International community's continued betrayal of Rwanda

The day, when the UN had seriously failed in withdrawing its peacekeepers at the worst possible time

The 1994 worst genocide of the 20^th century took place in total indifference of the International Community. At that time, the United Nations lost its meaning in the eyes of betrayed Rwandans.

Over one million people were massacred in 1994. The deplorable situation of a genocide that was taking place, appeared not to have been appealing enough for them despite the calls for help that were made by the persecuted, and UN force commander who was on ground General Romeo Dallaire, who needed more UN troops but instead even the few he had were withdrawn at the height of the killings.

From the bad experience of 1994, Rwandans hoped that the immediate aftermath of the genocide would be an opportunity for the international community to correct its mistakes of the past and act more responsibly in reuniting the Rwanda people and support their efforts to rebuilding the country from the ruins it was in.

Unfortunately, this was not to be the case, instead, it was somewhat the beginning of a relay of betrayal actions of Rwanda by the international community as I am about to reveal. In 1994, neighboring Zaire, led by Mobutu of Zaire, with the help of France, created an escape corridor of the Forces Armees Rwandaise (FAR) and the Interahamwe militia to the country’s eastern region in both North and South Kivu.

Here, they were welcomed to Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo-DRC) with their arsenal of arms and were given space to reorganize and plan for a number of armed insurgencies on Rwandan territory. They actually continued to get stockpiles of arms that were delivered to refugee camps by international relief organizations.

These camps were strategically located near Rwandan borders, in total disregards of international conventions governing refugees – again another sign of betrayal by the international community. To date, there exist at least 1,100 indicted genocide fugitives, who are still enjoying undeserved freedom in 33 countries across the World, some of them are even benefiting from social support schemes from their host countries. Many have been recognized  as genuine refugees who ran out of Rwanda for security reasons, yet they are genocide suspects on the run.

Lack of political will from the host countries to extradite the genocide suspects to stand trial in Rwanda, or alternatively have them tried in their courts accounts for the freedom that these suspected genocidaires are still enjoying and the harm they are still causing to the Rwandan society, a fact that probably is less or not appealing at all to their host countries.

Over the last 14 years, only 46 suspects have had to face some legal action. Out of these 1,100 genocide suspects, it was revealed by Rwanda prosecution that 408 are in neighbouring DR Congo, 277 are enjoying their freedom in Uganda, 63 are in Malawi where most of them are prominent business people, 52 are living in Tanzania, 47 of them are in France, including the wife of the genocidal government   President Juvenal Habyarimana, 42 are  in Congo Brazzaville and 40 are enjoying their freedom in Belgium and actively engaging in politics of hatred.

In Belgium, the genocide fugitives and their offspring have established heinous organizations among them is Jambo asbl,  that has been allowed to register and operate freely in the country in propagating genocide denial and  revisionism ideology.  There are also suspects in Kenya, USA, Netherlands, Zambia, Burundi,  Canada, Mozambique,  Central African Republic. Cameroun, Norway and Gabon and many others. 

For the UK, a serious travesty of justice has been witnessed for the past 10 years or so, in the case of five men known to be masterminds of the Genocide, whom the UK authorities have vehemently refused to extradite or bring to book. The Crown Prosecution of the UK has been in Rwanda numerous times, and were given access to all evidence implicating these men. However, they have continued to enjoy their freedom.

From the figures of the genocide suspects who are still enjoying freedom in various countries, it is awful to notice that neighboring countries in the Great Lakes Region host the biggest number of Rwandan genocide suspects. In Uganda, for example, the genocide suspects along with other members of terror groups against Rwanda have been given a red carpet and facilitated to destabilize Rwanda.

It is simply absurd and an insult to the victims and the survivors of the genocide against the Tutsi and to Rwandans from Human rights organizations that have turned their attention the wrong way – to the victims, where they have opted to advocate for human rights in a very odd way. Perhaps the biggest betrayal is condemning the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) and President Kagame who stopped the genocide and sympathizing with genocide suspects. 

The international media has joined the fray, and chose to become political instruments and mouthpiece of genocide deniers and proponents of the double genocide theory. Journalists and academics have been allowed to publish books and articles that openly promote denial and revisionism of the Genocide against the Tutsi. The likes of Judi River, Michela wrong, Anjan Sundaran and others could not have been allowed to publish such books if the international community cared, because the same people cannot publish the same book on the Holocaust denial.   

Genocide denial is a crime against humanity, it should be criminalized internationally. As Rwandans prepares for the 27^th commemoration of the genocide against the Tutsi, these genocide deniers and revisionists disguised as  researchers and journalists, have started to come up with their revisionist theories that not only incriminate them but that are detrimental to the survivors of the genocide against the Tutsi. Their actions constitute an act of betrayal of Rwandans and should be seen as rubbing salt in the wounds of genocide survivors.

Rwandans who lost their loved ones need justice. Genocide deniers and many suspects hiding in your countries have disguised their identity as opposition politicians or human rights activists want to rewrite the Rwandan history spreading falsehoods which are the last stage of genocide. The past cannot be corrected but together with the Rwandan people, the international community can be a partner in building a better future.