Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines

Rwandan radio station that incited the 1994 Rwandan genocide
(Redirected from Valerie Bemeriki)

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.
  • 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.
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.
  • 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.
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!!
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