A commission of inquiry investigating accusations of genocide denial in a documentary titled the Untold Story by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has recommended that a mutual agreement with the government be terminated.

The above commission of Inquiry was  instituted following  October 1, 2014 BBC documentary titled Rwanda’s Untold Story, the  author narrated how the RPF forces  under the  command of President Kagame  butchered innocent  civilians both in Rwanda and Congo, which could be construed as genocide itself according to the UN Mapping report.

However, in the twist of events, the Rwandan government accused the BBC of having intent of distorting facts of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The inquiry was commissioned by Kagame under the mask of Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (Rura) after the World was shaken by knowing what the government of Rwanda doesn’t want to be known.

The recommendation that  the BBC FM programs be terminated in Rwanda does not only vindicate the already known   intolerance of free speech and lack of  political space in Rwanda, but also the attitude of president Kagame of  using draconian laws to silence  political dissents. According to Mr. Ngoga the Documentary was in breach of the laws of Rwanda and short of journalistic standards.

. “The committee found that in airing the documentary, BBC transgressed parameters it set for itself as journalistic standards in its editorial charter. There were a number of instances that pointed to the violation of Rwandan law, with particular reference to the offences of genocide denial and revisionism, inciting hatred and divisionism among Rwandans,” Ngoga said.

Unfortunately, Ngoga and his team is incompetent in the field of journalism in order to determine the standards of  journalism, neither does he know that the BBC TWO did not have a contract with the Rwandan government.  It’s like Mr. Ngoga having a problem with Mr. Kagame and instead of attacking Kagame, he attacks   Kagame’s wife and children.  BBC TWO which is responsible for airing the contested Documentary has nothing to do with the agreement Rwanda made with the BBC FM in Rwanda.

In fact this was revealed to the Ngoga Commission by the former Rwandan information Minister Laurent Nkusi  when this question was put to him by one of the Commissioners “ Abajijwe na prof Christopher Kayumba niba iriya filimi yaranyuranyije n’amasezerano BBC yari ifitanye n’u Rwanda, yasubije ko amasezerano yari ifitanye n’u Rwanda atareba BBC 2 ari nayo yatambukije iriya filimi”.

Mr. Ngoga as a lawyer and a former Prosecutor General, why can’t he use his legal skills and lenses to see that a third party to contract cannot be privy to it, how can you be responsible for a contract that you did not sign or was signed by somebody else?

Again, the commission is fundamentally flawed, because the commission has recommended what has been already done? The BBC FM is already closed, without using the proper legal channels because they would have taken the BBC to court or use the media commission which has the mandate to regulate the media houses.

Why should the Rwandan government think that by giving a space to the people the same government denies the right of speech on the Rwandan media constitutes a crime? In fact there is nothing new in the BBC Two Documentary because what the BBC Documentary did was to assemble, all the crimes that Kagame commited during genocide and in the Congo in a consolidated Documentary.

Does President Kagame deny the Kibeho massacre?   What about the Congo invasion of 1996 which he once said that, the RPF forces made a mistake they would have massacred all the refuges, this is from the Horse’s mouth (President Kagame).  It was Kagame and his agents who on 30th April 1994, categorically said that they will not cooperate with the UN if they send troops to stop genocide, because Kagame was gaining military ground and consolidating power.

In light of the recommendations of the Ngoga probe, Rwanda should be considered as a repressive State that uses its institutions as a tool to suppress and dominate or undermine independent institutions. According to Althusser, the basic function of the Repressive State Apparatus (Heads of State, government, police, courts, army etc.) is to intervene and act in favour of the ruling class by repressing the ruled class by violent and coercive means.

 

Jacqueline Umurungi

Brussels