The Controversy About Apologies Of Abahutu Towards Abatutsi.

Recently a young gentleman called Bamporiki Edwards has raised an idea that the Hutu should present apologies to Tutsi survivors of the Genocide of 1994. Bamporiki says that this initiatives could set a solid and lasting bases for peace and reconciliation among Rwandans ,knowing who they are and why there have to coexist in a same country.

He told Radio-Isango Star ,Sunday,21,July,that he used to collect witnesses from allover the nation affirming that for them it is a big shame to hear that their parents have committed Genocide against the Tutsi and thus they wish to ask for apologies on their behalf.

“For them this brings more inner peace of heart”,Bamporiki continued.

As this debate continues to be hotter than before Radio Isango Star invited three journalists to share ideas on the issue.Ruhimbana, Gakire and Albert Baudouin were invited guests on the show.

Solange Ayanone and Fred Muvunyi were the presenters of the show.

Normally the  words Hutu or Tutsi were banned in Rwanda to be publicly outspoken but due to the idea of Bamporiki ,people start uttering such names that formerly were taken as taboos.

For Ruhimbana ,this nomination will negatively impact on the development that the Rwandan Youth has embarked in.Giving the example of students who normally were living in the same situations without calling each other Tutsi or Hutu,he finds that this notion as useless to be set as a national issue.

Asked about  why during the 1994 genocide the Tutsi word is uttered and why the Abahutu should not,Mr Gakire said that the context in which this concept is brought upon does not promote unity of Rwandans rather promotes one’s political interests ,as Bamporiki is set as a RPF candidate in Gasabo Distrcit in the upcoming legislative elections.

Tempting to clarify his idea Mr Bamporiki told Isango Star that the aim behind is to remind the Rwandans that they cannot  make a step forward in development if they do not speak out the reality on what has divided them and who was the perpetrator and victims.

“It is not a means of political opportunism as more people say” E. Bamporiki underlined.

At the other hand more people who used the phone communication  and e-mails to spread their ideas on the issue wondered what is likely to happen to someone who has hidden a Tutsi. Is it fair to ask such a person to apologize as a Hutu ?  Is he/she concerned with such an action?

One of the listerners said that he had a mum who was a Tutsi a Daddy that was a Hutu. Is he concerned with these apologies?

“ All of these are the weakness of Mr Bamporiki’ philosophy” journalists told Isango Star.

Asked about who committed the Genocide, Albert Bedouin said that Genocide was not committed by Hutu rather by extremists who adhered to genocide ideology.All the guests expressed their views that guilty persons are the ones to ask for apologies rather than being  every Hutu’ case  as  if all Hutu had committed the Genocide against the Tutsi in 1994.

Basing his experience as someone who leads the PaxPress Association, a journalists umbrella for peace advocacy, he said that local population sees the initiative as potentially dangerous as to remind people’s past while the NURC  commission published that the reconciliation and peace reach 80%.

As the Show was about to end, Mr Fred Muvunyi asked his guests on what is the role of journalism regarding the debate.

Both Gakire and Albert B said that journalism has a moral responsibility to let this topic be debated in public so to make it clearer.

“We should not ignore this idea but rather invite scholars and experts to debate on the issue and find out it is credible enough to be adopt or not”concluded Mr Albert Baudouin

Nizeyimana Jean Pierre

UM– USEKE.RW