Rewriting History: The Rwandan Genocide Story That the BBC Didn’t Tell
“Propaganda is what the left wing BBC do best these days.”
On Saturday 200 UK-based Rwandans, including many genocide survivors, protested outside the BBC offices in response to the documentary ‘Rwanda’s Untold Story’, which aired earlier in October. The demonstration followed a letter of complaint sent to the BBC’s director general, written by the survivors’ organisation Ibuka.
They point out that despite the BBC’s commitment to upholding truth and objectivity, the programme contained factual inaccuracies and seemed intent on reopening wounds in Rwanda. They expressed disbelief and disappointment that:
‘[A] few people who have their differences with the current government or the country were given a platform to politicise the Genocide and deny the planned and systematic killing of over one million people.’
My organisation, the Aegis Trust, manages the Kigali Genocide Memorial in Rwanda for the government of Rwanda. From here, documentation about the genocide is preserved, and peace and reconciliation programmes are run. For 12 years I have shied away from commenting publicly on growing genocide revision, concerned I might be interpreted as an apologist for the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), the country’s ruling party.
Now that this tide of denial has swollen into the mainstream media, I break my silence. I don’t argue with the BBC’s investigative role, nor do I defend the government of Rwanda against any allegations. However, the beloved and trusted BBC owe licence-fee payers an explanation as to how they could produce such specious content on the history of the genocide.
The BBC also presented the notion that Paul Kagame’s RPF did not stop the genocide, implying instead that the massacres against Tutsis were somehow all over by the time the RPF liberated the country. No other explanation is offered by the BBC as to how the genocide ended – perhaps because there is only one answer: the genocide ended when the RPF defeated the Hutu Power government, which was intent on exterminating every last Tutsi.
The programme also appears to blame Kagame for the death of Rwanda’s former president, whose plane was shot down on the eve of the genocide. While there remains no decisive evidence of who was responsible for the assassination, the BBC producers relied on the thinly sourced 2006 Bruguière report that blamed Kagame, without mentioning the more robust Trévidic report in 2012 that implicated Hutu extremists. Viewers are owed an explanation as to why they were given such a biased, partial view of the evidence.
The programme also puts the number of murdered Tutsi at 200,000, though most other estimates put the Tutsi death toll at four times that. One would expect the BBC to secure strong evidence before allowing such a divisive, inflammatory and offensive claim to be made. Again, however, the programme relied on academics who have been deeply criticised by other scholars for flawed calculations and extrapolations from unreliable data.
It is hard to lecture countries like Rwanda to raise media standards when the BBC airs documentaries with such shocking lack of balance. This week, as part of a group of scholars, journalists and lawyers, I added my voice to the protest in this open letter.
Rwanda Hits Back at America’s Ebola Paranoia
“Good for Rwanda! Protecting its people! Maybe we could learn from them and protect our own!”
Rwanda will be begin screening all Americans entering the country for Ebola, regardless if they’re exhibiting symptoms or not, government officials in the East African nation announced Tuesday. Coincidence? The new measure comes just days after two Rwandan students were denied enrollment at a New Jersey school over Ebola fears, even though Rwanda has had zero cases of Ebola. The United States, on the other hand, has had three confirmed cases. Rwanda is also more than 2,500 miles from the closest Ebola outbreak in West Africa.
The US Embassy in Rwanda explains the situation:
On October 19, the Rwandan Ministry of Health introduced new Ebola Virus Disease screening requirements. Visitors who have been in the United States or Spain during the last 22 days are now required to report their medical condition—regardless of whether they are experiencing symptoms of Ebola—by telephone by dialing 114 between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. for the duration of their visit to Rwanda (if less than 21 days), or for the first 21 days of their visit to Rwanda. Rwandan authorities continue to deny entry to visitors who traveled to Guinea, Liberia, Senegal, or Sierra Leone within the past 22 days.
Although there’s no way to tell if the screenings are indeed motivated by retaliation for the ignorant panic displayed by the New Jersey school, this sure is an interesting turn of events.
Ebola Scares Prevent Oklahoma Students From Attending School
“This is a perfect teachable moment. Perhaps the school can dedicate an hour in the schoolday and show kids that the Ebola zone is closer to the U.S”
Three students who just returned from a mission trip to East Africa caused Ebola scares at one Oklahoma high school.
Reports circulated on social media about the students returning to school and that raised fears of classmates coming into contact with people who might have been exposed to the virus; but there is currently no cause for alarm.
Inola School Superintendent, Dr. Kent Holbrook, said 18 students didn’t show up for class Monday because of the rumors
He said to ease fears school nurses are monitoring the three students who just returned from Ethiopia, but stresses they have never come into contact with anyone or anything associated with the deadly virus.
“You have to respond with facts rather than just the fear and I think that’s what’s happening,” Holbrook said.
Rumors started circulating through social media when parents in the Inola School District learned three students would be returning from a mission trip to Ethiopia last week.
Holbrook said rumors the students were exposed to the Ebola virus are just false.
“Our students were not exposed to Ebola. There was no person that was sick on the trip. There was no person sick Ethiopia while they were there. There was no person on the plane,” Holbrook said.
Ethiopia isn’t anywhere near the countries in Western Africa where people have contracted the deadly virus.
Holbrook said the three students were screened by officials when they re-entered the United States and were cleared to come to school.
“They just said, ‘where’ve you been?’ They told them, ‘Africa.’ ‘What part?’ They say said, ‘Ethiopia’ and said, ‘you’re clear, there’s never been a case out of there,'” said Holbrook.
T.J. Helling is the youth pastor who helped organize the mission trip for the students.
“Amazing students, amazing students willing to give up their time and energy, their money, their fall break to go and serve others,” he said.
Helling’s heart is broken over the students being singled out because they went to Africa.
Addis Ethiopia Weblog 