Rwandans are expressing outrage after seven survivors of thecountry's genocide were reportedly killed this year. They are calling onPresident Paul Kagame's government to set up a commission of inquiry toinvestigate the crime and punish the perpetrators. IBUKA, which is theorganization of the survivors of Rwanda's 1994 genocide, says there seems to bean orchestrated attempt to kill survivals. John Bosco Gasasira is the editor ofthe Umuvugizi Independent Newspaper in Rwanda. He tells reporter Peter Clotteyfrom the capital, Kigali that the government is not doing enough to protect thegenocide survivors.
"IBUKAis a genocide survivors' association and back here at home in Rwanda, thegenocide survivors are experiencing lots of problems of insecurity mostespecially in up country and in some villages. In the Kigali suburbs we foundout that in just a short period this year more than seven genocide survivorshave been killed. They are being assassinated in one way or another," Gasasirapointed out.
Hesaid the government has not done enough to protect genocide survivors.
"Asyou know RPF (Rwanda Patriotic Front) as the ruling party and the governmentare credited for stopping genocide, but on another side they are criticized forfailing to protect the security of genocide survivors. When I caught theminister for internal affairs who was advising genocide survivors last year,saying that they should sleep earlier and walk in groups, as if they don't haverights. If it were to be in another country, this minister could have beenforced to resign straight away. So, really their security is not good and themeasures of the government is not all that good," he said.
Gasasirasaid genocide survivors are powerless to protect themselves with the ongoingattempt to kill them.
"IBUKAjust publicly campaign about what is going on, but it has no any other solutionof stopping the killings. It behooves the government of Rwanda, which has toinstall critical measures and the way it needs to stopping genocide andinstalling the security of genocide survivors. But IBUKA is handicapped, itcan't protects its people apart from going in the open and talking about thekillings, but it has not measures of stopping them," Gasasira noted.
Hesaid there was need for President Kagame's government to be harsh on theperpetrators to serve as a deterrent.
"Ina way the government of Rwanda is trying to protect them and trying to improvetheir economic and financial status. We think it is really important to embarkon security countrywide to severely punish those (perpetrators) who are doingthat and enforce whereby if the minister can't do that, the police can't dothat and if local leaders can't do that they could resign. The governmentshould put a lot of pressure and measures on the entire population and punishthose who are the perpetrators and even punishing those local leaders if theyfail to protect the genocide survivors, I think that could really reduce thegenocide survivors who are now dying," he said.
Gasasirasaid the government seems to be protecting those who are alleged to have fullyparticipated in the country's 1994 genocide to the detriment of the genocidesurvivors.
"Youknow the government of Rwanda is putting pressure on security, justice, unityand reconciliation. But in unity and reconciliation you can't bend on one linemaking justice for genocide participators but fail to reinforce on givingsecurity to genocide survivors," Gasasira pointed out.
Maxim Niyibizi, a genocide survivor wasreportedly hacked with machetes by unknown assailants last week. It wasreported that police preliminary investigation suggested that Niyibizi mighthave been killed by genocide suspects and their accomplices who don't wanttheir acts in the 1994 genocide revealed.
Another genocide survivor, EmmanuelNdishimye from Rugarama cell, Gatsibo district was also burnt with petroleumand is now undergoing treatment at a local hospital. This comes after the minister of internal affairs recentlytold genocide survivors to go to bed early and walk in groups when the groupexpressed concerns about insecurity.