URU, Alm.del - 2008-09 - Bilag 302: Deputationsmateriale fra organisationen Forum Veritas Rwanda

THE HIGHLY INCLUSIVE INTER RWANDAN DIALOGUE, PRIOR TO THE PEACEIN RWANDA AND IN THE GREAT LAKES REGION OF AFRICA.--------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------IntroductionFifteen years after the Rwandan tragedy that claimed the lives of innocent Rwandanpopulation continues to suffer from aftermath of a very bloody war which began inOctober 1990. The social fabric is very torn out, faces a highly contentiousreconciliation initiated by the regime. Rwandans continue to flee their country.1. Framework:Under the initiative of a number of Rwandans who, beyond the academic controversy,note and accept the existence of the Hutu-Tutsi-Twa as a social reality of Rwanda,several meetings were attended by 120 of Rwandese between 2004 and in 2009. Theinitiative group has defined the framework as an Intra-Rwandan Dialogue (DIR) toestablish contacts for a genuine dialogue leading to genuine reconciliation betweenRwandans from all sides.2. Participants:The first exploratory meeting was held in Estellencs 2004, Mallorca, Spain (DIR-04).While acknowledging that there was a difference of interpretation of the history ofRwanda, the participants agreed that this should not be an obstacle to building acommon destiny for the benefit of all Rwandans.Continuing this momentum, a second edition of the Intra-Rwandan Dialogue (DIR-06)held in Barcelona, Spain in June 2006. Participants came from two main ethnic groupsin Rwanda (Hutu and Tutsi), members of major political parties and civil societyorganizations of the Rwandan diaspora from Belgium, Canada, France, Holland, Italy,Switzerland and the USA. Three participants from inside Rwanda were invited butonly one person was able to participate. It is worth emphasizing that each participantwas asked to personally taking into account its own commitments on the search forlasting peace in Rwanda.At the end of this edition, one of the recommendations emphasized the expansion ofdialogue at all levels of the Rwandan population. It has urged all participants to strivefor more support to Highly Inter-Rwandan dialogue (DIRHI).In this spirit, during 2007, were held platforms dialogue (DIR-07) Washington DC(USA), for participants from the USA and Canada, in Amsterdam (Holland) forparticipants from Holland, Belgium and Germany, and Orleans (France) forparticipants coming from France and Italy. Two other platforms of dialogue forRwandan Women (DIR-08) took place in the year 2008 in Barcelona. The choice of2

participants followed the same approach in 2006. These different platforms havenominated representatives who were to meet in a sitting representative.However in The Scandinavia due to the lack of financial means we haven’t yet held thesession for intra dialogue for Rwandese Diaspora.It is in this context that a new edition of the Intra-Rwandan Dialogue was held inPalma de Mallorca from 01 to 03 May 2009. This important meeting brought together30 representatives of all Rwandan ethnic (Hutu, Tutsi, Twa) from politicalorganizations and civil society in the dialogue of Intra-Rwandan (DIR-09) andrepresentatives platforms took place from 2007 to 2008 in different countries. Itwas followed closely by 14 international observers, accompanied by 3 mediatorsincluding 2 professionals. Participants discussed the problems that Rwanda faces andhampering the true reconciliation.3. Key findings of the various meetings of Intra-Rwandan Dialogue (DIR)Participants noted that the central issue is power. Participants noted a recurrentpattern of logic to gain power by using violence as springboards ethnicities, whichexplains the cyclical conflicts in Rwanda. That is why it is more obvious and imperativethat the DIR at the national level is an Inter-Rwandan Dialogue Highly inclusive(DIRH) to:- Give the floor to the oppressed people to be able to decide on governance thatsuits him;- Helping Rwandans to build viable democratic institutions that secure and reassureeveryone- Finding solutions to the problem of security guarantees for a peaceful coexistencebetween Rwanda themselves and neighboring Rwanda, especially the DemocraticRepublic of Congo, because in many ways, Rwanda is at the root of the crises in theregion Africa Great LakesThis dialogue should involve not only the various political actors but also civil society,and must also be a space of expression available to all victims of the Rwandantragedy. The DIRH will therefore include all strata of Rwandan society and lead to aneffective reconciliation between Rwandans.Participants proposed that the following issues be included on the agenda of theInter-Rwandan Dialogue Highly Inclusive namely:- The identity crisis in Rwanda and the constitution of a team of experts independenthistorians to write the history of Rwanda that can serve as basis for theinterpretation of all chronological events that occurred in Rwanda;- The necessary guarantees to reassure and secure all components of the Rwandansociety;- The establishment of a fair and impartial justice for all victims of crimes3

