New Genocide Denial Platform Emerges Led By Ex-PM, Foreign Minister

Barely a week after Rwanda issued a list of individuals and entities outside Rwanda that are promoting a genocide revisionist agenda, those cited have decided to come out guns blazing.

In a new campaign, 21 individuals – who include exiled Rwandan politicians, are using a previously existing forum called ‘Global Campaign for the Rwandan Human Rights’ to revise genocide against the Tutsi and promote the debunked narrative of double.

They include former prime minister Faustin Twagiramungu, former foreign minister Jean Marie Vianney Ndagijimana and former MP Jean-Baptiste Mberabahizi. All of them live in Europe. Peter Mutabaruka, son of a genocide fugitive Celestin Mutabaruka from Kent in Britain.

A declaration titled “Hutu Genocide”, published on a website ‘hutugenocide.org’, claims Rwanda troops and Congolese rebels killed “Hutus”.

“We hereby declare and recognise as a CRIME of GENOCIDE, the wholesale killings of hundreds of thousands of Rwandan Hutu population in Rwanda and of Rwandan Hutu refugees, Burundian Hutu refugees and Congolese Hutu citizens in DRC on the basis of their membership to hutu ethnic group and without regard to their age, gender or nationality by the Rwandan Patriotic army and its Congolese ally, the Alliance des forces démocratiques pour la libération du Congo-Zaïre (AFDL) rebel group,” says the group.

They refer to the period from 1994 to 1999 when Rwandan troops invaded the then Zaire, aiding rebels headed by Laurent Desire Kabila, who would eventually become DR Congo president. His son, Joseph Kabila took over after his assassination.

In the report released last week, the Senate in Rwanda said the deniers of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi use this double genocide narrative to negate the mass killing of Tutsi in 1994.

READ: Parliament Asks Government To Name “Ambassador at Large” Against Genocide

Twagiramungu himself was named in the report as one of the loudest voices who openly promote this narrative.

The upper house of parliament, the Senate, recommended to government to appoint an “Ambassador at Large” – essentially to be Rwanda’s watchdog over how the world is dealing with the aftermath of the 1994 genocide.

The report also calls for government to track, arrest and prosecute genocide deniers anywhere.

Signatories on the negationist declaration:

1. Faustin Twagiramungu – Former Prime Minister
2. Jean Marie Vianney Ndagijimana – Former Ambassador and Foreign Minister
3. Jean-Baptiste Mberabahizi – Former Member of Parliament, Transitional National Assembly
4. Denise Zaneza
5. Jean Marie Minani
6. Herve Cheuzeville
7. Rene C Mugenzi
8. Patrick Mbeko
9. Dr Andre Aimable Dufatanye
10. Dr Emmanuel Ndahayo
11. Constance Mutimukeye
12. Keith Harmon Snow
13. Eric Migamba
14. Eric Maniriho
15. Theophile Ruhorahoza
16. Anneke Verbraeken
17. Joseph Hategekimana
18. Peter Mutabaruka
19. Freddy Usabuwera
20. Marie Claire Ingabire
21. Seraphine Uwimana