I was in Kigali last week when the Rwanda government released the report on “The Investigation into the crash of the Dassault Falcon 50 on April 6, 1994 carrying former President Juvenal Hanyarimana.” It was both a triumph and a humiliation for the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF), the citizens of Rwanda and the people of Africa.
It was a triumph because after years of speculation, misinformation and lies an investigations committee released a meticulously researched report based on two years on good work. The committee travelled in Africa, Europe and North America to interview those who knew anything about Habyarimana’s death.
It interviewed eye witnesses at Kanombe airport including people in the control tower that night; then diplomats, UNAMIR officials, ballistic experts etc. Over 600 people were interviewed. It also combed all judicial documents that were in the public domain.
From this extensive work, the conclusion was that Habyarimana’s plane was shot down by a missile fired from the military camp at Kanombe airport which housed the presidential guard. Nothing was surprising because anyone who cared already knew that Habyarimana was killed by his own soldiers. Gen. Romeo Dallaire who commanded UNAMIR during the genocide has published what he witnessed in his book, Shake Hands with the Devil.
On the night the plane was shot, there was a meeting at army headquarters chaired by Theostene Bagosora who had taken control of government under the guise of a “Crisis Committee”. They were waiting to hear the final report from the airport. Finally, someone called and an officer of the Rwandan army picked the phone. Upon receiving the report, he turned with a face beaming with an undisguised smile and reported to Bagosora and everyone else that Habyarimana was actually dead.
It should have been clear to anyone even with basic information about how Habyarimana died that the RPF did not have the capacity, the opportunity and the self interest to kill him anyway. The RPF was located at parliamentary buildings in Kigali, a long distance from the airport that did not give them clear sight of any plane landing there. In the charged atmosphere in Kigali at that time, it would have been suicidal for Tutsi officers to begin moving around with missiles.
Yet any RPF officer should have been proud to kill Habyarimana. It is a great honour in any military conflicts to kill your enemy. In Rwanda of April 1994, Habyarimana was planning the mass extermination of Tutsi. The RPF was largely commanded by Tutsi officers. Their greatest triumph would have been to kill the man planning their extermination. Sadly, Hutu extremists snatched this prize from them. The RPF should be angry that they lost the opportunity. Instead, here was RPF struggling to exonerate itself from Habyarimana’s death.
Thus, as I sat in the press conference listening to the Rwandan officials explain details of their findings, I wept. Regardless of whatever the RPF can say, it was the ultimate humiliation. Here were victims of genocide desperately trying to exonerate themselves from allegations that they killed a man who had been plotting their extermination.
Habyarimana was a villain – a president who organised the mass slaughter of over one million of his own citizens. He established a private FM radio station, Mille Collin, which constantly broadcast calls for the mass extermination of Tutsis and any Hutu suspected of harbouring sympathy for them. He had a newspaper, Kangura, which conducted an effective genocide sensitisation campaign. Habyarimana also trained a militia, the Interahamwe for mass murder.
Elsewhere, such a criminal minded president would be a target for legitimate assassination – just like Adolf Hitler was during the World War 11 or Saddam Hussein during the US invasion of Iraq. The difference is Habyarimana was a president of a poor country Rwanda, located in Africa and populated by poor people. But he was also an ally of a rich and powerful nation based in Western Europe, France.
The plane on which Hanyarimana had been given to him by France; the crew on board the ill-fated flight were French. The army that defended Habyarimana was trained by France; its battles were sometimes commanded by French army officers. The weapons used to kill Tutsis were supplied by France or bought with French financial aid.
Even in the midst of the genocide, France did not give up. Under the guise of Operation Taqoeurse, the French army entered Rwanda and provided a safe passage for the Rwandan army and interahamwe to escape. It proceeded to provide weapons and ammunition to this criminal army inside Zaire, now Congo hoping to topple the RPF government. Up until recently, France has been trying to avenge the death of his mass murderer. Let us not forget that the investigation by the Rwanda government into Habyarimana’s death were launched after a French judge, Jean-Louis Bruguiere, indicted top RPF leaders in 2008 for killing France’s beloved allay.
On September 11th 2001, Osama bin Laden killed only 3,000 Americans. As a consequence, “the world changed”: the US got the right to invade and occupy other nations. It got the right to take fingerprints of any person entering its territory, to force other nations and banks to open all financial details of every person to US security services. It got the right to kill – pre-emptively – anyone it suspects of trying to harm Americans.
