The BBC documentary Rwanda’s Untold Story, made by reporter Jane Corbin, was broadcast in the UK in October of 2014 and soon after its airing received intense criticism and protests from Rwandans. The documentary’s gravest offense was denying the genocide against the Tutsis.
A Rwandan committee of inquiry into the documentary, headed by former prosecutor general Martin Ngoga, maintained that the BBC network failed to hold itself to ethical standards of journalism. It failed to uphold its own editorial values the organization claims it follows.
The documentary also violated Rwandan laws, including genocide denial and revisionism and inciting hate and division among Rwandans.
In response to these accusations, the BBC and reporter Jane Corbin refused to appear before the committee. The BBC and reporter Jane Corbin showed no concern for their careless portrayal of the history and image of Rwandans.
The BBC has been known to slander Africans in the past, so this behavior surely comes as no surprise from an organization that prides itself in spewing negativity about African nations. The BBC genocide deniers are not difference from this tradition of disingenuous depictions of residents from African countries.
The committee recommended that the Rwandan government terminate the current broadcasting contract with the BBC.
The Rwandan government, or the government of any African nation for that matter, should not accept a publishing contract with a British public broadcaster or any other foreign broadcaster that fails to respect a nation’s people and history.
The committee also recommended that “the respective organs of the Rwanda government initiate criminal and civil process to deal with identified offenses and compel the BBC to disclose the information” pertaining to the investigation that was shielded from the committee due to the BBC’s lack of cooperation.
Among other questions, Ngoga’s team inquired about who sponsored production of the documentary and who came up with the idea for the documentary. These are questions that Rwanda has a right to know.
Clearly, the committee is interested in whether the propaganda movie was an individual effort or an act of government, the latter obviously a more serious offense.
The BBC and Jane Corbin’s silence on the issue and their lack of cooperation with the Rwandan committee gives the impression that they are trying to cover up a larger scandal that likely involves key British players.
Immediately after the broadcast of the documentary, the Rwandan government suspended the BBC Kinyarwanda radio programs. The Rwandan government is convinced that the BBC has violated its agreement and has failed to show goodwill towards the Rwandan people and their history.
Ngoga and the committee recommended permanent measures for prosecuting those factions and people around the world who deny genocide against the Tutsis.
It is quite the understatement to say that the people of Rwanda no longer trusts the BBC to produce documentaries about events affecting the nation.
After producing a documentary laced with an enormity of falsehoods, the BBC and Jane Corbin are first on this list of criminals who need to be brought to justice.
