After months of difficulty finding members willing to join its leadership committee, Ibuka-USA, a non-profit organization incorporated in Delaware, announced last week a new team of six dynamic leaders to guide the organization for the next four years. This diverse group brings fresh perspectives but faces challenges, including criticism that they, like other Ibuka chapters, are seen as extensions of the Rwandan ruling party (RPF) and are too closely aligned with the regime. This alignment complicates efforts to advocate effectively for survivors, especially when the regime’s interests conflict with those of the survivors. Can this new leadership overcome these hurdles and drive meaningful change?

At the helm of the new committee is President Marcel Mutsindashyaka, an IT executive at a college in Cleveland, Ohio. Marcel, who has been actively involved in survivor organizations in Rwanda, like AERG and GAERG, is known for his entrepreneurial drive, and as I know him, he doesn’t shy away from engaging in difficult conversations. His leadership style marks a shift from his predecessor and definitely makes him a promising choice for Ibuka-USA.

The rest of the team includes Vice President Favorite Iradukunda, a professor at the Elaine Marieb College of Nursing at the University of Massachusetts Amherst; Mireille Ishimwe, a Doctor of Pharmacy in Indianapolis, who will serve as the Social Affairs officer; Luck Ndunguye from Phoenix, Arizona, as secretary; Nicole Karekezi Umurerwa from Portland, Maine, as a committee member; and Paul Rukema as treasurer.

Ibuka-USA, founded in 2020 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit, aims to support and advocate for the genocide survivors who now live in the United States. The organization aspires to be an umbrella body for other survivor non-profits and individuals in the U.S., similar to its parent organization, Ibuka-Rwanda. This goal is not, however, universally accepted by local survivor groups in the U.S., which have long organized commemoration events and other activities for survivor welfare and genocide education independently.

Globally, there are many Ibuka chapters operating independently from each other, including in Europe, where the first Ibuka was established in 1995 in Brussels, Belgium. These chapters are credited with sustaining the commemoration of the genocide against the Tutsi by organizing annual events, working with host countries to erect memorials, combating genocide denial, and promoting genocide education through conferences and other initiatives.

However, critics argue that Ibuka groups, both in Rwanda and abroad, often align too closely with the Rwandan government, even when this alignment conflicts with the interests of survivors. For instance, Ibuka has been known to support government actions against critics but remains silent when a survivor in their membership is harmed, whether by the regime for dissent or by released genocide perpetrators.

Ibuka chapters abroad are also accused of being influenced by the Rwandan government through its embassies, which exert tight control over these groups. This relationship challenges their independence and hampers their ability to advocate effectively for survivors, especially when Ibuka-Rwanda itself operates under severe political constraints.

These dynamics have led many survivors to be hesitant about actively engaging with Ibuka chapters, often limiting their involvement to annual commemoration events. A common perception is that the group is politically aligned and lacks independence, which may explain why Ibuka-USA had difficulty attracting survivors to its leadership committee, despite considerable outreach efforts. Survivors critical of the government often face ostracism and even loss of membership, reinforcing a belief that supporting the RPF or the current government is expected, while dissent can put one’s survivor status at risk.

Additionally, Ibuka has been used to attack fellow survivors who have formed independent organizations, such as Igicumbi – Voix des Rescapés du Génocide des Tutsis, which the Rwandan regime opposes due to its lack of control. Nearly all Ibuka groups were pressured to align against this new organization, which highlights again the regime’s influence on Ibuka.

Despite these challenges, the new Ibuka-USA committee has a unique opportunity to strive for its independence and bridge political divisions among its members. They can work with the government without compromising the solidarity that binds survivors who share the immense loss and trauma of genocide.

The name “Ibuka,” meaning “remember” in Kinyarwanda, was coined by Eugene Mutabazi, a Rwandan living in Belgium during the genocide who lost many family members.

As Ibuka-USA begins this new chapter, its leadership will need to navigate these complex dynamics to effectively advocate for survivors and honor the memory of those we lost. The big question is: can these new faces on the committee overcome the longstanding challenges that have hindered Ibuka’s progress? Ends

Albert Gasake, September 12, 2024.