October 18, 12022 – La Haye (The Hague):Witness Monique Mujawamariya testified against former business tycoon Félicien Kabuga, who is accused of genocide crimes in Rwanda. As people heard the testimony of Monique Mujawamariya around the globe, it shed the light and revealed many things concerning the 1994 Rwanda genocide but it caused almost everyone to question its genuiness.
Mujawamariya testified that she had been a Human Rights Activist since early 90’s, just before and during the time of genocide. Was she hired as a human right activist or was it a vocation? The question that arises is “what has happened that the voice of Mujawamariya has not been heard after the genocide, advocating anymore when many innocent Rwandans disappeared or killed inside the country by the current Rwanda regime?” Mujawamariya activism is loud and clear till shortly after RPF took power; yet atrocities in Rwanda did not stop with the arrival of RPF; in fact, human right violations inside Rwanda have increased as per reports that are released year after year by USA State Department or by organizations of Human Right Watch.
Let the reader be reminded that before the RPF invasion in 1990, the majority of Rwandans had not even heard about Human Rights organizations. Rwanda was a peaceful country. Many years would go by without hearing of a single person killed. Ten years or more will go on without Rwandans hearing a single shot being fired; years will go by without hearing about anyone killed; kidnappings and disappearances were at 0%. It is in this way Human Rights Organizations were almost nonexistent in Rwanda before RPF. When the RPF started the war however, Rwandans began to hear about human right organizations such as Rwandan ADL founded by Mujawamariya.
In a viral video, Mujawamariya said RPF Committed Many Crimes
In a viral video going on social media right now which was recorded in September 1994, Mujawamariya is seen in Rwanda just two months after the genocide. On the video, Mujawamariya who had taken refuge in Canada comes back to Rwanda in September 1994 to asses crimes committed by Interahamwe to find out there were many crimes committed instead by RPF whom she defended. The camera shows her saying that she was surprised to see so much destruction caused by the RPF. The video begins with Mujawamariya meeting her own sister Mukandutiye who tells her the whereabouts of their family. On a camera she informs Mujawamariya that their brother Jean and son Albert were killed. Mujawamariya began to wonder where the Interahamwe found them but her own sister informs her in front of the camera that they were killed by RPF on July 3, when RPF had just taken power. She informs Mujawaramariya that this is true news, confirmed by their sisters who survived the RPF massacres. The sisters recall how RPF came and separated men from the women, next the RPF killed the men. One of the sisters recalls how she survived thanks to RPF Afande (boss) who spoke up for her saying, “I know her,” and then she escaped through his recommendations.
Now the question arises as to why Mujawamariya, as a human right activist, she would not advocate for her brothers, neighbors and all those poor Rwandans who were killed by RPF but instead of doing that, after the Rwanda genocide she would change her role only to testify against those accused by RPF. Not only a human right activist accuses the evil doer but they speak up for the innocent who are oppressed. The Human Right Watch organization in Rwanda advocated for those oppressed by the Interahamwe but also they advocated for those oppressed by the RPF.
Years after the genocide, it will not be found anywhere Mujawamariya speaking up for those killed or harmed by RPF. Why would she be a one sided witness, who accuse Kabuga but not accuse the RPF who killed her own brother and family members? Did the calling of Mujawamariya switch overnight to only testify against those who committed genocide? Did her advocacy for oppressed Rwandans end when RPF took power?
In the video, Mujawamariya testified that there are many people, so many that were killed by the RPF. As a human right activist, why is it seen in court her witnessing against the Interahamwe in ICTR only? Will she advocate also for those killed by RPF, will she stand in court and testify against RPF?
In the video also, Mukandutiye witnessed to her how immediately after the genocide, while the bodies of those killed by Interahamwe were still in the streets, survivors who had gone into the hiding started coming back. RPF had taken power and instead of protecting them, “RPF was killing them even as they came from their hiding place!” The sister testified.
In this viral video, Mujawamariya is seen witnessing the horrendous inhuman treatment of Hutus prisoners by the RPF. Hundreds if not thousands of Hutus men are seen stuck against one another, where they could barely breathe. RPF soldiers had beaten them that Mujawamariya is showing their torture and fresh wounds on a live camera. Why would a Human Rights Activists no longer advocate for such people but instead focuses on witnessing against the Interahamwe accused by RPF? Had her vocation changed, was she being paid by RPF to testify against the accused or was she still doing it as a Human Right Activist? And if so, why is it directed only against Interahamwe who killed not the RPF soldiers who also killed?
Accusation Against Kabuga Felicien
Mujawamariya then testified against Kabuga, who is accused of committing genocide crimes in 1994. Mujawamariya accused Kabuga for participating in a meeting in 1993 in Kigali’s hotel to launch RTLM radio station. RTLM radio station was used during genocide to incite violence and it was accused of encouraging Interahamwe to kill Tutsis.
