Léon Mugesera’s Speech in Kabaya

In 22 November 1992, Léon Mugesera, a prominent member of the ruling MRND party, delivered a highly inflammatory speech in Kabaya, in the former Gisenyi Prefecture. His rhetoric is infamous for inciting violence and further deepening the ethnic divide between Hutu and Tutsi in Rwanda.

Key Details of the Speech:

1. Incitement to Violence:
   • Mugesera explicitly called for the massacre of Tutsi, referring to them as enemies of the Hutu majority.
   • He infamously suggested that Tutsi should be thrown into the Nyabarongo River, framing it as a “shortcut to their homeland” in Ethiopia — a reference to a distorted myth of the Tutsi being foreigners.
2. Rhetoric of Hatred:
   • His speech propagated genocidal ideology, reinforcing the idea that Tutsi were a threat to Rwanda’s sovereignty and the Hutu majority.
   • By calling for the annihilation of Tutsi, Mugesera dehumanized them and legitimized violence against the group.
3. Political Context:
   • The speech came amid growing ethnic tensions and escalating violence, as Rwanda was entangled in a civil war between the Rwandan Armed Forces (FAR) and the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF).
   • Mugesera’s speech aligned with the MRND’s Hutu Power ideology, which sought to rally Hutu against Tutsi under the guise of protecting the nation.
4. Impact of the Speech:
   • The speech became a catalyst for violence, emboldening local Hutu leaders and militias to organize attacks on Tutsi.
   • It played a role in fostering the genocidal mentality that culminated in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
5. Aftermath:
   • Mugesera fled Rwanda in 1992, seeking asylum in Canada, but his speech remained a powerful symbol of the hatred propagated by the Hutu Power movement.
   • In 2012, after a prolonged legal battle, Canada deported Mugesera to Rwanda, where he was tried and convicted for inciting genocide. In 2016, he was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Conclusion:

Léon Mugesera’s November 1992 speech is a grim reminder of the power of hate speech to incite mass violence. It underscores the role of propaganda and rhetoric in the lead-up to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, during which over a million lives were lost.