EDITORIAL: For the Genocide, it is not easy to escape responsibility

The 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi is giving many people sleepless nights for what they did or what they failed to do. This week, two different but related events took place; one in Belgium another in its sister neighbouring country, The Netherlands. The National Commission for the Fight against Genocide (CNLG) and genocide survivors associations have again urged Dutch authorities to look into the case of Charles Ndereyehe who they say has blood of thousands of people on his hands. He has managed to evade justice for decades but there is hope that the situation will not last long as more pressure is piled on Dutch authorities to do something about it. In Brussels, the Belgian state and two senior military officers are on trial for their omissions that also led to the massacre of thousands who had taken refuge at Ecole Technique Officielle (ETO) in Kicukiro. It had been the base of Belgian peacekeepers who they said could have averted the tragedy had they taken steps to protect the refugees or escort them to safety. There have been many attempts by major players in the Rwandan theatre, in the events of 1994 and preceding years, to evade responsibility for their actions and inactions. But history in the long run will catch up with them, no matter how much they try to cover up. Their conscience will not let them be and only owning up will give them some piece of mind. And in the case of Ndereyehe, and many others who are still enjoying protection, the Day of Atonement will come. What needs to be done is keeping up the pressure to see that justice is done. In the case of Belgium – unlike France – it is not being accused to direct implication in the Genocide against the Tutsi. What does it take for Brussels to accept that it failed to assist people whose lives were in danger? The least it can do is to apologise to the survivors.

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EDITORIAL: For the Genocide, it is not easy to escape responsibility