Why Rwanda can ignore the BBC documentary but Africa should not

On October 1, viewers of the BBC were treated to a documentary titled Rwanda’s Untold Story, in which the producers claim to provide an alternative view of events that led to the 1994 genocide in Rwanda during and after. The documentary, works of Producer Director John Conro and Reporter Jane Corbin, could arguably be considered as a revisionist attempt of denying facts or distorting the same about the genocide of 1994, in an effort to push for an agenda that may not be clearly obvious. As you watch along, one quickly discovers that the narrative of this documentary is clearly designed to call into question events surrounding the 1994 genocide by, for example, questioning official numbers of those who died, and accusing the then Rwanda Patriotic Front of crimes of genocide in an attempt to undermine the moral standing of the leadership in Kigali. In my view a couple of things have contributed to this intensity of scrutiny on Rwanda that we often see in western media, and perhaps the basis of such a documentary. One is Kigali’s attitude of defiance of status quo where it appears unfair or unjust to Rwanda or Africa, second is its foreign policy which many consider hawkish, always calling to order western perceptions, or relations with Africa where they appear condescending or assuming. Third, it also seems Rwanda’s development story continues to defy what is expected by those who consider themselves “experts” on Africa, and who are still grappling with the fast changing relationship between Africa and the West. An example of such another similar attack on Rwanda was published as a front page story in the New York Times recently, by Jeffrey Gettleman in which he successfully used one of the world’s “prestigious” media houses to portray Rwandan leaders in the most disrespectful, and uncomplimentary fashion. Commenting and studying genocides wherever they occur or alleged to have happened is not new and neither will the official version of events always be accepted by all. Examples where genocide claims remain contested are in Armenia, and Bosnia. Even where people don’t agree and facts are contested, usually it will be on arguments, and theories advanced by those who claim expert skill and knowledge in such studies, not media hype that borders on dramatising events for entertainment value. Neither the producer nor the reporter in this particular documentary claim expertise on study of genocide, or of Rwanda for it to be considered work of expert opinion. Besides, Rwandan voices with an alternative view should have been reflected in the documentary. Those interviewed in the documentary are either known political opponents of Kigali whose objectivity can be called into question, and their views should not have been reported as fact for their allegations could not be independently verified by neither the BBC nor the producers. The reason why Africa should react on this documentary the same way they reacted to Bob Geldolf with his recent “save” Africa from Ebola crusade, is to support leadership on the continent wherever it may be that is genuinely empowering their people and providing sustainable solutions for development. Those who want to continue seeing Africa with pity, as poor, in need of aid, weak, unprincipled with corrupt leaders, will certainly not like what is happening in Rwanda, nor will they like Kigali’s leadership style. Whereas people should have the right to express opinions on any topic, what is worrying about this particular incident is that the BBC chose to carry this documentary on its platform without thorough review in an attempt to be fair to all concerned. As a publically funded media house, those who know inner workings of the BBC, and the vigorous process it applies to ensure content is informed by fact, and strict code of reporting that considers all sides of the story, were surprised this particular documentary passed the test to be considered for airing. Why then would a respected media house like BBC risk reputation to disregard its own rigorous rules of natural justice in reporting, to allow airing a highly damaging documentary against a country considered an ally of the United Kingdom? Like Bob Geldof, the makers of ‘Rwanda’s Untold story’ and the BBC seem out of step with the mood on the continent determined to rebrand itself as capable of shaping its own narrative. The writer is the Founder & CEO LeO Africa Forum, An African Forum for Emerging Leaders on Leadership and the Economy

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Why Rwanda can ignore the BBC documentary but Africa should not