France journalist, Jean-François Dupaquier has revealed how Habyarimana neglected warnings on Kangura’s hatred publications
Kangura newspaper was founded by Hassan Ngeze in 1990 who was later to be convicted of fanning genocide and given a 35 years sentence by The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) for genocide crimes.
As he featured on the panel discussing on “Choosing Humanity” yesterday on the second day of the international conference preparing the 25th commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi held in Kigali, Dupaquier said that the media played a critical role in the preparation and execution of genocide on the support of leadership.
On 23rd April 1991, President Habyarimana held a working visit in France where he agreed to open a political platform giving room for more political parties.
He went to France, six months after RPF Inkotanyi started the liberation war. Before concluding his visit to France, Habyarimana attended a press conference.
Considering issue No 6 of Kangura journal published in 1990, Dupaquier asked Habyarimana whether publications from the medium are not intended for divisionism and spreading hatred among citizens. Some of the main headlines of the issue included: Hutus in the diaspora request fellows to be united, The ten commandments of Hutus, Hutus should be vigilant, The doom of Hutus will be on the brink if not united among others.
Addressing over 400 participants attending the conference, Dupaquier said he informed Habyarimana that publications of Kangura are part of the crime.
“When President Habyarimana came to Paris in April 1991, he held a press conference. I asked him: His Excellency President; I have the issue No 6 of Kangura. I am going to read samples of its publications. I read 15 lines from the article mobilizing Hutus to be watchful,” he said.
“I remember to have told him: ‘Excellency President if a journalist from France releases similar writings targeting a group of France citizens; he must definitely go to prison’,” recalled Dupaquier.
He said the reply of President Habyarimana was: “At home; it is called freedom of expression.”
Dupaquier recalled how he was surprised but made analysis latter and established that the government was behind the creation of Kangura.
He said the newspaper was a hidden plan of military intelligence department chaired by Anatole Nsengiyumva.
“We stress on media; because it is one of the potential tools in which hatred is manifested. Hatred is a fruit grown from intoxicating human’s thoughts. It is a toll forged by weak politicians to restore the confidence of citizens,” he observed.
Dupaquier urged the world to prevent the spread of hatred speeches because hiding it could lead to mayhem like genocide. Apart from being a journalist; Dupaquier is also an author of books like ‘Rwanda, les médias du génocide’ written in collaboration with Jean-Pierre Chrétien, Marcel Kabanda, and Joseph Ngarambe.
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