African journalists pay homage to Genocide victims

Close to 15 delegates from the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ) yesterday visited Kigali Genocide Memorial at Gisozi to pay respects to victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. FAJ is holding its steering committee meeting in Kigali, January 24 -26. The exhibition on the role of the media in the Genocide against the Tutsi reminded the delegation of the dangers associated to responsible journalism. The visit to the memorial was coordinated by the Rwanda Journalists Association (ARJ), which is a member of FAJ and also sits on the steering committee of the continental organisation. The group was briefed on how Rwandans originally lived harmoniously before they were divided along ethnic lines by the colonialists, consequently leading to the Genocide in which more than one million people were killed. FAJ president Muhamed Garba takes time to read one of the exhibitions that tell the story of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Muhamed Garba, the FAJ president, said the Genocide should be a lesson to the world, especially journalists to strengthen their code of ethics and promote responsible journalism. “I learnt that media played a role in spreading hatred which led to the Genocide. This was unethical and an abuse of social responsibility,” Garba said. Members of the delegation made donations to the Genocide memorial. While admission is free, visitors make voluntary contributions that support the operations of the museum. Hate media like RTLM and Kangura newspaper were instrumental in fanning hatred in the build up to the Genocide. “Journalists must be balanced, fair and accurate before publishing stories lest they lead nations to devastation like what happened in Rwanda,” Garba added. The Kigali Genocide memorial tells the story of Genocide - the origin, during and aftermath as well as its consequences. He called on Africans to visit memorial sites to get first hand information of what really happened in the country. “We will narrate what we have seen in Rwanda to ensure leaders and other people understand conflict, its impact and how it can be prevented,” he said. One of the journalists from Tunisia observes Genocide remains at the museum yesterday.

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African journalists pay homage to Genocide victims