Open letter to the CNLG

Open letter to the Commissioners’ Council of the National Commission for the Fight Against Genocide (CNLG in french)

Kigali, Rwanda

  Subject: Response to the publication of 7^th September 2018 on "the efforts invested in Belgium in the fight against genocide deniers"   Ladies and Gentlemen, members of the Commissioners’ Council, The publication of September 7, 2018 of the CNLG represents the official position of the Rwandan Government about the exclusion or attempts to exclude from the electoral roll of Belgium, a number of exiles of Rwandan origin incriminated unilaterally of negationism. The publication seems to welcome the words and actions of some ’Rwandans and friends of Rwanda‘ who undertook to strike off the Belgian electoral lists, three candidates of Rwandan origin; all members of the not-for-profit JAMBO association, while inviting the public to fight them “without respite”. We send you this letter in order to denounce the publication in question as well as the irresponsible and illegal arguments that are therein developed and which, moreover, are contrary to the vision and mission of the CNLG, as they were conferred even by Rwandan law. First, there is the allegation that the vast majority of JAMBO members are, " children and / or relatives of genocide perpetrators convicted by international justice or by the Rwandan courts." This allegation, which usually circulates on social media and in other media, is unfounded, contrary to any spirit of reconciliation and above all, employs the primary mechanism of the genocidal ideology that the CNGL is supposed to fight. Stigmatizing a group of people on the basis of their birth is not only immoral and illegal, but taken in the context of our recent history, it is a call to spread hatred and fear among a new generation of Rwandans. Rather than "welcome" this practice, the CNLG should condemn it and urge anyone who uses it publicly, to stop and question their intentions. In Belgium, this practice is punishable by law and the same should happen in Rwanda, because the slogan "icyaha ni gatozi" seems to have had no effect to put an end to it. If not, what lessons does the CNLG want to teach Rwandans of tomorrow? That they will have to indefinitely answer to alleged acts or remarks whether false or accurate of their ancestors? Today it is the members of JAMBO, but tomorrow, who will it be? Young people currently living in Rwanda? Children just born last year? Or even those who are not born yet? Item number 5 of your mission statement is "to define the strategies of fight against the genocide and the genocidal ideology", but by basing your allegations on the basis of birth, you indeed contribute to the propagation of the foundations of a genocidal ideology, regardless of the ethnic group targeted. Second, the publication of September 7, 2018 goes on to say that JAMBO " …claims to be fighting for human rights, when in fact it aims to deny, relativize, or minimize the genocide perpetrated against Tutsis.” This assertion, which is purely accusatory, is not supported by any argument or explanation and thus positions the CLGN as an agency of propaganda instead of an agency of intellectual reflection as implied in Title 1 of its missions: "To organize a permanent reflection on the genocide, its consequences and the strategies of its prevention and its eradication." It is regrettable to note that the CNLG, rather than engage in debate and reflection on what constitutes genocide denial in the context of our complex history, prefers to avoid any debate or new contribution, which is shared by an increasing number of knowledgeable Rwandans and friends of Rwanda, living in Rwanda or abroad. The remaining arguments developed against JAMBO in the publication of September 7, 2018 are simply defamatory and slanderous, and will be clarified with the Belgian Justice, notably and especially given the publication in concluding restates "…these children and grandchildren of the architects of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi… " Ladies and Gentlemen, members of the Commissioners’ Council, If your vision is that of a world "safe from genocide and its ideology", you must realize that you cannot fight a genocidal ideology with another genocidal ideology. JAMBO believes it is essential to condemn all the genocidal crimes that took place in Rwanda in the 1990s, regardless of the ethnic group concerned. Indeed, it appears the real reproach towards JAMBO by CNLG is that it claims the existence of another genocide, this time perpetrated against the Hutu. CLNG stands for all Rwandans. As such, it should be independent and must fight against all forms of genocide ideology, irrespective of the ethnic groups targeted. It must not partake in political propaganda or incitement of hate towards anyone and should instead be the guarantor of a reconciled history for future generations. We hope, ladies and gentlemen, members of CNLG, that you will consider these arguments, shared by so many Rwandese, and that you will now take the necessary measures to ensure strict respect for the values and missions of the CNLG in the interest of all children of Rwanda, of today and tomorrow.  

Brussels, 16^th October 2018,

For Jambo asbl

Gustave MBONYUMUTWA

Chairman of the Board of Directors

  PDF File: 20181016 - Open letter to CNLG - answering the publication of 7th September - Copy  Version française