In this guest blog, Claude Gatebuke, Executive Director of the African Great Lakes Action Network (AGLAN), discusses censorship and backlash and how important it is that survivors be allowed to share their full stories.
Editor’s Note: With 2024 marking the 30th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, Claude Gatebuke discusses censorship and backlash and how important it is that survivors be allowed to share their full stories. Humanity United is committed to sharing our platform with those with lived experience in our areas of work, however the views and opinions expressed are those of the author.
In the spring of 1994, at 14 years old, I was with my mother and a group of other refugees trying to flee atrocities in Rwanda’s capital city of Kigali. Brushes with death were far too common, and once we reached a checkpoint it looked as if hope was gone. As we were ordered to dig our own graves, the militia unexpectedly decided to let us go, influenced by an onlooker’s comment: “This boy and his mother are not going to make it another five miles without getting killed; let someone else kill them.”
At the time, extremist ethnic Hutus were targeting ethnic Tutsis for extermination as the culmination of a four-year war that started with a Tutsi rebel group named the Rwandese Patriotic Front (RPF). The four years leading up to the genocide were filled with horrible atrocities that left around a million people displaced into the city of Kigali. The internally displaced people were my introduction to the horrors that were taking place in RPF occupied areas.
And now, 30 years later, the story is still being written — this time not through official government channels, but by those of us who lived it and survived the horrors. We believe that as more and more of these stories emerge, scholars and historians will have to revise their work about this period in time.
By the end of the genocide my family had lost more than 100 relatives and countless friends and neighbors. We initially thought they had all been massacred by the extremist Hutu militias, but thanks to a few survivors, we have since learned of many who were killed by the RPF Tutsi rebels. The war and genocide ended with the RPF seizing power, but massacres continued. Today, the RPF is still in power in Rwanda.
After the genocide, an official narrative was crafted by the RPF, erasing any mention of its crimes. For years, I shared my story publicly without censoring RPF crimes. I was and continue to be harassed, stalked, bullied and threatened by the Rwandan regime as well as its supporters. For many years, I only knew of a handful of survivors who spoke publicly about crimes committed by both the extremist Hutus as well as the RPF Tutsi rebels.
Over the last five years I have come to know hundreds of survivors who refused to remain silent regardless of consequences. We began sharing our stories using social media platforms, and as more voices kept emerging, Rwanda’s regime deployed trolls to harass and run smear campaigns against the survivors. Our live broadcasts were hacked, as were multiple platforms that I appeared on. However, the people’s pursuit of their own healing and liberation through speech has been even more relentless, led mostly by individuals who were children during the genocide. They turned their pain into their power.
Eric Ngoga, co-author of the book Survivors Uncensored, was 13 when his brother was killed by the Interahamwe extremist Hutu militia. During this year’s commemoration, his story was shared on multiple continents including the Americas, Europe and Australia. At one gathering, he spoke publicly about how he survived in an area occupied by the RPF. Despite persecution, Ngoga says, “It is my right to tell the truth and contribute to justice and healing. Regardless of the consequences, we must honor all of the victims, and also inspire others to free themselves.”
Such stories were told not only on social media, but also in mass media and in person. Public commemorations were held in a variety of countries including the U.S., Canada, South Africa, Belgium, Australia, and other parts of the world. In Rwanda, public commemorations were reserved for stories that align with the regime’s official narrative. Those whose stories include the censored truth joined the commemorations via social media but kept their identities protected in order not to suffer great harm by the regime.
Urujeni Genty, co-author of Survivors Uncensored, said she went for many years knowing she was only allowed to share a part of her survival story. She explained, “I was inspired by hearing stories that did not censor any parts of the truth. As a result, I decided to join others in providing platforms that allow all to share their full stories so that history can reflect what truly happened in its completeness.”
While harrowing, these stories uplift humanity and show great resilience. The reason many survivors are speaking out now is not only to heal, but to liberate others. Natacha Abingeneye, who was seven years old when the genocide occurred said: “We are liberated today, thanks to a few who choose to be unapologetic about their survival stories and inspired countless others. Finally, all Rwandans have a chance to heal through truth-telling and sharing strategies for resilience. No amount of intimidation or retaliation can reverse this movement.”
Claude Gatebuke is a Rwandan genocide survivor. He is the co-founder and executive director of African Great Lakes Action Network. He is also a co-author of the books Survivors Uncensored: 100+ Testimonies From Survivors Of The Rwandan Genocide and Pre-And Post Genocide Rwanda: Inspiring Stories Of Resilience And Humanity