BBC documentary sparks outrage in Rwanda

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BBC documentary sparks outrage in Rwanda --

Mon, 27 Oct 2014 09:43

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The BBC documentary Rwandas Untold Story has triggered protests by the people and government of Rwanda, who believe the film to be an attack on their country. The hour-long documentary questions the role which former Rwandan President Paul Kagame played in the country s 1994 genocide and places claims of war crimes carried out by his forces under scrutiny. As a result, Rwandas parliament has opted to ban BBC radio broadcasts in the local language, Kinyarwanda.

The Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA) stated, Over the last three weeks, RURA has received complaints of incitement, hatred, divisionism, genocide denial and revision from the public following the documentary aired by BBC on 1 October 2014 titled Rwanda The Untold Story and other violations of journalistic responsibility spanning a number of years.

The BBC responded to the protests and said it had a duty to investigate difficult and challenging subjects and that the film made a valuable contribution to the understanding of the tragic history of the country and the region.

In Rwandas Untold Story Kagame, who has been known as the man who rescued Rwanda and ended the 1994 killings, is suggested to have been involved in taking down the airplane carrying Habyarimana and Burundian president Cyprien Ntaryamira, an event which incited the genocide.

The BBC website describes further revelations in the film, Former close associates from within Kagames inner circle and government speak out from hiding abroad. They present a very different portrait of a man who is often hailed as presiding over a model African state. Rwandas economic miracle and apparent ethnic harmony has led to the country being one of the biggest recipients of aid from the UK.

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