By Stephen George
Former Rwandan Prime Minister Faustin Twagiramungu, an outspoken opponent of the violence and genocide that has plagued the east African nation for decades, spoke last Wednesday in the Allen Courtroom at the Law School. His appearance was part of a series sponsored by U of L’s Muhammad Ali Institute for Peacemaking and Conflict Resolution.
Twagiramungu delivered “Genocide in Rwanda and the Future of Rwanda,” a speech which covered the nation’s history from the days of German colonial occupation through the two world wars, the numerous civil wars, and up to today. He called for Africans, who he defined as “one nation…one people,” to begin anew as a singular, unified culture.
“Africans must rewrite their old history,” he said in reference to the legacy of colonialism still present. “We read our history as written by foreigners.”
Like many of the African nations, Rwanda has long been a population in turmoil. Germany’s withdrawal from Rwanda after their defeat in World War I created a power vacuum, as the centralized government that had been imposed by Germany was removed. This removal spawned slavery, genocide, and eventually revolution in 1959. A civil war ensued that lasted until 1990.
In 1993 the Arusha Peace Accord, which Twagiramungu helped engineer, was signed, and a power-sharing agreement was initiated among the various political factions vying for control. Shortly thereafter, the then-president of Rwanda was killed in a plane crash, a catalyst to an influx of more mass killings and a return to the political power struggle among factions. “They signed it with their pens,” Twagiramungu said of the peace agreement, “but not with their hearts.”
Late in 1994, the Rwandan Patriotic Front gained control of the country, naming Twagiramungu prime minister. He held the position only a year, as the coalition government collapsed due to interior conflicts. Since its collapse, Twagiramungu has become a sort of informal diplomat for Rwanda, although he no longer lives in the country.
“The international community needs to accept its responsibility,” he said. Twagiramungu has consistently petitioned not only the United Nations, but also several countries directly, including the United States, for aid to Rwanda and to the entire African continent. As of now, there have been no significant steps taken to assist the people like those in Rwanda, who are being killed without reserve on a daily basis.
The total human consequence of the last decade of violence in Rwanda is staggering. According to Twagiramungu, over one million civilians have been killed; another 200,000 by direct hand of the government, who Twagiramungu characterized as “killers and thieves.” The government has also extradited, on no legal grounds, about 1.8 million who fled the country to avoid the violence.
Another problem Twagiramungu discussed was that of the youth of Africa. “In Africa, the youth does not have hope,” he said. Therefore, young people in Rwanda and in many other African nations are immigrating to countries where genocide is not taking place in hopes of a better future.
Twagiramungu said that the answer is in the development of Africa, both by the international community and by the people. “We have to give power to the people,” he said. “The leadership in Africa must change. There’s no democracy in Africa. There’s no education. We can’t defend our interests because we don’t know how to.
“To have a bright future, we have to educate our people: politically, economically, and even morally,” he said. “Without freedom, without justice, and without democratic process, we can make no progress. All that we want in Africa is peace.”