Some have argued that it is Habyarimana’s death that “caused” the genocide. Yet for three years, Habyarimana planned genocide against Tutsis and anyone who was suspected to be sympathetic to them. Arms were procured, militias trained, lists of people to kill drawn, radios and newspapers controlled by him were spewing genocide propaganda daily, calling on Hutus to wait for a signal to begin killing every Tutsi.
What rights do the people of Rwanda have under international law to punish France for sponsoring genocide in their country? Instead, France is projecting Habyarimana as a victim and his victims as the guilty party. Assuming a plane had bombed Hitler’s bunker and killed the psychopathic German leader during the Second World War. Would the allies – Britain and the United States – have spent years struggling to “clear” their name for his death? Africa should begin thinking.
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written by MABO, January 27, 2010
written by Justus, January 27, 2010
written by Justus, January 27, 2010
written by Politi Fact, January 27, 2010
written by Major Adam Kifaliso, January 27, 2010
written by Kapipo, January 27, 2010
written by kalyango paul, January 28, 2010
written by Dalton Kaweesa, January 28, 2010
written by Birungi, January 28, 2010
written by Efia, January 29, 2010
written by Mukasa eddie, January 29, 2010
written by oyo, January 29, 2010
AS FOR CONGO massacre, with 2 millionrefugees, 100,000 ex-FAR and 100,000 miliatia waging cross-border attacks, going there to dismantle everything will be justified.
Come on, guys stop waging cheap, personal attacks against Mwenda
written by Des.M, January 29, 2010
written by Mugwanya Solomon, January 30, 2010
There is rightly a lot of hurt and emotion around this issue. Remember that most of the RPF are not only having to come to terms with the genocide of '94, but with 30-40 years of persecution. Under these circumstances, we should be fair and ask not whether Kagame is an angel or a devil, but rather how well he has managed as a human being, in such tough circumstances. My verdict: Exceedingly well, despite problems here and there. Continues...
written by Mugwanya Solomon, January 30, 2010
As to the report: A masterpiece. The Rwandese have not only collated the evidence nicely, they have also convincingly fingered France for its involvement in a coverup in the immediate aftermath of the plane crash. This is a very important step because it denies France the moral backing of its crusade against the RPF.
To its credit, France has received the message loud and clear, and is now going out of its way to cozy up to Rwanda anew. Worth the price of humiliation? In the long run, I think so.
written by Daniel, January 30, 2010
It is a pity that many people will do and say anything to hide the truth.
I encourage fellwo readers to avoid using abusive language as we discuss. It does not help us at all
written by Ocheto, January 30, 2010
written by Safari, January 31, 2010
Yes, I've read the report and its another proof of how Paul Kagame,the criminal loves going back to the crime scene!
Are you havin' a laugh,how can a criminal investigate his own crimes?
written by Lakwena, February 01, 2010
written by Mugwanya Solomon, February 01, 2010
Also, it is not true that the "reverse genocide" of the Hutu in DRC is not talked about. Far from it. Stephen Kinzer's biography of Kagame for example, though a little less direct on the matter, does spend some time on it.
written by Lakwena, February 01, 2010
written by Lakwena, February 01, 2010
written by OJA, February 01, 2010
written by sekaganda, February 01, 2010
2. That Mutsinzi report shd have preceded the Brugeire report, i think in the circumstances the fregling RPF govt of the time didnt have the luxury and the priority of conducting this investigation as it had enough on its plate like providing shelter to orphans and widows as a result of Genocide etc
written by Mugwanya Solomon, February 02, 2010
Moving on to the Hutu in the diaspora. Of course they want to come back and take vengeance. Even Kagame knows that. Which is why he is working so much harder on economic empowerment than others in the region: to deny future insurgents fertile ground for a rebellion. It might just work.
written by Lakwena, February 02, 2010
written by Lakwena, February 02, 2010
written by Ntwali, February 02, 2010
written by Safali, February 02, 2010
written by Lakwena, February 02, 2010
written by Ocheto, February 02, 2010
written by Mugwanya Solomon, February 03, 2010
written by Lakwena, February 03, 2010
written by Lakwena, February 03, 2010
written by safali, February 03, 2010
written by MUGISHA, February 03, 2010
written by Lakwena, February 03, 2010
written by MUGISHA, February 03, 2010
written by Lakwena, February 03, 2010
written by Lakwena, February 03, 2010
















