
(RTLM) ( rw, Radiyo yigenga y'imisozi igihumbi) was a
Rwandan
radio station
Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radi ...
which broadcast from July 8, 1993 to July 31, 1994. It played a significant role in
inciting
In criminal law, incitement is the encouragement of another person to commit a crime. Depending on the jurisdiction, some or all types of incitement may be illegal. Where illegal, it is known as an inchoate offense, where harm is intended but m ...
the
Rwandan genocide
The Rwandan genocide occurred between 7 April and 15 July 1994 during the Rwandan Civil War. During this period of around 100 days, members of the Tutsi minority ethnic group, as well as some moderate Hutu and Twa, were killed by armed Hutu ...
that took place from April to July 1994, and has been described by some scholars as having been a ''de facto'' arm of the
Hutu government.
The station's name is
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
for "Free Radio and Television of the Thousand Hills", deriving from the description of Rwanda as ''"Land of a Thousand Hills"''. It received support from the government-controlled
Radio Rwanda, which initially allowed it to transmit using their equipment.
Widely listened to by the general population, it projected
hate propaganda against
Tutsi
The Tutsi (), or Abatutsi (), are an ethnic group of the African Great Lakes region. They are a Bantu-speaking ethnic group and the second largest of three main ethnic groups in Rwanda and Burundi (the other two being the largest Bantu ethnic gr ...
s, moderate
Hutu
The Hutu (), also known as the Abahutu, are a Bantu ethnic or social group which is native to the African Great Lakes region. They mainly live in Rwanda, Burundi and the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, where they form one of the pr ...
s,
Belgians
Belgians ( nl, Belgen; french: Belges; german: Belgier) are people identified with the Kingdom of Belgium, a federal state in Western Europe. As Belgium is a multinational state, this connection may be residential, legal, historical, or cult ...
, and the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmonizi ...
Mission Assistant to Rwanda
(UNAMIR). It is regarded by many Rwandan citizens (a view also shared and expressed by the UN war crimes tribunal) as having played a crucial role in creating the atmosphere of charged racial hostility that allowed the Genocide against Tutsis in Rwanda to occur. A working paper published at Harvard University found that RTLM broadcasts were an important part of the process of mobilising the population, which complemented the mandatory ''
Umuganda'' meetings. RTLM has been described as "radio genocide", "death by radio" and "the soundtrack to genocide".
Prior to the genocide
Planning for RTLM began in 1992 by Hutu hard-liners, in response to the increasingly non-partisan stance of
Radio Rwanda and growing popularity of
Rwandese Patriotic Front's (RPF)
Radio Muhabura.
RTLM was established the next year, and began broadcasting in July 1993. The station railed against the
on-going peace talks between the predominantly Tutsis RPF and President
Juvénal Habyarimana, whose family supported the radio station.
[The impact of hate media in Rwanda](_blank)
from BBC News , AFRICA It became a popular station since it offered frequent contemporary musical selections, unlike state radio, and quickly developed a faithful audience among young Rwandans, who later made up the bulk of the
Interahamwe
The Interahamwe ( or ) is a Hutu paramilitary organization active in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. The Interahamwe was formed around 1990 as the youth wing of the National Republican Movement for Democracy and Development (M ...
militia.
Félicien Kabuga was allegedly heavily involved in the founding and bankrolling of RTLM, as well as ''
Kangura'' magazine. In 1993, at an RTLM fundraising meeting organized by the MRND, Felicien Kabuga allegedly publicly defined the purpose of RTLM as the defence of
Hutu Power.
The station is considered to have preyed upon the deep animosities and prejudices of many
Hutus. The hateful rhetoric was placed alongside the sophisticated use of humor and popular
Zairean music. It frequently referred to Tutsis as "cockroaches" (example: "You
utsisare cockroaches! We will kill you!").
Critics claim that the Rwandan government fostered the creation of RTLM as "Hate Radio", to circumvent the fact they had committed themselves to a ban against "harmful radio propaganda" in the
UN's March 1993 joint communiqué in
Dar es Salaam.
However RTLM director
Ferdinand Nahimana claimed that the station was founded primarily to counter the propaganda by
RPF's
Radio Muhabura.
