A call for truth and justice in the African Great Lakes Region

Mr. Tony Hall
Director-General of the BBC
Broadcasting House, Portland Place
London. W1A 1AA

December, 14, 2014

Dear Mr. Tony Hall,

RE: Message of Legal Representative of Rwandan, Congolese and Spanish victims in Rwanda and DR Congo (1990-2002)

I'm writing to you as Legal Representative of Rwandan, Congolese and Spanish victims in Rwanda and DR Congo (1990-2002), an international legal action brought before the Spanish courts according to universal jurisdiction principle.

The BBC documentary " Rwanda's untold story" broadcast on 1 October 2014 has brought unjustified reactions and criticism.

That is why a number of officials with recognized expertise and from different countries, lawyers , human rights NGO leaders, doctors, politicians, military members, academics, journalists, etc. wish to express their support to the BBC and encourage it to continue its work for information and truth.

We are open to explore go further on the documentary by introducing the specific and key investigations from the French courts (Habyarimana plane attack) and Spanish courts (international crimes against Spanish, British, Canadian, Belgian, Rwandan, Congolese in Rwanda or DR Congo between 1990 and 2002, including international war crimes of plunder of natural resources in east DR Congo, under current investigation).

To express their support these officials have signed the attached text.

Yours sincerely,

Jordi Palou-Loverdos
Attorney at law
www.veritasrwandaforum.org

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A CALL FOR TRUTH AND JUSTICE IN THE AFRICAN GREAT LAKES REGION

On October 1, 2014, BBC2 broadcast a documentary “ Rwanda's untold story ” on the tragedies which have devastated the Great Lakes region since 1990: Burundi, Rwanda, and the DRC. It methodically deconstructs the narrative that has been made official by most of the Western media.

The signatories of this appeal who have been actors or observers in the African Great Lakes region through their functions or humanitarian commitments wish to congratulate and express their support to the BBC journalists and management who have significantly contributed to establishing the previously ignored historical truth.

International justice has been instrumentalised and has not fulfilled its role : — essential documents such as the Gersony report or the Hourigan inquiry have not been taken into consideration by the ICTR — Ms Carla Del Ponte was going to issue indictments following the special investigation into the RPF crimes but in 2003 she was removed from her position of ICTR Chief Prosecutor after the intervention of several member States of the UN Security Council — The 1998 UN report and the 2010 Mapping report which both implicated the Kigali regime for its action in DRC did not result in any legal action.

The attack on the plane carrying the Presidents of Burundi and Rwanda is considered by a great number of observers and commissions of inquiry as a key element in the escalation of violence and the outbreak of the 1994 genocide : therefore it is not acceptable that twenty years later the perpetrators and the actors should not be known, tried, and convicted.

At a time when the European Parliament has awarded Dr Mukwege the 2014 Sakharov Prize for his work in favor of the women victims of rape and sexual violence during the armed conflicts that have torn the Eastern DRC for almost twenty years, it is unacceptable that those responsible for these crimes against humanity or genocide which have caused several million deaths in the DRC should not be designated, prosecuted, and convicted.

Peace can only be achieved if justice is rendered fairly and equitably. Therefore the signatories call upon the UN to set up at the earliest the structures and procedures permitting to prosecute all those responsible for all the crimes perpetrated in this region since 1990, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.

The signatories ask that the political pressures and media bias which aim at discrediting the French and Spanish judicial investigations that implicate the RPF be denounced. We cannot help being astonished by the silence in almost all French-language media after the broadcast of the documentary by the BBC whose professionalism and deontology are internationally recognized.

Only an impartial justice will help restore peace to the region and the truth is the shortest way. The signatories of this call reiterate their support to the BBC and call upon it to continue its work of information and truth in the dramatic events that took place in Rwanda and in the Great Lakes region. This will be the best way to answer the criticisms to the documentary broadcast last October.

