Ibuka, the umbrella body for survivors of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, has finally opened its Chapter in the United States, calling it Ibuka-USA. It was launched this weekend and will be headquartered in the state of Delaware. This is a major milestone, albeit taking place almost 27 years after the Genocide in which over a million innocent lives were killed. Ibuka, especially its branches in different parts of the world, has played a major role to ensure countries bring to book those who committed the Genocide who have sought safe haven in far-flung countries. The organisation’s role has especially been more pronounced in Europe, where they continue to spare no effort to expose these fugitives, some of whom have used the time-lapse to forge new identities. Because of their effort – of course working with other civil society organisations – many such fugitives have been arrested; some extradited to Rwanda, others tried in those countries. It remains a long journey, because many continue to roam scot-free but at least with organisations such as Ibuka active in those countries, these fugitives will forever continue watching over their shoulders. The birth of Ibuka-USA is, therefore, a timely development because the country is also teeming with Genocide fugitives running away from the long arm of justice. However, the most important role for the organisation’s leadership will be to counter the narrative that has been crafted by these fugitives working with their backers, to negate the Genocide. This narrative is pervasive in many countries including the United States, where the former defence lawyers for the Genocide architects who were tried by the UN Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), have positioned themselves as experts on Rwandan matters. These lawyers, who have clearly crossed the traditional client-attorney boundaries to become bedfellows with their former clients, have evolved into fully-fledged deniers of the Genocide, and have jumped at every opportunity to rewrite the history of our country. It is therefore the work of Ibuka-USA to challenge them at every opportunity to ensure Rwanda’s historical narrative is clearly understood to avoid any misinterpretation that might arise from such false narratives.
