Rwandan community living in China petition the UN against the DRC mapping exercise report

Editor, We are ready to take our destiny under our control, and we will never accept the reproduction of the conditions which paved the way to the destruction of more than a million lives. Indeed, from a country characterized by poverty and ignorance, injustice and insecurity, institutionalization of sectarianism and discrimination, we are proud to have now a country praised by all observers for its achievements despite the legacy of the colonial and post colonial era where all evil combined to culminate in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. We strongly condemn the shocking and outrageous UN “DRC Mapping Exercise” report. It is politically irresponsible, malicious and intended to tarnish the image of our country, our Government and our army. As the Government of Rwanda rightly stated, this report is an attempt to rewrite the history of Rwanda. It is characterized by a flawed methodology without minimum standards normally applicable to conduct a rigorous investigation. Moreover it is surprising to note how the report ignores deliberately the following important history context: when the international community failed to prevent or stop the Genocide, the Rwanda Patriotic Army (RPA) fought and defeated the genocidal forces and liberated our country. Contravening its own international norms, the UN Agencies and numerous NGOs supported the defeated Ex-FAR Army and militia to set their camps at the border of Rwanda, where civilians were held hostage and human shield for their military operations. After several appeals the Government of Rwanda made the decision to separate the armed Ex-FAR Army and Militia from civilians, rescue and free the latter. These were military operations; in case of civil casualties, those to blame are first and foremost the forces which kept the civilian as human shield, but also the UN, especially the UNHCR and diverse NGOs under whose watchful eye this situation happened. Qualifying any crime, incident or casualty as genocide is an outrageous attempt to hide and or dilute the international community’s irresponsibility and its failure with regard to its obligation before, during, and after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. We commend the then RPA for having conducted this operation successfully and repatriated more than 3 million refugees. In conclusion, we reaffirm our strong condemnation of this report. We recommend its withdrawal and the conduction of new investigations addressing all exposed issues and loopholes. The Rwandan Community in China

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Rwandan community living in China petition the UN against the DRC mapping exercise report