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Hope for Rwanda: Conversations with Laure Guilbert and Hervé Deguine
André Sibomana was a remarkable man. A Rwandan Catholic priest, journalist and leading human rights activist, he was one of the very few independent voices to speak out against the abuses perpetrated by past and present governments in Rwanda. Hope for Rwanda is his personal testimony and the first major account by a Rwandan available in English of the events surrounding the 1994 genocide. Sibomana offers a personal reflection on the issues surrounding the genocide, as well as confronting many of the preconceptions and stereotypes that are evident in the West's portrayal of the genocide. In an acclaimed testimony, Sibomana addresses controversial topics such as the role of the church in the genocide, the failure of the international community to prevent massacres and the human rights record of the new Rwandan government. Despite the inhumanity of the massacres and the endless suffering of the Rwandan people, Sibomana offers a strong vision of hope for the future of his country and for the future of humanity.
Hope for Rwanda was published to great acclaim in France. This English edition includes a new postscript that describes the circumstances of Sibomana's death and an updated chronology and additional chapter by the translator that summarizes some of the more recent developments in Rwanda. This book is compiled from extensive interviews conducted by two French journalists, Laurie Guibertand and Herve Deguine.
Hope for Rwanda was published to great acclaim in France. This English edition includes a new postscript that describes the circumstances of Sibomana's death and an updated chronology and additional chapter by the translator that summarizes some of the more recent developments in Rwanda. This book is compiled from extensive interviews conducted by two French journalists, Laurie Guibertand and Herve Deguine.
224 pages, Paperback
Published November 1, 1999
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About the author
André Sibomana
6 books1 followerAndré Sibomana was the editor of Rwanda’s oldest newspaper, Kinyamateka, and a leading human rights activist. As chairman of both the Association of Rwandan Journalists and the Association for the Defense of Human Rights and Public Freedoms, he chose to remain in Rwanda during the genocide of 1994 despite many death threats and assassination attempts, strongly condemning the systematic murder of more than half a million ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus by the Hutu majority. He later became an outspoken critic of human rights abuses by the new Tutsi-led government, which remained intolerant of dissent or critical reporting.
Sibomana was born July 21, 1954, in Masango, in central Rwanda. After a journalism course at the Catholic University of Lyon, France, he became the director and editor of the bi-weekly Roman Catholic publication Kinyamateka in 1988. Sibomana, who became "the father of journalism" to many of his colleagues, was among the few journalists to remain in Rwanda for the duration of the 1994 genocide, which broke out on April 6 after President Juvénal Habyarimana, a Hutu, was killed in an attack on the presidential aircraft. During the first few days of retributive violence, most critical journalists were either killed or fled the country in fear for their lives. Sibomana’s paper, Kinyamateka, was forced to stop publishing in April 1994 after a journalist and several employees were killed during the atrocities and the offices badly damaged in fighting. It resumed publication in December 1994 and managed to come out regularly, despite various forms of direct and indirect pressure on the staff. Sibomana, who was of Hutu ethnic origin, publicly denounced the "hate media," including Radio-Télévision Libre des Milles Collines (RTLM), for misinforming the public and inciting Hutus to slaughter the minority Tutsis. His writings resulted in numerous death threats and several jailings.
In May 1995, Sibomana received threats from the head of intelligence for the ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front in Gitarama prefecture. Accused of refusing to disclose the identity of one of his sources, allegedly a witness to the killings of three bishops during the genocide, he was forced into hiding and emerged three days later after international lobbying on his behalf persuaded the authorities to lift the pressure on him.
On September 20, 1995, Sibomana narrowly escaped a murder attempt after receiving a warning of an ambush at the last minute. He was also the victim of a smear campaign in the September, October and November editions of the extremist newspapers Imboni and Umusemburo, and his name was reported to be on a list of suspects in a secret report issued by the department of military intelligence.
Sibomana resigned as editor of Kinyamateka in October 1997 and died on March 9, 1998, in Kabgayi, after the government refused to let him travel to Europe for medical treatment. He was 43 years old. In a letter dated March 4, which reached Europe only after his death, he issued a final denunciation of the violence and human rights violations in his country, promising that if he survived, he would "call to account those who have refused to respect fundamental human rights."