In January 1994, the station broadcast messages berating
UNAMIR
The United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) was established by United Nations Security Council Resolution 872 on 5 October 1993. It was intended to assist in the implementation of the Arusha Accords, signed on 4 August 1993, wh ...
commander
Roméo Dallaire for failing to prevent the killing of approximately 50 people in a UN-
demilitarized zone
A demilitarized zone (DMZ or DZ) is an area in which treaties or agreements between nations, military powers or contending groups forbid military installations, activities, or personnel. A DZ often lies along an established frontier or bounda ...
.
After Habyarimana's private plane was shot down on April 6, 1994, RTLM joined the chorus of voices blaming Tutsis rebels, and began calling for a "final war" to "exterminate" the Tutsis.
During the genocide against Tutsis in Rwanda
During the genocide, the RTLM acted as a source for propaganda by inciting hatred and violence against Tutsis, against Hutus who were for the peace accord, against Hutus who married Tutsis, and by advocating the annihilation of all Tutsis in Rwanda. The RTLM reported the latest massacres, victories, and political event in a way that promoted their anti-Tutsi agenda. In an attempt to dehumanize and degrade, the RTLM consistently referred to Tutsis and the RPF as 'cockroaches' during their broadcasts. The music of Hutu
Simon Bikindi was played frequently. He had two songs, "Bene Sebahinzi" ("Sons of the Father of the Farmers"), and "Nanga Abahutu" ("I Hate Hutus"), which were later interpreted as inciting hatred against the Tutsis and genocide.
One of the major reasons that RTLM was so successful in communication was because other forms of news sources such as
televisions and
newspapers
A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background.
Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, sport ...
were not able to be as popularized because of lack of resources. In addition to this communication barrier, areas where there were high rates of
illiteracy and lack of education amongst the citizens remain some of the most violent areas during the genocide against Tutsis. The villages outside of the transmission zone of RTLM experienced spillover violence from villages that actually received the radio transmissions. An estimated 10% of all the violence within the
Genocide against Tutsis resulted from the hateful radio transmissions sent out from RTLM. Not only did RTLM increase general violence, but full radio coverage areas increased the number of persons prosecuted for any violence by about 62–69%. However, a recent paper questions the findings of that study.
Following the
Genocide against Tutsis of Rwanda in 1994, the first relief workers on the scene reported seeing hundreds of Tutsis fleeing their villages with little more than the clothes on their backs and transistor radios pressed to their ears.
As the genocide was taking place, the United States military drafted a plan to jam RTLM's broadcasts, but this action was never taken, with officials claiming that the cost of the operation, international broadcast agreements and "the American commitment to free speech" made the operation unfeasible.
When French forces entered Rwanda during
Opération Turquoise
Opération Turquoise was a French-led military operation in Rwanda in 1994 under the mandate of the United Nations. The "multilateral" force consisted of 2,500 troops, 32 from Senegal and the rest French. The equipment included 100 APCs, 10 ...
, which was ostensibly to provide a safe zone for those escaping the genocide but was also alleged to be in support of the Hutu-dominated interim government, RTLM broadcast from
Gisenyi
Gisenyi, historically rendered as Kisenyi, is a city in Rubavu district in Rwanda's Western Province. Gisenyi is contiguous with Goma, the city across the border in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Overview
The city features a resort o ...
, calling on 'you Hutus girls to wash yourselves and put on a good dress to welcome our French allies. The Tutsis girls are all dead, so you have your chance.'
When the Tutsi-led
RPF army won control of the country in July, RTLM took mobile equipment and fled to
Zaire
Zaire (, ), officially the Republic of Zaire (french: République du Zaïre, link=no, ), was a Congolese state from 1971 to 1997 in Central Africa that was previously and is now again known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Zaire was, ...
with Hutu refugees.
Individuals associated with the station
Presenters/''animateurs''
*
Kantano Habimana
Kantano Habimana (died c. 1998-2002), commonly referred to as Kantano, was a presenter (''animateur'') on the Rwandan radio station RTLM, which played a significant role in promoting the genocide against the Tutsi. Like the station's other broad ...
, popularly known as "Kantano". The most popular ''animateur'' in terms of airtime, Kantano called for "those who have guns
oimmediately go to these cockroaches
ndencircle them and kill them..."
