Lack of Committed Staff, Researchers continues to affect Rwanda Commission for the Fight Against Genocide
On Thursday, October 15, 2020, Deputy Director General of the National Commission for the fight against Genocide Yvonne Mutakwasuku told Parliamentarians that the Commission could not achieve its mission due to various reasons including the lack of researchers, the lack of a budget and even lack of employees who are committed to fighting the ideology of Genocide.
While reporting on the activities for 2019/2020 and the plans for 2020/2021, Yvonne Mutakwasuku said that in 2019 they were able to publish four research books on the Genocide against the Tutsi.
The books dealt with the Genocide against the Tutsi in the former prefectures of Gitarama and Cyangugu, the testimony of Tutsis who were tortured in 1973, the collection of 50 testimonies given during Rwanda’s 25th commemoration of the Genocide against the Tutsi; and the role of Paul Rusesabagina in the events at the Hotel des Milles Collines.
CNLG also corrected seven (7) researches conducted in Muhanga, Nyanza, Nyamasheke, Nyamagabe, Huye, Nyarugenge and Kicukiro districts, in addition to researches by the Ministry of Justice, Sports, Youth, Environment and National Social Security Board (RSSB).
Mutakwasuku says that due to the lack of a sufficient budget for research, CNLG wants the Prime Minister’s Office to ask the Ministries and Districts to conduct research on the Genocide.
“We have a small staff and we need researchers but we can’t hire them because of the small budget; That is why we are relying on partnerships with local universities and universities outside Rwanda.” She explains
MP John Ruku Rwabyoma asked why the University of Rwanda does not support CNLG in its research.
“It is unfortunate that I do not see the University of Rwanda doing research on genocide and other CNLG activities” He said
Senator John Bideri, meanwhile, said CNLG needs staff with the ability to deal with Genocide deniers.
“If they use high-tech, we need to use high-tech against them, if they write, we should write,” he says.
Mutakwasuku replied that the Commission has not enough staff to be committed in fighting the ideology of Genocide. Only this has led Senators to question the work the Commission is doing if it does not have competent staff.
Mutakwasuku said that staff who go to work for the commission should first be screened for capacity, willingness and experience in order to fulfill the commission’s responsibilities.
She cited the example of the Director of Finance and Administration (DAF) who was warned and punished by the Prime Minister’s Office for negligence but did not change.
“For us as members of the commission, this is an example, we see it in two ways, negligence and lack of commitment, which in turn affects the productivity of the staff,” says Mutakwasuku.
She added that the National Public Service Commission should have done better when it was looking for staff to join CNLG.
Senators called on CNLG to work with colleges and universities, both in Rwanda and abroad, in the fight against Genocide deniers; especially the youth of Jambo Asbl in Belgium, but there are also teachers who do not want to teach the history of Genocide in schools.
