Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (Rura) yesterday suspended BBC
Kinyarwanda service over a series of programmes by the British
broadcaster which Genocide survivors and activists say minimise the 1994
Genocide against the Tutsi.
The latest was a recent documentary titled ‘Rwanda’ Untold Story’,
which many Rwandans say is an affront to the memory of over a million
victims of the Genocide.
Rura, an autonomous statutory body that regulates broadcast media
among other regulatory responsibilities, accused the BBC of attempting
to ‘rewrite Rwandan history and promoting the agenda of Genocide deniers
which is not only a serious breach of Rwandan laws but also
international conventions against genocide’.
“Rura is responsible for ensuring that media organisations comply
with laws that govern their activities. Over the last three weeks, we
have received complaints from members of the public and civil society,
especially Genocide survivor organisations,” said Beata Mukangabo, the
Head of Corporate, Legal and Industry Affairs at Rura.
The decision was announced hours after members of Avega-Agahozo, the
umbrella association of Genocide widows, and other women added their
voice to calls for stern action against BBC, during a protest in Kigali.
Earlier in the week, Parliament as well as youth associations urged authorities to revoke BBC license over similar accusations.
“After reviewing the complaints, Rura has assessed that these
accusations are serious enough to warrant the temporary suspension of
all BBC Kinyarwanda language programmes while more investigations are
carried out by the regulator,” Mukangabo said.
She told a press briefing that Rura had also instituted an inquiry to
investigate allegations of Genocide denial and revisionism by BBC. The
findings of the investigation will determine what further actions to
take, she said.
The most controversial section of the documentary is where it
insinuates that only 200,000 Tutsi were killed in the 100-day Genocide,
while 800,000 Hutu died, figures that are contrary to established facts.
Prof Anastase Shyaka, the CEO of Rwanda Governance Board (RGB) a body
charged with media oversight, said the documentary had content that
disrupt and disregards not only Rwanda’s agreements with BBC, but also
spreads denial of Genocide against the Tutsi and gives a platform to
those known to be inciting Rwandans into violence.
“On the basis of that documentary, we have seen massive protests from
women, youth and MPs expressing outrage against the BBC documentary. We
had to take a decision in the interest of protecting our citizens and
the principles of unity and reconciliation,” he said.
Why Kinyarwanda programmes?
BBC broadcasts in Rwanda on the basis of bilateral agreement signed
in 1997. Part of article 01 of the agreement reads that: “The BBC shall,
in respect of broadcast of its programmes, respect the people’s right
to information and to balanced and objective reporting. Not to broadcast
any material which is likely to incite hatred, violence and division”.
“The documentary fully disrespects the article of the agreement, and
if you recall, they have previously been suspended for violating the
same article,” Shyaka pointed out.
Despite the fact that the controversial documentary was first
televised on BBC Two, Prof. Shyaka said suspending the Kinyarwanda radio
programmes was a way of protesting and sanctioning the corporation.
“This is not the only alternative but it’s a protest and a sanction.
We are not enemies to BBC but it has had attitudes that need to be
corrected. If someone does something to you, it doesn’t mean that your
reaction is going to be in one form … there are numerous options that
could be considered,” he said.
He hastened to add that, the very same documentary had been translated to Kinyarwanda by BBC.
“You have to understand that actually the Kinyarwanda version is the
one that reaches out to each and every Rwandan. This is a preventative
measure,” he said.
BBC’s second suspension
In 2009, the government suspended BBC Kinyarwanda programmes on the
grounds that the broadcaster was airing content that incited hatred,
divisionism, Genocide denial and revisionism among Rwandans.
The suspension followed a talk show on one of the corporation’s
Kinyarwanda-Kirundi programmes, Imvo n’Imvano, that suggested a double
genocide had occurred and that the bodies of people found floating in
the waters of Lake Victoria, in Uganda during the Genocide“were victims
of the Rwanda Patriotic Front”.
Rwanda then lodged a protest to the BBC pointing to the twists in the
content and labeled the programme as divisive and disparaging in
nature.
According to Prof. Shyaka, BBC broadcasts were later restored after it pledged to avoid future similar actions.
The BBC Africa director then, wrote to Rwanda saying: “The BBC has
producer guidelines which emphasise that the BBC not be a platform for
incitement, hatred and violence. We shall re-emphasise that to the
editors and producers who have responsibility to the output to the Great
Lakes Region and specifically Rwanda”.
Shyaka pointed out that the fact that BBC didn’t live to its promise was another reason for its suspension.
“Having in mind that we have the responsibility of ensuring,
protecting and guaranteeing the security of this nation, including the
principles of unity and reconciliation, and fighting genocide ideology
it is with this regard that Rura has taken the decision of suspending
and investigating the matter,” said Shyaka.
In a related development, over 2000 women yesterday mounted a protest
against the same documentary and petitioned the Parliament to push for a
ban on BBC and seek an official apology.
Their petition was received by the Senate president Bernard Makuza who promised to look into it. STORY AND PIX BY THE NEW TIMES
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