*
Valérie Bemeriki, the only female ''animateur''. Bemeriki was known for her calls for
machete
Older machete from Latin America
Gerber machete/saw combo
San_Agustín_de_las_Juntas.html" ;"title="Agustín Cruz Tinoco of San Agustín de las Juntas">Agustín Cruz Tinoco of San Agustín de las Juntas, Oaxaca uses a machete to carve wood. ...
violence; unlike Kantano, who called for the use of
firing squads, Bemeriki told listeners to "not kill those cockroaches with a bullet — cut them to pieces with a machete”.
*
Noël Hitimana, who was previously an ''animateur'' at
Radio Rwanda before getting fired for insulting
President Juvénal Habyarimana on-air while intoxicated.
*
Georges Ruggiu, a
white man from
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...
of
Italian descent who, after moving away from home at age 35
to work in
Liège, came in contact with a Hutu man from Rwanda. After meeting
President Juvénal Habyarimana, he would visit and eventually move to Rwanda a year before the genocide.
At RTLM, Ruggiu preached
Hutu Power despite his non-Rwandan origins, urging listeners to kill Tutsis and told listeners that "graves were waiting to be filled".
*
Froduald Karamira, the vice president of the
MDR MDR may refer to:
Biology
* MDR1, an ATP-dependent cellular efflux pump affording multiple drug resistance
* Mammalian Diving reflex
* Medical device reporting
* Multiple drug resistance, when a microorganism has become resistant to multiple drugs ...
. Formally coined the term "Hutu Power". Gave daily broadcasts encouraging the mass murder of Tutsis and oversaw roadblocks where massacres occurred. Executed in 1998.
Other figures of note
*
Félicien Kabuga, "Chairman Director-general" or "President of the General Assembly of all shareholders". A multimillionaire who was close friends with
President Juvénal Habyarimana, Kabuga funded many Hutu ultranationalist media outlets.
[How the mighty are falling](_blank)
''The Economist'', 5 July 2007. Accessed online 17 July 2007.
*
Ferdinand Nahimana, director. A respected historian who received his
doctorate
A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' ...
from the
University Paris Diderot, Nahimana joined RTLM after being fired from
Radio Rwanda in 1993.
*
Jean Bosco Barayagwiza
Jean-Bosco Barayagwiza (1950 – 25 April 2010) was a convicted Génocidiare and politician associated with the Hutu Power movement. A high-ranking civil servant, Barayagwiza served as policy director within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at t ...
, chairman of the executive committee. Barayagwiza was an important political figure who served as policy director within the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the government department responsible for the state's diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral relations affairs as well as for providing support for a country's citizens who are abroad. The enti ...
at the time of the
Rwandan genocide
The Rwandan genocide occurred between 7 April and 15 July 1994 during the Rwandan Civil War. During this period of around 100 days, members of the Tutsi minority ethnic group, as well as some moderate Hutu and Twa, were killed by armed Hutu ...
.
* Gaspard Gahigi, editor-in-chief
* Phocas Habimana, day-to-day manager
After-effects
The
International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR; french: Tribunal pénal international pour le Rwanda; rw, Urukiko Mpanabyaha Mpuzamahanga Rwashyiriweho u Rwanda) was an international court established in November 1994 by the United Natio ...
's (ICTR) action against RTLM began on 23 October 2000 – along with the trial of
Hassan Ngeze, director and editor of the ''
Kangura'' magazine.
On 19 August 2003, at the tribunal in Arusha,
life sentences were requested for RTLM leaders
Ferdinand Nahimana, and
Jean Bosco Barayagwiza
Jean-Bosco Barayagwiza (1950 – 25 April 2010) was a convicted Génocidiare and politician associated with the Hutu Power movement. A high-ranking civil servant, Barayagwiza served as policy director within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at t ...
. They were charged with genocide,
incitement to genocide
Incitement to genocide is a crime under international law which prohibits inciting (encouraging) the commission of genocide. An extreme form of hate speech, incitement to genocide is considered an inchoate offense and is theoretically subject ...
, and
crimes against humanity, before and during the period of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis.
On 3 December 2003, the court found all three defendants guilty and sentenced Nahimana and Ngeze to life imprisonment and Barayagwiza to imprisonment for 35 years - this was appealed. The Appeal judgment, issued on 27 November 2007 reduced the sentences of all three - Nahimana getting 30 years, Barayagwiza getting 32 and Ngeze getting 35, with the court overturning convictions on certain counts.
