Rwanda’s young people demand apology from BBC for genocide denial film

Hundreds of young Rwandans have marched in Kigali today to protest the BBC genocide denial film titled ‘Rwanda’s Untold Story’.

A number of youth organisations led the march to the Parliament of Rwanda where a letter was delivered requesting parliamentarians work with the Parliament of the United Kingdom to hold the BBC accountable for producing a film that blatantly denies the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

Here is the content of the letter 

President of the Senate
Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies
Members of Parliament
Parliament of Rwanda

Hon. Bernard Makuza,
Hon. Donatille Mukabalisa,
Hon. Members of Parliament,

On behalf of young people across Rwanda, we are writing to the Parliament to express our anger and hurt at the genocide denial film made by the BBC. The documentary, ‘Rwanda’s Untold Story’, is an attempt to revise the history and facts of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi and has disrespected the memory of our mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers killed in the genocide against Tutsi.

In its attempt to deny the genocide against Tutsi, the documentary made by the BBC has been an insult to Rwandans who still suffer from the trauma and pain of what happened in 1994.

Every day, the members of our organisations are working to bring Rwandans together – through peace and dialogue clubs, remembering the genocide during Kwibuka and Walk to Remember or by running peace education programmes. We are building a country we are proud of. By giving a voice to people who deny the reality of the genocide against the Tutsi and by promoting individuals who do not share Rwanda’s vision for a united country, the BBC is undermining these efforts to build peace in our communities.

The revisionist and denials theories promoted by the BBC in the documentary have been thoroughly discredited by many including experts on the genocide against Tutsi, the UN Security Council, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda as well as the testimonies of those who survived the genocide against Tutsi and the patriotic Rwandans who stopped the genocide perpetrators and rescued Tutsi.

The established historical facts of the genocide against Tutsi were put aside in favour of making a documentary film that emboldens genocide deniers and perpetrators not yet brought to justice. In doing so, the BBC stated editorial values of truth and accuracy, impartiality and not causing harm and offence were ignored. As a result of the documentary film, the BBC has broken the trust that existed between the Rwandan people in particular and the entire world in general.

We demand that the BBC be held accountable for the documentary film and kindly request the Parliament of Rwanda to work with the Parliament of the United Kingdom in arriving on a decision towards this accountability.

We demand a full withdrawal and banning of the documentary and call on the BBC to issue an official apology, not only to Rwandans but also to the whole world.

We demand the Government of Rwanda withdrawal the BBC’s license to broadcast in Rwanda.

We will continue to stand against any act of genocide denial and we will also continue to honour the memory of more than one million victims of the Genocide against the Tutsi.

On behalf of youth organisations in Rwanda,

Jean de Dieu Mirindi
National Coordinator of the Association of Student Survivors of the Genocide (AERG)

Charles Haboninama
President of the Association of Former Student Survivors of the Genocide (GAERG)

Innocent Bayingana
Coordinator of Kigali Youth Forum

Longin Gatanazi
Forum des Associations Generale des Etudiants du Rwanda (FAGER)

UM– USEKE.RW