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Ibuka, the umbrella organisation of Genocide survivors’ associations, has called out a French publishing house for publishing material that denies the Genocide against the Tutsi.
In its 2020 juniors’ dictionary, Larousse 21, the firm referred to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi as “a civil war between its (Rwanda’s) two people”, the Tutsi and Hutus.
In an open letter addressed to Larousse’s president and CEO, Jean Pierre Dusingizemungu, the President of Ibuka, said survivors were saddened to discover the part written about Rwanda in the dictionary and urged the publishing house not to mislead its readers.
“While you decide to write about Rwanda, you are required to provide the appropriate information, respect our history and avoid misleading your audience or negate the history of the Genocide perpetrated against the Tutsi,” the letter read.
“The Genocide against Tutsi in Rwanda was not an accident. It was deliberately planned and carried out by a Hutu extremist government with an intention of total extermination of Tutsi people in Rwanda…almost 26 years now after the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi, many efforts were used to bring to everyone’s attention that what happened in Rwanda was Genocide and not civil war or anything more or less than a Genocide.”
Pointing out that the Genocide against the Tutsi is recognised by the United Nations and France – where the publishing house is based – Ibuka said that Larousse is intentionally ignoring the truth that they know or ought to know.
“In an effort to punish those responsible for Genocide, the United Nations established the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. On 8th November 1994, the UN Security Council adopted the resolution 955 (1994) which established an international tribunal for the sole purpose of prosecuting persons responsible for Genocide,” the letter reads in part.
Among other things, Ibuka also reminded Larousse that last year, the General Assembly of the UN adopted a decision designating 7th April as the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, a decision that sought to correct inaccuracies in the assembly’s 2003 resolution establishing the “International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda.”
In May last year, France also adopted a decree relating to the annual commemoration of the “Genocide against the Tutsi”.
Noting that the country was heading to the 26th commemoration of the Genocide, Ibuka said it hopes “that there are no more doubts on what happened in Rwanda,” arguing that the Genocide be called by its name that reflects what happened Rwanda’s territory in order to respect the victims and survivors.
“We see your publication as a threat to all of us survivors, a denial and misleading to the young generation that you are in charge of educating.”
“We, therefore, request you to take appropriate measures to immediately reconsider your publication to provide accurate information to honour the memory of the victims, to stop with immediate effect your attempt to negate and deny the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
We also use the same breath to remind everyone, both nationally and internationally, that whenever you are trying to publish or talk anything about Rwanda and the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in particular, to try not to minimise or undermine the milestones that Rwanda has undertaken and continue to take to ensure a reconciled society free from the genocidal ideology.”
hkuteesa@newtimesrwanda.com
