Rwanda: When will the Western media catch up?

By Felicien Mwumvaneza




Even when no one heeded their cry, the western media did their best during the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda to inform the world about the tragedy as it unfolded. Since then, they continued to report on Rwanda, albeit losing their much-coveted role of agenda setting due to public admiration of the country’s extraordinary progress and they have since been forced to follow audience interests in reporting about the country.

As if fighting to gain more ground in the agenda-setting role or for other reasons best known to themselves, the nature of western media coverage on Rwanda needs more attention than it has received so far.

Set in western elitism some of them have failed on basic principles of contextual journalism and are guilty of approaching reporting on Rwanda in a fallacious bandwagoning fashion.

This has sometimes led some of them to report false stories and to distort others. With a strange remote control approach under the pretext of promoting democracy and human rights, they seek to construct and advance a certain discourse that is as irrelevant as it is entirely out of touch with the reality on the ground.

Could this be due to having no correspondents on the ground, or to the fact that they are not bothered about the consequences of unsubstantiated coverage about a ‘periphery’ country like Rwanda? I like to believe there are some among them who are unaware of this fact and attitude.

In just about 100 days from April 1994, Rwanda lost more than one million people in ethnic bloodbath masterminded by politicians and the local media machine. The genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda is perhaps the most vicious and brutal murder ever known to human imagination.
The international community found it expedient to turn its back at repeated warnings and calls to prevent and later, to stop the killings. When it comes to the genocide in Rwanda and its immediate aftermath, the international community was at its most apathetic level known in modern history.

When the defeated regime and its army started to recruit, train and receive heavy ammunition of all kind in the refugee camps across the border in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the world community again did nothing to stop the impending tragedy, yet it was their explicit obligation under international law. Rwanda was forced to act in self-defense.

Now 17 years on, there is no doubt that, as any society especially in Africa, Rwanda still faces a number of challenges. Some of them are incredibly unique and intractable in nature, but the country has rebuilt itself from a near failed state in 1994 to one of the most visionary, efficient, and stable governments on any continent.

Due to socially cohesive and responsive policies since genocide, there is an unprecedented economic growth and social development. Rwanda is increasingly seen as one of the most peaceful, stable, secure and socially innovative countries in Africa and beyond. This continues to lead to more progress through agricultural improvements, improved public services, business growth and by attracting more investments. From what Rwandans and visitors see on the ground and what I continue to see in the media, I keep wondering when will the western media catch up with Rwanda?


It is astonishing to see how quickly and easily we humans are capable of forgetting! A new type of recklessness by the western media with the potential to foment a situation like the one the country went through only 17 years ago with its dire consequences is emerging! While positive criticism and debate are good for Rwanda and for any other society, for many media outlet in the west it seems that having a big name has subconsciously substituted for the credibility of specific news stories they cover on Rwanda. Their analysis overtakes (and is sometimes short of) basic evidence.
Thus, for instance, intervention in the Democratic Republic of Congo to disrupt and dismantle the genocidal force and prevent a potentially worse situation is reconstructed as a campaign to access that country’s natural resources. Intercepting a couple of journalists and politicians with hard evidence for “predicting” that another genocide will happen soon and calling people to action is ironically reported to the outside world as restricting media and political freedoms.

Basic, commonsense regulation is not a concept found in Rwanda alone and it should not be confused with repression. More than anything else genocide represents the depth to which morality and politics descended in the country at the time.

Critics need to see that nurturing decency and a national interest outlook in Rwanda’s politics and media cannot be an exception to all other areas in which the society is expected to rebuild and establish to transcend transitory events for the sake of sustainability.

Rwanda needs and welcomes constructive criticism not the kind of stereotypical and shotgun coverage by some western media that it so often receives. Despite the reach of globalisation and the universal principles we all cherish, we still live within multiple realities of our histories, politics, economies and cultures that single option interpretations and prescriptions to the problems we face simply cannot apply.

Democracy and human rights principles should not be applied as if they were commodities with specific mathematical sizes or particular colours. Rwandans have reconciled and put their past behind them. BUT, just like post-World War II and holocaust West, they have drawn a line in the sand regarding hate media and divisive politics and there is no contradiction in the two aspects. It is simply the right thing to do.

Thus, failure to appreciate that reality and unique context in news reporting by the western media and individual journalists will only reflect lack of empathy, harshness and insensitivity to the very people whose interests they claim to advocate and this might deprive them of professional and moral authority.

RWANDA TWEETING ON RIGHTS AND WRONGS

By Louise Mushikiwabo

In the last few days, following the May 14th tweeter exchange between President Paul Kagame and former editor of the Independent, journalist Ian Birrell, a buzz is going around on the new dimension social media brings to the already shrinking space between people from all corners of the planet and all walks of life.

The mere fact of a Head of State responding to criticism by a journalist on another continent via tweeter was exciting enough; the intensity and following of the happening was an added first.

Exactly what happened? In a mid-afternoon tweeter Ian Birrell referred to the President as ‘despotic and deluded’ for saying to William Wallis of the Financial Times that “[he doesn’t] think anybody out there in the media, UN, human rights organizations, has any moral right whatsoever to level any accusations against me or against Rwanda.

Because, when it came to the problems facing Rwanda, and the Congo, they were all useless.” President Kagame retorted: "You give yourself the right to abuse people and judge them like you are the one to decide... and determine universally what’s right or wrong and what should be believed or not!!!”