SIGNATORIES

1. BEUNZA Pepe, Spain, Professor - First Spanish conscientious objector
2. BONET PUIGERT Joseph, Spain, Member, GEES (Grup d’Empordaneses i Empordanesos per la Solidaritat)
3. BOULE Pierre, Canada, Lawyer
4. CABOT-VIDAL Merce, Spain, Human Rights Activist
5. CANET Francesc, Spain, ex-MP Spain - Professor
6. CARRERO Juan, Spain, Founder "Veritas Rwanda forum"
7. CASOLIVA Joan, Spain, INSHUTI Association
8. CASTRO ELCACHO Pedro, Spain, Financial investor
9. CLAEYS BOUUAERT Thérèse, Belgium, Sociologist
10. COMELLAS HUMET Sergi, Spain, Engineer
11. CONSTANT Raphaël, France, Head of Martinique Bar
12. CUADRAT i PELACH Nuria, Spain, Professor
13. CUSSAC Bernard, Colonel
14. DE BEULE Christiaan, Belgium, Rwanda - Burundi asbl
15. DE LA CAMARA Belen, Spain, Mediator
16. DESGAGNE Bernard, Canada, Journalist
17. FARRES Josephina, Spain, INSHUTI Association
18. FRUCHARD Michel, France, ex-African Matters Counsellor, Ministry of Defence
19. GARRISON Ann, USA, Print and radio journalist
20. GENTILINI Marc, France, Hon President, French Medecine Academy; Hon President, French Red Cross
21. GISPERT Maria, Spain, Contractor
22. HABYARIMANA Emmanuel, Switzerland, Geopolitical scientist - President, Virtus Panafricaine de Géopolitique
22. HERMAN Edward S., USA, Writer and teacher
23. HOGARD Jacques, France, Area commanding officer, Operation Turquoise
24. KALINGANIRE Pascal, USA, HR activist, OPJDR
25. KAZADI KABIMBA Richard, RDC, Lawyer
26. KÖCHLER Hans, Autriche, President, International Progress Association
27. LAFOURCADE Jean-Claude, France, Commanding officer, Operation Turquoise
28. LIONDJO Philippe, Switzerland, President, Swiss chapter, CLD
29. Lliga Del Drets Dels Pobles, Human rights NGO for the African Great Lakes Region (Spain)
30. MARCHAL Luc, Belgium, Commanding officer, Kigali/Kigali Sector/Unamir
31. MATATA Joseph, Belgium, Coordinator, CLIIR-Asbl
32. MBEKA Joseph Salomon, Belgium, Human Rights activist
33. MOLINA Amparo, Spain, President, Federation black Africa comittees
34. MUKASINE Florentine, Netherlands, RifDP Netherlands Coordinator (Réseau international des femmes pour la Démocratie et la Paix)
35. NDAGIJIMANA Jean-Marie, France, Former Rwanda Foreign Minister
36. NDAYISABA Elysee, Belgium, asbl AVICA President (Assistance aux victimes des conflits en Afrique Centrale)
37. NDJOKO Bénédicte, Suisse, Teacher HR activist
38. NKINAMUBANZI Pierre - Claver, Canada, President, CRC (Congrès Rwandais du Canada)
39. NYABIRUNGU mwene SONGA Raphael, DRC, Dean, Kinshasa Law Faculty
40. NYIRANKUNDWANKIZE Daphrose, Belgium, RifDP Belgium Président (Réseau international des femmes pour la Démocratie et la Paix)
41. OLIVAR Joan, Spain, Geographer
42. OLIVER GONZALES Antoni, Spain, Lecturer
43. PACHA VINCENTE Carlos, Spain, Engineer
44. PALOU Sergio, Spain, Economist
45. PALOU - LOVERDOS Jordi, Spain, Lawyer for the Rwandese , Spanish and Congolese victims - Lawyer, International Forum for Truth and Justice in the African Great Lakes Region
46. PETERSON David, USA, Writer and researcher
47. PHILPOT Robin, Canada, Publisher and author books on the Africa Great Lakes region
48. PHILPOT John, Canada, Lawyer
49. PLOURDRE Philippe, Canada, Lawyer Legal Assistant for defence team at the ICTR
50. PONS Jordi, Spain, Inshuti association
51. PUIG-LOVERDOS Oscar, Spain, Economist
52. PUTS Jean-Paul, Belgium, Surgeon (Former Rwanda war and humanitarian surgeon - 1994 - 1996)
53. RAFFIN Madeleine, France, Caritas Gikongoro director (1991 - 1993)
54. REID imothy B., Canada, Former Investigations & Justice Reform Officer UN Human Rights field Operation in Rwanda & former DDRRR Team Leader for South Kivu - UN Mission in DRC (MONUC)
55. REVER Judi, Canada, Journalist
56. ROBARDEY Michel, France, Counsellor, Investigation police (1990 - 1993)
57. ROMERO ALVAREZ Jordi - Xavier, Spain, Theologian
58. RUTIHUNZA Théobald, France, President, RIPRODHOR
59. SAYO ROURA Ester, Spain, Member, GEES (Grup d’Empordaneses i Empordanesos per la Solidaritat)
60. SBOLGI Mauro, Belgium, Administrator, S.I.R.E.A.S association
61. SOLER ROS Maria, Spain, Member, GEES (Grup d’Empordaneses i Empordanesos per la Solidaritat)
62. TERES BONET Noria, Spain, Justicia i Pau
63. VALLMAJO Marti, Spain, Brother Joaquim Vallmajo killed in Rwanda 04/26/94
64. VILA TRIOLA Pere, Spain
65. VILLENA Rafael Spain President of Coordonadora ONG Saladaries, de les comanques gironines I l'Alt
Colonel VINCENT André Belgium Commanding officer, Belgium technical military assistance (1991 - 1993)
66. WEYL Fréderic, France, Lawyer