what mattered was not the physical make up but competence. If the past regimes had concentrated on the country’s development in stead of primitive ideology Rwanda would be a developed country, he observed.

"It’s high time Rwandans ignored genocide deniers and stand up to fight for their unity and the country’s development," he noted.

He said that his ministry was doing everything possible to promote Rwandan culture since it was one of the main channels to the country’s development.

"That is why the government is promoting cultural activities such as Itorero, Ubudehe, and Umuganda. The Rwandan culture trained people to be seen as models in the communities they lived in and worked in unity. That’s what the government of national unity is reviving," he explained.

The students thanked the minister for his participation in the debate and appealed to other leaders to always visit higher academic institution for such useful debates. They noted it would help to weed out ethnic ideologies still common among some students.

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