Mujawamariya tells the court that as a Human Right Advocate, she saw Kabuga coming to the Founder’s meeting; she had been invited to the RTLM Investors / Founder’s meeting.
Something that causes many people to raise their eyebrow is that in her testimony, Mujawamariya said that RTLM was a hate, warmonger station; a station that had nothing to offer but encourage war and a bad tool. Why would she respond to an invitation to launch a radio with such a bad reputation? Why would she accept such an invitation? But even more than that, why would she be invited in the first place? Does it make sense that one launches an independent radio station and at the founder’s meetings, she would invite a Human rights activist such as Mujawamariya who by the way was not trusted by those in the inner circle? Does everything smell ok right here?
Mujawamariya testified that though she went to the founder’s meeting, she did not participate because she saw participants who were coming were all inner circle members of the government elites, Akazu; that is President Habyarimana’s inner circle. She testified that she saw no good thing was going to come out of that meeting and she decided to leave without participating in the meeting.
Before she would leave that hotel, by the way, she testified that she saw that Kabuga had come, waiting for the meeting to start!
At the time, Kabuga was one of the wealthiest business people in Rwanda. So Mujawamariya testified that the richest investor in Rwanda, the business tycoon Kabuga was there waiting at the hotel for the meeting to start! A billionaire waiting for a meeting of a small insignificant company such RTLM to start! So this very wealthy investor was not then the VIP? He did not enter through the backstage? What about his escort? Did Mujawamariya see them? Does this testimony make sense to anyone here?
Mujawamariya also talked about her former marriage to a commander by the name of Ildephonse Nzabarirwa, who was originally from Gatumba, Satinskyi Commune in the prefecture of Gisenyi. The couple divorced in the mid 80’s. The RTLM founder’s meeting took place in 1993, approx. 8 years after her divorce. Mujawamariya testified that she was invited to the founder’s meeting because of her being married to Commander Nzabarirwa but at this time, they were already divorced and it had been many years. In court she testified that she knew a lot of internal plans because of her marriage to Commander Ildephonse but at this time, they were already divorced. Mujawamariya witnessed that she was persecuted by the Habyarimana regime and his administration because she would confront them of their wrong doing – yet, they would let her in on the secrets of internal affairs such as the forming of a radio that would be used against Tutsis and RPF?
While RPF killed, imprisoned thousands of innocent Hutus, kidnapped many, tortured many, what happened to this Human right Hero that Rwandans have not seen her publicly advocating for people being oppressed by RPF regime? Mujawamariya confirmed during the La Haye hearing that she was among the inner circle of those who confirmed and named the Rwanda killings as Genocide.
The Mystery in Rwanda Genocide: A Personal Testimony
I would not close this newsletter without talking about the Rwanda genocide mystery that I keep bumping into. When the Rwanda genocide happened, I was in Rwanda. I consider myself as a genocide survivor (Rwanda government does not allow me to be called a survivor) because my sister and her family where I was staying were all killed within hours after I left their home. My sister and her entire family were taken and killed by RPF hours after the shooting down of Habyarimana’s plane. I was supposed to stay at my sister for a whole week but suddenly, in the afternoon of April 6, 1994, I changed my plans regarding staying at my sister’s and instead I went with my brother who drove me to the countryside where we owned a farm. Had I not left so quickly, I would have perished together with my sister’s family. For the next three months since April 6, 1994, unimaginable killings took place throughout Rwanda.
Since that day, I have asked friends, relatives, colleagues and all acquaintances who lived inside Rwanda at the time: “My dear friend, would you tell me if you know anyone, neighbors, friends or anyone who lived inside Rwanda who planned the killings against Tutsis prior to the shooting down of Habyarimana’s plane? The reason I ask this question is because if the Hutus planned the genocide, at least there would have been meetings where they would meet regularly to plan this. The answer I get is very shocking! 100% of people testify that before the shooting down of Habyarimana’s plane, they do not know of any Hutus who met to plan the genocide – because nobody knew the word genocide, nobody knew killings at large scales. To this day, I have failed to find a person who can testify, “yes, prior to the shooting down of Habyarimana’s planes, Hutus met and planned the genocide against Tutsi.” I have asked a lot of people for many years. I was born and raised in Rwanda, never traveled outside the country and I know of no Hutus family, no one who met to plan these killings!
This is why today I ask the world, those who care about what is going on in Rwanda to help us solve this mystery in the Rwanda genocide.
By the way, asking this question is not tolerable inside Rwanda. In Rwanda, you are not allowed to question about the genocide, you are not allowed to point out your finger against RPF to talk about the crimes they have also committed – it is considered a huge crime – if you talk about RPF killings, you would disappear in no time… but should not we be able to really talk about these things and find an answer that will bring an enduring peace in Rwanda where human right violation continue to break the world record?
To be continued (if so God willing)
Christine Coleman 
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