Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines
Appearance
Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines (RTLM) was a Rwandan radio station which broadcast from July 8, 1993 to July 31, 1994. It played a significant role during the April–July 1994 Rwandan Genocide.
Widely listened to by the general population, it projected racist propaganda against Tutsis, moderate Hutus, Belgians, and the United Nations mission UNAMIR. It is widely regarded as having played a crucial role in creating the atmosphere of charged racial hostility that allowed the genocide to occur. Some broadcasters were later charged with incitement to genocide.
Quotes
[edit]Direct incitements to violence
[edit]- And you people who live (...) near Rugunga, (...) go out. You will see Inkotanyi's straw huts in the marsh (...). I think that those who have guns should immediately go to these Inkotanyi. (...) encircle them and kill them (...).
- Kantano Habimana, 12 April 1994 (?) Official UN transcript; ICTR-99-52-T; P103/2B, pg.4 [1] (dead link) [2] (archived 21 August 2000)
- It is 7.35a.m. here in Kigali. They will be struck by misfortune, they will be struck by misfortune (...). (...) those living in Mburabuturo, in the woods of Mburabuturo, look carefully see whether there are no Inyenzis inside.
- Noël Hitimana, April 6-8 1994 Official UN transcript; ICTR-99-52-T; P103/122, pg.1 [3]
On UNAMIR, Lt. Gen. Roméo Dallaire
[edit]- [Dallaire] is working for the Inyenzi-Nkotanyi and he is himself an Inyenzi. (…) Canada will learn the news of Dallaire’s death. (…) In fact, Dallaire is the basis of this war. This is known.
- Valérie Bemeriki, June 28 1994 Official UN transcript; ICTR-99-52-T; P137B, pg.17 [4]
- There is no end to Rwanda's misfortune. Soldiers were entrusted to a man called Dallaire (…). He showed his true colours right from the [start]. How is he going to lead these men? How is he going to lead them? Anyway we are going to stay behind a man called Roger Booh-Booh, this son of Cameroon, whom you cannot really complain about.
- Kantano Habimana, April 12 1994 Official UN transcript; ICTR-99-52-T; P103/4B, pg.10 [5]
On Interahamwe militia
[edit]- What we know at RTLM, the radio loved by the Interahamwe, the radio that supports the Interahamwe, the radio that supports the youths of all republican parties (...), as General Bizimungu says, the youths are in the frontline.
- Ananie Nkurunziza, 21 June 1994 Official UN transcript; ICTR-99-52-T; P101D, pg.1[6]
- We have used the Interahamwe who have just routed [the Inyenzi] with stones, clubs, guns, grenades and clubs. (…) Remain vigilant at the roadblocks, wherever the Inyenzi are. Greetings to those who man the roadblocks.
- Kantano Habimana, 30 May 1994 Official UN transcript; ICTR-99-52-T; P103/16D, pg.18 [7]
On RTLM
[edit]- What type of person got it into his head that the RTLM hates the Tutsis? (…) Radio RTLM does not hate the Tutsis. It has no conflict with them. In fact we do!!
- Kantano Habimana, 9 December 1993 Official UN transcript; ICTR-99-52-T; P36/10B, pg.3 [8]
On Hutu/Tutsi relations
[edit]- It is not only today that the PRF’s Inyenzi Batutsis want to take and monopolize power in order to oppress the Hutus and cast democracy out of the window, the Batutsi’s superiority complex has been around for a very long time.
- Georges Ruggiu, 12 April 1994 Official UN transcript; ICTR-99-52-T; P103/4B, pg.13 [9]
External links
[edit]- "RwandaFile"[dead link]: Transcripts of RTLM broadcasts