committed in the region, as well as the establishing of a collective memory thatdoesn’t exclude any of the victims;- The establishment of a truth and reconciliation commission;- The problem of social equity and equal opportunities;- The establishment of an independent mechanism to promote, protect and monitorhuman rights;- The women and education roles in conflict prevention;- Respect for the national sovereignty of countries in the region and relations ofgood- neighbourhood and peaceful coexistence;- The economic transnational development projects and the free movement ofpersons and goods in the region;Therefore the participants recommended, inter alia, the mobilization of all meanspossibleto hold an Inter-Rwandan Dialogue Highly Inclusive (DIRH) by early2010.This DIRH in which participation of various representatives of civil society andpolitical parties from inside and outside Rwanda, with the participation of observers,is the only framework for the building of trust between ethnicities and indispensableto the effective reconciliation, peace and sustainable development in the Great Lakes.We would like to address our gratitude to the “ la Fundacion S’Olivar” and itschairman Juan Carrero Saralegui and his team who have mobilise all the associationwithin RIVERA ( Réseau International pour la Vérité et la Réconciliation en AfriqueCentrale) to support the DIR. Our gratitude goes also to the Spanish Governmentthrough AGENCIA ESPAÑOLA DE COOPERACIÓN INTERNACIONAL which gives usfinancial support to the project.Without the good will of the above mentioned individuals and organisation we couldnot achieve the preliminary step toward the HIIRD.Excellencies, Dear friends of Rwanda,While the idea of a Dialogue Inter Rwanda continues to grow in political circles as wellas in the Rwandan civil society, both domestically and within the Diaspora, we want toreaffirm our commitment in the favor of an inter-Rwandan debate, which, in our view,is the appropriate framework to discuss problems accumulated throughout thedramatic history of our countries and lasting solutions. This dialogue is an essentialstep in the normalization of the socio-political life in the country.To gain support of the Rwandan and international opinion to the urgent necessity ofholding such a highly inclusive dialogue, we want to make clear the motivations andobjectives taking into account the specificities related to the socio-political moment.

1. Why an inter-Rwandan dialogue?The war which began in Rwanda in October 1990 has dramatically brought to lightserious unresolved political problems often hidden by poor political practices based onethnic dominance and / or regional. Thus, after thirty years of exile, Rwandanrefugees, mostly Tutsi, who had fled their country in particular following the 1959Revolution, had forced the door back to his native land, the latter resulting in aconflict whose consequences proved catastrophic genocide, massacres, war crimesand other crimes against humanity.Note also that the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo for more than twelve(12) years is largely the result of the Rwandan crisis unresolved. It would now beirresponsible for us to take lightly the issue with the presence of tens of thousandsof Rwandan refugees in neighboring countries of Rwanda, a situation that could in thelonger term, lead to a situation similar to that of October 1990.But the methods and mechanisms put in place until now have shown their limits in thestandardization of the socio-political life in Rwanda, making hypothetical stabilizationof the entire sub-region. These methods are far from reassuring nor the Rwandansthemselves or neighboring peoples, nor the international community as a whole.In the ostensible purpose of inhibiting the debate to overshadow theirresponsibilities in the national tragedy, one often resort to diabolisation andglobalization on crime of genocide and massacres that occurred in Rwanda. It is nowestablished that the Rwandan people had still not a fair and impartial justice.Given the urgency of defusing rising tensions related to the frustrations accumulatedby all Rwandans throughout their history, we urgently appeal to all Rwandese(politicians, civil society) in general and the regime in particular, to realize themagnitude of problems, and to be ready to participate in a frank and constructivedialogue to be held without delay. Otherwise, the current situation can only lead tofurther disasters.2. Dialogue Inter Rwandans should not be seen as a strategy to take power butas an opportunity to unravel a complex crisis.Far from being a forum where different political parties will be competing for thefew positions in state institutions, like that was the case in other countries, thisframework will be an opportunity for a dignified and peaceful debate where theforces of the nation united will discuss critical issues of the country, to rebuild on asound footing, instead of resentment and any thirst for revenge.Inter Rwandans Dialogue will be the opportunity to review the errors of successivepolitical regimes, from monarchy to a republic, not in order to identify the culpritsbut to prevent repeating the same mistakes in the future. In the same spirit, InterRwandans Dialogue should reopen the debate about the persistent institutional form(Republic or Monarchy) of the Government of Rwanda and to allow Rwandan people to5

decide independently through a referendum on the issue.3. Inter Rwandans Dialogue will not be a court but a framework to providemutual guarantees.We are confident that the major obstacle to holding such a dialogue is due to thefact that one does not want to recognize the value it represents for them and are notsecure about their socio-political in their own future.However, we remain convinced of the positive impact that such debate is bound tohave on relations between government and citizens. One of the purposes of thisdialogue will be to provide security assurances to the public authority whatsoever toend the state apparatuses that criminals do not hesitate, in the selfish interest ofthose in power to lead the whole society in a collective suicide.The atmoshere in which this dialogue will takes place should be devoid of anyanimosity. It should be marked by the single desire to harmonize views on the factorsRwandan evil and remedy. Only the atmosphere of good faith and patriotism willpromote the recognition and rehabilitation of all victims and will be able to helprebuild confidence between different segments of Rwandan society. At this stage ofthe crisis, no one in Rwanda can claim to be master of its security. No group, whetherpolitical or social, can build its own security on the insecurity of others. Moreover, inthe Rwandan tradition, after disasters like the one recently struck our nation, theauthority had to appeal solemnly for calm (GUTANGA IHUMURE).In contrast approaches too many politicians, Inter Rwandan Dialogue is the moralauthority that has so failed our country. This dialogue has to be indeed dedicated toidentifying the causes and circumstances of the tragedy in Rwanda, to facilitateconfessions and pardons, to establish a system of reparations for victims, andmechanisms for disaster reduction in the future.It will put in place, through the establishment of a "Truth and ReconciliationCommission", the groundwork for restorative and reparation justice in the context ofa society still in shock.4. Inter Rwandans Dialogue will contribute to rebuilding the social fabric torn.To do this, this forum will focus on positive approaches to recreate the samecohesion between different communities traumatized by the national tragedy. Theinter-Rwandan dialogue will work to harmonize the understanding of the tragedy sothat Rwandans in all categories can have the same references and the sameperceptions. This dialogue should, for genocide and all other crimes, lay thefoundations for a genuine national memory forever prohibiting the negative practicesof selective memory, interested or separatist. This dialogue is expected to spend therecognition and rehabilitation of all victims.6