Charles Onana Faces Legal Actions: Rwanda’s Influence

Charles Onana, a historian and specialist in the African Great Lakes region, is facing a legal action on October 7, 2024, in Paris launched by France-based NGOs, including the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH) and Survie. They are accusing Onana of denying genocide due to his analysis of the Rwandan conflict that occurred between 1990 and 1994. However, Onana's spirit shows a willingness to reveal the truth that has been ignored and challenge the dominant stories, especially about Rwanda's role in the Great Lakes region, in destabilizing the region.

The West, since the Clinton administration, which orchestrated the regime change in Rwanda (1990-94) and the invasion of Congo (then Zaire in 1996), has silenced the debate. Anyone who opens it, despite the use of archival material as is the case of Onana’s research, is dubbed a "conspiracy theorist” or "genocide denier" Nicoletta Fagiolo

Onana's Background and Expertise

Charles Onana is an investigative journalist and historian specializing in conflict in Africa, particularly the Great Lakes region. In recent years, he has become widely known for providing in-depth analysis of the Rwanda-Congo conflict, which has been overshadowed by political and media manipulation. His work is notable as it examines the role of various international actors, including the Rwandan Patriotic Front (FPR), in destabilizing the region.

What makes Onana so controversial is his willingness to tackle issues that many tend to overlook. He focuses on the mass killing of Hutu refugees in the Congo, shedding light on the atrocities committed during Rwanda's invasion of the Congo (then Zaire), resulting in the deaths of millions of civilians. The fact that he was determined to expose the injustice made him praised by those who seek the truth and persecuted by those who want to preserve the clean history of Rwanda.

Charles Onana's Books

Onana's highly publicized work brought hidden dimensions to the Rwandan and Congolese tragedies. His books include:

Holocaust in the Congo: ( View Book )This book focuses on the neglected genocide in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where more than 12 million civilians were killed and millions more. Onana criticizes international silence and complicity in the event.

Rwanda: The Truth About Operation Turquoise: (view Book) In this book, Onana challenges the widely accepted narrative that France was instrumental in supporting the Rwandan genocide. Instead, he says that the Rwandan Patriotic Front (FPR) was responsible for many of the crimes, which West covered.

Now, Kagame's regime sees Onana's analysis as a threat to its well-organized image and justification for the ongoing military operations in Congo, designed as national security. Rwanda's explanation also helps it get international support, especially from Western governments, which continue to provide significant aid. Onana's actions contradict this narrative by showing how Rwanda's actions in the Congo were motivated by control of valuable resources, not just security concerns.

Onana Needs a Support

Charles Onana's courage in court justice and fair criticism should be recognized as his testimony to reveal the truth about the African conflict. The accusations of genocide denial are not based on denying the horrors that happened but insisting that the full, complete story, which includes the mass killing of Hutu civilians, but instead the crimes of the RPF has been largely ignored.

Supporting Onana is important because his work encourages re-examining historical events that have long been dominated by one narrative. His investigation gives voice to the millions of Congolese and Hutus who have been victimized by geopolitics and Western interests. Additionally, Onana's research has the potential to deepen understanding of Rwanda's role in regional instability, helping to inform policy decisions that can lead to justice for all victims.

His work, based on many years of research, contradicts the powerful interests that want to control the narratives about the Rwandan and Congo disasters. As such, Onana deserves support and credit for his work so that the full story can be told. Instead of being insulted.