Report reveals ethnic-based divisions among Rwandan religious groups

This was announced Monday when the commission submitted to the General Assembly of the Senate its annual report of 2017-2018 and the action plan for 2018-2019.

President of the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission, John Rucyahana noted that last year, there was a deep analysis on unity and reconciliation in some of the religious groups.

He said that in those religious groups, obstacles to unity and reconciliation were at a level of more than 10%.

Among the religious groups, are ADEPR, Methodist Church in Rwanda and Muslim Brotherhood in Rwanda.

In EMLR and ADEPR, there were issues of gender-based divisions, while in Islam there was contradiction on how to establish leadership and worship.

Senator Ntawukuriryayo Jean Damascène, asked why the suspects propagating divisions weren’t arrested as their actions are against Rwandan law.

He said that Rwandans are so fearful of religions that no one dares to rebuke them when they are involved in divisionism.

“If you look, for instance, at EDPR, Muslims and EMLR issues, those are issues that began to surface in 2010. You may ask yourself when the Rwandan society prevents them,” he said.

He added: “If they discriminate against Rwandans based on their origins, even on religion yet the constitution prohibits it, why don’t we punish them?Is it because when it comes to religion, we all stop talking about it?”

Rucyahana said the work of the commission was to highlight problems that could disrupt unity and reconciliation, and the institutions responsible for monitoring should implement the recommendations.

“No Rwandan is above the law; no one should break the law and go unpunished. The problem is in the follow up of the problem and crime committed. What the commission is doing is highlight the problem,” he added.

Conflicts in Islam arise from dissent between the Shia and the Sunni, among others.
In ADEPR, conflicts emanate from leadership, financial mismanagement, and other factors that led some of its officials to prison last year.

There have been accusations from the factions, each accusing the other of working with enemies of the Rwanda state.