These days, the World focuses on the Kosovo crisis and the official
commemoration by Rwandans under the leadership current government of
Rwanda, led by Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) and its armed wing, the
Rwandan Patriotic Army, of the 1994 genocide of Tutsis. For most
Rwandans, the commemoration overlooks the forgotten crimes against and
the genocide of the Hutu, who represent 85% of the Rwandan population.
In fact, most Rwandan Hutus and Tutsis inside Rwanda and around the World remember the forgotten people massacred by the RPF led government of Rwanda, under the complacent eye of the international community.
On the high list of forgotten events that Rwandans remember are:
* Assassination of Juvenal Habyalimana, President of Rwanda, along with Cyprien Ntaryamira, President of Burundi, killed when their plane was shot down, allegedly by the Rwandan Patriotic Army. Cyprien Ntaryamira had just replaced Ndandaye, a Hutu, the first democratically elected President of Burundi since the independence, who was assassinated by the Burundian Army.
* Assassination of Hutu bishops in the Catholic church of Kabgayi by the Rwandan Patriotic Army. These bishops were the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Kigali, Vincent Nsengiyumva; the president of the Bishop's Conference, Bishop Thaddee Nsengiyumva; and Bishop Joseph Ruzindana of Byumba. They were killed by the Rwandan Patriotic Army in spite the fact that they had risked their lives by sheltering, feeding, and looking after thousands of Rwandan Tutsis and Hutus who had fled to Kabgayi Catholic mission during the 1994 Rwandan civil war.
At the time of their death, early June, 1994, Col. Frank Mugambage, political director of the then rebel Rwandan Patriotic Army, told The Associated Press that the rebels "don't really have any evidence" against the clergymen, who were slain as they ate. The three Hutu clergymen had been "placed under the protection" of eight Rwandan Patriotic Army soldiers after the rebels took Kabgayi. Later on, the Rwandan Patriotic Army accepted responsibility for the crimes and apologized to the Vatican, but no one was punished for these war crimes.
* Massacres of estimated ten thousands displaced ethnic Hutu civilians in Kibeho by the Rwandan Patriotic Front, in April-May 1995. The Rwandan Patriotic Army accepted the responsibility for those crimes. No one was prosecuted or punished for these crimes against humanity and of genocide.
* Massacres of tens of thousands unarmed Hutu civilians, mostly women, children and elderly people, by the Rwandan Patriotic Front, in Kanama. The Rwanda Patriotic Army accepted the responsibility for these crimes, but none was punished or even prosecuted for these crimes against humanity and of genocide.
* Massacres of tens of thousands of unarmed civilians, mostly women, children and elderly people in the caves of Nyakinama, Bugoyi, in 1998. The international media and the international community confirmed the massacres and Rwandan Patriotic Army admitted to the crimes, but none was prosecuted or convicted.
* Massacres of hundreds of thousands of ethnic Hutu civilians villagers, mostly young boys, women, children, and elderely in the villages across Ruhengeri and Gisenyi in 1997-1998, by the Rwandan Patriotic Army. The international community confirmed the massacres. No one was prosecuted or punished for these crimes against humanity and of genocide.
* Massacres of an estimated 200,000 Hutu civilians in the refugee camps in the Democratic Republic of Congo, former Zaire. The United Nations, the USA, and European Union confirmed the massacres and the Rwandan Patriotic Army admitted to these crimes against humanity and of genocide, but none was prosecuted or punished.
On this day, most Rwandans, especially Hutu, are mourning these forgotten crimes against humanity and of genocide. The crimes are obvious and confirmed. The criminals are known and have admitted to most of the crimes. In spite of that, these crimes were never prosecuted. On the contrary, Rwandan Patriotic Front, which harbors criminals and genocidaires continues to enjoy the adulation of the international community.
It is not that the number of the dads is small. By reliable estimates, more than two millions Hutus were massacred by the Rwandan Patriotic Army since 1990.
It is not that the crimes are less horrendous. Mass deportation, mass killings and imprisonment, tortures and rapes of one ethnic group, the Hutu, by the Rwandan Patriotic Army constitute certainly war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.
It is not that Rwandan Patriotic Army has changed its policy of extermination. Thousands of people are killed by RPA troops every month around Rwanda. Around hundred fifty thousand of elite Hutu civilians, along with children are rotting in filthy jails. Even the so-called moderate Hutu are hunted down, arrested, tortured and put in jail without reason.
These so called moderate Hutus include even prominent politicians. The latest crack-down targeted Alphonse Ubalijoro and several members of the RPF-led parliament. Mr. Ubalijoro is a former Ambassador to the USA and France, and as later as moths ago, was a member of parliament in the Rwandan Patriotic Front government.
The families of these Hutu are tormented day and night by Rwandan Patriotic Army soldiers. Death squads are exterminating Hutu who managed to escape the Rwandan Patriotic Army, including former Rwandan Patriotic Front leaders such as Seth Sendashonga, a former Cabinet Minister, assassinated in Kenya. Former partners of RPF leaders and journalists are also targeted. Pasteur Musabe, a close associate of influential RPF leaders was recently assassinated in Cameroun. Several journalists have disappeared or forced to exile, including Tutsi journalists who dared to criticize the policy of extermination by the Rwandan Patriotic Front.
It is not that the international community doesn't know about the massacres of Hutu. The international media and community witnessed or confirmed most of the massacres. CNN was in Kibeho during the massacres. A National Public Radio and Public Broadcasting Services American journalists visited the caves of Nyakinama. Christiane Amanpour of CNN frequently visit the filthy Rwandan jails. Journalist from CNN, Voice of America, and Associated Press, Agence France Press, BBC, etc. visited the villages of Kanama, and Ruhengeri and Gisenyi where massacres have become routine.
Recently,the Rwandan Patriotic Army set up concentration camps for Hutus in the North-West Rwanda.
Those camps are financed by various international, governmental and private organizations. These concentrations camps, similar to the nazi camps, have become killing fields, where women are raped by RPA soldiers at will and men and women and children are massacred while the international community stands by. Instead of condemning these actions, the United Nations Development Program just expressed satisfaction with the Rwandan government's performance and the World Bank just released US $ 75 millions. This happens when the Rwandan Patriotic Army is engaged in other massacres in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Is not it fair to say that the international community is financing the invasion of a sovereign country, the Democratic Republic of Congo, massacres, concentration camps, and the genocide of the Hutu ethnic group?
It seems that, once again, the international community is applying double standard regarding its moral responsibility around the World. While a parallel is being made between the White Kosovars and Black and poor Rwandans, it is important to look inside the Rwandan tragedy itself to establish the same troubling behavior on the behalf of the international community.
Since 1990, Rwandan Patriotic Front, supported by the Western powers has killed, massacred, and raped Hutus, without any fear of international condemnation and prosecution. Crimes committed against the Hutu have never been given much attention, or were only labeled crimes of retribution, even when it was and still is clear that these crimes are against humanity or constitute genocide.
These days, especially this week, it is important to remember hundreds, even millions, of Rwandan Hutus who were massacred by the Rwandan Patriotic Front led Rwandan Government and its armed wing, the Rwandan Patriotic Army.
The only way to remember these innocent victims is to call on all people around the World to:
- condemn the current Rwandan Government for his genocidal policy against the Hutus. This policy includes the creation of concentration camps in the North Western Rwanda, the imprisonment, torture and rape of hundreds of thousands of ethnic Hutu including elite, intellectuals, business people, children, and women, and the persecution of Hutu leaders within RPF-led government, just because of their ethnic background.
- ask the international community, including the USA, the European Union, the UNDP, the World Bank and others institutions, to stop funding the genocidal and warmongering policy by the Rwandan government and its Rwandan Patriotic Army.
- ask the international community and the International Crime Tribunal for Rwanda to prosecute Rwandan Patriotic Front leaders and the Rwandan Patriotic Army officers and soldiers involved in any massacres, human rights abuses, and genocide against the Hutus.
Only then, the World would have shown that human life, not the life of a few selected ones, is precious, and that every human has the right to dignity, justice, peace, and freedom. Thus, the World would be able to say NEVER AGAIN.