Ex-ambassador: 25 years after the Rwandan genocide, I am still with the same questions

“We are now, 25 years after the terrible genocide, but are still far from the truth about what happened between 1990 and 1994 happened.” That sets Johan Swinnen, in that period, Belgian ambassador in Rwanda, some days before the genocide is being commemorated.

“How come there are so many Rwandans in the fall are kicked out of the radicalisation, who would gain from this, who was behind the crash of the airplane of Habyarimana...? About that is still inconclusive, and that makes me angry. The truth is an indispensable ingredient of justice and development.” the

Hundred days
On the good one hundred days brought the Rwandan army, Hutu militias and civilians, hundreds of thousands of tutsis and moderate Hutus. The figures vary between 500,000 and 1 million, with 800.000 as the most-mentioned figure. Also about those long-term Swinnen questions. “When I ask why the genocide has lasted so long, they will be angry in Kigali”, sounds. “The government forces of then it was a lot. As current president Paul Kagame still celebrated as the man who put an end to the genocide, why has he not used to be done? And why was he so reluctant to maintain, or return, of foreign troops, UN troops, as general Dallaire writes?” the

Political assassinations
Also about the tens of political murders in the years before the genocide happened, there is still no clarity. “And about the murder of Habyarimana by shooting down his plane, are Rwandan and French studies, but is still no internationally mandated research. Why is that so? About that, I am still outraged.” the

For Swinnen is the answer to those questions is essential. “Every human being has a memory, a sense of justice, a historical consciousness... You should keep this in mind. Therefore, there must be the honest search for the truth. Even if that truth cannot definitively, there certainly a humble effort. I dare not to propose, but maybe the South Africans with the Truth and reconciliation commission correctly addressed.”

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The current approach of the regime in Kigali, where every desire for truth is suppressed and opposed, according to Swinnen “wrong and vertrouwenondermijnend”. “At least I respect and tolerance for those who are on a fair way to the truth looking. That should still can?”