The Rwanda media must stand up for the truth, the dignity of Rwandans and denounce genocide deniers, Local Government Minister Francis Kaboneka has said.
Minister Kaboneka was speaking to local media yesterday evening at a vigil to pay tribute to Rwandan journalists who were massacred in 1994 during the genocide against the Tutsi.
Minister Kaboneka said there are two choices for Rwandan journalists today; choosing to be right or to be wrong.
Kaboneka’s point of view is informed by the fact that some journalists such as Kangura Chief Editor Hassan Ngeze, chose to be wrong.
He said journalists in Rwanda today must denounce such kind of inhumane acts.
The journalists Rwanda needs today are those who stand up for the truth and the better future of his country, he said.
“Strive for the dignity of Rwandans and stand up against the genocide deniers,” he added. “You must play role in building a nation, it is important for Rwanda and your families, leave a good legacy.”
Minister Kaboneka had joined journalists and families of the killed journalists gathered at Rwanda Broadcasting Agency (RBA)’s premises in Kigali to remember the deceased as part of the national 23rd commemoration of the genocide against the Tutsi.
“We remember these journalists because we now live in a country they strove for; a country in which everyone lives in peace today, without fear, regardless of one’s ethnic background or regional background,” Kaboneka.
Meanwhile, research shows that 70% of the genocide ideology was disseminated through media emphasizing that “many Tutsi would not have lost their lives if some journalists had not chosen a line of divisionism and the genocide ideology”.
Taarifa Staff