Sibomana was born July 21, 1954, in Masango, in central Rwanda. After a journalism course at the Catholic University of Lyon, France, he became the director and editor of the bi-weekly Roman Catholic publication Kinyamateka in 1988. Sibomana, who became "the father of journalism" to many of his colleagues, was among the few journalists to remain in Rwanda for the duration of the 1994 genocide, which broke out on April 6 after President Juvénal Habyarimana, a Hutu, was killed in an attack on the presidential aircraft. During the first few days of retributive violence, most critical journalists were either killed or fled the country in fear for their lives. Sibomana’s paper, Kinyamateka, was forced to stop publishing in April 1994 after a journalist and several employees were killed during the atrocities and the offices badly damaged in fighting. It resumed publication in December 1994 and managed to come out regularly, despite various forms of direct and indirect pressure on the staff. Sibomana, who was of Hutu ethnic origin, publicly denounced the "hate media," including Radio-Télévision Libre des Milles Collines (RTLM), for misinforming the public and inciting Hutus to slaughter the minority Tutsis. His writings resulted in numerous death threats and several jailings.
In May 1995, Sibomana received threats from the head of intelligence for the ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front in Gitarama prefecture. Accused of refusing to disclose the identity of one of his sources, allegedly a witness to the killings of three bishops during the genocide, he was forced into hiding and emerged three days later after international lobbying on his behalf persuaded the authorities to lift the pressure on him.
On September 20, 1995, Sibomana narrowly escaped a murder attempt after receiving a warning of an ambush at the last minute. He was also the victim of a smear campaign in the September, October and November editions of the extremist newspapers Imboni and Umusemburo, and his name was reported to be on a list of suspects in a secret report issued by the department of military intelligence.
Sibomana resigned as editor of Kinyamateka in October 1997 and died on March 9, 1998, in Kabgayi, after the government refused to let him travel to Europe for medical treatment. He was 43 years old. In a letter dated March 4, which reached Europe only after his death, he issued a final denunciation of the violence and human rights violations in his country, promising that if he survived, he would "call to account those who have refused to respect fundamental human rights."
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 17, 2025
NIENTE DI CIÒ CHE È UMANO CI SIA ESTRANEO
Disumanizzare l’altro significa al tempo stesso disumanizzare se stessi. Si è umani o inumani, si agisce con umanità o inumanità a seconda che si consideri o non si consideri l’altro un uomo. Si nega la propria dignità di uomini negando la dignità degli altri. Il crimine contro l’umanità è anche un crimine contro la propria umanità. Il nazismo ha distrutto gli uomini che aveva fatto diventare dei boia al suo servizio.
Dalla prefazione di Noël Copin, presidente di “Reporters sans frontières” dal 1994 al 2004.
Disumanizzare l’altro significa al tempo stesso disumanizzare se stessi. Si è umani o inumani, si agisce con umanità o inumanità a seconda che si consideri o non si consideri l’altro un uomo. Si nega la propria dignità di uomini negando la dignità degli altri. Il crimine contro l’umanità è anche un crimine contro la propria umanità. Il nazismo ha distrutto gli uomini che aveva fatto diventare dei boia al suo servizio.
Dalla prefazione di Noël Copin, presidente di “Reporters sans frontières” dal 1994 al 2004.
February 16, 2019
It’s a chilling account of the events before, during and after the genocide through the eyes of a priest, human rights defender and a lover of truth. It gives an elaborate background of Rwanda (geography, politics, economy and culture) which played a part in the wars, genocide and the massacres. It’s a reminder that we all have a role to play in either fostering peace and unity among communities, or exploit the differences that exist in our diversity of tribes and clans to the detriment of humanity!
February 4, 2014
Really one of the best books I've read about Rwanda-- so helpful if anyone is interested in Rwanda! This year will be the 20th anniversary of the genocide if anyone is wanting to take opportunity to learn through the wise eyes of a Catholic priest/human rights activist!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews