The Confession of Former Kagame Chief of Staff, Dr. Theogene Rudesingwa:
On August 4, 1993, in Arusha, Tanzania, the Government of Rwanda and the Rwandese Patriotic Front signed the Arusha Peace Agreement [which]….included a commitment to principles of the rule of law, democracy, national unity, pluralism, the respect of fundamental freedoms and the rights of the individual.
The agreement further had provisions on power-sharing, formation of one and single National Army and a new National Gendarmerie [national police] from forces of the two warring parties; and a definitive solution to the problem of Rwandan refugees. On April 6, 1994, at 8:25 p.m., the Falcon 50 jet of the President of the Republic of Rwanda, registration number “ 9XR-NN, ” on its return from a summit meeting in DAR-ES-SALAAM, Tanzania, as it was on approach to Kanombe International Airport in KIGALI, Rwanda, was shot down.
All on board, including President Juvenal Habyarimana, President Cyprien Ntaryamira of Burundi, their entire entourage and flight crew died. The death of President Juvenal Habyarimana triggered the start of genocide that targeted Tutsi and Hutu moderates, and the resumption of civil war between RPF and the Government of Rwanda. The RPF’s sad and false narrative from that time on has been that Hutu extremists within President Habyarimana’s camp shot down the plane to derail the implementation of the Arusha Peace Agreement and to find a pretext to start the genocide in which over 800,000 Rwandans died in just 100 days….
The truth must now be told. Paul Kagame, then overall commander of the Rwandese Patriotic Army, the armed wing of the Rwandese Patriotic Front, was personally responsible for the shooting down of the plane. Continue reading…
Mutual Acceptance of Responsibility -
The Way Forward
Speakers:
Paul Rusesabagina, honored for saving Hutus and Tutsis alike during the Rwandan Genocide
Robert Flaten, Former U.S. Ambassador to Rwanda
Professor Peter Erlinder, UN‐ICTR Lead Defense Counsel
Special guest TBA for security reasons
Moderated by Dr. Ali Galayd, Former Prime Minister of Somalia
4:00 PM ‐ 6:00 PM
William Mitchell College of Law, 875 Summit Avenue, St. Paul
Open to local students and faculty members with valid ID
Conference will be streamed live ‐ register at reconcileconference@gmail.com for video link.
Downloadable flyer for Rwanda Truth and Reconciliation Roundtable
Paul Rusesabagina, the real life hero of the acclaimed film Hotel Rwanda, will speak at William Mitchell College of Law from 1 to 3 pm Monday, Nov. 28. His speech, “Human Rights, Democracy, and Dictatorship: The Rwanda Experience,” is free and open to the public.
Mr. Rusesabagina served as manager of the Hotel des Mille Collines in Kigali and bravely risked his life to shelter Hutus and Tutsis who were seeking refuge from the genocide that killed more than 800,000 people during a 100-day period in 1994.
Continue reading…