Parliamentarians discussing the spread of genocide ideology via social media on 5th February 2025
A recent investigation by the Forum of the Parliamentary Committee for Preventing Genocide and Combatting Denial and Minimisation of the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsis of 1994 (AGPF) has uncovered disturbing evidence that a group of youth in Rwanda are using foreign SIM cards to spread genocide ideologies.
The group, while living in Rwanda, is using these technologies to target local communities with divisive messages and false information about the country’s leadership.
The findings were presented on Wednesday, 5th March 2025, during a brainstorming session with members of Parliament, sector leaders, and political party representatives.
Senator Jean Pierre Dusingizemungu, representing the AGPF, disclosed that the investigation, conducted from December 2024 to February 2025, spanned 15 districts, including 11 along Rwanda’s borders, and reached 3,500 individuals.
The report highlighted how these individuals, often from border regions, were attempting to recruit local youth to promote genocide rhetoric.
Dusingizemungu explained that youth, equipped with foreign SIM cards, are sending messages through social media platforms like WhatsApp, often using numbers that appear to be from outside Rwanda.
The SIM cards, provided by anti-government groups, aim to mislead authorities and fuel unrest within the country.
One of the most alarming revelations was from Nyaruguru District, where a 12-year-old child was reportedly profiling classmates to identify their ethnic backgrounds.
The child expressed genocide sentiments, threatening to kill a Tutsi classmate if the genocide were to return.
Further reports from Gisagara District included disturbing statements from a 26-year-old individual who claimed that “eventually, they would eat Tutsis,” after consuming a snake.
Additionally, in the Mbazi Sector of Gisagara, a 90-year-old man had built a house atop a mass grave of genocide victims.
Deputy Secretary-General of the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB), Kamarampaka Consolee, also highlighted the growing presence of genocide ideology on social media.
She shared that platforms such as YouTube, WhatsApp, Twitter, and Facebook are being used to spread hate, with YouTube accounting for 64.3% of cases.
Senator Dusingizemungu expressed concern over these findings, noting that while many individuals who harbour genocide views may not openly express them, they continue to spread such beliefs on social media.
He also mentioned that the investigation uncovered several reports of people sharing information about these crimes, but some local leaders had not taken adequate action.
Professor Ngabitsinze Jean Chrisostome, a member of the PSD political party, emphasised the importance of addressing genocideideology starting in schools.
He stressed that the youth, being particularly vulnerable, need to be educated and protected from such harmful influences.
The AGPF investigation serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing efforts to counter genocide ideology and the need for heightened vigilance within the community to prevent its spread.
Authorities continue to encourage citizens to report any signs of hate speech or divisive behaviour, but the investigation also revealed a worrying tendency among some individuals to reconcile with those holding genocide views rather than reporting them.