On 14 December 2009, RTLM announcer
Valérie Bemeriki was convicted by a
gacaca court
The Gacaca courts () were a system of community justice in Rwanda following the 1994 genocide. The term 'gacaca' can be translated as 'short grass' referring to the public space where neighborhood male elders (abagabo) used to meet to solve local p ...
in Rwanda and sentenced to life imprisonment for her role in inciting genocidal acts.
Cultural references
Dramatised RTLM broadcasts are heard in ''
Hotel Rwanda
''Hotel Rwanda'' is a 2004 drama film directed by Terry George. It was adapted from a screenplay co-written by George and Keir Pearson, and stars Don Cheadle and Sophie Okonedo as hotelier Paul Rusesabagina and his wife Tatiana. Based on th ...
''.
In the film ''
Sometimes in April'' the main character's brother is an employee of RTLM.
Controversy develops when attempting to prosecute radio broadcasters because of
free speech
Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The right to freedom of expression has been recogn ...
issues.
The film ''
Shooting Dogs
''Shooting Dogs'', released in the United States as ''Beyond the Gates'', is a 2005 film, directed by Michael Caton-Jones and starring John Hurt, Hugh Dancy and Clare-Hope Ashitey. It is based on the experiences of BBC news producer David Belto ...
'' makes use of recordings from RTLM.
The title of ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' journalist Bill Berkeley's novel, ''The Graves are Not Yet Full'' (2001), is taken from a notorious RTLM broadcast in Kigali, 1994: "You have missed some of the enemies. You must go back there and finish them off. The graves are not yet full!"
The Swiss theatre maker
Milo Rau
Milo Rau (born January 25, 1977) is a Swiss theater director, journalist, essayist and lecturer. He won the Swiss Theater Award in 2014.
Life
Milo Rau was born in Bern, Switzerland. He studied sociology, German studies, and Romance studies in ...
're-enacted' an RTLM radio broadcast in his play ''Hate Radio'', which premièred in 2011 and featured on the
Berliner Festspiele
The Berliner Festspiele ( German for Berlin Festivals) are a series of festivals, art exhibitions, and other cultural events organized all year long by a common organization in Berlin. Events are held at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele, a pre- ...
in 2012 (with audience discussion). He also made it into a radio-play and a film and wrote a book about it.
"Es gab kein Fernsehen"
interview with Milo Raus by Jan Drees, ''der Freitag'', 8 April 2014
See also
* Simon Bikindi, Rwandan singer-songwriter charged with inciting genocide.
*Hate media
Hate media is a form of violence, which helps demonize and stigmatize people that belong to different groups. This type of media has had an influential role in the incitement of genocide, with its most infamous cases perhaps being Radio Televizija ...
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Further reading
*
*
External links
"Hate Radio:Rwanda"
– part of a Radio Netherlands dossier on "Counteracting Hate Radio"
"After the genocide, redemption"
by Mary Wiltenburg
Mary Wiltenburg (born July 6, 1976) is an American journalist based in Baltimore, Maryland.
Biography
Wiltenburg was born July 6, 1976, in Rochester, New York. She is the daughter of Candace O'Connor and the niece of Kyrie O'Connor. She is a 199 ...
, ''The Christian Science Monitor
''The Christian Science Monitor'' (''CSM''), commonly known as ''The Monitor'', is a nonprofit news organization that publishes daily articles in electronic format as well as a weekly print edition. It was founded in 1908 as a daily newspaper ...
'', April 7, 2004
''Voices on Antisemitism'' Interview with Gregory Gordon
from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) is the United States' official memorial to the Holocaust. Adjacent to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the USHMM provides for the documentation, study, and interpretation of Holocaust hi ...
"RwandaFile"
Transcripts of RTLM broadcasts
{{DEFAULTSORT:Radio Television Libre des Mille Collines
Rwandan genocide
Radio stations in Rwanda
Propaganda in Rwanda
Radio stations established in 1993
1993 establishments in Rwanda
Radio stations disestablished in 1994
1994 disestablishments in Rwanda
Hutu
Media bias controversies
Race-related controversies in radio
Incitement to genocide
Defunct mass media in Rwanda