Let me preface my account by revealing that Ian Birrell is no stranger to Rwandans who follow Rwandan news coming from the UK; and for the sake of transparency, let me also reveal that many of us never liked what he had to say because we felt he didn’t know and didn’t care to know. Looking critically at his previous articles: "Why Are Repressive Regimes Given the Succour of British Aid" (Sept 2009) and "The Dark Shadows that Stain the New Darling of Africa" (Nov 2009), it is evident that Mr Birrell is as biased as one can get.

His futile attempts to discredit a legitimate government and its leadership, and the recent spin given to his interaction with President Kagame on Tweeter, only proves his lack of objectivity - a trait that should not be associated with Journalism. The false premises of his arguments has always been that “a ruthless autocracy hides beneath the veneer of democracy in Rwanda” and that building strong institutions in a bid to “bring about such an economic transformation that historic divisions will become irrelevant” was too “big a gamble” for my country and its people.

One thing is very clear to me though, Ian Birrell has limited knowledge of Rwanda and the attitude to go with it. To be fair though, he’s not the only one in that part of the world and that particular profession with such leanings. Let me also state expressly my purpose here: Don’t be condescending; don’t be rude; and please ask your paper and your friends to allow me my rights to reply.

Rwandans fervently wish to be gotten right when they define who they are and where they aim to go. If you happen to have a differing view on either, it’s really alright, but please don’t pretend that Rwandans’ opinions and aspirations are a matter better left to others, people who know best, men and women whose goal in life is to save us from ourselves.

With this particular social media phenomenon, an interesting opportunity has presented itself to Mr. Birrell to “make news” and for Rwanda’s President to self-define. In the news making process, the journalist went on to twist the exchange in his favor, peppering it with a bit of his usual “Rwandacondescendence”; elsewhere and from his own writings, the Rwandan reaction generated headlines that went from “spat” to “beef” to “row” and beyond.

Two phenomena are at work here. Firstly, simply because someone is a journalist does not make their comments fact. Mr Birrell did not provide proven indications to justify his assertions. More fundamental, and that was President Kagame’s point, is the question of who made Mr. Birrell and the other arbiters of rights he puts forth, the universally accepted definers of Paul Kagame and Rwanda? As things stand, most people can simply see the journalist as one individual attempting to express his views, even skewed as they are. Ironically, all the news sources that picked up this story have not commented on that fact.

I will spare you my comment on Ian Birrell’s rude character, lest I substitute myself to the morality police for cultures foreign to me, but let me just give you a taste of this man whose aim is to point out wrong doers on the Dark Continent: In one article alone, he jumped up and down from “deluded” to “vainglorious” to “juvenile nonsense”, every now and then tempered by milder qualifiers such as “arrogant”, “excitable” and “repressive”, the usual attributes of African leaders in Ian Birrell’s quarters.

After all, why should journalists substantiate what they say when accusing Africans of “suppressing the media” or “killing opponents”? This has become common place for people reporting on Rwanda where they no longer have to actually tell the truth. An example would be the sad passing of Jean-Leonard Rugambage who was killed outside of his house last year. In numerous media pieces this was mentioned as occurring before election and that the journalist was the editor of a banned tabloid.

It is usually here that the writers stop, leaving the impression that this man was killed by the Government. Sometimes this is lumped in with a collection of completely unconnected events to give the impression that this is daily occurrence in Rwanda. However, they do not mention that the killers were found, admitted committing the crime, and that this ended up having nothing to do with the Government, the election, or the President.

If, God forbid, Bill O’Reilly was to be shot tomorrow, would the first suspect be President Obama? Probably not.With the Birrell’s type of reporting, a challenge to decent journalists, especially on and from the continent has become more pressing.

As for Ian Birrell, he might just surprise me to respond to my tweeter invitation to visit Rwanda so he can learn firsthand what Rwandans really think.


The author is the Rwanda's Minister of Foreign Affairs


Courtesy of the New Times, Rwanda

Rwanda: Rwandair on the move

The company might soon become the best (world class) airline in entire east and central Africa

RwandAir new routes boon to business community


By Saul Butera, The New Times-Rwanda

The Rwandan private sector is highly upbeat about new opportunities presented by the impending launch of RwandAir’s second destination into Central and West Africa. “The flight to Libreville which will be operated via Brazzaville with full rights to uplift passengers between these two destinations has recorded higher bookings than ever for any new destination launched by the airline in the recent past,” RwandAir said in a statement.

The optimism shown by the local business community in these new destinations is being perceived by many as a positive indicator of confidence by the local business community in the new markets now served by direct flights out of Kigali. According to the Private Sector Federation, hardly two months after launching Kigali-Brazzaville route, there has been a steady flow of members of the business community travelling to the Republic of Congo on business prospecting missions.

Consequently, the government, through the Ministry of Trade and Industry in conjunction with Rwanda Development Board, has sponsored a trade fair in Brazzaville dubbed “The First Rwanda – Congo Brazzaville Trade Fair” scheduled for May 28 – 30, 2011. Among the key local companies expected to participate are Inyange, Sorwathe, and Bourbon Coffee. In an earlier interview with RwandAir CEO, John Mirenge, he confirmed that the airline is focused on carefully selecting new destinations that will not only ensure connections for Rwanda, but also those that present strategic investment and business opportunities.

Kigali–Libreville flights will operate three times a week; Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Libreville, located on the west coast of Africa along the banks of Komo River and overlooking the Atlantic Ocean becomes the fourth port city for RwandAir after Mombasa, Dar es Salaam and Dubai. The Brazzaville route launched in March this year is expected to get a major boost from the planned triangular operation.

The airline will later this year take delivery of two new Boeing 737- 800. These aircraft will be the first to be fitted with the Boeing “Sky Interior” on the continent.