In a high-profile case set to be heard by the Paris Criminal Court on October 7, 8, 10, and 11, 2024, political scientist and author Charles Onana faces accusations of “genocide denial.” The complaint, initiated by several organizations, including the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Survie-France, the League for Human Rights (LDH), and the Rwandan Community in France (CRF), stems from Onana’s controversial 2019 book, Rwanda: The Truth About Operation Turquoise, published by Éditions de l’Artilleur.
The book, prefaced by Colonel Luc Marchal, who commanded UN peacekeepers in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide, examines the Rwandan crisis with a particular focus on “the hidden invasion of Congo-Zaire.” Onana’s research, based on CIA, Belgian, and French military intelligence maps, claims that the 1994 invasion of Congo was meticulously orchestrated by the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), led by current Rwandan President Paul Kagame. Onana argues that Kagame’s forces deliberately pushed Rwandan refugees into the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to seize its valuable natural resources.
Colonel Marchal, who was responsible for Kigali’s security during the Rwandan genocide, has praised Onana’s rigorous analysis. He is expected to testify in support of the author during the trial, stating that Onana’s work sheds essential light on the complex dynamics that fueled the genocide and its aftermath.
The book has already stirred significant controversy, notably resulting in the dismissal of Congolese journalist Jacques Matand from the BBC after an interview with Onana. Matand later won a lawsuit against the BBC, proving that his termination was unjustified. Now, Onana faces renewed scrutiny, though the current legal action focuses not on the core arguments of his book but on allegations of denying the Tutsi genocide.
The plaintiffs’ objective appears to be preventing the dissemination of Onana’s work, which relies on extensive documentation from the UN Security Council, the White House, the Pentagon, and even the Élysée Palace. Onana’s research implicates Kagame in the tragic events that have devastated the Great Lakes region of Africa, where millions have perished, and countless women and children have suffered unspeakable atrocities.
This is not the first time Onana has faced legal challenges linked to his publications. In 2002, Kagame and the Rwandan government filed a lawsuit in Paris against him over The Secrets of the Rwandan Genocide, co-written with genocide survivor Déo Mushayidi, a former member of the RPF. However, Kagame’s regime withdrew the case after Onana and his lawyer presented substantial evidence. Onana’s work has also been used in proceedings before the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). In 2005, he was even received by Carla Del Ponte, the chief prosecutor at The Hague, who revealed to him Kagame’s obstructive attitude toward investigations into the crimes committed by the RPF under his leadership.
Despite the favorable image Kagame’s government presents to the outside world, a recent investigation titled Rwanda Classified, conducted by a consortium of 50 journalists from 17 media outlets across 11 countries, uncovered systematic threats, intimidation, and even assassination attempts aimed at silencing critics of the Rwandan government, both domestically and abroad.
Given these revelations, questions arise about the motives behind the current lawsuit against Onana. Will the same associations pursuing Onana and his publisher dare to address the documented crimes of Kagame’s regime, such as its involvement with the M23 rebel group in the DRC? These actions, thoroughly documented by UN experts, raise serious concerns about human rights violations under a government that its critics argue uses intimidation and violence to maintain power.
As the trial approaches, the outcome will not only affect Onana’s personal and professional life but also the broader conversation about freedom of speech and the ongoing repression of dissenting voices regarding Kagame’s regime.
